Some — but not all — PC MLAs gather as election speculation continues
6 Tory members who broke ranks with premier aren't invited to Fredericton meeting
Several cabinet ministers including Attorney-General Ted Flemming and Finance Minister Ernie Steeves were seen driving into the parking garage at Chancery Place, where the premier's office is located.
Three backbench MLAs, Mike Dawson, Michelle Conroy and Ryan Cullins, also arrived, walking into the main entrance.
The Speaker of the legislature, Bill Oliver, showed up too, claiming to be unaware what was going on.
"I'm just going to a meeting. … I'm not sure yet," he said.
Six
caucus members, clockwise from top left, Andrea Anderson-Mason, Trevor
Holder, Dorothy Shephard, Jeff Carr, Ross Wetmore and Daniel Allain,
were not at Tuesday's meeting. They broke ranks with Higgs in June over
changes to the gender-identity policy for schools. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
But the six PC MLAs who broke ranks with Higgs in June over changes to Policy 713, the gender-identity policy for schools, were not at the meeting.
The premier's chief of staff, Paul d'Astous, buttonholed by reporters outside the building, said the meeting was unrelated to a possible election and was not a full caucus meeting.
He said it was a meeting of the policy and priorities board, a committee of cabinet ministers that some backbenchers are able to attend.
But some of the MLAs arriving did not seem to know that.
"I'm not even sure myself," Cullins said when asked what the meeting was.
Speakers of the legislature, who are officially neutral in their roles, do not attend most caucus meetings for partisan discussions.
Paul
d’Astous, the premier’s chief of staff, told reporters outside the
building that the Tuesday meeting was unrelated to a possible election
and was not a full caucus meeting. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
But d'Astous said Oliver was there Tuesday as a "resource person" to the group because he'll be presiding over the opening of a new session of the legislature on Oct. 17.
D'Astous wouldn't guarantee that will happen, however.
"Anything can change," he said.
Speaker
of the legislature Bill Oliver claimed to be unaware what the meeting
was about. D’Astous said Oliver was there as a 'resource person.' (CBC)
The June rebellion and what Higgs calls the resulting "instability" and "political drama" in his caucus is why he has not ruled out a snap election this fall.
As a result, all political parties have been preparing for the possibility. Social Development Minister Jill Green announced last week she will run again.
Another member of cabinet, Health Minister Bruce Fitch, said last week he doesn't think Higgs should call an election this fall.
Under the province's Elections Act, it's now too late for a provincial election to take place Nov. 6. The next possible date is Monday, Nov. 13.
Dawson, elected in 2022 as MLA for Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin, said if Higgs asks his advice, he'll encourage him to do it.
"I can go to the polls tomorrow," he said.
"Why not? Are we going to able to function … in the middle of this month?"
Dawson said he doesn't trust assurances by the six MLAs who broke ranks in June that they'll support Higgs's agenda in the legislature.
Backbench MLA Mike Dawson said if Higgs asked his advice on a snap election, he’d encourage him to do it. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"They'll probably say whatever they want to get back into the house," he said.
Those six have declared emphatically they won't vote against the government in any confidence votes such as the budget, and some have said they know of no bills this fall they'd vote against.
But they also said in a joint letter to the PC caucus in August that they want all Tory MLAs to have more input into government decision-making.
They've also accused Higgs of refusing to hold a full meeting of the 29-member PC caucus to sort out the disagreement.
Some of the MLAs arriving told reporters they weren't aware that the group of six had not been invited.
"You know more than we do," Conroy said.
A spokesperson notified reporters hours before the meeting started that Higgs would not be available to speak to reporters.
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CBC News · Posted: Jan 09, 2006 4:23 PM AST | Last Updated: January 9, 2006
An international expert on democracy has flown all the way from Egypt to help NDP candidate John Carty campaign in Fredericton.
Dominic Cardy is with a group called The National Democratic Institute. Its members include such people as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The group's mission is to teach democratic values and spread democracy around the world.
