The province's NDP government promised, prior to being elected three years ago, to create 2 thousand jobs a year. However, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says that promise fizzled in the early-going and now close to 8-thousand jobs have been lost. He says much of the problem has been created by the government handing out millions of dollars in un-secured grants and subsidies.
McNeil says 5 large corporations, including Bowater Mersey owner Resolute Forest Products, have received or were promised funds by the Dexter government and have ended up laying off a total of almost 11-hundred workers. In Bowater's case, the entire operation was closed for good throwing 320 people out of work.
