Government
House leader Karina Gould says ordering the production of documents to
be handed over to the RCMP blurs the lines between Parliament and
police. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
The government has
been unable to put any of its own business before the House of Commons
for a full week, and the Conservatives on Thursday said that's the
result of Liberal "corruption."
Conservative House leader Andrew
Scheer said the governing party would rather see the House bogged down
in debate than produce documents related to misspent government dollars
in a program his party has dubbed the "green slush fund."
House
Speaker Greg Fergus ruled last Thursday that the government "clearly did
not fully comply" with an order from the House to provide documents
related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds
of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.
The
House has been seized with a debate on the issue ever since and Scheer
said it will stay that way until the government agrees to hand over the
documents to police.
"They're
willing to have Parliament ground to a halt rather than hand over this
information to the RCMP for a potential criminal investigation," Scheer
said in an interview Thursday.
The RCMP told MPs this summer they
likely would not be able to use the documents as part of an
investigation, but Scheer said they should have access to all the
information before they decide.
The Liberals claimed that ordering
the production of documents to be handed over to the RCMP blurs the
lines between Parliament and the judiciary, and blame Conservatives for
the dysfunction in the House.
Liberal House leader Karina Gould
called the request for the documents an abuse of Parliament's power that
tramples on the Charter rights of Canadians.
"Let's be very clear, this is the Conservatives trying to muck up Parliament," Gould said Thursday.
"Conservative
members of Parliament are here for their own political, personal
objectives and they don't care what they do to Canadians in the
meantime, and that is something that should be extremely alarming to all
of us."
Scheer
said the Charter exists "to protect the people from the government. It
is not there to protect the government from accountability by the
people."
A similar dispute over government documents played out
when the Conservatives were on the governing side of the aisle during a
minority government dispute more than a decade ago.
In 2009, the
House ordered the government to disclose unredacted documents related to
Canada's role in the torture of Afghan detainees.
A few weeks
after opposition parties passed a motion demanding the documents be
produced, then-prime minister Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament for
several months, preventing the House committee from pursuing the issue.
In
this case, the Liberal government abolished Sustainable Development
Technology Canada after the auditor general released a scathing report
about the organization's management last spring.
Of
the projects she looked at, one in every six that received funding were
ineligible. The auditor's report also found 90 cases where
conflict-of-interest polices were violated.
A month later, the
ethics commissioner concluded that the former chair of the foundation
failed to recuse herself from decisions that benefited organizations to
which she had ties.
'A lack of respect for democracy'
The House has been in a state of almost constant turmoil since the MPs returned to Ottawa in mid-September.
The
Conservatives have made two attempts to topple the minority government
with non-confidence motions. Though both attempts failed to win the
support of other opposition parties, the Conservatives promise there
will be more such votes to come.
Bloc
Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet decried a "lack of respect for
democracy" in the chamber during an unrelated press conference on
Thursday in Chicoutimi, Que.
Blanchet claimed Bloc MPs are among
the few in Parliament asking thoughtful questions instead of "spouting
slogans and banging on the desk," like other parties in the House.
"They are proud to have repeated the same thing that they've repeated 60 times in the last 60 days," he said in French.
"Refusing to answer questions, when there are real ones, is no more respectful of voters."
Among
the few votes that have gone ahead this week was a Bloc Quebecois
motion to push the government to support its pension bill for seniors
under the age of 75, a change that would cost more than $3 billion a
year.
Though the Conservatives have criticized what they call
politically motivated inflationary spending, they threw their support
behind the bill.
Scheer did not respond to a question about why the party supported the motion.
The
Conservative critic for seniors, Anna Roberts, said in a statement that
the government's inflationary spending has "increased the cost of
groceries and gas and put added strain on Canadian families and seniors
on fixed incomes."
Conservatives ask for Mark Carney probe
The
Conservatives have also asked Canada's lobbying commissioner to
investigate whether it violates ethics rules for the prime minister to
make Mark Carney a Liberal adviser.
