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Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Higgy and his bankster buddies must be quite upset N'esy Pas Franky Boy McKenna ?
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
To: "Frank.McKenna" <Frank.McKenna@td.com>, "Susan.Holt" <Susan.Holt@gnb.ca>, AWaugh@postmedia.com, "Jacques.Poitras" <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, "Mark.Blakely" <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Stephendrost1418@gmail.com, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "fin.minfinance-financemin.fin
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Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2024 11:16:28 -0400
Subject: Methinks Higgy and his bankster buddies must be quite upset N'esy Pas Franky Boy McKenna ?
Nurses at long-term care homes will receive $10K bonus, Holt says
Licensed practical nurses also included in bonus program, premier says
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has clarified who will receive upcoming bonus payments for nurses.
About 10,000 of the approximately 11,000 nurses working in the province are due to receive the $10,000 payments in December or January.
Those excluded from the retention initiative include some who are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees and are in the middle of a dispute over pension changes, some whose job status is casual and some who work for special care homes.
Some licenced practical nurses, or LPNs, who work in non-unionized nursing homes thought they were excluded as well, but during an interview on Information Morning Fredericton on Friday, Holt said that's not the case.
"LPNs in long-term care are included in this bonus program," she said.
"It applies to unionized and non-unionized LPNs in the publicly funded system or through employers that are publicly funded like the Pine Groves and the Shannexes of the world."
Holt said some nurses had been misinformed because of communication problems on the part of the government.
"We'll take responsibility for the confusion created between the communications we had with the unions and that the unions put out to their members, and the communications from the government to LPNs working in long-term care in places that didn't have any New Brunswick Nurses Union or New Brunswick Union or CUPE representation," she said.
Long-term care nurses who work at places like Pine Grove in Fredericton are in fact eligible for the bonus. (Sam Farley/CBC News)
Mychelle Green says she was one of the licensed practical nurses who thought they were excluded.
Green wrote an email to the CBC, saying she works at a Shannex facility and would not get the money.
"It just felt like another sort of let down from the government," said Green, in an interview with CBC.
Holt apologized to Green and others who got the wrong message.
"I'm happy to tell her that she and her colleagues are included in this program," she said.
Nursing homes, such as those operated by Shannex, are often considered to be separate from the publicly funded health-care system, said the premier, but they are publicly funded and subject to mirroring agreements.
"We have to mirror the conditions in hospitals and nursing homes and make sure that all of those nurses get the same conditions," she said.
Although, Holt added, Shannex does have some special care homes whose nurses are not part of the bonus program.
It depends on the classification of the workplace and the classification of the work, she said.
Holt said her government was working to extend bonus pay to more nurses.
One way it may be able to do so is by creating positions for long-term casual employees, she said.
"In partnership with the regional health authorities and the unions, we're looking at how many of the casual nurses do actually want to be permanent and are looking for that opportunity," she said.
Any casual employees who convert to permanent would be asked to sign a two-year commitment in order to receive the retention payment, a government spokesperson confirmed.
The same is being asked of new hires, said Bruce MacFarlane, a senior communications director for the province.
For most nurses, however, there is no requirement of a future work commitment in order to receive the bonus, he said.
As for unionized licensed practical nurses in nursing homes, as of Friday afternoon they still had no agreement to receive retention payments, said Simon Ouellette, a spokesperson for CUPE.
Everyone wants it, but there's a technical hurdle, said Ouellette.
CUPE's lawyers have advised against engaging in any form of bargaining — which would include signing a letter of intent about the payments — until the government repeals Bill 17 or provides more assurance that it is going to do so, he said.
Bill 17 is the Pension Plan Sustainability and Transfer Act, which forced five public-sector employee groups into a shared-risk pension system
CUPE is challenging it in court. Holt has said she's committed to repealing it.
"We are eagerly awaiting a formal written statement from the government," said Ouellette.
Everyone wants it, but there's a technical hurdle, said Ouellette.
CUPE's lawyers have advised against engaging in any form of bargaining — which would include signing a letter of intent about the payments — until the government repeals Bill 17 or provides more assurance that it is going to do so, he said.
