New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is once again confronted by the Pain in the Arsh Blogger!!!
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is confronted by Pain in the Ass Blogger Charles LeBlanc!!!!
No matter what Higgy and his many minions may wish to claim it is the Lieutenant Governor who decides whether to drop the writ or not
David Amos<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> | Tue, Oct 17, 2023 at 10:01 AM |
| To: LTgov@gnb.ca, "bruce.fitch" <bruce.fitch@gnb.ca>, "Benoit.Bourque" <Benoit.Bourque@gnb.ca>, "Ginette.PetitpasTaylor" <Ginette.PetitpasTaylor@parl.gc.ca>, "Dominic.Cardy" <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, tj <tj@burkelaw.ca>, "lou.lafleur" <lou.lafleur@fredericton.ca>, "David.Coon" <David.Coon@gnb.ca>, keith.chiasson@gnb.ca, jacques.j.leblanc@gnb.ca, jean-claude.d'amours@gnb.ca, robert.mckee@gnb.ca, megan.mitton@gnb.ca, kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca, robert.gauvin@gnb.ca, mike.holland@gnb.ca, andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca, mary.wilson@gnb.ca, kris.austin@gnb.ca, michelle.conroy@gnb.ca, oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, andre <andre@jafaust.com>, "Mark.Blakely" <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "martin.gaudet" <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>, "Alex.Johnston" <Alex.Johnston@cbc.ca>, "Catherine.Tait" <Catherine.Tait@cbc.ca>, "Chuck.Thompson" <Chuck.Thompson@cbc.ca>, "darrow.macintyre" <darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>, "sylvie.gadoury" <sylvie.gadoury@radio-canada.ca>, jesse <jesse@viafoura.com>, jesse <jesse@jessebrown.ca>, "jessica.hume" <jessica.hume@ontario.ca>, "Melanie.Joly" <Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, "Gerald.Butts" <Gerald.Butts@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "andrew.scheer" <andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca>, postur@for.is, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, "huras.adam" <huras.adam@telegraphjournal.com>, news <news@kingscorecord.com>, "Jacques.Poitras" <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, "David.Akin" <David.Akin@globalnews.ca>, execdirgen <execdirgen@nbliberal.ca>, Ezra <Ezra@therebel.media>, sfine <sfine@globeandmail.com> | |
| Cc: briangallant10 <briangallant10@gmail.com>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, Susan.Holt@gnb.ca, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, "John.Williamson" <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, "rob.moore" <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Bill.Oliver" <Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, "Trevor.Holder" <Trevor.Holder@gnb.ca>, "jeff.carr" <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>, "Daniel.J.Allain" <Daniel.J.Allain@gnb.ca>, "Dorothy.Shephard" <Dorothy.Shephard@gnb.ca> | |
https://davidraymondamos3. Tuesday, 17 October 2023 Legislature set for new session with election still a possibility | |
Legislature set for new session with election still a possibility
Higgs says throne speech will go ahead, but campaign depends on his caucus
It remains unclear whether Premier Blaine Higgs will allow the legislature to go the distance or go the polls.
Normally MLAs would spend weeks debating legislation this fall and vote on a new budget next March, then continue sitting through to an adjournment next June.
Higgs may instead opt to load today's Speech from the Throne with good-news announcements and then dissolve the legislature within days for the early election he's been hinting about, says Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt.
Asked
when he'll decide on an election call, Premier Blaine Higgs said Monday
it 'depends how things go in caucus. I guess that would be the answer
to that. But so far, so good.' (CBC)
Another rumour she said she has heard is he'd inject something into the throne speech that six rebellious Progressive Conservative MLAs would feel obligated to vote against — triggering an election that he could blame on them.
Higgs told CBC News in Ottawa on Monday night that the new session will open as scheduled but he wouldn't commit to much more than that, saying it would hinge on his MLAs.
"We're delivering the throne speech, so we're looking forward to that. I expect all of them, everyone, to be present," he said.
Asked when he'll decide on an election call, he said it "depends how things go in caucus. I guess that would be the answer to that. But so far, so good."
New Brunswick Liberal Leader Susan Holt says Higgs has to make a decision one way or the other about an election. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Holt said Monday that Higgs needs to make up his mind.
