From: "Bergen, Candice - M.P." <candice.bergen@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:56:49 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Trudeau The Younger comes down to "The Place
to BE" to criticize Higgy's tax cut and his appointment of Krissy Baby
Austin to the languages committee????
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting the office of the Hon. Candice Bergen.
Ms. Bergen greatly values feedback and input from Canadians. We read
and review every incoming e-mail. Please note that this account
receives a high volume of e-mails. We reply to e-mails as quickly as
possible.
If you are a constituent of Ms. Bergen’s in Portage-Lisgar with an
urgent matter please provide complete contact information. Not
identifying yourself as a constituent could result in a delayed
response.
Once again, thank you for writing.
Sincerely,
Office of the Hon. Candice Bergen
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:56:17 -0400
Subject: Fwd: Trudeau The Younger comes down to "The Place to BE" to
criticize Higgy's tax cut and his appointment of Krissy Baby Austin to
the languages committee????
To: maire@dieppe.ca, dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca,
"Ginette.PetitpasTaylor" <Ginette.PetitpasTaylor@parl.
"Richard.Bragdon" <Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>, "Wayne.Long"
<Wayne.Long@parl.gc.ca>, "Serge.Cormier" <Serge.Cormier@parl.gc.ca>,
"silas.brown" <silas.brown@globalnews.ca>, "Rene.Legacy"
<Rene.Legacy@gnb.ca>, "Rene.Arseneault" <Rene.Arseneault@parl.gc.ca>,
Junkman George <reveeeen@gmail.com>, rokaku8 <rokaku8@gmail.com>,
"Mark.Blakely" <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>,
"fin.minfinance-financemin.fin"
<bruce.fitch@gnb.ca>, jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca,
Jenica.Atwin@parl.gc.ca, "Candice.Bergen" <Candice.Bergen@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "clow.tara"
<clow.tara@radioabl.ca>, "perry.brad" <perry.brad@radioabl.ca>,
oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, david.coon@gnb.ca
https://www.country94.ca/2022/
Dieppe Mayor Speaks Out About Languages Committee Appointment
The Mayor of Dieppe is expressing concerns after the appointment of Kris Austin to the Official Languages Act Review Committee.
In a statement, Mayor Yvon Lapierre asked Premier Higgs to remove Austin from the committee.
“It is with surprise, disappointment, and incomprehension that we learned of the appointment of Kris Austin to the Official Languages Act review committee. As the largest francophone city in the province, we have a duty to add our voice to those who oppose this nomination. We are therefore obliged to denounce the absurdity of appointing a person who has demonstrated, since the beginning of his career in politics, a lack of interest in protecting official languages, especially French,” Lapierre says.
“While we agree with the importance of having different perspectives and opinions in such an important discussion, it is nonsense to select a person with such a polarized opinion. We find it difficult to see how having Mr. Austin at the table will lead to a healthy, caring, positive, and constructive conversation.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also openly criticized Higgs for nominating Austin, “You don’t put someone who has spent his entire career attacking official bilingualism and questioning the need to protect French in New Brunswick or elsewhere on a panel designed to protect bilingualism.”
Higgs says he was “surprised” when Trudeau raised the issue during a meeting yesterday while adding there are no plans to remove Austin from the committee.
Premier Blaine Higgs said last week that 10 MLAs are sitting on the committee including two Francophones, Réjean Savoie and Daniel Allain, which he said will create balance.
With files from Allan Dearing and Brad Perry.
https://www.dieppe.ca/en/
Open Letter Regarding the Appointment of Kris Austin to the Official Languages Act Review Committee
It is with surprise, disappointment, and incomprehension that we learned of the appointment of Kris Austin to the Official Languages Act review committee.
As the largest francophone city in the province, we have a duty to add our voice to those who oppose this nomination. We are therefore obliged to denounce the absurdity of appointing a person who has demonstrated, since the beginning of his career in politics, a lack of interest in protecting official languages, especially French.
While we agree with the importance of having different perspectives and opinions in such an important discussion, it is nonsense to select a person with such a polarized opinion. We find it difficult to see how having Mr. Austin at the table will lead to a healthy, caring, positive, and constructive conversation.
On behalf of the City of Dieppe, I am asking Premier Higgs to remove Mr. Austin from this committee.
Yvon Lapierre
Mayor, City of Dieppe
City of Dieppe
333 Acadie Avenue
Dieppe, New Brunswick
E1A 1G9
Phone: 506.877.7900
https://www.dieppe.ca/en/hotel-de-ville/maire-et-conseil-municipal.aspx
Yvon Lapierre
Mayor
506.877.7900
maire@dieppe.ca
Mr. Lapierre is no stranger to the world of municipal government, having served as Councillor for Ward 2 in 1986 and 1989, then Mayor of Dieppe from 1998 to 2005, 2012 to 2016, and from 2016 to 2021. He was re-elected Mayor in 2021.
https://pm.gc.ca/en/cabinet/
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
Location
Beauséjour
First elected in 2000 and re-elected seven times since, the Honourable
Dominic LeBlanc has represented the riding of Beauséjour for over 20
years.
He has served as Minister of Northern Affairs and Internal Trade,
President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Leader of the
Government in the House of Commons. On a number of occasions, he also
served as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs concurrently. He was
previously Senior Advisor to former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien,
Deputy Government Whip, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
National Defence.
Before entering politics, Minister LeBlanc attended the University of
New Brunswick and later Harvard Law School, before beginning a career
as a lawyer with Clark Drummie in Shediac and Moncton, New Brunswick.
Minister LeBlanc is married to Jolène Richard, a former Chief Judge of
the Provincial Court of New Brunswick.
Mandate Letter
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and
Communities Mandate Letter(December 16, 2021)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:32:26 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Trudeau The Younger comes down to "The Place
to BE" to criticize Higgy's tax cut and his appointment of Krissy Baby
Austin to the languages committee????
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical
support, please contact our Customer Service department at
1-800-387-5400 or send an email to customerservice@globeandmail.
If you are reporting a factual error please forward your email to
publiceditor@globeandmail.com<
Letters to the Editor can be sent to letters@globeandmail.com
This is the correct email address for requests for news coverage and
press releases.
Methinks that was TOO TOO FUNNY N'esy Pas Georgey Boy Daley?
https://davidraymondamos3.
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Prime minister criticizes Higgs's tax cut, appointment of Austin to
languages committee
DEJA VU ANYONE???
https://davidraymondamos3.