Bill 17 is the Pension Plan Sustainability and Transfer Act, which forced five public-sector employee groups into a shared-risk pension system
CUPE is challenging it in court. Holt has said she's committed to repealing it.
"We are eagerly awaiting a formal written statement from the government," said Ouellette."
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2021 02:08:17 +0000
Subject: RE: Too Too Funny Methinks your boss Higgy and CUPE deservve
each other N'esy Pas Ross Wetmore?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
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From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2021 02:08:18 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Too Too Funny Methinks your boss Higgy and
CUPE deservve each other N'esy Pas Ross Wetmore?
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---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.c
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2021 22:06:27 -0400
Subject: Too Too Funny Methinks your boss Higgy and CUPE deservve each
other N'esy Pas Ross Wetmore?
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"robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "Roger.L.Melanson"
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Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Higgs legislation would force 5 public-sector unions into new pension plan
PC majority puts another limit on pension bill debate
Government wraps Friday sitting early, after opposition stalls discussion of legislation
The Progressive Conservative majority has already moved to cap discussion of the bill at 10 hours, a limit that will allow for swift final passage of the measure next Tuesday.
On Friday morning the Tories went one step further, voting to adjourn the legislature early for the weekend.
"This is consistent with the way the premier's been acting. He broke his word and the contract," Green Party Leader David Coon said.
"He is determined to go forward with his choice of pension plans no matter what, and he's decided to shut down the house to ensure he can do that."
Premier Blaine Higgs blamed the opposition Liberals and Greens for the decision to wrap up the day's sitting around 11:30 a.m. rather than the usual 2 p.m. Friday adjournment time.
Green Party Leader David Coon said the premier's moves to limit debate on the pension bill are breaking his word. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"Have you been listening to the level of debate over the last few days?" Higgs asked reporters.
"If you've been listening, what we would hear is a rerun of no real information sharing, or no real opportunity to discuss the actual details of the pension changes."
Earlier, the government asked for the required unanimous consent of all MLAs to wrap up second reading and send the bill to the committee stage for discussion until the 2 p.m. adjournment.
Opposition members refused, so the government moved to adjourn.
In the committee stage, Liberal and Green MLAs would have had the right to question cabinet ministers about the legislation rather than just give speeches.
Ministers in turn would be allowed to consult civil servants when providing answers.
Higgs said that would have been a more informed, substantial discussion.
"The staff were here, ready to go in and — I was going to participate in it is well — and share every piece of information, answer every question. But they don't want to do that," he said.
"I just can't believe that the opposition would turn down the opportunity to understand what it really means to employees. What are they debating about if they don't want to know the facts of what it means?"
At issue: Shared-risk pension plans
The Pension Plan Sustainability and Transfer Act would force two CUPE locals in the education sector and three groups in the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions into a process to determine the future of their pension plans.
It requires them to choose one of three different shared-risk pension plans and for the transition to begin by Feb. 1.
Some CUPE union members protested in front of the legislature in November against the plan to force five public-sector unions into a shared-risk pension plan. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The two CUPE locals, representing school custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers and administrative staff, signed a side agreement on pensions with the province in 2021 at the end of a 16-day strike.
It set up a separate process to resolve the issue.
Last week, Higgs accused the union of dragging its feet and declared it was time to legislate a solution.
CUPE said the contract it signed in 2021 does not allow the province to do that, making the legislation a violation of the agreement and of collective bargaining rights.
Threat of illegal strikes
Union officials warned this weekend that some members could strike illegally in response to the bill, though so far there's been no sign of that.
On Thursday, education officials in the anglophone education sector sent a memo to school staff warning them they could be fired if they take any illegal job action, including "work-to-rule or unusual call-ins for sick leave."
Higgs acknowledged that work-to-rule, which means doing the minimum work required under a labour contract as a former of protest, might not actually be illegal.
"I guess it depends to what extent, how far it went," he said. "It says 'may constitute' an illegal strike, so we would ask for an interpretation of that."
Liberal leader Susan Holt said the memo was premature and will create unnecessary anxiety.
"It's a shame they have to send a letter like that because the premier can't negotiate in a fair way."