"We're spending a lot of time spinning our wheels wondering whether the premier's going to call an election, when we could be actually providing people with affordable housing or putting civil servants to work trying to deliver health care to New Brunswickers," she said.
"Some of us are really tired of this and want him to decide, make it clear and get on with it."
Green Leader David Coon also considers those two scenarios to be the most likely.
"I don't think we'll be there very long because this premier wants to call an election and he's looking for the first opportunity to do so," Coon said.
Green Party Leader David Coon said he doesn't think the new session of the legislature will last long. (Shane Fowler/CBC)
Six PC MLAs voted with Holt's Liberals in June on their motion calling on the government to hold more consultations with the child and youth advocate on Policy 713, which sets out guidelines for creating safe spaces for LGBTQ students in provincial schools.
Higgs sidelined those MLAs for the summer, refusing to meet them as a group. Two resigned from his cabinet and two others, who were ministers, were shuffled out.
The premier announced Sept. 15 he'll lead the PC party into the next election, which is officially scheduled for Oct. 21, 2024.
But he said the day of that announcement that the recalcitrance of the six MLAs — who would hold the balance of power in the legislature if they voted as a bloc — remained "a big concern."
From
top left to right, Andrea Anderson-Mason, Trevor Holder, Dorothy
Shephard, Daniel Allain, Ross Wetmore and Jeff Carr. The six PC MLAs
broke ranks with Higgs in June over changes to Policy 713, the
gender-identity policy for schools, and were not at Tuesday's meeting. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Those six MLAs have since committed, to varying degrees, to support him on confidence votes and on legislation in order to avoid forcing New Brunswickers to the polls.
But Higgs said earlier this month that the very fact those MLAs signed a collective pledge to that effect in August shows they're operating as "an independent group" that could break ranks with him.
"A government cannot function in this manner," he said.
The six MLAs turned down or did not not respond to interview requests from CBC News on Monday.
Holt said she expects the session to be as dramatic and chaotic as the final week of sitting days in June.
That saw the vote by the six MLAs, followed by the withdrawal of a government bill that would have taken away decision-making powers from anglophone district education councils.
"I haven't seen any change from the premier, and this is a drama of his own causing," Holt said.
"He is focused on what he thinks is best and is not prepared to listened to his own team members or anyone else."
The Liberals and Greens offered similar lists of issues they plan to focus on in the new session, including the cost of living, health care, housing and the environment.
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With files from Kate McKenna
He told reporters that if the premier visits Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy and asked her to dissolve the house, she should instead ask the PC caucus if another of its members could take over and lead a government with majority support in the legislature.
Cardy acknowledged that move, while possible in the parliamentary system, is rare but not out of the question.
"The lieutenant-governor's job is to ascertain whether there's anybody else who can command the majority of the house," he said.
"I'm saying there are very clearly people who could do that job. The premier has shown today he can't even command his own caucus, his own cabinet."
Doesn't that sound a lot like another ego-driven politician who is running for re-election in the U.S.?
And why is Holt waiting on Higgs to do anything? She should on a daily basis be telling NBers what she will do if she replaces Higgs, not sitting around waiting for him to make a decision.
23 Wannabe in control PCs
16 Liberals
3 Greens
1 Independent
6 PCs sitting on the fence
Who rules the roost?
Higgs throne speech avoids provocations, instead calls for unity
Moncton East MLA rejects ‘rebel’ label as address sets out vague agenda
The Speech from the Throne, delivered Tuesday, urges New Brunswickers to reject "misinformation that stokes fear, distrust and division."
It also avoids any provocative new statements or promises about Policy 713, which sets out standards for LGBTQ-positive classrooms in provincial schools.
Changes to that policy in the spring sparked a revolt in the Progressive Conservative caucus, leading Premier Blaine Higgs to threaten a snap election this fall to end the instability in his government.
Opponents of the review of Policy 713 demonstrated outside the New Brunswick legislature in June. (Radio-Canada)
Higgs mused during the summer about invoking the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to shield his changes from a legal challenge.
Those changes, which require parents give consent if their children want to change their names or pronouns, are now the subject of a court action.