Thursday, 9 January 2020
A scrap over scrapping: What you need to know about the latest fight
over French immersion
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:30:35 -0400
Subject: Re: Trudeau The Younger comes down to "The Place to BE" to
criticize Higgy's tax cut and his appointment of Krissy Baby Austin to
the languages committee????
To: kerry.leopkey@nbtffenb.ca, michael.ketchum@nbta.ca,
larry.jamieson@nbta.ca, rick.cuming@nbta.ca, nbtanews@nbta.ca,
Kris.Austin@gnb.ca, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
"robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee"
<robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "megan.yamoah"
<megan.yamoah@globalnews.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"John.Williamson" <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, "rob.moore"
<rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
"Chuck.Thompson" <Chuck.Thompson@cbc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>,
PREMIER <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.bc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.sk.ca>, press <press@larouchepac.com>, Newsroom
<Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)"
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, "michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>,
"andrea.anderson-mason" <andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca>,
Rejean.A.Savoie@gnb.ca, "Daniel.J.Allain" <Daniel.J.Allain@gnb.ca>,
john.mclaughlin@gnb.ca, marcel.lavoie@gnb.ca
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, dominic.cardy@gnb.ca,
george.daley@gnb.ca, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, "Katie.Telford"
<Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "pierre.poilievre"
<pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>
Methinks that was TOO TOO FUNNY N'esy Pas Georgey Boy Daley?
https://davidraymondamos3.
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
Prime minister criticizes Higgs's tax cut, appointment of Austin to
languages committee
DEJA VU ANYONE???
Thursday, 9 January 2020
A scrap over scrapping: What you need to know about the latest fight
over French immersion
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Austin, Kris (LEG)" <Kris.Austin@gnb.ca>
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2020 06:14:18 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: YO Kris Austin I wonder if your buddy
Dominic Cardy's ears were burning tonight as I reminded the folks of
his lust for Butter Tarts
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email.
Please be assured that all emails and letters are read carefully.
Should your issue be Constituency related, please contact Janet at my
constituency office at janet.johnston@gnb.ca or by calling 444-4530 or
440-9542.
Thanks again for taking the time to reach out to me with your concerns or input.
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Assemblée législative du Nouveau-Brunswick
Office of Kris Austin, MLA Bureau de Kris Austin, député
506-462-5875 506-462-5875
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
A scrap over scrapping: What you need to know about the latest fight
over French immersion
Media report, People's Alliance set off firestorm over fate of
second-language education program
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jan 08, 2020 5:45 PM AT
69 Comments
David Raymond Amos
Methinks we all missed Cardy His lust for Butter Tarts alone makes for
a jolly circus N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
For the public record Dominic Cardy has not returned my calls or
answered my emails since i ran against his political party in the fall
of 2018. With any luck at all he will not be a cabinet minister after
another election next fall
Marguerite Deschamps
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: I would vote for you before I would vote for him.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: What if Cardy, Gauvin and Higgy were
willing to share their Butter Tarts with you and all the other SANB
dudes?
Lou Bell
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: Desperation for desperate people !
Like for whom you voted last election !
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: Methinks your wannabe lady friend missed you N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Methinks Cardy, Austin, Higgy, Vickers and everybody else knows that
the docket of Federal Court in Fat Fred City contains the proof that
Brad Green the Conservative Attorney General of New Brunswick answered
my concerns about public corruption in 2004 after I ran in the
election of the 38th Parliament and in 2015 Serge Rouselle the liberal
Attorney General answered my lawsuit in Federal Court after I ran in
the election of the 42nd Parliament Furthermore nobody can deny that I
ran in two more elections since then while everybody laughed at me
N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: Laugh they did!
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: Now I am
Lou Bell
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: And what were your total votes from all
those elections ? Did your total reach one hundred ?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: Whereas your political heroes know the tally as
well as I methinks you should ask them because you would not believe
me anyway N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: Nighty Night I hope to be back by
closing time tomorrow evening. In the "Mean" Time please give Cardy
and your gal pal Lourdes a little hell for me will ya? Methinks Rob
Moore has told his cohort Higgy why I sometimes wear my old buddy Tom
Kelley's black watch kilt when I am campaigning for public office.
Trust that the ghost of that 48th Highlander and his grandchildren
will giggle when I say that the dirty deeds are best done at night but
you don't have the first clue N'esy Pas?
Prime minister criticizes Higgs's tax cut, appointment of Austin to languages committee
Kris Austin's appointment to committee reviewing Official Languages Act 'doesn't make sense', says Trudeau
"One of the things unfortunately we continue to see, is conservative politicians who think that the best way to grow the economy is failed trickle-down theories," Trudeau said Tuesday, speaking to reporters in Oromocto.
Trudeau's first comment came in response to a question about Higgs's request the federal government increase the amount of money it gives to New Brunswick to help fund health care — a request made at the same time that the premier is exploring cutting income taxes.
His second remark followed a question about Higgs's appointment of former People's Alliance leader Kris Austin, now a Progressive Conservative minister, to an internal working group of MLAs tasked with deciding how — or whether — to update the Official Languages Act.
"You don't put someone who's spent his entire career attacking official bilingualism and questioning the need to protect French in New Brunswick or elsewhere, on a panel designed to protect bilingualism in New Brunswick," Trudeau said.
"It doesn't make any sense and it's certainly something I'm going to be bringing up with Premier Higgs when I see him in about an hour."
Trudeau was at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown in Oromocto for a wreath-laying ceremony to mark Remembrance Day, which is Friday, and to announce new spending to bring high-speed internet to rural parts of Canada. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Trudeau was at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown iin Oromocto for a wreath-laying ceremony to mark Remembrance Day, which is Friday.
He also used the visit to announce that his government would spend an additional $475 million on its Universal Broadband Fund, which aims to bring high-speed internet to 98 per cent of Canadians by 2026.
The announcement included an additional $17.6 million specifically for New Brunswick, following an earlier announcement the province would see $55 million spent to provide high-speed internet to more than 27,000 homes.
The last item on Trudeau's itinerary for the day included a private meeting with Higgs.
Province putting all necessary money into health, Higgs says
Last week, the Progressive Conservative government announced it would draw $70 million less in revenue thanks to income tax cuts for New Brunswickers earning more than $45,000 annually, although the highest cuts would be for those earning $142,534 to $162,383 per year.
Meanwhile, Higgs and other Canadian premiers have criticized Ottawa for not spending enough on Canada Health Transfer payments to help pay for the cost of health care in their provinces.
"Yes, the federal government will be there with more money," Trudeau said Tuesday. "But we also know the provinces have a lot of money they can be investing in health care as well."
