The following statement was read today by the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs:

Mr. Speaker, September 28 is municipal election day in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is an excellent opportunity for residents to get involved in their communities.

Prior to entering provincial politics, I had the honour to serve as the mayor of St. Anthony, and before that as a councilor for several years. It was a truly rewarding experience. It was incredibly busy at times and not without its challenges; however, it provided me with insight into the importance of local government.

The Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs has been busy preparing for the election through providing support and guidance to municipalities on the election process and legislative requirements. A circular has been sent to towns with information on municipal mail-in balloting and the department is providing elections training. Several municipalities are considering and making plans for a mail-in option in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the vaccine roll out is going very well across the province, they recognize that mail-in ballots is another option to make voting as accessible as possible to residents.

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL) is also an excellent resource for communities and is encouraging participation through the Make Your Mark campaign. We are pleased to provide $20,000 to MNL to support this work.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all those currently serving on council and to acknowledge the recent appointments of Amy Coady-Davis as President and Trina Appleby as vice-president of the Board of MNL. I wish them both well in their new roles.

I ask all Honourable members to join me in encouraging all citizens from all backgrounds to consider putting their names forward for election this fall.

Thank you.