Tuesday's speech does not commit the government to using the clause and simply restates Higgs's earlier comments in generic language.
"As we work together, your government is committed to creating a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students, while still respecting the role of parents," said the speech drafted by the government and read by Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy.
Misinformation warning
In another section, the speech notes that the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission has warned of misinformation fuelling polarization.
"We must never condone violence, intimidation or intolerance in any form. In order to move forward, it is important that we keep communicating in a respectful way and that we show acceptance of one another."
Six PC MLAs voted with the Liberal and Green opposition in June to pass a motion calling for further consultations on Policy 713 by New Brunswick's child and youth advocate — who later issued a scathing report calling the changes a human rights violation.
From
top left to right, Andrea Anderson-Mason, Trevor Holder, Dorothy
Shephard, Daniel Allain, Ross Wetmore and Jeff Carr. The six PC MLAs
broke ranks with Higgs in June over changes to Policy 713, the
gender-identity policy for schools. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has launched a legal challenge to the move, and any talk of short-circuiting that case might lead some of those six MLAs to break ranks again in a vote on the throne speech Oct. 27.
A defeat on the throne speech vote would trigger an election.
Instead there were signs Tuesday that both Higgs and one of the six breakaway MLAs were trying to patch up the feud.
Higgs told CBC News that a Monday caucus meeting that included the six MLAs "went fine," and one of those MLAs, Daniel Allain, called it "very positive."
"I want to work with the government. That's why I'm here today," Allain told reporters.
"We had a good discussion. Not everything gets sorted out in one day. But I hope, I'm convinced we'll have a good Throne Speech today," said Allain, who represents Moncton East.
"At the end of the day we're part of one party. It's called the Progressive Conservative party. It's important for me to be that progressive part and we're going to have a great throne speech today."
Asked if he was still a member of the group of six MLAs who rebelled in June, Allain said, "There's no 'member of the six.' I'm part of the Progressive Conservative caucus."
The next election is officially scheduled for Oct. 21, 2024, but nothing prevents Higgs from calling one early.
In either scenario, Tuesday's throne speech is the last one of the government's mandate and it mostly recaps initiatives the Tories have already launched.
There are two nods to new moves to address the high cost of living.
The speech promises a new legislated "spike protection mechanism" to cap property tax increases at 10 per cent in 2025. The housing strategy released earlier this year included a promise to "explore" making it permanent.
And the speech says the government "will consider additional improvements" to income tax and property tax legislation to ensure the province "remains attractive and competitive."
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves promised on Sept. 27 to deliver new measures "fairly soon" to provide relief from high inflation and said his preference was tax cuts.
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However, I think what's more relevant in Higgs' case is that he doesn't want it to look like he wants a snap election. He wants it to look like he was forced to call a snap election.
I think that a better example would be the Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia's refusal to dissolve the Legislative Assembly only 51 days after the last general election in 2017.
"??? I for one do not follow USA POLITICS..please explain if you don't mind"
Policy 713 back on agenda during raucous first question period of the fall
Opposition pushes Higgs on snap election, Charter rights and comments on teachers
The opposition Liberals pushed Premier Blaine Higgs to apologize for comments he made about teachers, demanded he rule out using the Constitution's notwithstanding clause and dared him to call an election.
The Green Party chimed in, introducing a motion demanding Higgs apologize for his Sept. 20 comment that "in the education system, children are being taught to lie to their parents."
Higgs defended his position, repeating his stance that parents must be told if children under 16 want to change their name, pronouns and gender identity in school.
Higgs
waded into a crowd about 250 people on the front lawn of the
legislature in September, shaking hands with people carrying signs
denouncing sex education and LGBTQ rights. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Six PC MLAs who rebelled against him in June on the issue listened glumly to the exchanges in question period.
Higgs made the comments about students "being taught to lie" at a Fredericton event that was part of a nationwide "1 Million March 4 Children," protesting LGBTQ-inclusive education policies in the classroom and in extracurricular settings under the banner of parental rights.
In June, the province changed Policy 713 to require parents be notified if their children under 16 want to change names or pronouns.
Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt accused Higgs of not supporting teachers when he accused them of advising children to mislead their parents.