The Liberals announced at
their recent caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., that Carney, the former
Bank of Canada governor, had been appointed chair of a task force on
economic growth.
Freeland says she's 'not going anywhere' despite Carney's new role
Finance
Minister Chrystia Freeland says the Conservatives want to focus on
‘personal mudslinging’ instead of the economy. Freeland was asked by
Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman about the appointment of Mark Carney,
former governor of the Bank of Canada, to chair a Liberal Party task
force on economic growth ahead of the next federal election.
They
said Carney will help shape the party's policies for the next election,
and will report to Justin Trudeau and the Liberal platform committee.
Tory
ethics critic Michael Barrett said in a letter to the commissioner that
Carney is not registered to lobby federally, but his corporate
positions put him in several potential conflicts of interest.
"How
could any ministerial staff member, member of Parliament or cabinet
minister not feel a sense of obligation to Mr. Carney because of his
close affiliation with the prime minister and minister of finance?"
Barrett asked in his letter Thursday.
Carney
is also the chair of Brookfield Asset Management, which is in talks
with the government to launch a $50-billion investment fund with support
from Ottawa and Canadian pensions.
When asked about Carney's
potential conflict of interest in the House, Health Minister Mark
Holland accused the Conservatives of trying to "smear" a Canadian who is
renowned around the world.
At
a hearing Thursday, a judge ruled that quotes of things said by Bill
Hogan in news reporting on Policy 713 are not admissible. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
A judge has ruled
that news reporting about certain statements made by Education Minister
Bill Hogan on Policy 713 cannot be used in court.
The Canadian
Civil Liberties Association is challenging the school gender-identity
policy, which now requires parental consent before school staff can use a
child's chosen name and pronoun, if they're under 16.
The association wanted to introduce as evidence CBC reporting on Hogan saying Policy 713 doesn't apply to nicknames and that only gender-related changes need parental consent.
On
Aug. 23, 2023, Hogan called a news conference where he specified that,
"What we're talking about is a name that's attached to a different
gender than what they're identified with with their parents."
He also said if teachers are uncertain about what is a nickname and what is a gender-related name change, they "can always ask."
In
court, the province's lawyers said the news reporting, as well as the
province's own news releases around the issue, were not relevant or
reliable evidence.
WATCH | The CBC's Hadeel Ibrahim reports on latest decision in the Policy 713 case:
Judge rules news reports cannot be used as evidence in Policy 713 challenge
The
Canadian Civil Liberties Association wanted to use news quotes from
Education Minister Bill Hogan to show revisions to gender-identity
policy are discriminatory.
On Thursday,
Justice Richard Petrie ruled that news reporting of things said by Hogan
can't stand as direct statements from him, and media reports aren't
reliable enough to be used as evidence in that way.
Petrie ruled that the province's own news releases are admissible and can stand.
The
response shows that from 2020 to May 25, 2023, the Department of
Education received no written complaints from parents alleging the
school was keeping them in the dark about their children's preferred
pronouns.
The judge ruled that the response is an official government document and can't be excluded from evidence.
WATCH | In 2023 news conference, Bill Hog
an explains how policy only applies to name changes related to gender identity:
Teachers 'can always ask' when they’re not sure if name change is related to gender, minister says
Education
Minister Bill Hogan says parental consent is only required for name
changes associated with gender identity for kids under 16 in schools. He
says teachers should be able to find out the difference.
Benjamin
Perryman, one of the lawyers representing the civil liberties
association, said the purpose of this entire case is to get a judge to
review the information that was before Hogan when he made the changes to
the policy.
After reviewing the record, the judge would then rule
on whether the minister's changes were against the provincial Education
Act and Human Rights Act, as well as the Charter.
Perryman
said there is little information about why the minister made the
changes he made. He said the media reporting was one way to show the
minister's own words and reasoning.
