Tough leadership, gender equality top of mind for N.L. orgs as federal campaign begins

Organizations in St. John's say they want strong leadership and commitments to community as the federal election campaign begins.

"We need decisive decisions," said AnnMarie Boudreau, CEO of the province's Board of Trade. "We need action taken."

Boudreau noted the past couple of years have been tough for businesses, due to rising costs and challenges attracting and retaining workers.

"It is increasingly difficult for business to be competitive and for businesses to survive right now," said Boudreau. 

Access to labour is also high on the priority list for businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador, she added.

"We just had our immigration numbers cut and while we did have 50 per cent of those reinstalled, we're still at a deficit," she said. 

Human rights top of mind

For members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, human rights are a major concern, said Eddy St. Coeur, co-chair of St. John's Pride. 

"Just because the focus of what the overall election conversation has changed to be more economics, that doesn't make all of those other things go away," said St. Coeur. 

St. Coeur said he will be watching for more than just numbers in party platforms. 

"As we're seeing this shift from, in the election focus, to be more about shoring up Canada's economies, we've got to make sure that we don't lose the humanity in that," said St. Coeur. 

Recently, Liberal Leader Mark Carney decreased the size of his cabinet, removing the minister of women and gender equality. St. Coeur says that's concerning because there has been an increase in members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the U.S. seeking refugee status in Canada. 

St. Coeur said he will be looking for candidates to commit to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, especially in conversations about sovereignty. 

"Making welcome and safe communities are the key piece of the puzzle," said St. Coeur. 

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