"Can you confirm today that this is what you believe of our teachers, or will you apologize for that statement?" she asked.
Coon said teachers "have never felt so disrespected in their entire teaching careers" as they did after the premier's comments.
"It's an important apology he needs to make, and it's the least he can do to take back the hurt he caused among the entire teaching profession in this province," Coon told reporters after introducing his motion. It will be voted on at a later date.
Green Leader David Coon says teachers 'have never felt so disrespected.' (The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick)
Higgs didn't repeat the phrase about children being taught to lie on Wednesday, but defended his decision to require parental consent.
"It's interesting we even have a debate on this topic because parents have always been key to their children's future and key to helping their children make their decisions," he said.
He claimed the earlier version of Policy 713 — which said school staff had to adopt a plan to accommodate a child's decision without notifying their parents — was too sweeping because it applied to "all homes."
In fact, the policy was designed only for the small number of families in which a child's sexual orientation or gender identity might put them at risk of abuse or other mistreatment.
Holt also demanded Higgs and Education Minister Bill Hogan commit to not using the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to override any legal ruling that their changes to Policy 713 are unconstitutional.
Opposition
Liberal Leader Susan Holt called the premier 'indecisive' about calling
an election and accused him of getting 'cold feet.' (Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick)
Child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock said in a report in August that he believes the changes violate the rights of children under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the New Brunswick Human Rights Act and the Education Act.
Section 33 of the Charter allows a government to exempt legislation from some of the protections in the Charter, including equality rights.
The section is rarely used, but the Saskatchewan government has introduced legislation to invoke it to shield its policy on gender identity in schools from a legal challenge now before the courts.
It made that move after a judge issued an interim injunction blocking the new policy from taking effect pending an eventual court hearing.
Education
Minister Bill Hogan says he believe's the government is 'on the right
side of the issue' when it comes to Policy 713 and 'the court will rule
in our favour.' (Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick)
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has filed a charter challenge to New Brunswick's Policy 713, but has not asked for an interim injunction.
Hogan suggested Wednesday that the Higgs government will let that case play out before making a decision about the notwithstanding clause.
"It would be inappropriate to look into the future and presuppose what the court's going to decide on the current challenge that's before it and speculate on what may happen in the future," he said.
"I personally believe that we're in the right, we're on the right side of this question, we're on the right side of the issue, and the court will rule in our favour."
But he and Higgs would not rule out using the clause eventually.
"We don't deal with hypothetical situations in this house," Higgs said.
From
top left to right, Andrea Anderson-Mason, Trevor Holder, Dorothy
Shephard, Daniel Allain, Ross Wetmore and Jeff Carr. The six PC MLAs
broke ranks with Higgs in June over changes to Policy 713, the
gender-identity policy for schools. Allain appears to have reconciled
with Higgs. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Holt also goaded Higgs about his threat to call an early election, calling him "indecisive" and accusing him of getting "cold feet" after putting preparations in motion.
The premier has said several times in recent weeks he might have to go to the polls to resolve "instability" in his caucus created by six Progressive Conservative MLAs who voted with the Liberals on Policy 713 in June.
Higgs responded to Holt on Wednesday by warning her to "stay ready for an election."
That prompted several Liberal MLAs to yell, "Call it! Call it!"
Once of the six PC MLAs, Daniel Allain, appeared to reconcile with Higgs on Tuesday but the premier says the other five may still be "waiting for the right moment" to disrupt his agenda.
"I don't want to impose an election on the people of the province if there's any other mechanism here, but I can't be in a position that we have ongoing instability within government," Higgs said.
Progressive
Conservative MLA Ross Wetmore says he 'can't see any reason why this
government wouldn't roll all the way' to October 2024 for the next
election. (CBC)
One of those five MLAs, Ross Wetmore, dismissed that possibility.
He told reporters he has "no problem" supporting Higgs's throne speech or the legislation scheduled for the fall session.
"Unless there's something that comes out of left field that nobody's discussed … I can't see any reason why this government wouldn't roll all the way" to October 2024, he said.
Wetmore avoided saying, however, how he'll vote on Coon's motion calling on Higgs to apologize to teachers for his comments on Sept. 20.