"We are still trying to
understand why the minister made the decisions that he made, given the
complete lack of foundation and reasons," he said.
The case, which
has been going through preliminary processes for more than a year,
still has a few hurdles to cross before the judge can begin the outright
review.
In court, lawyers and the judge discussed possible dates
for hearings in January and March of next year, but did not finalize
any.
Rod Cumberland loses bid for more money after firing by forestry college
Appeal judge finds no major problems with trial decision that rejected claim of wrongful dismissal
CBC News ·
A
New Brunswick Appeal Court judge has ruled Rod Cumberland's award of
$50,000 is sufficient for the way his employment was terminated. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Biologist
Rod Cumberland, a former instructor at the Maritime College of Forest
Technology in Fredericton, has failed in his bid to get more money from
the college after losing a lawsuit that claimed he was
wrongfully dismissed.
The Court of King's Bench chief
justice had already rejected Rod Cumberland's wrongful dismissal
arguments, which were heard in court after he was fired for cause
in 2019.
But Justice Tracey DeWare also said in her
decision in that case that the college handled the firing poorly, and
she awarded Cumberland more that $55,00 in severance and legal costs.
Cumberland
filed an appeal for a higher award, and in a written decision issued
Thursday, Justice Bradley Green of the New Brunswick Court of
Appeal rejected it.
Green said he found no error in the decision from the first case that would warrant intervention by the Appeal Court.
"An
appeal is not an open invitation for an unsuccessful party to
relitigate his or her claim," Green wrote in his introductory remarks.
"This appeal bears the hallmarks of such an approach."
Cumberland
was fired after working at the college for seven years. Previously, he
worked for 22 years as a wildlife biologist for the provincial
government.
He sued the college, believing he'd been ousted for speaking out against herbicide spraying in forestry.
DeWare determined after a trial in 2023 that this was not the case.
She
said he'd been fired because of his attitude and behaviour but that
since he had not been given warnings that his job was at stake, he was
entitled to compensation for a reasonable notice period of seven months,
which worked out to more than $50,000.
Cumberland
appealed for $230,000 more, arguing the notice period should have been
longer and he should be compensated for moral, aggravated and punitive
damages.
Green
agreed with the trial judge that Cumberland became a destructive force
within the college following the appointment of Tim Marshall as
executive director.
He also agreed Cumberland's interactions with
several students and colleagues were inappropriate but that his
supervisors failed in their obligation to inform him he would be fired
if didn't curb his behaviour.
He accepted the appeal argument
that the trial judge erred in principle by setting compensation at one
month per year of service, but said she still arrived at a reasonable
figure.
"The decision was thorough and comprehensive, and the
trial judge clearly had a firm grasp of the issues, arguments, and
evidence before her," wrote Green.
"Damage awards of the type
sought by Mr. Cumberland are rare and, in my opinion, require behaviour
on the part of the employer far more egregious than anything the College
did in this case."
Green also ordered Cumberland to pay $2,500 to cover the college's legal costs.
pending approval = speak no evil..................
Mack Leigh
Nothing to see here folks but yet another grave
miscarriage of justice... This man deserves so much more and had the
gumption to speak out and take on the big boys.. Here in NB once again
no one takes on Irving and their cohorts....
Jimmy Cochrane
Don't mention glyphosate in this Province. Elish Cleary tried too. You have to wonder if she got 50k too.
Doug kirby
Why is it that no one can stop the spraying in NB?
Allan Marven
The only guy that stood up to the glyphosate
fiasco, and was fired over it, and his riding voters didn't care about
what he stood for, but I did, that's who I voted for. Thanks for trying
Rod.
Don Corey
Don't really care for the guy, but he certainly was
effectively fired without cause and was deserving of a notice period
considerably more than 7 months.
And, determining the reasoning behind his termination is simple arithmetic.
Allan Marven
Reply to Don Corey
A Firing comes down to arithmetic?
Allan Marven
Reply to Don Corey
What's your number?