In a late afternoon Zoom news conference, Higgs said the Canada health transfer issue wasn't discussed when he met with Trudeau earlier in the day.
Responding to Trudeau's criticism of the tax break, Higgs said just spending more money on health care wouldn't solve every problem, but he maintained that he wants to see Ottawa and New Brunswick split the cost of it equally.
Premier Blaine Higgs said while he thinks Ottawa should increase the amount it gives New Brunswick for health care, he doesn't think just spending more money will improve the system. (Zoom/CBC)
"We are putting whatever money is necessary in health care, and all I have stated is for any service that can deliver better results for the citizens of this province, we will invest in it," Higgs said.
"But if you just say 'Give me more money', but nothing's going to change, what does that accomplish? And that's what's been happening in health care for a long, long time."
Higgs added that the last provincial budget included a $300 million increase in health-care spending, and that the ask is for Ottawa to increase the share it pays in health care, which is currently about 22 per cent.
"It was supposed to be 50-50. All we're saying is it should go up to at least 35 per cent. So that's just a case of an equity share between the feds and the province, which was always part of the original formula."
Defending Austin's appointment
Higgs confirmed Trudeau brought up Austin's appointment to the committee during their meeting, adding he was "surprised" the prime minister did so considering "all of the issues we have going on in our country," including inflation and high fuel prices.
"I'm kind of surprised that the allocation of a member of cabinet onto an ad hoc caucus committee would be, would be of national concern," Higgs said.
Higgs has previously defended Austin's appointment to the committee reviewing changes to the Official Languages Act, and did so again on Tuesday.
Higgs said there's "no debate" that the Official Languages Act is important and that his government is obligated to uphold it.
Minister of Public Safety Kris Austin has been included on a committee of Progressive Conservative MLAs considering possible changes to the province's Official Languages Act. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
"That is all well-established and we're all fully 100 per cent supportive, and that includes Kris Austin, so there isn't any debate on any of that.
"That is something we all cherish as residents of this province, and any discussion we have is how do we enhance that capability? How do we ensure that the service deliveries continue to get better? How do we ensure that more people actually speak both official languages?"
Higgs said other topics he discussed with Trudeau included the potential for New Brunswick to export liquid natural gas, cutting the usage of coal-powered electricity plants, and carbon emission reduction strategies.
From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2022 13:33:02 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks Cardy and his deputy George Daley a
former president of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association can never
say that I talk behind their back N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical
support, please contact our Customer Service department at
1-800-387-5400 or send an email to customerservice@globeandmail.
If you are reporting a factual error please forward your email to
publiceditor@globeandmail.com<
- Hide quoted text -
Letters to the Editor can be sent to letters@globeandmail.com
This is the correct email address for requests for news coverage and
press releases.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2022 10:31:24 -0300
Subject: Methinks Cardy and his deputy George Daley a former president
of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association can never say that I talk
behind their back N'esy Pas?
To: kerry.leopkey@nbtffenb.ca, michael.ketchum@nbta.ca,
larry.jamieson@nbta.ca, rick.cuming@nbta.ca, nbtanews@nbta.ca,
Kris.Austin@gnb.ca, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
"robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "Roger.L.Melanson"
<roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>,
"Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)" <kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "megan.yamoah"
<megan.yamoah@globalnews.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"John.Williamson" <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, "rob.moore"
<rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
"Chuck.Thompson" <Chuck.Thompson@cbc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>,
PREMIER <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.bc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.sk.ca>, press <press@larouchepac.com>, Newsroom
<Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)"
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, "michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>,
"andrea.anderson-mason" <andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, dominic.cardy@gnb.ca,
george.daley@gnb.ca
---------- Original message ----------
From: "OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX" <Premier@gov.bc.ca>
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 18:52:37 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: YO Kriisy Austin Methinks Cardy and his
deputy George Daley a former president of the New Brunswick Teachers’
Association can never say that I talk behind their back N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write.
Due to the volume of incoming messages, this is an automated response
to let you know that your email has been received and will be reviewed
at the earliest opportunity.
If your inquiry more appropriately falls within the mandate of a
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Again, thank you for writing.
Sincerely,
John Horgan
Premier
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 15:52:31 -0300
Subject: YO Kriisy Austin Methinks Cardy and his deputy George Daley a
former president of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association can never
say that I talk behind their back N'esy Pas?
To: "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "Roger.L.Melanson"
<roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "rick.desaulniers"
<rick.desaulniers@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>,
Kevin.Vickers@gnb.ca, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "megan.yamoah"
<megan.yamoah@globalnews.ca>, "steve.murphy" <steve.murphy@ctv.ca>,
"Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, "Robert. Jones"
<Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>, "carl.urquhart" <carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>,
"Chuck.Thompson" <Chuck.Thompson@cbc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>,
PREMIER <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.bc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier
<premier@gov.sk.ca>, press <press@larouchepac.com>, Newsroom
<Newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Moore, Rob - M.P." <Rob.Moore@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 19:05:24 +0000
Subject: Thank you for your email
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
On behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P. thank you for your
email. Our office appreciates the time you took to get in touch with
our office. Due to the high volume of email correspondence our office
receives, below is a guide on how your email will be responded to:
Constituent of Fundy Royal:
The constituents of Fundy Royal are our office’s priority. Please
ensure to include your full contact details on your email and the
appropriate staff will be able to action your request. We strive to
ensure all constituent correspondence is responded to in a timely
manner.
If your query is case related (i.e. immigration, CPP, EI, CRA, etc.),
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activated. If you have not yet filled out our office’s consent form, a
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If your question or concern is time sensitive, please call our office:
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Event Invitations and Meeting Requests:
If you have sent meeting request or an event invitation, we sincerely
appreciate the kind request and we will check his availability to see
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Invitations for Fundy Royal are managed in the riding office and
Ottawa based events and meetings are managed from the Parliamentary
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Non-Constituent Enquiries:
If you are not a Fundy Royal resident, given the high volume of emails
we receive, your email will be reviewed and filed as INFORMATION. If
the email is Critic portfolio in nature, it will be responded to as
necessary.
Again, we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to contact the
office of the Honourable Rob Moore.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca>
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 19:05:23 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Too too funny Indeed Methinks Higgy's Police
State is out of control N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email.
______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 16:05:18 -0300
Subject: Re: Too too funny Indeed Methinks Higgy's Police State is out
of control N'esy Pas?