"Let's see if it comes to the floor of the legislature," he said.
"I've been in opposition and I brought forward all forms of nutty motions, and I'm not saying this is a nutty motion. But let's see if it even comes to the floor of the legislature."
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"I've been in opposition and I brought forward all forms of nutty motions, and I'm not saying this is a nutty motion. But let's see if it even comes to the floor of the legislature."
That prompted several Liberal MLAs to yell, "Call it! Call it!"
Higgs says he's holding off on inflation relief in case of election
Premier says New Brunswickers should lobby Liberal leader on federal policies that drive inflation
The premier made the comments to reporters after Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt declared she will push for an election this fall — a shift in her position.
Holt slammed the Progressive Conservative government's throne speech for containing no specific new policies to help people cope with inflation.
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves promised Sept. 27 that he would take new affordability measures to cabinet within weeks and would announce them "fairly soon."
Liberal
Leader Susan Holt, in her official response to the throne speech,
introduced an amendment that declares no confidence in the Higgs
government. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
But Higgs said he can't do that until he establishes first whether five rebellious PC MLAs in his caucus will support him or help the opposition trigger an election.
"There's an element of that," he said. "We will need it in a platform."
Higgs said a party's platform is normally released in the third week of an election campaign, and he's not announcing inflation relief measures now "because an election is still a possibility."
The premier was responding to a new tone from Holt, who in her official response to the throne speech introduced an amendment that declares no confidence in the Higgs government.
She told reporters she would invite the five offside Tory MLAs to vote for her amendment, just as they defied Higgs to vote with the Liberals in June on their motion calling for more consultations on Policy 713.
If that motion passed, it would trigger an election.
Until this week, Holt wasn't calling for an election, saying New Brunswickers didn't want one even though they needed a change in government.
Now she says, "every day it gets worse, and more and more New Brunswickers tell us they want Higgs gone and that they deserve better.… We need a new premier and we need a new government."
Higgs blames Trudeau government
Higgs said people who can't afford the high cost of food, housing and gas, and who can't wait for his campaign platform, should be "going after" Holt and her connections with the Trudeau government, whose carbon tax he blamed for inflation.
"The reason we're in this state is because of federal energy policies," he said.
"It's simple. Let's not put Band-Aids on a problem that originates from the Ottawa regulations."
The premier called the tax "the major issue driving inflation," even though other countries without carbon taxes, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, have had higher rates of inflation this year.
Luke
Randall, a Fredericton business owner, ran for the Green Party in the
last provincial election. Standing with Liberal Leader Susan Holt, it
was announced he would run for the Liberals in the election. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
He said his government could still introduce relief measures without an election but he gave no timeline for when that might happen.
The throne speech said only that the PCs would "consider" income tax and property tax reductions.
Holt's amendment declaring no confidence in the government will come up for a vote on Oct. 27.
She acknowledged in a scrum with reporters that the five MLAs who voted with her in June have said they won't try to bring down the government.
Two of them, Jeff Carr and Dorothy Shephard, sent messages to CBC News on Thursday restating that they'll support the government during the vote.
That makes Holt's motion largely symbolic, but "we have lost confidence in this government and that's how we express that."
Green
Party Leader David Coon said Green MLAs will vote against the PC throne
speech next week, but will have to discuss whether to support the
Liberal no-confidence amendment. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Holt was surrounded by Liberal MLAs and potential election candidates for the party, including Luke Randall, who ran for the Green Party in Fredericton North in 2020.
"We're thrilled to have Luke here with us," Holt said.
Randall, a business owner, won 31.4 per cent of the vote for the Greens in 2020, placing second behind PC candidate Jill Green.
He said running for the Greens three years ago was "the right decision at the right time," but he was switching to the Liberals, "a party that can win," to unite voters who want Higgs removed from power.
"I really felt like we need to bring this community together," he said. "We are truly all New Brunswickers first, and we need to get on the same team together, and Susan Holt is the perfect leader … to do that," he said.
Green Leader David Coon said by recruiting a well-known former Green candidate, Holt was risking splitting the vote in Fredericton North and allowing the PCs to win the seat again.
