Picking a Premier: Abbott, Hogan square off in CBC's Liberal leadership debate

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes ago

Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberal enactment hopefuls made their pitches to the radical arsenic to wherefore they should pb the state into the aboriginal connected Wednesday night.

John Abbott and John Hogan kept a cordial matter implicit the 40-minute CBC News debate, seldom challenging each different successful their policies oregon comments.

A leader — and Newfoundland and Labrador's adjacent premier — volition beryllium decided connected May 3.

While respective topics were covered, here's wherever the candidates basal connected a fewer issues apical of caput for voters.

Affordability and fiscal discipline

The outgo of surviving is rising successful Newfoundland and Labrador, and some candidates accidental it's indispensable to intimately show spending portion making definite radical tin spend to unrecorded successful the province.

Abbott brought guardant much caller ideas, speaking of his tendency to instrumentality a targeted basal income program for seniors and the request to reign successful grounds spending and a record deficit.

"The archetypal happening we person to do, though, is halt moving up further deficits. And that is thing I americium committed to," Abbott said.

"I've ever balanced the fund [in my departments]. We necessitate municipalities to equilibrium their budget, we request to bash that present astatine the provincial level."

WATCH | Highlights from CBC's Liberal enactment debate:

Hogan took a much bureaucratic approach, outlining what authorities has already done to trim taxes connected things similar gasoline and insurance.

"That's small bits present and there, but it does each adhd up toward decreasing costs for families and for individuals successful this province," Hogan said.

He besides prioritized the instauration of caller ministries wrong authorities for seniors and families to marque definite those groups are particularly supported.

"Affordability has been, and is still, an issue. I cognize the outgo of groceries, I cognize the outgo of gas, I cognize the outgo of having children. And portion of that restructuring...will beryllium having a curate who focuses connected families and their needs and what's important to them."

Both candidates besides spoke to the request for affordable housing. Hogan said his authorities would prioritize helping seniors property successful spot portion continuing efforts to grow affordable lodging projects successful the province.

Abbott said helium is committed to the instauration of 10,000 caller lodging units by 2030 with an accent connected the instauration of affordable housing.

Healthcare

On the taxable of healthcare, Hogan said helium would proceed to usage Health Accord NL — a 10-year program already successful question to revamp and reimagine the healthcare system — arsenic a guiding airy successful the coming years.

"It's going to instrumentality clip to rebuild the system," helium said.

"We're a mates of years into that close now. And I tin archer you that portion radical inactive are struggling with healthcare and everybody doesn't person entree to superior healthcare and exigency hold times inactive are a small spot excessively agelong for people's liking, the trends are going successful the close direction. And we request to proceed to absorption connected these trends."

Hogan added determination is already important wealth successful the healthcare system, but it's important to guarantee the state sticks to its wellness accord plan.

Abbott said his clip successful authorities and connected the run way has shown him wherever improvements request to beryllium made — and is prepared to admit shortfalls.

"People are paying their taxes, and they request the services that they're paying for," helium said.

"My relation past arsenic Premier volition marque definite we clasp the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services to relationship for improved outcomes. We cognize however we tin comparison with different provinces, and we bash poorly connected galore fronts. And there's nary crushed for that."

Churchill Falls

Hand successful manus with fiscal subject came speech of the caller Churchill Falls statement with Québec, which could gain the state $1 cardinal a twelvemonth implicit the adjacent 17 years and make respective opportunities for growth.

Abbott has combed done the deal, and said his occupation arsenic premier would beryllium to spot that each of the elements of the woody travel to fruition.

"I person afloat religion and assurance successful the negotiating team," helium said. "If determination is oregon are reddish flags that travel up done this process implicit the adjacent year, if we can't resoluteness them astatine the negotiating table, I person to prime up the phone, speech to the premier of Quebec, and marque definite we robust those out. If not, we halt until they are."

Hogan said the state has to get the woody right — and he's prepared to marque definite the state gets the champion woody possible.

"As lawyer general, I had a batch of input into the [memorandum of understanding]. I recognize the MOU," helium said.

"The Churchill River is simply a tremendous assets for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, but we've had 2 strikes. The archetypal Upper Churchill contract...and of course, Muskrat Falls was severely implicit budget. This is the past opportunity, we can't spend a 3rd strike."

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