To: "Anderson-Mason, Andrea Hon. (JAG/JPG)"
<Andrea.AndersonMason@gnb.ca>, "andrew.scheer"
<andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca>, "Andy.Fillmore"
<Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca>, "Andrew.Harvey" <andrew.harvey@gnb.ca>,
"Baumberg, Andrew" <Andrew.Baumberg@cas-satj.gc.
<andre@jafaust.com>, "Davidc.Coon" <Davidc.Coon@gmail.com>,
briangallant10 <briangallant10@gmail.com>, BrianThomasMacdonald
<BrianThomasMacdonald@gmail.
AgentMargaritaville <AgentMargaritaville@
<pm@pm.gc.ca>, martine.turcotte@bell.ca, jkee <jkee@google.com>,
Joel.Arseneau.IDLM@assnat.qc.
<mike.holland@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, "barbara.massey"
<barbara.massey@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
<PETER.MACKAY@bakermckenzie.
premier <premier@gnb.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, Press
<Press@bankofengland.co.uk>, Office of the Premier
<scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
larry.jamieson@nbta.ca, rick.cuming@nbta.ca, nbtanews@nbta.ca
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Austin, Kris (LEG)" <Kris.Austin@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 19 May 2020 01:28:33 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Too too funny Indeed Methinks Higgy's Police
State is out of control N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email.
Please be assured that all emails and letters are read carefully.
Should your issue be Constituency related, please contact Janet at my
constituency office at janet.johnston@gnb.ca or by calling 444-4530 or
440-9542.
Thanks again for taking the time to reach out to me with your concerns or input.
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Assemblée législative du Nouveau-Brunswick
Office of Kris Austin, MLA Bureau de Kris Austin, député
506-462-5875 506-462-5875
https://twitter.com/
David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others
Methinks Cardy and his deputy George Daley a former president of the
New Brunswick Teachers’ Association can never say that I talk behind
their back N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.
#nbpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Teachers are being sent back to class in June, while students stay home
The province announced the closure of schools March 13 to slow the
spread of coronavirus
Elizabeth Fraser · CBC News · Posted: May 19, 2020 5:03 PM AT
33 Comments
David Amos
Methinks Cardy and his deputy George Daley a former president of the
New Brunswick Teachers’ Association and co-president of the New
Brunswick Teachers’ Federation can never say that I talk behind their
Back N'esy Pas?
David Amos
POOF????
Surprise Surprise Surprise
David Amos
Content disabled
"Rick Cuming, president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association,
said it's going to be a lot more challenging for teachers at larger
schools to return to work.
He used the example of Leo Hayes High School and Fredericton High
School in Fredericton, which have at least 100 people on staff."
Yea right I wonder how many of the aforementioned staff remember me
running in the election of the 39th Parliament in Fat Fred City.
Methinks folks may rest assured that Cardy certainly does N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Content disabled
Methinks Rick Cuming the president of the New Brunswick Teachers'
Association should not deny that I tried to talk to him again N'esy
Pas?
Johnny Jakobs
For less than a month? With no kids? Must be for the internet
connection cause Bell ain't got no rural internet.
Winston Gray
Reply to @Johnny Jakobs: not even all schools have high speed. The old
French school in Oromocto shares 1 DSL line with the whole school!
Johnny Jakobs
Reply to @Winston Gray: wow!! That's ridiculous.
David Amos
Reply to @Johnny Jakobs: Go figure why millions of things go "Poof" in
cyberspace whether there be high speed access or not
Ben Haroldson
Gov't desperately trying to save face. Don't buy it, they sold out
your health and your economy.
Michael Hatfield
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: all over the world ?
David Amos
Reply to @Michael Hatfield: YUP
Cindy Cooper
Parents are teaching dangerous things about gender and capitalism.
Urgent that schools get back in charge.
James Risdon
Reply to @Cindy Cooper: What "dangerous things"?
David Peters
Reply to @Cindy Cooper:
In other words, the brainwashing is wearing off.
David Amos
Reply to @James Risdon: Trust that you would never understand
David Amos
Reply to @David Peters: Do Tell Have you ever bothered to Google "Amos
Higgs Cardy Butter Tarts" YET???
Rob Sense
Not many people were paid to stay at home...just saying.
Emery Hyslop-Margison
Reply to @Rob Sense: Actually, a lot of people were paid to stay at
home. Teachers didn’t ask for this.
Graham McCormack:
Reply to @Rob Sense: I know a lot of people who aren't teacher who
were paid or are still being paid to work from home.
David Amos
Reply to @Graham McCormack: Me Too
Junior Simpson
I wonder how much time those kids will use there new iPads doing
school work and how much time they will spend playing games and
watching videos?
David Amos
Reply to @Junior Simpson: Me Too
Matt Steele
It is great to see teachers returning to work ; but thinking that
learning from home via the internet will work for kids is a bit of a
joke . Education works because schools are structured , and provide a
structured learning environment . Cardy squandered $840,000 of the
taxpayers cash on computer equipment that was not needed . Not to
mention , who does Cardy think will be taking care of these kids at
home in the fall when their parents have returned to work . Stay at
home education for kids is a non starter
SarahRose Werner
Reply to @Matt Steele: We agree on this point, Matt. Buying computer
equipment was a way of throwing technology at a problem that was
caused only partly by lack of technology. The only way learning from
home works is when parents have both the ability and the time to
support children by filling in the gaps in Internet-based learning. It
doesn't work when the parent lacks the ability to do this or when the
parent is busy working - even if they're working from home, let alone
working outside the home.
Lou Bell
Reply to @Matt Steele: And you're suggesting to just ignore the
disadvantaged ! If we have a recurrence , somethging will need to be
done. I'm sure you've all the answers . Do tell !!
Lou Bell
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: Fifty years of failed bilingualism and
inclusion has left a lot of parents who went through our education
system with a 3rd rate education at best . Too many resources spent on
smaller self interest groups by self interest politicians .
David Amos
Reply to @Matt Steele: Welcome back to the circus
SarahRose Werner
This might be a good opportunity for teachers to get some training in
adjusting their teaching methods for an online platform and also to
trade information with each other as to what's working, what isn't and
what to do about it.
Fay Briggs
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: Also be a good time for the internet
providers to fix whatever problems they may have with the network. So
that it will be able to carry the extra loads that will be needed to
provide internet service to the rural communities. Otherwise, Cardy
wasted the money he invested in computer equipment.
Lou Bell
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: That's a lot of the reasoning for them
returning . Preparation for the fall , under whatever scenario COVID
throws at them
David Amos
Reply to @Fay Briggs: I concur
Higgs hints he may eliminate language commissioner position
Premier says role is ‘very negative,’ while cabinet minister Shephard says input should be ‘valued’
Higgs told reporters it's possible another government entity, such as a proposed official languages secretariat under his authority, would do a better job promoting bilingualism than the commissioner.