Friday's early adjournment means the debate on the bill is effectively over.
The motion capping debate at 10 hours will get a vote next Tuesday, but it will apply retroactively to the time already spent on the bill — and MLAs have already devoted more than 10 hours to it.
That means once the motion passes, MLAs will immediately vote on all remaining stages of the bill itself with no further discussion.
"This is it," Coon said. "It's done."
Ain't that special?
Higgs is a lightweight compared to those days.
Government could extend legislature sitting to pass union pension bill
Green Party says it will use every procedural tool it has to block legislation
The Higgs government says it's willing to extend the legislature's sitting days closer to Christmas if that's what it takes to pass a bill on five union pension plans.House leader Glen Savoie says he wants an agreement with opposition parties to sit past the scheduled Dec. 8 adjournment to debate the legislation, which would force the unions to shift their pensions to a shared-risk system.
"We're open to discussions and seeing if the opposition needs more time on this bill," he said. "We're happy to talk about it."
But Green MLA Kevin Arseneau warned in the legislature that his party plans to do everything it can to block the legislation.
"I can guarantee you that our team will use every tool that we can to send this bill where it belongs — the garbage," he said.
The bill would force two locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and three groups under the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions into a negotiating process on their pensions.
But that process would allow only one outcome: a shift starting Feb. 1, 2024 into a shared-risk system like most other provincial employees.
The unions involved say it amounts to Premier Blaine Higgs breaking the contracts they negotiated at the end of a 16-day strike in 2021.
"I would like the opposition parties to support the unions all across this province and truly, all across this country, and say no to this legislation going through," said CUPE 1253 president Iris Lloyd.
Iris Lloyd, president of New Brunswick CUPE Local 1253, is against the legislation and says it amounts to the government breaking already-negotiated contracts. (Jacques Poitras/CBC News)
The legislation is one of only three government bills introduced this fall that hasn't received third reading — the final step before becoming law with royal assent.
Even so, time is short.
The opposition could drag out the debate all next week, because each MLA has the right to speak for 40 minutes on the bill and another 40 minutes on each proposed amendment.
Arseneau predicted Friday morning that Savoie would introduce a motion to put a time limit on the debate, but he didn't do that.
"That's definitely a tool that government has, but that's not what we're talking about right now," Savoie said.
"I think you would be foolish or foolhardy to say 'I have a tool and I'm not going to use it.' It's whether or not we can come to any sort of negotiated agreement that makes sense, that we wouldn't need it."
Arseneau said the offer to sit beyond Dec. 8 amounts to "theatrics" by a government "so that the population has a sense that it's been debated."
Savoie said he plans to meet with the opposition parties next Tuesday to try to sort out a timeline.
Liberal house leader Guy Arsenault said government could have done more to reach a deal with the unions. (Jacques Poitras/CBC News)
Liberal house leader Guy Arseneault said the government should have done more to reach a deal with the unions without resorting to legislation.
"To bring it to the legislature is not the right move. It should have been negotiated."
But since that's the route the Higgs government chose, he said, the Liberals won't feel bound by any timeline.
"We're not playing hostage to a date. … If they want to bring to the house and debate it, well, we're going to debate it."
Arseneault would not go as far as the Green commitment to throw up procedural obstacles to the bill.
Green MLA Kevin Arseneau said the government's move to sit past the Dec. 8 date amounts to theatrics. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
But he said Liberal MLAs are hearing from union members in their ridings "asking us to speak on it," so they will.
"We're going to debate it to the extent that we have to. Full debate."
The two CUPE locals represent about 7,200 school custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers and administrative staff.
Three groups of nursing home employees coming under the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions are also covered by the legislation.
Some CUPE members, including Kimberly Copp of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions, ripped pages from their collective agreement Wednesday morning and tossed them into a fire in a metal barrel on the front lawn of the legislature. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
During a major CUPE strike in 2021, Higgs wanted the two school unions to agree to a shared-risk pension plan like the one most other public sector employees are in.
Instead they struck a side deal to end the strike but keep talking about the pensions, and to turn to third-party actuaries to settle the pension issue if they couldn't reach a deal.
