Liberals Will Continue Historic Job Growth – Commit to 3,500 New Jobs

Charlottetown, March 27 – Job growth on the Island will accelerate under a government led by Wade MacLauchlan and the Liberal team. “As our province grows, our labor force will need to grow in tandem,” says Liberal Leader Wade MacLauchlan. “That is why the Liberal Party is proposing a plan to grow our workforce by at least 3,500 over the next four years.”

Since 2015, Prince Edward Island’s increasingly diverse economy has seen a need for more and more skilled workers. Right now, a record number of Islanders are working – and over the last four years, an additional 5,000 full-time jobs have been added.

The Liberal team presented a clear plan on job growth this morning that allows workers to keep more of their hard-earned money, reduces costs for Island businesses, and helps create meaningful jobs for Islanders.
 
To better support working low-income Islanders, the Liberal Party is proposing a new P.E.I. Workers Benefit which will provide up to $1,600 for a single worker and $2,700 for a couple or a family. This initiative will build on the Canada Worker Benefit and directly assist 12,600 working Islanders each year.
 
Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our Island economy and contribute significantly to communities across our province within their entrepreneurialism, passion, and talent. The Liberal team will reduce the small business tax rate to 2.5 per cent in 2020, with a commitment to remain the lowest rate in the Atlantic region.
 
The new $750 million Infrastructure Investment and Modernization Plan will be a key cornerstone in the ambitious job-creation goal. That plan will result in major new improvements to roads, bridges and schools and local infrastructure. This new capital plan will be accompanied by a strict job creation lens, which will ensure that our province’s infrastructure modernization will be coupled to job growth.

This long-term initiative is expected to create 2,000 full-time jobs.

Other elements of the new Liberal job plan include:

• A First Job Initiative – which will provide training and salary support for employers hiring in fields that require new workers
• A $2 million Worker Acceleration Program, that will assist workers in accessing new training and upgrading opportunities, without having to leave their current job
• A new Red Seal Entrance Scholarship of $1,000 for eligible students
• New vocational facilities at Island high schools
• A $5 million Export Growth Fund to support private sector initiatives designed to open new markets across Canada and around the world
• An expanded Graduate Mentorship Program – which will help an additional 2,000 young Islanders get started in their careers

“Our plan is ambitious, and our scope is wide – but this simply reflects the growing optimism and confidence of Islanders,” MacLauchlan said. “The Liberal Party believes that our plan will empower workers – and offer new career choices and opportunities for many years to come.”

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Media Contact:
Mary Moszynski
media@liberalpei.ca
Phone: 902-393.8534
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