"It is a very negative office, usually finding fault with one person or another, and you wonder to what extent has it provided a meaningful way to move forward?" Higgs said of the commissioner's role, which has existed since 2003.
The mandate of the independent watchdog position is to field complaints from New Brunswickers who feel they haven't received government services in the official language of their choice, as required by the Official Languages Act.
The position has no enforcement power. Governments are free to ignore a commissioner's recommendations.
The role also includes promoting awareness of the merits of bilingualism in the province.
Acadian Society of New Brunswick president Alexandre Cédric Doucet says he believes Higgs wants to get rid of the commissioner's office altogether. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Higgs said some of the commissioner's tasks could be moved to a new entity, such as a secretariat within the government.
"What can we do in a secretariat that would be maybe what the official languages commissioner should be, or could be, doing as part of their mandate? I'm talking about marketing and promotion and awareness."
Acadian Society of New Brunswick president Alexandre Cédric Doucet said the comments are alarming to francophones who look to the commissioner to monitor government's compliance with the act.
"It is pretty clear from our understanding that he wants to abolish the office," he said. "He has to reassure the Acadian and francophone community that he won't do it."
Late Wednesday Higgs issued a statement saying his comments were referring to the commissioner's role investigating complaints, "which can often be perceived as negative."
His statement also said he was referring to recommendations from an independent review of the language act last year, "which did not include the abolition of the Office of the Official Languages Commissioner."
Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard sits on the ad hoc committee drafting a response to a 2021 review of the language law. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
But nothing in the premier's statement explicitly said the commissioner's office would continue to exist.
Social Development Minister Dororthy Shephard said Wednesday there have been "negative connotations and positive connotations" to the commissioner's role, but "we need to hear what she or he has to say at all times.
"I support the office of the language commissioner and hearing what they input they have, and that input always needs to validated and valued as long as the information we're getting is validated and valued," added Shephard.
She sits on an ad hoc committee of Progressive Conservative ministers and MLAs meeting behind closed doors to draft the government's response to a December 2021 review of the language law.
PC cabinet minister Kris Austin, who sits on the committee with Shephard, said Saturday there are other "avenues … where people have independent methods to put forward complaints and have them investigated. We have an ombud which does a great job with that."
As leader of the People's Alliance, Austin advocated eliminating the commissioner's position.
Cabinet minister Kris Austin's appointment to the ad hoc committee has been widely criticized. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Last year's independent review report did not recommend abolishing the commissioner's role, but it said the position is perceived mainly as a watchdog position and recommended it be "much more balanced" with more focus on promotion.
It also suggested requiring the premier and other officials to respond to commissioner investigations within a fixed time period.
In his comments Tuesday, Higgs questioned whether the commissioner's oversight role "is achieving what was expected in the Official Languages Act."
In an emailed statement, MacLean said the language act gives her "a clear mandate" to investigate, report on and make recommendations about whether the government is complying with the law.
She said her role is similar to that of the ombud, the auditor general and other independent legislative officers.
"In my case, I am here to ensure the protection of the language rights of the province's anglophone and francophone communities and I believe strongly in the importance of the work we do," she said.
Shirley MacLean is the province's commissioner of official languages. (Shane Magee/CBC)
MacLean criticized the Higgs government last year for not communicating effectively in both official languages on COVID-19.
Higgs has promised that the government's response to the language act review will be released before Christmas, with any amendments to the legislation coming next spring.
Cabinet minister Daniel Allain said on Saturday that "nothing's been lost [and] we're actually going to strengthen that law."
Meanwhile, Higgs continues to face criticism for choosing Austin to be part of the ad hoc group crafting the response.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, all six of New Brunswick's federal Liberal MPs and the provincial NDP criticized the choice.
In a Facebook post, Austin responded that "our bobble head Prime Minister is more concerned with me sitting on a committee than he is with inflation, record high gas prices, housing, or any other issue that actually matters to Canadians."
He accused Trudeau of hypocrisy, pointing out how the prime minister wore blackface in a 2001 photograph that surfaced during the 2019 federal election.
On Wednesday, Dieppe mayor Yvon Lapierre released an open letter on behalf of the city asking Higgs to remove Austin from the committee.
With files from Michel Corriveau, Radio-Canada
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tough-questions-party-meeting-1.6642091
Austin faces tough questions on language at PC party meeting
‘I’m not here to take anybody’s rights away,’ new minister tries to assure francophone members
The two members, both presidents of PC riding associations in northern areas of the province, spoke during a question-and-answer session with cabinet ministers.
One of them, Gertrude McLaughlin of Tracadie, asked Austin to commit to supporting official bilingualism, which he did.
The other, Léopold Ouellet of Restigouche West, said he didn't accept Austin's explanation that bilingualism hasn't been properly implemented in the half-century since it was made law.
"You're 50 years late, Mr. Minister," Ouellett said. "Don't try to change things your way. It won't work. The laws are there. People know them. They should follow them."
He said Austin's explanation for why he hadn't learned French himself "doesn't fly. It doesn't work."
'Elephant in the room'
Austin thanked both members for bringing up what he called "the elephant in the room" — his 12-year history with the People's Alliance party he founded and some of the language stances he took in that role.
Austin quit the Alliance in March and joined the PCs. He was sworn in as public safety minister last month.
"I support the right of both anglophone and francophone residents in this province to receive services in their language of choice because we are an officially bilingual province," Austin told McLaughlin.
Gertrude McLaughlin asked Austin to commit to supporting official bilingualism, which he did. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
He added: "There's always differences of opinion on how it's implemented and this is where I have maybe a little different view."
He said that was the same opinion he had as Alliance leader.
"I will give you my word as I have before: I'm not here to take anybody's rights away. I never have been."
Call for unity
After McLaughlin and Ouellet made their comments, another francophone PC member, Roger Léger of Dieppe, appealed for party supporters to pull together.
He said anglophones had been "tolerant" of francophones' push to "catch up" on their rights since the 1960s and "now it is time for francophones to [allow] some reshaping, some tweaking."
He said it was better to have Austin "reintegrated" into the PC party when that happens.
McLaughlin told reporters after the session that she would wait and see before declaring herself satisfied with Austin's response.
"I got an answer. We'll see if he lives up to his answer," she said.
Austin's newly prominent role in the government has been a flashpoint for francophone Conservatives who recall some of his language stances as Alliance leader.
