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Keep young Nova Scotians home: Dexter
By Jason Malloy, Transcontinental Media
Source: Truro Daily News
[TRURO, NS] It’s time for the provincial government to address a potential “demographic perfect storm” brewing in the near future, says the man who wants to be premier.
“Too many young people are leaving. Our birth rate is falling (and) our seniors population is growing,” NDP Leader Darrell Dexter told a Truro and District Chamber of Commerce luncheon yesterday. “The numbers tell the story.”
He says the province’s population is the oldest in Canada and by 2026 the senior population is expected to grow from 134,000 to nearly 250,000. It represents an increase from 15 to 25 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population.
“It’s a shift that will affect your businesses and it’s a shift that government must anticipate and plan for,” Dexter says.
He points to the fact the number of young children is declining. In 1994 there were 60,000 children under the age of five and now there are less than 45,000.
Dexter wants the province to help keep young Nova Scotians at home to start their careers and raise families.
He’s also calling for an expanded Nova Scotia Community College as some programs have waiting lists of two to three years.
“Last year, NSCC had to turn away 2,000 qualified applicants even though graduates of medical lab, continuing care and carpentry programs are in high demand,” he says.
The NDP would also introduce a 10 per cent manufacturing and processing tax cut to reward companies for innovation and creating jobs. It would be 75 per cent refundable so companies get back cash on its investment in the first year.
“The province’s total investment in the first year would be between $20 million and $25 million,” Dexter says. “It would be drawn from existing capital investment funds that exceed $500 million in the last budget year.”
He cites a provincial study showing it would create more than 2,000 jobs. The leader also said adding more debt ties the hands of future governments.
“If more debt made us better off, Nova Scotia would be very prosperous by now,” Dexter says.
That message was well received by many in the crowd.
“It’s nice to hear the leader of any political party talking about debt reduction,” says Chamber President Jim Lorraine.
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Comments:
In my opinion one of the most cost effective ways that any province can keep their youngest and brightest at home is to create a capital pool say $200,000,000 have it administered buy three successful business leaders. Let the up and comers with a solid business idea and a plan present their idea to the administrators and if two of the three administrators think it a good idea give them up to $300,000 to get it off the ground no payback required. It’s not as if governments’ haven’t wasted billions trying to keep dinosaurs such as the fishing industry, Sydney Steel and Trenton Work alive.
The additional industries and employment created will more then pay back the investment in tax revenues. Speaking of taxes perhaps the politicians might want to take a serious look at the cost of doing business in Nova Scotia. I’ve looked at relocating several time and it’s really expensive to live an conduct business in N.S..
Why is this a good idea? Why doesn’t anyone ever ask that question? Is it really a good idea to deter our youth from leaving. Does Darrel Dexter really believe we are better by discouraging our kids from exploring the world? How can they be the future of Nova Scotia if they know nothing but our province. Would you want this for your children? Why aren’t our newspapers and chambers of commerce asking if this is good for Nova Scotia.
We should encourage our youth to see the world not isolate themselves from it. We should encourage in-bound migration of youth from outside of our region. Encourage growth and development for our youth, encourage them to be worldly and be reach their potential.
What defeated, Sysco and Devco was the fact that they were Crown Corps, if they had been private owned companies. Owned by people who are from Nova Scotia who care at all about Nova Scotians, they would have operated 24/7 and not at 10% as was the truth. For the owner would demand productivity and quality of Product and Production. Under Nafta a crown corp is not pirmitted. So they had no access to our largest market. If we Nova Scotians return to our traditional industries, mining, metals Iron and steel, Steelworks and shipyards. We will agian show the reason why these are the Tradition Of Nova Scotia.
I came here to Nova Scotia 3 years ago to start a business and haven’t regretted it one bit. But I have to say that too many small businesses stick with the status quo, are afraid to grow and don’t give young people enough of a reason to stay for a career.
Coming out of college with a scandalously high debt and not having a first job opportunity where they can pay back their loans and learn job skills is a HUGE problem. There isn’t enough business interaction with the colleges and universities other than big businesses and some trades. Employers advertise for “experience only” and cut themselves off from creativity and energy because they don’t want to take the time to train.
Too many small businesses try at all costs to hire lowest wages and get only someone’s hands and forget about the head and heart. Our economy needs hundred’s of competitive improvements coming from creative people–workers and management LOVE what they do and where they live. This isn’t government’s job–tax stimulus is good but I would sooner see better and more coop education and health care.
There are still problems with race here as well. Young blacks and First Nations people are very much discriminated against before they even have a chance to get into the workforce. There are few businesses involved in mentoring and reaching out to these communities who have very high unemployment.
But I love living here!