"What's she's focused on, I believe, is trying to win a majority government, and we're saying things are only going to get better if there are more Greens in the Legislative Assembly, and that will bring about a minority government."
Coon said Green MLAs will vote against the PC throne speech next week, but will have to discuss whether to support the Liberal no-confidence amendment.
"I haven't heard a great outcry from people in my riding or around the province for an election at this moment," he said.
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Coon's riding pick means no election showdown with Holt
Green leader chooses newly created Fredericton-Lincoln, Liberal leader undecided
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Sep 11, 2023 3:30 PM ADT
No doubt Holt has called for all hands on deck.
I wonder if her buddy will run and against whom
Chief of staff to N.B. Opposition leader quits ahead of possible snap election call
By Staff The Canadian Press
Posted October 2, 2023 1:28 pm
"Holt says Lockhart, who was a Liberal member of Parliament for Fundy Royal from 2015-19, was one of the first people she hired after winning the party’s leadership race in August 2022."
She acknowledged in a scrum with reporters that the five MLAs who voted with her in June have said they won't try to bring down the government.
PC dissidents did not meet threshold to trigger leadership review of Blaine Higgs, party says
Party declined to answer questions, dissident says he's not giving up
Hadeel Ibrahim · CBC News · Posted: Aug 28, 2023
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick says members have not met the threshold to trigger a review of the premier's leadership.
Under the party's rules, 50 members, including 20 presidents of PC riding associations, must request a leadership review to start the process.
On Monday, Andrea Johnson, the party's executive director, said as of Aug. 25, "the threshold had not been met to trigger the next steps for a leadership review."
On July 31, party president Erika Hachey said there weren't enough valid letters from riding association presidents. At first, only 15 were valid, but Hachey later told one member his letter was discounted by error. This meant members were four letters short, and they had until Aug. 25 to correct the problems and submit them again.
Johnson declined to answer questions about why the threshold was not met and what would happen next, if anything. She did not say whether the issue was the number of valid letters received or another reason. She said the one-sentence emailed response "will be our only comment."
I believe that is her mandate and not to help Greens in their quest for a minority so they could have more control like they used to
The premier has said several times in recent weeks he might have to go to the polls to resolve "instability" in his caucus created by six Progressive Conservative MLAs who voted with the Liberals on Policy 713 in June.
Higgs responded to Holt on Wednesday by warning her to "stay ready for an election."
That prompted several Liberal MLAs to yell, "Call it! Call it!"
One of the six PC MLAs, Daniel Allain, appeared to reconcile with Higgs on Tuesday but the premier says the other five may still be "waiting for the right moment" to disrupt his agenda.
"I don't want to impose an election on the people of the province if there's any other mechanism here, but I can't be in a position that we have ongoing instability within government," Higgs said.
One of those five MLAs, Ross Wetmore, dismissed that possibility.
He told reporters he has "no problem" supporting Higgs's throne speech or the legislation scheduled for the fall session.
"Unless there's something that comes out of left field that nobody's discussed … I can't see any reason why this government wouldn't roll all the way" to October 2024, he said.
Wetmore avoided saying, however, how he'll vote on Coon's motion calling on Higgs to apologize to teachers for his comments on Sept. 20.
"Let's see if it comes to the floor of the legislature," he said.
"I've been in opposition and I brought forward all forms of nutty motions, and I'm not saying this is a nutty motion. But let's see if it even comes to the floor of the legislature."
???
Premier says it's too soon to cut taxes to ease inflation burden
Liberal leader says she could help Higgs lobby Ottawa on carbon tax impact
Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt slammed Higgs for his comments to reporters, that it wasn't the right time to offer relief "because an election is still a possibility."
"He has the power and the ability to make life more affordable for New Brunswickers tomorrow, and he is choosing not to," Holt said in question period.
Higgs tried to turn the tables on Holt, again blaming the federal Liberal government's carbon tax for rising prices.
"The issue is her buddy in Ottawa, Prime Minister Trudeau," the premier said.
Liberal
Leader Susan Holt says agrees the federal tax is affecting the province
'in ways that the federal government didn't plan for,' and she might be
willing to help Higgs lobby Ottawa on it. (Aidan Cox/CBC)
That led Holt to tell reporters that she believes the tax is flawed, and she is willing to work with Higgs on a joint lobbying effort to persuade the federal government to modify it — though not to eliminate it entirely, as he is calling for.