Allan Marven
Reply to Don Corey
Nb is destined to become a defendant in the litigation . Bet on it.
David Amos
Pending approval
Reply to Don Corey
I don't care for him at all
David Amos
Pending approval
Reply to Allan Marven
I have a number and I am running against Higgy Call me I double dog dare ya
David Amos
Reply to Allan Marven
"Paul Champ, lawyer for former instructor Rod
Cumberland, told court Friday that he's seeking $300000 in damages"
FYI I have dared Cumberland's lawyer to sue me many times
Don
Moore, chair of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority board, says the
budget's proposed staffing increase accounts for population growth and
responds to concerns about crime. (Shane Magee/CBC)
A major increase in spending and staffing has been proposed for the Codiac Regional RCMP.
The
Codiac Regional Policing Authority, the civilian board overseeing the
force, unanimously voted Thursday evening to support a $59 million
budget for 2025. That's a 29 per cent budget increase from this year.
It includes adding 17 more police officers and five civilian support staff.
The
budget would need to be approved by councils in Moncton, Dieppe and
Riverview, the communities policed by Codiac RCMP, later this year.
"We've had significant increase in population in our community," Don Moore, chair of the policing authority board, told Information Morning Moncton on Friday. "That alone — we haven't kept up with the policing needs."
The
policing authority is funded by the three municipalities with a formula
accounting for population and calls to police. Moncton's share in 2025
would be 70.8 per cent, with Dieppe at 18.5 and Riverview at 10.7.
Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold said city council has yet to review all of the details.
"I
fully acknowledge that we have a growing community, but it does seem
enormous at first blush," Arnold said of her initial reaction to the
budget increase.
Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre and Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc did not provide interviews.
The budget proposal, if approved, would be the largest single-year increase in police staffing.
It would increase th budgeted number of regular officers from 156 this year to 173.
Moore
said the board is also recommending more increases in future years.
Fifteen officers are proposed to be added in 2026, followed by 14 more
in 2027 to bring the force to 202 members.
Information Morning - Moncton 11:26
Codiac Regional Policing Authority asking for a significant budget increase for 2025
Don Moore is the chair of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority.
The numbers followed a police workload review by PwC, formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers, an auditing and consulting firm.
Moore declined to share the full report with CBC, citing "a significant security aspect."
Arnold wants to see the report.
"I believe in data, and that's why we want the full workload analysis to see what we're dealing with here," Arnold said.
Moore said the increase should help address concerns residents have voiced about the visibility of police.
"With
46 additional police officers over the next three years, I would tend
to think that that would increase that visibility that would help people
understand that they have a role in our community, that we can be more
safe and secure," Moore said.
Traffic unit proposed in 2026
Ten of the officers proposed for 2026 would be to re-establish a traffic unit, something some Moncton councillors requested.
Overall, the budget forecasts spending $13,436,019 more than this year when accounting for a previous deficit.
The new police and civilian staff account for $2.7 million of that, while salary increases for unionized Mounties account for $1 million.
The
largest portion, at $3 million, is tied to the lease of the new police
station on Albert Street, set to open next year. Under a 2019 agreement,
Dieppe and Riverview will pay rent to help cover Moncton's cost to
construct the $57-million building.
The
next largest share, at $2.3 million, is for RCMP division
administration, which covers various costs provided through the J
Division headquarters in Fredericton.
The budget includes just over half a million dollars for body cameras for Codiac RCMP. The cameras are expected to be deployed nationally by the end of 2025.
There is $125,000 earmarked for an executive director position, a full-time staff role recommended in a police service review last year.
Money
to begin paying policing authority board members, another
recommendation of the review, is also in this budget. Members of the
three municipal councils appointed to the board would not be paid.
Its pleasant to see that most of my comments
were eventually allowed excepting of course the most important one of
all but I trust that the RCMP have read it
David Amos
I wonder if Don Moore recalls talking to me about this years ago He never answered my emails
David Amos Methinks the RCMP in Moncton should quit making false allegations against me on the phone on behalf of one of their former members who is also running in this election and return my calls and answer my emails N'esy Pas?