Higgs said time has run out on that process, but the union says there's nothing in their existing collective agreement that lets the province impose a resolution like the one in the bill.
Higgs legislation would force 5 public-sector unions into new pension plan
Workers say premier’s bill breaks contract by forcing them into shared-risk system
The Higgs government has introduced legislation to force five public-sector unions into shared-risk pension plans, hoping to wrap up a big piece of unfinished business from a major strike in 2021.
To end that dispute, two locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees signed a side deal that set aside a sticking point over pensions and created a process to resolve it.
Now, Premier Blaine Higgs is accusing CUPE of dragging its feet in that process and will legislate an end to it.
"We need to move forward with a New Brunswick pension solution for our employees," Higgs told reporters.
"Legislation was not the route we wanted to go but unfortunately negotiations have not resulted in any workable plan."
'Legislation was not the route we wanted to go but unfortunately negotiations have not resulted in any workable plan,' says Premier Blaine Higgs. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Union officials accused Higgs of effectively tearing up their existing contracts with the bill introduced Wednesday.
Some CUPE members ripped out pages of their collective agreement Wednesday morning and tossed them into a fire in a metal barrel on the front lawn of the Legislature.
"It's a pension issue, but moreso, it's a breaking of a free, collective agreement, signed document. That's the big issue," said Theresa McAllister, the provincial president of CUPE Local 2745, one of the unions affected.
She said if the premier gets away with the move, it'll set a precedent for all public-sector unions.
"This is going to have a big impact on all groups. Of course we have to push back. We have to fight back."
Asked what that will involve, McAllister and CUPE 1253 president Iris Lloyd said to "stay tuned."
Opposition Liberal MLA and labour critic Marco LeBlanc slammed the government for targeting unionized workers just six sitting days before the legislature is scheduled to adjourn for the Christmas break.
"They're forcing them, through legislation, to accept things that they should be at the negotiating table negotiating, not in this house," he said.
The two CUPE locals represent about 7,200 school custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers and administrative staff.
Three groups of nursing home employees coming under the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions are also covered by the legislation.
'They’re forcing them, through legislation, to accept things that they should be at the negotiating table negotiating, not in this House,' says Opposition Liberal MLA and labour critic Marco Leblanc. (Serge Bouchard/Radio-Canada)
In 2021 Higgs wanted the two school unions to agree to a shared-risk pension plan like the one he crafted for large parts of the public sector in 2014, when he was finance minister.
To end the 16-day strike by several CUPE locals, they struck a side agreement that envisioned negotiations and, failing an agreement, the use of third-party actuaries to settle the pension issue.
Higgs said the unions failed to live up to that.
"We saw no light in that tunnel for that to happen," he said.
But McAllister and Lloyd said the side deal allowed for the extension of timelines, something the province itself used before deciding this fall to adopt legislation.
While rejecting the idea that he was breaking the contract, Higgs could not explain how the existing collective agreement allows for this move.
Instead he repeated that the union hasn't respected the timeline in the 2021 side agreement.
Iris Lloyd, left, president of CUPE local 1253 and Theresa McAllister, president of CUPE local 2745, say the side deal allowed for the extension of timelines, something the province itself used before deciding this fall to adopt legislation. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The legislation also explicitly immunizes the province from a legal challenge.
The three nursing home groups weren't part of the 2021 side deal on a process but were apparently added to the bill on Tuesday, according to Sharon Teare, president of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions.
"Until this morning, there was no notice that we would be included in that," said Teare.
She said existing nursing home contracts already have language on resolving pension issues.
"I don't understand how he can just arbitrarily change legislation and take those collective agreements and disrespect them and the process."
'I don't understand how [Higgs] can just arbitrarily change legislation and take those collective agreements and disrespect them and the process,' says Sharon Teare, president of the N.B. Council of Nursing Home Unions. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The legislation would set out a deadline for negotiations to lead to a memorandum of understanding in which CUPE would choose one of three shared-risk plans to join.
The next step would be a "transfer agreement" between administrators the old and new plans to start the transition in February 2024.