Roger Léger said anglophones had been 'tolerant' of francophones' push to 'catch up' on their rights since the 1960s and 'now it is time for francophones to [allow] some reshaping, some tweaking.' (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Last month, a regional vice-president of the party, Maurice Arsenault, wrote a letter to attempt to trigger a review of Premier Blaine Higgs's leadership, but so far that hasn't gathered any momentum. Arsenault cited Higgs's appointment of Austin to cabinet as his reason.
Andrew Dawson, one of the candidates running for party president, said Saturday that Arsenault's letter "was the 'check engine' light coming on in the vehicle we're driving.
"A vote for me is a vote to pull over and look under the hood," said Dawson, who lost the race for party president 110 votes to 70 to Fredericton lawyer Erika Hachey.
Adding to tensions in the party was Higgs's confirmation on Friday that Austin is part of a 10-member committee of PC MLAs developing the government's response to the Official Languages Act.
The Acadian Society said Higgs was "burning bridges" with francophones.
Views on bilingualism
Austin repeated at Saturday's PC meeting that he supports the party's constitution, which says official bilingualism and language equality are key principles.
He told reporters he still questions the need for English and French health authorities in the province and for a commissioner of official languages, but doesn't see those positions as contradicting the party's constitution.
He said there are other potential avenues for complaints to the province about poor bilingual service, such as the ombud's office.
But he said as an individual cabinet minister, he'd accept whatever decision the government makes.
Léopold Ouellet said he didn't accept Austin's explanation that bilingualism hasn't been properly implemented in the half-century since it was made law. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
After Saturday's session, Local Government Minister Daniel Allain, one of only two francophone PC MLAs, said the party remains united.
Allain is also part of the committee crafting the plan to update the language law.
"Let's get criticized on what we bring out, not on all this noise that people are debating about," he said.
He also said it's been "interesting" to see Austin learn about the PC party and about how government functions.
In his speech to the meeting, Higgs said he was happy with the "genuine speaking from the heart … and addressing the real issues" during the question-and-answer session.
Premier defends decision to put Kris Austin on languages committee
Acadian Society of N.B. accuses Higgs of 'burning bridges' with francophones
Higgs confirmed to reporters Friday that Austin, now a Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, is one of 10 party MLAs tasked with figuring out how — or whether — to update the legislation.
The premier was reluctant at first to identify MLAs on the committee, but after confirming Austin's membership he quickly added that the two francophone members of his cabinet, Réjean Savoie and Daniel Allain, are also part of the secret deliberations.
"We have a balance in the committee," he said.
The premier said he included Austin, who joined the PCs in March after years criticizing many aspects of official bilingualism, to ensure a broad consensus on changes to the act.
Excluding Austin and his perspective would risk sparking another backlash over language issues, he said.
Austin, left, joins the two francophone members of the PC cabinet, Réjean Savoie, right, and Daniel Allain, on the 10-member committee. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"I don't want to see another conflict in our province, creating another political party that's concerned, that's representing a number of citizens that have that concern on their ability to speak both languages," Higgs said.
"What I'm trying to do here is say, let's put everything on the table, let's work through this in a meaningful way and that we come out with a plan where everyone will say, 'Yeah, this can work.'"
The Acadian Society of New Brunswick promptly issued a statement accusing Higgs of "burning bridges" with francophones just two days after he met with the society's leadership.
But there is a precedent for Higgs's approach.
In 2002, then-PC premier Bernard Lord appointed a former president of the anti-bilingualism Confederation of Regions party, PC MLA Tony Huntjens, to an internal consultation group examining how to respond to a New Brunswick Court of Appeal ruling on language rights.
Huntjens and another MLA, francophone Louis-Philippe McGraw, helped Lord forge a consensus in his caucus on a new Official Languages Act.
But the leaders of the two other parties in the legislature rejected the idea that Austin needs to be at the table to make the final decision credible.
Daniel Allain, minister of local government and local governance reform, will also sit on the committee tasked with figuring out how — or whether — to update the Official Languages Act. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"It concerns me when there's a bias clearly displayed in the membership of the committee making decisions," said Liberal Leader Susan Holt, who said Austin has tried to "undermine bilingualism."
Green Leader David Coon agreed.
"You need to show leadership when dealing with minority rights, and you don't aim for the lowest common denominator," he said.
Green MLA Kevin Arseneau took a more nuanced position, saying he'd be fine with Austin playing a role if the group were an official committee of the legislature meeting in public, not an informal group working behind closed doors.
In an emailed statement, Allain, one of two Acadian ministers in the Higgs cabinet, said he has "welcomed the opportunity to discuss and ensure the francophone perspective is well represented and appreciated by all" within the PC government.
"In politics, we work with people who have different experiences and ideas," said Allain.
He also said he was "encouraged by the seriousness our government has given to the report and its recommendations."
Austin was not available for interviews Friday, but in his own statement issued Friday at 6:30 p.m., he said he has always supported the right of anglophones and francophones to receive government services in the language of their choice.
He said he's on the committee "to offer my ideas on how we can accomplish this in a fair and equitable manner that reflects the linguistic makeup of New Brunswick.
"Bringing various opinions and ideas to the table supports a healthy conversation," he said. "At the end of the day, it's a team approach and I am there to provide my thoughts."
Austin's Alliance past
As Alliance leader, Austin called for the merger of two language-based regional health authorities, the elimination of the position of commissioner of official languages, and a relaxation of bilingual hiring standards in the public service.
Higgs confirmed Friday that the working group is looking at bilingual job requirements.
Last year's mandatory independent 10-year review of the language law included a recommendation that the province "clarify" language requirements and "ensure" provincial employees can work in their choice of English or French.
"I don't think it's a lowering of requirements," Higgs said when asked what the committee might do with that recommendation. "It's deciding what levels of capabilities are needed for specific jobs. … Some jobs are going to require much higher levels."
Austin and the only other Alliance MLA, Michelle Conroy, defected to the PCs in March.
Austin fully behind party stance, Higgs says
Higgs said Austin, who founded the Alliance in 2010 and was made a PC minister last month, accepts the principles laid out in the party constitution on bilingualism.
It includes a statement that "the diversity of our two linguistic communities is a unique strength of our province" and that the party believes in official bilingualism and in protecting and promoting both languages "while treating each community with fairness and justice."
Higgs said Austin is "fully there and fully behind it, so I'm not concerned that's an issue."
But he acknowledged that other MLAs may interpret those principles differently and that Austin may consider it possible to oppose two health authorities and an official languages commissioner while still supporting bilingualism.
"It doesn't break down that specific, but the rules and principles are very well defined, and that's what you sign on to," Higgs said.