Loran Hayden
Content Deactivated
Dude in the picture looks kinda shifty-eyed to me.
David Amos
Reply to Loran Hayden
Windows to the soul
Felix Mitchell Reply to Loran Hayden
Votes ndp
David Amos
Reply to Felix Mitchell
That is supposed to be a secret
Ralph Skavinsky Reply to Loran Hayden
He is actually one very smart dude..
Ralph Skavinsky Reply to Felix Mitchell
Actually at one time he was a big time PC
Daniel Franklin
And then what happens when we get 17 new RCMP and crime does not go down?
David Amos
Reply to Daniel Franklin
We lose
June Arnott
CBC, ask them about this comment, re-establish a
traffic unit. So they now admit it is a free for all when driving! We
all know its true! Sickening the accidents happening
David Amos
Reply to June Arnott
Good luck with that request I suspect there will be a
lot of "journalists" employed by the Crown out of a job in short order
Hugh MacDonald The RCMP have reported they are having trouble recruiting, and small communities across the country say they are suffering as a result.
Where does Codiac expect to find an additional 17 RCMP officers?
David Amos
Reply to Hugh MacDonald Edmonton has been getting them from the UK for years
Hugh MacDonald
Reply to David Amos If so, then why is the RCMP reporting recruiting difficulties?
David Amos
Reply to Hugh MacDonald Because the shine is off the pony and other cops are better paid.
David Amos Reply to Hugh MacDonald BTW The RCMP and I have been at odds since 1982
Hugh MacDonald Reply to David Amos
You say "Edmonton has been getting them from the UK for years"
Who is "them"? They can't be RCMP officers because Edmonton has it's own force.
Where's your proof to what you say?
David Amos Reply to Hugh MacDonald
Perhaps you should read my lawsuit
Federal Court File No T-1557-15
Hugh MacDonald Reply to David Amos
Who cares about your lawsuit. Edmonton's
recruiting of U.K. officers for their police force has nothing to do
with RCMP recruiting difficulties and officer shortages across the
country.
David Amos Reply to Hugh MacDonald
It was Edmonton's U.K. officers who tried to
arrest me in 2014 and their boss at the time was a former Deputy
Commissioner of the RCMP
This has nothing to do with the current recruiting
problems the RCMP are having and filling positions across the country
where they are policing.
End of conversation.
David Amos Reply to Hugh MacDonald Nope
David Amos Content Deactivated
Reply to Hugh MacDonald
I was falsely arrested and charged in Moncton in 1988 by
the local town clowns on the advice of the RCMP before the RCMP took
over their jobs I was exonerated after I embarrassed the Crown at trial
David Amos Reply to Hugh MacDonald
"Who cares about your lawsuit."
I call them Trudeau The Younger and Higgy amongst many others
David Amos
Reply to David Amos
Several of my replies are still "Pending approval"
Andre Kornhauser More staffing, big deal. Offenders get bail not jail, rinse and repeat. David Amos Reply to Andre Kornhauser Others are never allowed bail and sit in jail for years awaiting trial
Jack Bell "Moncton's share in 2025 would be 70.8 per cent, with Dieppe at 18.5 and Riverview at 10.7.
It would increase th budgeted number of regular officers from 156 this year to 173. "
.... uh huh... since Riverview pays for 10.7% of the police budget, shouldn't we have 10.7% of the staff patrolling out streets?
So, we should have just over 18 police...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
You can go months without seeing 1.
James Risdon Reply to Jack Bell No.
You don't provide policing solely on the basis of who pays for it the most. If that were the case, the rich would be very safe and the poor live in crime-infested ghettos.
You police based also on the need due the population density and the number of crimes being committed. You allocate police where they are needed.
