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Welcome to New-fee-land: N.L. turns to social media to rip budget

Residents in Newfoundland and Labrador have had time to digest the blow of this year's tough budget, and reaction has been swift.

What you think of N.L.'s high-tax, high-fee 2016 budget

CBC News ·
A GoFund Me Page was created, presumably in jest, after the budget was released Thursday. As of Friday, the page was taken down. (GoFundMe)

Along with the tax hikes, new fees and big deficit, the Newfoundland and Labrador budget has brought a wave of shock, anger, sadness, humour and, in some case, acceptance.

If you are a single person making between $70,000 and $80,000 a year, provincial officials estimate that the combined impact of those changes alone will take roughly $2,800 out of your pocket.

That doesn't include perks that some families would normally avail of, like baby bonuses, which were axed in the budget. 

Many residents of the province, upset by the Liberals' first budget, haven't taken kindly to the messages released by politicians on social media. (Twitter)

Much of the focus has been on Dwight Ball and the promises he and his party campaigned on, like not increasing the harmonized sales tax and the pledge to keep public sector jobs "safe."

Thursday's budget included a 2 per cent hike in HST as well as the announcement that 650 public sector positions would disappear. 

Those tweets from then-opposition leader Dwight Ball have been reposted the day after the budget was released, with many critizing him for those broken promises.

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