Dear Minister Olscamp,
Re: End Secret Negotiations with Maritime Fishermen’s Union
Our organization is writing to express our concern about your secret negotiations with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union. We urge you, for the best interests of New Brunswick taxpayers to end these negotiations immediately.
We sympathize with fishermen facing low lobster prices and competing with the influx of cheap lobster from across our US/Canada boarder. But this is not an issue that can be or should be corrected by the government handing taxpayer money to fish producers.
Taxpayers and small businesses across New Brunswick are suffering under the weight of the struggling economy. In the past two years, the New Brunswick economy has suffered thousands of job losses and taxpayers’ earnings are barely keeping pace with increased cost of necessaries like food and gasoline. Please bear in mind that any money handed to lobster fishermen is being taken away from other struggling New Brunswickers.
We ask that you walk away from these negotiations for two reasons.
First, the province’s taxpayers cannot afford to hand money over to every industry that is going through short-term difficulty.
Right now the province is running an almost $200m deficit, and spending cuts are being looked at in important areas like health care and education. Taxpayers are also shelling out more on everything from drivers’ licenses to taxes on gasoline.
Giving money to this group will only result in other industries making the same demands on government in weeks and months to come.
Second, the government should not be giving into every group of protesters that asks for assistance. This will only serve to support “mob” rule, and send a message to other groups that you can extract money from the government simply by kicking up a fuss. The government should not be shortsighted in making its spending decisions.
Minister, we hope that you will consider some of these concerns as you carry out your duties and continue to serve the public in the coming days.
Sincerely,
Kevin Lacey
Atlantic Director
Canadian Taxpayers Federation
877-909-5757
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