He said it was important to him that "we all feel that we're being fair to each other, but that we're raising the bar, ensuring that both cultures work together, but the francophone culture is protected, and we don't lose ground in that area."
Higgs said he is also part of the committee. The other members are cabinet ministers Ted Flemming, Margaret Johnson, Dorothy Shephard, Mike Holland, Bill Hogan and Moncton South MLA Greg Turner, who chairs the PC caucus.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-education-official-fired-1.6646027
Top New Brunswick education official fired
George Daley no longer deputy minister of anglophone school system
An internal memorandum to deputy ministers from executive council clerk Cheryl Hansen, the head of the public service, confirms George Daley "is leaving the department."
He's been replaced by his predecessor, John McLaughlin, who retired from the position on the day Daley was appointed three years ago this week.
The Education Department has two deputy ministers, one for the anglophone school system and one for the francophone system.
In a statement to CBC News, Premier Blaine Higgs thanked Daley for "the valuable contribution he made in his role during the pandemic" but did not comment on why he removed him.
"We remain committed to creating a world-class education system and helping more anglophone sector students reach their full potential," Higgs said.
Daley has been replaced by his predecessor, John McLaughlin, who retired from the position on the day Daley was appointed three years ago this week. (CBC )
Daley's firing follows the resignation of education minister Dominic Cardy last month.
Cardy cited a range of concerns with Premier Blaine Higgs's leadership when he quit but said the premier's push to replace immersion by next fall was the last straw. The department had set September 2024 as the timeline for a new French-second-language program.
In his resignation letter, Cardy accused Higgs of yelling "data, my ass!" at "a senior civil servant" who presented him with statistics he didn't like.
Cardy confirmed Wednesday that the official was Daley. He said the firing is another reflection of Higgs ignoring evidence and expert advice on the issue.
"Seeing this politicization of education once again, by someone who was elected promising to end this, is absolutely devastating, and it has to stop," he said.
Daley, a former teacher, vice-principal and president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The Education Department has two deputy ministers, Marcel Lavoie, left, for the francophone system and, until this week, Daley, for the anglophone system. (Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick)
Liberal leader Susan Holt said in a tweet that she was concerned that "all this upheaval … risks hurting our students, teachers, dept staff & school system. Hoping for some transparency on these decisions."
The memo says McLaughlin will fill in as deputy minister on an interim basis.
McLaughlin co-wrote an independent report released in February that recommended replacing immersion with a program for all students, aimed at helping them achieving a conversational level of French.
He and co-commissioner Yvette Finn warned, however, that government should approach the recommendations cautiously and said a new program required "careful planning" and might take "a number of years" to be fully implemented.
Instead, Higgs has insisted the new model be in place next fall.
Education Minister Bill Hogan has said students already in French immersion will be allowed to finish the program, with the new model being phased in year by year.
A scrap over scrapping: What you need to know about the latest fight over French immersion
Media report, People's Alliance set off firestorm over fate of second-language education program
· CBC News · Posted: Jan 08, 2020 5:45 PM AT
Education Minister Dominic Cardy told CBC News the province is not considering scrapping French immersion. Instead, he said they're designing alternatives to the existing program (CBC)
Everything Dominic Cardy said this week he has said before.
That the provincial government is concerned about poor achievement rates among French immersion students. That the province will look at other ways to teach French to anglophone students. And that it will pilot some new approaches in a handful of schools this fall.
But the way those comments were interpreted in one media report, and the way People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin saw them as a plan for "scrapping" immersion, set off a storm.
"I've read what both gentlemen have to say, what Mr. Cardy had to say and what Mr. Austin had to say, and they're not congruent," said Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers. "They're two different stories, so I think it's very important for Premier Higgs to tell us who is correct."
It's a vivid reminder of the complexity and emotion at the heart of the immersion debate. Here's what you need to know about that debate.
Higgs is fixated on fixing immersion
Whenever he's asked about bilingualism, Premier Blaine Higgs focuses not on how it affects francophones but on how the immersion program must be fixed so that more anglophones can compete for jobs designated as bilingual.Higgs has a complicated history with language issues.
Premier Blaine Higgs is bent on making changes to the French immersion system. (CBC)
Liberals paint him as hostile to bilingualism because of his involvement three decades ago with the Confederation of Regions party, but the premier said when he first ran as a PC in 2010 that his views had changed. His four daughters were in French immersion.
Higgs is an engineer; his approach in government is to identify problems and fix them. He wants more immersion grads to be fluent in French, and that's the prism through which he sees the issue.
The numbers aren't great, but they may not be that bad, either
The most-frequently quoted figure about immersion is from a report by Auditor-General Kim MacPherson last year, which said only 10 per cent of the students who started immersion in 2005 graduated with advanced French or better. Cardy mentions it often.But MacPherson's audit pointed out that 75 per cent of the 2005 cohort transferred out of the program before graduating. It's common for many immersion students to drop it when they reach high school, where fewer courses in French are available.
Of those who followed it all the way through Grade 12, 40 per cent had advanced or higher levels of French, MacPherson reported.
Cardy said he's not thrilled with the recent performance scores highlighted in an auditor general's report last year. (Photofusion/Shutterstock)
"Forty per cent is still nothing to be thrilled about," Cardy said Wednesday, though he added his department is working on offering more elective courses to immersion students to keep them in the program through Grade 12.
New Brunswick Teachers' Association president Rick Cuming said any changes "have to be based on the research we have," and should be gradual, as Cardy has promised.
Cardy's deputy minister knows this issue from the other side
Last year George Daley, then the president of the NBTA, warned against another change to French immersion "because it does create more upheaval in the system," which has seen several major changes already in the last decade.
Daley's now in a position to make that argument directly to Cardy: last fall, after leaving the top NBTA position, Higgs hired him as deputy minister of education for the anglophone school system.
Cuming said he was glad to see Cardy promise this week that any change will be gradual.
Scrapping immersion is not inevitable, Cardy says
Cardy's own cabinet colleague, Finance Minister Ernie Steeves, suggested last year that it would be unthinkable to get rid of immersion.
"New Brunswick is a bilingual province and we will have a French immersion system," he said after Alliance Leader Kris Austin called for it to be eliminated.
Cardy said again this week that he'll stick with immersion if there's no alternative.
"If we can find a program that will give us better results for second-language training in the province, I can't imagine any New Brunswicker would object to that," he said.
"And if we can't and the programs we have are the best we can possibly get, I would have no problem saying we can keep them."
