Yvonne Jones says nurse is needed in isolated Black Tickle

Labrador MP Yvonne Jones sent her support to Premier Dwight Ball in dealing with the province's fiscal situation Friday, but says there's one cutback she's not happy with. 

Jones told CBC News that Labrador-Grenfell Health's plan for Black Tickle is inadequate. Earlier this week, the authority announced that the community will lose its only full-time registered nurse position. 

A nurse will now travel to the community once a week, and a physician will continue to visit every six weeks.

• Jobs, subsidies and more among casualties of Labrador-Grenfell Health cuts

"I don't envy the job that our premier has. I've know him for a long time and I know the decisions he's had to [make] as premier of the province are weighing heavily on him," she said. 

Jones said the province is "losing revenue, growing debt, we don't have investment capital, we're not in the good books of the banks. It's not as easy to walk in a refinance everything because things are not working." 

While Jones supports Ball's efforts to try to get the province's budget "under control," she said that the province has gone from being "a have province, one of the wealthiest per capita in Canada" to being "dirt poor," and not able to pay for essential services. 

Jones said the plan for Black Tickle will not service the needs of the community. 

"I'm very disappointed one, that Labrador Grenfell could see this as a cut that they could make, and even make it a priority as a reference for government to deal with it," she said. 

"We're going to be trying to build a strong case for the people of Black Tickle to show that you cannot leave people in an isolated region without healthcare services."

But Jones said it's important to note positive aspects of the budget as well.

She said she's pleased with the federal government's proposal to increase the Northern Residents Tax Deduction, aimed at alleviating the high cost of living in Canada's North. 

She added that increasing benefits for seniors, extending Employment Insurance for seasonal workers and giving more money to aboriginal governments are all "going to make a huge difference in our communities, and they're going to make a positive difference."