Yesterday, Thursday April 16, 2021, Lt. Governor Judy M. Foote opened the first session of the 50^th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her Honour delivered the first Speech from the Throne for the newly re-elected Andrew Furey’s Liberal Government. The speech was focused on COVID-19 recovery, positioning the province as an economic leader in business generation, and attracting new residents to bolster the aging population.
Economy

• Government will focus on debt management while investing in growth industries to strike the right balance for necessary change. 
• Focus is also on economic recovery, fostering economic growth, and establishing economic and social conditions that will allow the people of the province to thrive.
• Continuing to build on the solid relationship with the Government of Canada in support of a renewed financial structure for the Lower Churchill Projects, the realization of the Atlantic Loop, with the end goal of affordable power rates.
• Investing in important infrastructure projects and prioritizing the hiring of qualified workers based in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Launching InvestNL, a one-stop online portal to highlight the province’s priority sectors and showcase Newfoundland and Labrador as a prime location for business expansion and a hotbed for investment in innovative high growth companies.
• Supporting TechNL’s new Innovation Centre to help develop shared work space, networking initiatives, investment and incubation services, research, and mentorship.

Environment

• Net zero carbon emissions by 2050
• Government will engage with investors from around the world to promote Newfoundland and Labrador as the global destination of choice for clean energy investment.

Immigration

• Triple current immigration targets and increase retention rates by collaborating with the Government of Canada to add more immigration categories aimed at addressing specific labour market shortages in the province.

Social and Physical Health

• A goal of giving a single dose of vaccine to every eligible person who wants one by June 30^th , with more than 100,000 first doses already in the arms of the people of the province.
• To ensure that government programs are founded on respectful relationships, all provincial government staff will receive training on Indigenous perspectives and culture.
• Launch of a 10-year health transformation plan to make Newfoundland and Labrador the healthiest place in the country.
• The Province will support the agriculture industry to meet the goal of 20 per cent provincial food self-sufficiency by next year.
• Government will support the development of the community sector by creating an incubator and accelerator to maximize social and economic impacts.
• A review of the Elections Act will be conducted in order to develop modern legislation that ensures voting is as accessible as possible. 

The full text of the Speech from the Throne can be found here.