The Liberals tried this before
The Liberal government of Shawn Graham launched an overhaul of French second-language programs in 2008 under then-Education Minister Kelly Lamrock, who is a friend of Cardy and who has advised the PC government.
Lamrock first tried to create a universal French program starting in Grade 5, with students able to choose immersion the following year.
Former education minister Kelly Lamrock was one of the recent ministers to overhaul the program. (CBC)
But in the face of protests and a court challenge, the Liberals established a Grade 3 entry point for immersion instead.
The PCs opposed the change at the time and launched a public consultation when they took office in 2010. It recommended a move back to Grade 1, but the Tories didn't implement it.
At the same time, the PCs abandoned their support for Grade 1 and came out against Gallant's changes, arguing that it was happening too fast and there hadn't been enough time to measure if Grade 3 was working.
Streaming is still an issue
The Liberal rationale for overhauling immersion a decade ago focused on what is known as streaming.
The idea is that immersion creates two tracks of students, those with higher aptitudes who enter and remain in immersion, and those with learning challenges who don't enter the program or who leave it early.
It leads to non-immersion classrooms with higher percentages of students with difficulties, which teachers say can make teaching and learning more difficult.
Critics of the current French immersion system say it creates streaming effects in schools. (iStock)
The Liberal reform of a decade ago was meant to give all students an equal shot at acquiring a solid base of literacy skills before they took on a second language.
Cuming says streaming remains a concern that must be addressed — and must be reconciled with immersion.
"Any re-envisaged model has to also address issues of classroom composition and making sure that the equitable supports are there for students and teachers," he said.
Austin adds to the pressure
Also driving the issue is Austin, who calls French immersion "clearly a failed program," citing the same 10 per cent success rate as Cardy.
The People's Alliance leader says his party supports "some level of second-language proficiency" for all students.
Lowering the proficiency requirement for bilingual government jobs at the same time would then allow all graduates to compete for those positions, he said Wednesday.
People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin has described French immersion as 'clearly a failed program.' (James West/Canadian Press)
The PC minority government relies on Austin's three-member caucus for support on confidence votes, and last month Higgs called the Alliance leader "very thoughtful and rational." Austin has repeatedly touted his influence over PC decisions.
But Cardy was irritated this week when Austin appeared to take credit for a "scrapping" of immersion that isn't happening, at least not yet. He called it divisive and unfortunate.
Austin said he was merely reacting to "media sources" reporting that changes were on the way. "My reaction to that was positive."
Cardy said he's committed to "make sure we can build an actual bilingual province by having a world class education system that at the very least teaches us the two languages that are the official languages of our provinces."
It's just a question of how.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/french-immersion-new-brunswick-dominic-cardy-1.5418422
Cardy denies report suggesting New Brunswick is scrapping French immersion program
Education minister also denies secret talks with People’s Alliance
A headline published Tuesday evening on the website of the Telegraph-Journal, the provincial newspaper, stated, "Province plans to scrap French immersion program." When asked to clarify, Cardy repudiated the report.
"The headline saying we're scrapping French immersion is simply, straight up inaccurate," Cardy told CBC News.
The minister said, however, the government is developing a pilot project to test alternative approaches to French second language training in the province. The project will be rolled out in a dozen anglophone schools in September 2020.
Cardy said the pilot is in the early design stages but didn't offer further information, saying he would share those details when ready.
"Nothing beyond that is in the works right now," he said.
Denies secret talks with People's Alliance
People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin was quoted in the Telegraph-Journal article as saying he had been speaking with Cardy and Premier Blaine Higgs "for the past year" about a plan to do away with the program, adding he was "thrilled" at the prospect.Cardy said Austin's comments were "inaccurate" and "irresponsible."
People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin told the Telegraph-Journal he has been discussing the idea of scrapping the French immersion program with Cardy and Higgs for the past year. Cardy denied the statement. (CBC)
"To say there's some plan which hasn't been shared with the public to get rid of French immersion is simply untrue," Cardy said.
"There are certainly going to be absolutely no secret closed-door decisions or discussions with people in other parties on issues as important as this."
Neither Austin nor an Alliance spokesperson responded to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Figures in a January 2019 auditor general's report show that of 1,624 students who began French immersion in 2004, only 10 per cent finished Grade 12 with an "advanced" or better level of French.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/kelly-lamrock-french-immersion-reforms-1.3790215
Ex-education minister Kelly Lamrock says Grade 3 entry retained students
Kelly Lamrock says the Grade 3 entry point for French immersion saw more students enrol and stay
Former education minister Kelly Lamrock said having a Grade 3 start for French immersion students saw an increase in the amount of children enrolled along with how many stuck with course.
Premier Brian Gallant announced last week that the early entry point for French immersion would be moving back to Grade 1.
Lamrock was the education minister who originally announced the changes to the early French immersion program in 2008.
Before the 2008 change, Lamrock said only about 30 per cent of students enrolled in the Grade 1 early immersion program.
He said once the government bumped up the entry point to Grade 3, 42 per cent of students enrolled.
- French immersion returns to Grade 1 early entry
- Education Minister Brian Kenny says parents wanted early immersion
"That's a 40 per cent increase in the number of kids who are in the early immersion stream," said Lamrock, pulling statistics from the 2015 government report on enrolment.
"If the goal is to make people bilingual, job one is to have an immersion program that more of them take."
Lamrock says the Grade 3 entry point for French immersion was accompanied by the best ever literacy score in the province. (CBC)
He said with the Grade 1 entry point, 23 per cent of students wouldn't make it to Grade 5. With the Grade 3 entry point, that drop out rate is down to eight per cent.
"It does suggest that teachers have had a greater ability in those early years perhaps to prepare children and get them ready and confident to learn and they're encountering fewer struggles in French," said Lamrock.
A Cadillac program for the few
But Lamrock said even that is hard to know for sure, as the students who went through the Grade 3 entry point haven't been tested.
Our highest literacy score ever occurred among that first class that waited until Grade 3.
- Kelly Lamrock
"That's the one thing I can't claim to know, you don't know and the government doesn't know, because they haven't yet tested a single one of the kids who went under the new system," said Lamrock.
"Is it good enough to have a Cadillac program for 30 per cent of the population if 70 per cent wind up in less amenable classrooms as a result."
English literacy
Lamrock said the Grade 3 entry point was accompanied by excellent literacy.
"The best ever literacy score in New Brunswick was achieved by the class that entered Grade 1 in 2008," said Lamrock.
"So our highest literacy score ever occurred among that first class that waited until Grade 3."
Lamrock confessed the numbers become less conclusive after 2009, as literacy began to decline.
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