According to the bill, if the two sides can't agree, an arbitrator can step in and impose a resolution.
Higgs said that's not unlike what was contemplated in the side agreement with CUPE, except now there's a firm deadline for an imposed solution.
The shared-risk system links the performance of pension funds to the market and relieves the government and taxpayers of the risk of having to make up pension shortfalls, as it must do in defined-benefit plans.
The five affected locals have shortfalls totalling $285 million, the province says. CUPE has accused the government of creating that gap by starving the funds of required contributions.
The legal expert hired by the province to oversee this move says the shared-risk model has performed well for the employees who joined it almost a decade ago.
"The results have been very good for the members and we anticipate the results to be very good for these members as well," said Halifax lawyer Hugh Wright.
'It's a pension issue, but moreso, it's a breaking of a free, collective agreement, signed document,' says McAllister. 'That's the big issue.' (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The province says retirees already in the shared-risk system have seen a 23.27 per cent cost of living adjustment to their pensions over the last decade, compared to increases of 16 to 20 per cent for those in the five bargaining units not in the system.
Higgs said the government presented a proposal to CUPE in February and heard nothing from them until September, when the union proposed putting the pensions in an Ontario-based plan that he said would cost the province $1 billion.
In contrast, shifting the pensions to a shared-risk system would cost much less: about $365 million, according to the province.
Big banks announce layoffs and more bad loans as TD, Royal and CIBC post quarterly results
TD, CIBC eliminate thousands of jobs; RBC, Scotia previously announced similar layoffs
Pete Evans · CBC News · Posted: Nov 30, 2023 10:35 AM AST
"The results have been very good for the members and we anticipate the results to be very good for these members as well," said Halifax lawyer Hugh The legal expert hired by the province to oversee this move says the shared-risk model has performed well for the employees who joined it almost a decade ago.
"The results have been very good for the members and we anticipate the results to be very good for these members as well," said Halifax lawyer Hugh Wright.The legal expert hired by the province to oversee this move says the shared-risk model has performed well for the employees who joined it almost a decade ago.
"The results have been very good for the members and we anticipate the results to be very good for these members as well," said Halifax lawyer Hugh Wright.."
I wonder if Higgy told Mr Wright what I thought of actuaries back in 2013
Higgs faces angry retirees over pension changes
Robert Jones · CBC News · Posted: Apr 17, 2013 7:07 PM ADT
"New Brunswick Finance Minister Blaine Higgs apologized to a roomful of angry retirees in Saint John on Wednesday, acknowledging government has not properly consulted them over pension plan changes.
"We messed up in the communication," said Higgs. "So we're trying to fix that."
"But a government actuary at the Saint John meeting acknowledged cost of living increases will be eliminated for pensioners and instead be dependent upon market performance. Higgs did not disagree with the angry crowd, saying government communication of pension changes "left a lot to be desired."
The pension downside of living longer
CBC News · Posted: Aug 06, 2013 4:32 PM ADT
Canadians are living longer than ever before. Most of us would consider that good news. But longer lives could pose new funding risks for many pension plans and their members.
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries has just released a new draft set of mortality tables that suggests that the average Canadian woman at age 60 can now look forward to another 29.4 years of life — an increase of 2.7 years over the old mortality tables. The average 60-year-old man can now expect an additional 2.9 years of life — up to an extra 27.3 years.
According to Towers Watson, a major pension consulting firm, that creates a potential problem for the sponsors of defined benefit pension plans, which guarantee predetermined pension benefits for their members.
If their plan members are now living longer, as the new mortality study suggests, then pension accounting liabilities could grow, forcing existing members to come up with larger pension contributions.
Towers Watson estimates that if the proposed new mortality tables are widely adopted, pension accounting liabilities for many plans could jump "immediately' by five to 10 per cent.
"This study highlights the risk that increasing life expectancy can pose for [defined benefit] plan sponsors," said Gavin Benjamin, a senior retirement consultant at Towers Watson.
Defined contribution plans also affected
It's not just defined benefit plans that are affected by longer lifespans, Towers Watson warns. Employees who are members of defined contribution (DC) pension plans may need to save more or work longer if they expect to live an extra two or three years more.
