1. Quote from Globe and Mail : Monday, May 30, 2011 Based on data from Statistics Canada Op ed by Jim Stanford Thanks to oil and other resource industries, Newfoundland [and Labrador]’s GDP per capita is high. Along with Alberta and Saskatchewan, it is one of Canada’s three “have” provinces. Yet hourly wages are lower than the Canadian average. And personal incomes, shockingly, are still the second-lowest in the country – $5,000 per person per year less than the Canadian average. Workers’ share of provincial GDP (captured in wages and benefits) is lower than anywhere else.

5. Religious Social Action Coalition Of Newfoundland and Labrador

6. Religious Social Action Coalition The religious leaders and worshippers who make up the Religious Social Action Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador are deeply troubled by the growing gap between rich and poor in our province. And we call on all candidates for the House of Assembly to work to close that gap.

7. www.candidatesagainstpoverty.ca This website allows voters in all 48 ridings to see which candidates have made this pledge. The website also includes the questionnaire we sent to the leaders of all three parties – and lets you see their answers. Use the navigation on the left to see which candidates in your riding have made the pledge, to see statements from the party leaders, and to learn about the Religious Social Action Coalition of Newfoundland & Labrador

9. Home Poverty Find Your Riding Questionnaire Leader Responses Open Letter To Candidates About Us Contact Us

10. We ask all candidates to take the following pledge: I PLEDGE TO WORK TO CLOSE THE GROWING GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

11. Questionnaire 1. What do you propose to do to close the growing gap between rich and poor in Newfoundland and Labrador? 2. Would you create an accountability mechanism — including an independent Provincial Fairness Commissioner to evaluate the impact of any new legislation or fiscal policy on closing the gap between rich and poor in Newfoundland and Labrador — and to report annually on progress in closing the gap?

12. 3. How would you adjust tax policies to close the gap between the wealthiest and the rest of us? Specifically, would you repeal recent tax cuts on the richest individuals with taxable income over $250,000 a year and add a new bracket on incomes over $500,000? We believe that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who work should not be poor. Unfortunately, many working families are forced to come to our food banks to make it from paycheque to paycheque.

13. Leader Responses