"It doesn't reflect our reality, so I think it needs to change in a way that is a policy properly developed for the people of New Brunswick and our realities," Holt said.
"I think his suggestion is interesting, that maybe we sit down and see if there are ways we could go and talk to the federal government about adjusting it."
Premier backtracks on election talk
Tuesday's speech from the throne contained a list of cost-of-living initiatives the Higgs government has already rolled out, including the extension of "spike protection" on property taxes, minimum wage increases and a program to install heat pumps to lower energy costs.
But it did not include any new measures, other than a statement that the province will "consider" more income tax and property tax reductions.
Higgs told reporters Thursday this was because there's still a chance he'll be forced to call a snap election this fall because of turmoil in his caucus, and "we will need it in a platform."
On Friday, he dropped the election talk and said he can't commit to tax cuts yet because the province may not continue to reap huge revenue windfalls from record population growth.
That surge in growth fuelled a $1-billion budget surplus last year.
Higgs said it would be unwise to reduce taxes when federal carbon pricing is to blame for the high cost of living, and there's a chance the population growth will level off and leave the province facing a deficit.
"The surplus is a point in time," he said.
"What we don't know is: is it going to stabilize at a certain level, or are we going to get ourselves caught by all of a sudden trying to subsidize poor policy, then find ourselves financially in trouble because our revenue starts to drop?"
The premier said he'll have a better idea of what room there is for more relief after a second-quarter fiscal update is released in the coming weeks.
Attacking carbon tax
In the meantime, he called on Holt to agree to join a united front with him to persuade Ottawa to eliminate the carbon tax.
Holt said she agrees the federal tax is affecting the province "in ways that the federal government didn't plan for," and she might be willing to help Higgs lobby Ottawa on it.
But she also suggested the two leaders make a deal to have Holt join the premier in pushing for modifications if he agrees to adopt some of her inflation-relief proposals.
The Liberals have called on Higgs to eliminate the provincial sales tax on home electricity bills and to repeal a "carbon adjustor" mechanism that passes the cost of clean-fuel regulations from oil companies to consumers.
University
of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, who has studied carbon pricing, says
Higgs was wrong when he called the carbon tax 'the major issue driving
inflation.' . (Colin Hall/CBC)
The Energy and Utilities Board set that adjustor at 3.8 cents per litre of unleaded gas for this week.
University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, who has studied carbon pricing, says Higgs was wrong when he called the carbon tax "the major issue driving inflation" and "the root cause" of higher prices.
Tombe said that according to Statistics Canada, indirect taxes like the carbon tax accounted for only 0.1 percentage points of the 3.8 per cent national inflation rate in September.
Energy
Minister Mike Holland said Friday that Holt’s idea to remove the
provincial sales tax from electricity bills would reduce provincial
revenue by $120 million. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The federal agency doesn't break that figure down by province to account for variations.
The tax can also have indirect effects on prices by increasing transportation costs through the supply chain over time, but the impact of that can't be measured directly via the inflation rate, Tombe said.
Energy Minister Mike Holland said Friday that Holt's idea to remove the provincial sales tax from electricity bills would reduce provincial revenue by $120 million.
He said that would be "a reckless and irresponsible strategy," given big budget surpluses have shaved only $90 million off the interest charges the province has to pay on its accumulated debt.
But Liberal finance critic Rene Légacy said last year's $1-billion surplus is a better measure of what the government has to work with to help New Brunswickers struggling with the high cost of living.
"A billion dollars and you can't imagine using it to help actual New Brunswickers that need it? Get out of your box and get something done. Stop announcing the same things."
Holt pointed out that Higgs had his own provincial carbon tax in place until July, and he could have modified it to reduce its impact on the province with bigger rebates, rather than scrap it and let Ottawa's tax take effect.
"He chose to stop his own program and take the federal program on instead. I don't know if he remembers that, but this is of his doing," she said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I repeat Higgy is playing them all like a fiddle and I continue to maintain that Allian will be the next leader/premier
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