Greene Report to be delivered today
Document expected to recommend steps to help province get out of fiscal crisis
The long-anticipated Greene Report that is hoped to help design a plan to pull the province out of its fiscal dungeon will be released today.
Speculation, criticism and predictions of what the report will contain should be answered when Dame Moya Greene, chair of the Premier’s Economic Recovery Team, delivers the report along with a virtual speech from her home in the United Kingdom, which will be streamed live on Facebook and Youtube.
“We need a restructuring plan. The debt levels are too high, the deficit is too big,” Greene said after she was appointed chair last September by Premier Andrew Furey.
“The expenditure profile is probably going to force difficult decisions around what is the most important.”
Greene was born in St. John’s and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Memorial University before continuing her studies at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto.
In 2005, Greene was named CEO of Canada Post. She oversaw cost-cutting measures that turned the moneylosing corporation into a profitable one.
In 2010, she became the first woman to lead the United Kingdom's Royal Mail, which was in dire financial straits. Greene led initiatives, including privatization, that turned the Royal Mail's situation around.
Opposition parties and some members of the public have expressed concern the report would be acted upon quickly by the Furey government, and that there would be drastic cuts to this province's public service, privatization of some entities and cuts in other key areas such as health care and education.
Finance Minister Siobhan Coady on Wednesday, however, said the report will be just the start of an important conversation on the future of Newfoundland and Labrador that will involve everyone.
“The report is being made available to all at the same time it is received by the provincial government,” Coady said.
“We, along with the people of the province, will take some time to review it.
“As promised, we will be launching a robust consultation process. We will consider all views and opinions, and we encourage respectful, thoughtful discussion. We will be accepting comments by email at engagenl@gov.nl.ca, by Canada Post and by telephone, and through our online portal at engagenl.
“We will also be holding virtual town halls for communities and sessions for stakeholders.”
Coady said further details on how people can have their say and provide feedback on the report will be made available in the coming days.
The Premier's Economic Recovery Team was tasked with developing a plan of action that will respond to the province's immediate fiscal challenges and plot a new course.
In addition, the plan was to focus on programming to revitalize the economy and identify changes required, and identify ways to enhance opportunities, including building on strengths in the resource sector and seeking new ways to diversify the province's economy.
Coady said discussion and debate on the contents of the Greene Report is important for the province's future.
“I encourage all of us to participate as we look to transform our province, improve our way of life, to leave behind financial concerns and finally become all that we know this province is capable of,” she said.
“This is about the future of Newfoundland and Labrador, a future that we choose. Everything we do should be focussed on how do we improve, how do we achieve what we all want — a sustainable, self-sufficient, strong, smart Newfoundland and Labrador.”