Cardy has taught about democracy in Algeria, Bangladesh, and Cambodia during the past few years. When he heard his friend John Carty was running for office back in his home town of Fredericton, he hopped on a plane.
"It was a strange experience," Cardy said. "One evening I was watching the sun go down over the pyramids, and the next evening watched it go down over Fredericton airport as I came into land."
Cardy is no relation to the NDP candidate. But he loves elections and loves getting people pumped up about democracy.
Carty the candidate is running against federal Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott, Conservative Pat Lynch, Green candidate Philip Duchastel and independent David Amos. The riding has sent Scott to Ottawa for the last four elections, despite the best efforts of the other parties.
Cardy says he doesn't care how tough the race his – he just wants people to participate in the process. "People have forgotten how incredibly precious these gifts that our ancestors fought for are and were just giving them away. It makes me furious when I talk to people and people just say 'ah there's no point in voting.'"
After election day Dominic Cardy is flying back home to his wife in Kathmandu, Nepal. He hopes to leave behind a new Member of Parliament for Fredericton, his friend John Carty for the NDP
I say Higgy will ask the Crown to ignore the law and seek a November 13th polling day However perhaps one of the 6 MLAs he failed to kick out of his caucus may give him a shocking surprise
N.B. Power rate increase announcement cancelled, province retracts debt reduction target
Never believe anything until Mikey denies it
D'Astous wouldn't guarantee that will happen, however. "Anything can change," he said.
Yea Right
He told reporters that if the premier visits Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy and asked her to dissolve the house, she should instead ask the PC caucus if another of its members could take over and lead a government with majority support in the legislature.
Cardy acknowledged that move, while possible in the parliamentary system, is rare but not out of the question.
"The lieutenant-governor's job is to ascertain whether there's anybody else who can command the majority of the house," he said.
ANDREA JOHNSON
Contact Information
Phone : (506) 453-7494
Fax : (506) 453-3461
Email : Andrea.Johnson@gnb.ca
Higgs is asking for Trump like loyalty and a caucus that will do exactly what he tells them. So much for an inclusive PC party with a variety of opinions represented.
Vote anyone but PC in November 2023. We need a minority Liberal government, with promise from them to govern for four full years, with the participation of one or more the opposition parties.
23 Wannabe in control PCs
16 Liberals
3 Greens
1 Independent
6 PCs sitting on the fence
Who rules the roost?
Brian Murphy, K.C. tendered his resignation as President of the NBLA effective August 15, 2023. The Executive of the NBLA met on August 10th and elected Carley Parish, K.C. as President on an interim basis.
In his resignation letter Murphy stated “I think it is important for the next Premier, Susan Holt, to have around her new people with new ideas and I always looked at this as a caretaker and transition role which I now feel has been completed with great success, in most part due to the fine work of previous and current executive and staff.” Mr. Murphy, K.C., a former Mayor of Moncton, a member of Parliament and Justice Critic, remains active in the practice of law as senior partner at Forté Law Droit.
Wolastoqey chiefs slam Higgs, ready to work with new government should election be called
First Nations' leaders criticize how provincial Department of Aboriginal Affairs has been 'overhauled'
Leaders of the six Wolastoqey nations in New Brunswick have issued an open letter slamming Premier Blaine Higgs's government for how it has handled its duty to consult and have signaled their readiness to work with a new provincial leader, should a snap election happen this fall.
"We are ready to work with any government that is ready for a consistent, reliable, and Nation-to-Nation relationship founded in good faith," stated the chiefs in the letter, issued Friday.
The letter is signed by Chief Ross Perley of Neqotkuk (Tobique), Chief Patricia Bernard of Matawaskiye (Madawaska), Chief Gabriel Atwin of Bilijk (Kingsclear), Chief Shelley Sabattis of Welamukotuk (Oromocto), Chief Tim Paul of Wotstak (Woodstock) and Chief Allan Polchies of Sitansisk (St. Mary's).
Much of the letter is a critique of the way the provincial Department of Aboriginal Affairs has been "overhauled" in a way that centralizes all interactions with First Nations "through a group that takes its lead from expensive external lawyers and Higgs."