Life annuity payouts, for instance, depend on prevailing long-term interest rates, age, gender, as well as longevity expectations. Longer expected lives mean a smaller monthly payout, all other things being equal.
The actuarial study also found that workers in the public sector generally enjoyed a higher overall life expectancy than workers in the private sector.
"While this may be good news for public sector employees and pensioners who are largely covered by [defined benefit] plans, there will be financial implications to consider," said Benjamin.
Saint John pension reform fix pitched by consultant
City's pension deficit is actually $342M, says Susan Rowland
CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2012 7:25 AM AST
"She said the Saint John plan is the victim of a perfect storm — retirees living far longer than expected, low investment returns, and new rules which make it mandatory to prepare for even lower investment returns in future.
Rowland also said the actual pension plan deficit is much higher than Saint John residents may believe.
The official pension deficit stands at $195-million, but Rowland said the more accurate figure would be $342 million.
Rowland said the city has two options, either to convert the pension to a defined contribution plan or adopt a shared-risk model.
The consultant is advocating a shared-risk pension plan, similar to a new model adopted by the provincial government."
"In May, the New Brunswick Union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1252 and the New Brunswick Pipe Trades said they planned to use the new pension model for some of their pension plans."
Global News
June 5, 2023
Ministers will continue to receive a top-up of $52,614, but the premier’s extra pay will be the same amount as the base salary. That means the top job will pay $186,256 per year. The current salary of Premier Blaine Higgs is $152,150.
Give your closed mind a good shake.
Poitras' comment "The shared-risk system links the performance of pension funds to the market and relieves the government and taxpayers of the risk of having to make up pension shortfalls, as it must do in defined-benefit plans" is incorrect. It makes no mention (probably deliberately) of the 50/50, which is precisely why these plans are called shared risk.
Don't feel too sorry for these government employees.
And the burden on NB taxpayers is definitely reduced.
As to public sector pension plans in NB, Vestor manages the funds, absolutely. But you neglect to mention that plan funding comes from employees and the government. So who do you think provides the government portion of the funding?
As to fund shortfalls, they most certainly do occur (market downturns and interest rate fluctuations are the most obvious reasons) regardless of the amount of money being managed. Keep in mind there are also always significant withdrawals to meet pensioner obligations.
Your knowledge of pension plans appears to be minimal at best. Perhaps you should stick to seafood.
Remember Victor Boudreau's budget? Methinks the next market nosedive will far worse N'esy Pas?
N.B. government heading for $800M deficit, civil service cuts: official
Tory MLA, observers question release of budget information
CBC News · Posted: Mar 11, 2009 5:46 AM ADT
The New Brunswick government is in line for a massive $800-million deficit in 2009-10 and is planning a series of program cuts and significant reductions in the civil service, a government official confirmed Tuesday night.
When Finance Minister Victor Boudreau tables his budget March 17, the official said, it will include a large deficit, more than one-third of which will be blamed on losses incurred by provincial pension plans on the stock markets.
Reply to Dennis Atchison
New Brunswick NDP meet to elect new leader
CBC News · Posted: Oct 12, 2007 1:58 PM ADT
"The province's NDP will pick a new leader this weekend in Moncton and begin the process of rebuilding the party after dismal election results in 2006.
Communications specialist Dennis Atchison, 51, and former Catholic priest Roger Duguay, 44, will have their names on the ballot. Both men ran unsuccessfully in last year's provincial election.
Allison Brewer stepped down as leader when the party garnered just five per cent of the popular vote in the election. She said she couldn't continue in an unpaid position after the party didn't earn any seats in the legislature."
"Both of the candidates have a strong background in communicating with the public, said interim leader Pat Hanratty.
"They realize that communication is vital, and also that the party does, and that they're going to have to step up the leader's schedule," Hanratty said.
According to the leadership candidate Atchison, the NDP needs to overcome internal resistance to trying new things and use the next three years to show voters that the party is a viable political option."
Claim to be allied with the best interests of the common man, yet fight the labour movement tooth and nail against anything that improves lives.
Reply to David Webb
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