A sprawling estate might well pay a bigger share of property taxes but if only three people live there behind a big wall with security cameras and their own private guards and never see anything remotely looking like a criminal, then it doesn't make sense to constantly send a police car there.
Instead, you take that police car and have it patrol a part of the city that suffers more from crime. Jack Bell Reply to James Risdon "You police based also on the need due the population density and the number of crimes being committed."
So... why pay 10.7% if we only need and get 1% of the resources?
James Risdon Reply to Jack Bell When municipalities collect taxes to pay for services, they do so through property taxes. Those property taxes are calculated based on the municipality's mil rate and also the province's assessed value for the property.
So, if you live in a sparsely-populated but affluent neighbourhood, your property will be worth more and you'll pay more in property taxes than other people since you're all subject to the same mil rate.
It might not be "fair" but it's a commonly-accepted practice in Canada where the general consensus is that the rich should pay a higher proportion in taxes.
MR Cain Reply to Jack Bell People pay insurance and never get to use it.
David Amos Reply to Jack Bell Good question
Matt Steele " Money to begin paying policing authority board members, another recommendation of the review, is also in this budget. Members of the three municipal councils appointed to the board would not be paid. "
Of course there will be more money to PAY the Board Members ; that will strike real fear into the hearts of criminals . All that money , and there won't be any decrease in crime , but there will be lots of traffic tickets issued as that is the low hanging fruit , and takes very little effort .
David Amos Reply to Matt Steele True
Holley Hardin Another unforeseen consequence of our increased population plan...
Loran Hayden Reply to Holley Hardin Immigrants are far less likely to turn criminal than the locals.
David Amos Reply to Loran Hayden I disagree
Jack Straw This is not going to reduce crime. I am glad I do not live in Moncton and have to pay for this waste of money.
Loran Hayden Reply to Jack Straw it's the only city in NB worth living in
James Risdon Reply to Jack Straw How do you figure that arresting more criminals and locking them away in jail will fail to reduce crime?
Loran Hayden Reply to Jack Straw more policing doesn't reduce crime - social programs do James Risdon Reply to Loran Hayden Nonsense. When you arrest a drug dealer or rapist or murderer and lock him or her away in jail, you eliminate their ability to commit crimes while they are in jail.
Policing works.
James Risdon Reply to Loran Hayden Would you want the government to take criminals out of jail and dump them on your street?
James Risdon Reply to Loran Hayden Well, let's be clear: Bathurst is the best place.
Come to Bathurst - NB the best!!! David Amos Reply to Loran Hayden Wow
David Amos Reply to James Risdon Need I say I happy to be where I am for rather obvious reasons?
Ahead
of the Oct. 21 provincial election, Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers says
the city will need help from the next provincial government in order to
make necessary improvements to the quality of Fredericton Transit. (Aidan Cox/CBC)
As
the City of Fredericton considers significant improvements to its
public transit system in the near future, the mayor is looking at the
next provincial government as an important partner in funding those
upgrades.
Long relegated as the sole responsibility of
New Brunswick's municipalities, Kate Rogers said it's time for the
province to help cities fund public transit if it's really serious about
addressing climate change and the rising cost of living.
"There's an affordability crisis that we're seeing across the nation and New Brunswickers are feeling it.
"And
we know that when people look at their own personal budgets, housing is
a significant expenditure, as is transportation. And delivering a
robust transit system ... is to me, a very effective way to help with
affordability," she said.
A 2017 report,
by the province's Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, cited a
need for the provincial government to step up and help fund public
transit in order to improve workforce participation and reduce New
Brunswickers' costly dependance on automobiles.
WATCH | Aging buses, increasing ridership: here's what N.B. municipalities are up against:
The challenges facing public transit in N.B. cities
Marco
D'Angelo, president of the Canadian Urban Transit Association, breaks
down the barriers Saint John, Miramichi, Moncton and Fredericton face
when it comes to public transit.