New
Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has said a title claim by Wolastoqey
nations for half of the province could affect private homes, an
assertion Wolastoqey leaders have called false. (CBC)
In August, CBC News reported that the department has doubled its spending and staffing since Higgs took power, including millions spent on lawyers from Cox & Palmer and Stewart McKelvey, who advise the government and sit with Higgs and key ministers on a steering committee guiding the province's legal position.
The chiefs say in their letter that relations were becoming positive and productive with bureaucrats across many departments prior to Higgs.
"Now, all discussions with First Nations are funnelled through a group of expensive corporate lawyers who answer only to Premier Blaine Higgs," they said.
"We are not being consulted ... a constitutional requirement and legally protected right. Instead, we are expected to be thankful for getting talked at by bureaucrats whose sole mandate is to check a box, tally the interaction and ensure those numbers get reported up the chain."
Aboriginal
Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn said she and Higgs have both met with
First Nations on 'many occasions' and have always been open to further
meetings and discussions. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
CBC News asked for an interview with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn but she was not available Friday.
In an emailed statement, she said her department identified a need two years ago for further consideration on how the province manages its day-to-day interactions with First Nations.
"Through this process, opportunities for improvement were identified, to do better for First Nations and to ensure the Province is not just responding but is making concrete proactive steps to improving the lives of all members of First Nation communities," she said.
Dunn said a mandate was later developed for a "whole-of-government approach," that would help create a better understanding of First Nations' needs and ensure that the province could deliver on commitments.
Dunn said she and Higgs have both met with First Nations on "many occasions" and have always been open to further meetings and discussions.
"There are many other consultations, negotiations and engagements that are ongoing with First Nations on a daily basis, and I hope to be in a position to announce more successes in the coming weeks and months."
Tensions between Wolastoqey leaders and the government have been particularly high in the wake of a notice of a court action filed by the six communities in 2020, that claims title to about half of the province. The claim also specifically names N.B. Power and six of the province's major forestry companies and 19 of their subsidiaries.
The move prompted Justice Minister Ted Flemming to direct civil servants to use specific wording when declaring First Nation land acknowledgements at public events.
It's also prompted Higgs to say the claim would impact smaller landowners, which Wolastoqey leaders have denounced as false and an attempt at fear mongering.
Wolastoqey nations in New Brunswick filed a claim in 2020 seeking title to about half of the province. (Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick)
The Wolastoqey chiefs have aired their disagreements with the Higgs government multiple times in recent months, however, their letter comes as the premier's political fate could be put to the test.
New Brunswick's political parties have positioned themselves in recent days for what could be an early provincial election this fall.
It comes after Higgs said the defiance of six rebel Tories in June "remains a big concern" and could lead him to call an election before the scheduled date of Oct. 21, 2024, to avoid "12 months of political drama causing instability and stagnation in government."
The spectre of an early election has prompted Liberal Party Leader Susan Holt and Green Party Leader David Coon to make recent announcements about which ridings they intend to run in.
Coon pitches Crown land co-management
Coon said in an interview that Wolastoqey and Mi'kmaw people have been "tremendously disrespected" by Higgs's government, adding that he thinks it's failed to build any kind of relationship with them.
Green
Party Leader David Coon says if he were premier of New Brunswick, he'd
give Wolastoqey and Mi'kmaw leaders a say in how the province's Crown
lands get used and developed. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Responding to the chiefs' letter, Coon said if he were premier, he would seek to build a relationship based on respect and recognition of the Peace and Friendship Treaties.
"As a gesture of respect from the beginning, I would say let's move into shared management of Crown lands ... and go from there," he said.
"That's shared decision-making over how those Crown lands are used, what kind of forest management occurs on those Crown lands, and you know, we could sure use an Indigenous worldview applied to how our vast, vast Crown lands are managed."
Liberal Leader Susan Holt says if she were premier her government would renew the relationship with Indigenous communities. (Aidan Cox/CBC)
Holt wasn't available for an interview before deadline Friday, but in an emailed statement said she agrees with the six chiefs that Higgs and his government have not built respectful or meaningful relationships with Indigenous people in the province.
"Mishandling this significant relationship with First Nations shows a lack of leadership and demonstrates an unwillingness to understand the law in Canada and quite frankly it's an embarrassment to our province," she said.
"A Holt government would renew the relationship with Indigenous communities by starting with respect and a shared understanding of our treaty obligations."
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Liberal, Green leaders highlight health care on cusp of possible snap election
Susan Holt and David Coon previewed platforms in radio interviews, Higgs didn't join
Holt and Coon previewed their party platforms in interviews with CBC's Information Morning Fredericton this week.
PC Premier Blaine Higgs was also invited to be interviewed, but CBC received notice he would not take part.
"Why aren't we taking care of the people who are caring for us? Why are there 74,000 New Brunswickers waiting to get a family doctor?" asked Holt.
"We may have a billion dollar surplus," said the Liberal leader, but there are also more people without doctors, nursing home beds, childcare spaces or homes.
Susan Holt says 11,000 households are waiting for social housing and first-time buyers are shut out of the market. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)
A Liberal government would table balanced budgets and continue to pay down the debt, Holt said, but it would also put tax dollars toward improving various types of care and building affordable housing.
It would take about $300 million to address the housing shortage, she said, triple what the Higgs government said it would spend in its recent housing strategy.
Holt said about 30,000 housing units are needed, and meanwhile, 11,000 households are on the wait list for social housing, first-time buyers are shut out of the market, and seniors can't find anywhere affordable to move.
"We have to get building," she said.
Property tax reforms could make affordable housing more attractive to build, and provincial tax could be removed on electricity bills to relieve cost of living pressure, she said.
The "Higgs carbon adjustor" could also be eliminated, she said, to reduce fuel prices by seven to eight cents a litre.
Small modular nuclear reactors are "definitely" part of the Liberal party's vision for meeting future power needs, said Holt.
The province needs a comprehensive energy strategy, she said, which includes wind, solar, SMRs, other nuclear and hydro.
Holt also took the opportunity to distance herself from her federal counterpart, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"I think Trudeau's been in power for a long time. And I think people feel like he's disconnected maybe from the reality that they're living. And it's the same feedback that we hear in New Brunswick about Higgs," said Holt.
"One man in Fredericton cannot understand the reality of life in every corner of New Brunswick," she said.
People are feeling stressed, says Coon
Green Party Leader David Coon was also critical of the way Higgs and his PCs have governed.
Coon said he thinks many New Brunswickers feel disrespected — including nurses, teachers, doctors, the LGBTQ community, Indigenous people and francophones.
"We're being pulled apart," he said.
People are also feeling a lot of stress and anxiety, said the Green leader, over things like not being able to afford groceries, not having a doctor or a nursing home bed, and having to deal with damage from "crazy weather."
With so many problems, it's "criminal" that the entire surplus from last year was "handed over to bankers" to pay down the debt, he said.
One thing that's needed in health care, said Coon, is a funding formula to ensure nurse practitioners and other health professionals can work with doctors in community health centres.
"That would eliminate our waiting list," he said.
Another thing he'd like to see is a rent cap.
It would give seniors security, he said, so they know they won't be forced out of their homes by an unaffordable rent increase.
Coon isn't against the idea of a tax cut — if it's targeted to a specific objective, like getting more affordable housing built.
He generally favours higher tax on pollution, but said individuals are paying too great a share of the carbon tax, while industry is paying too little. Like Holt, he too would get rid of the "Blaine Higgs's carbon adjustor."
Coon has said his party would work with the Liberals if, together, they could outnumber the Progressive Conservatives in the legislature.
"We'd make sure the issues important to New Brunswickers are well addressed in effective ways," he said.
He suggested they might find common ground on initiatives aimed at cost of living relief, health-care access, environmental protections, climate change adaptation, senior care and affordable housing.
But Coon didn't pass up a chance to take a few jabs at the Liberals, saying they allowed the health-care system to fall apart, and took "no action" to make the province climate ready when they last held power.
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