But
seven years later, there's been little mention of public transit so far
among leaders of New Brunswick's three main political parties, who are
now in the second full week of a provincial election campaign.
The
rising cost of living, health care and the housing shortage are issues
that have taken centre stage ahead of the election, scheduled for Oct.
21.
Green Party pledges help for transit
CBC News asked the three party leaders about their stance on providing funding to municipalities to help with transit costs.
Green
Party Leader David Coon said a government under his leadership would
help fund a portion of every municipal transit agency's annual operating
budget.
"[Transit] is a public service. People need it
to get to work, to get to school, to visit family, and so it's
appropriate for both levels of government to be sharing in its support,"
Coon said, in an interview.
Green
Leader David Coon said he thinks the provincial government has a role
in partnering with municipalities on public transit, adding that his
government, if elected, would help with transit operating costs. (Election Pool Camera)
In
a follow-up email, campaign spokesperson Jill Mersereau said the Green
Party's platform will pledge to cover 15 per cent of the
transit operating budget.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt was
unavailable for an interview. In an email statement, she said her
party's pledge for fiscal reform would help municipalities better
deliver services and that under her leadership, the province would take
advantage of federal funding for transit improvements.
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs was unavailable for an interview, said spokesperson Bob Fowlie, in an email.
During
his time as premier, Higgs garnered criticism in 2020 for not
taking advantage of a federal program aimed at injecting millions of
dollars into municipal transit agencies struggling to cover costs as
COVID-19 measures sent ridership numbers plummeting.
In
the end, his government provided transit systems in Moncton, Fredericton
and Saint John with $1.6 million from a broader COVID relief fund from
Ottawa — something other provinces didn't have to do.
Raising fares not straightforward solution, says advocate
Fredericton isn't the only municipality hoping for help.
Transit
systems in the cities of Saint John, Moncton and Miramichi are also on
board with seeing provincial funding for operating costs, said Marco
D'Angelo, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Association,
which advocates nationally on behalf of municipal transit agencies.
Canadian
Urban Transit Association president and CEO Marco D'Angelo says New
Brunswick's four transit agencies are struggling with aging buses, more
expensive maintenance, and other costs associated with maintaining and
improving their services. (Canadian Urban Transit Association)
"Today
we've arrived at a time where buses are full, where folks aren't being
able to be accommodated on every bus," said D'Angelo, noting that
ridership levels are at all-time highs.
"And so this is
the challenge that the cities across New Brunswick are facing, and it
goes to the need for the province of New Brunswick to address and
support the expansion of transit service."
As it stands,
the revenue generated through fares only covers about 35 per cent of
the operating costs, on average, with the rest paid for by property tax
revenue, D'Angelo said.
That leaves municipalities in a
tough spot, where in order to improve service, they either need to cut
other services, raise property taxes, or increase fares.
D'Angelo noted
that New Brunswickers are already dealing with rising property tax
bills, which would make raising tax rates unpopular.
At
the same time, he said raising fares could price-out some users,
lowering overall ridership and creating a "vicious cycle" where reduced
revenue begets reduced service.
"And simply it's really
important, I think, in the middle of the affordability crisis, that
there is an affordable way to get around your city and that is through
municipal transit," he said.
D'Angelo said New Brunswick
has other provinces it could look to for ideas on how to help,
including Ontario, which collects two cents for every litre of gasoline
sold for public transit funding.
That tax resulted in $380 million being transferred to 102 municipalities for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
"So it's a phenomena where a little would go a long way," D'Angelo said.
"This
is a really interesting opportunity for the next government of New
Brunswick, whatever party forms that government, that there's a
cost-effective way to implement real change in the cities across New
Brunswick that are struggling to keep up with the demand."
Marc LeBlanc Seems like a lot of people from the country don't want to pay for services in the city. The problem is, you all come into the city to frequent hospitals, Walmart, Costco and virtually everything else. (except roadside produce stands) So you expect us to ensure all the workers transportation needed to serve you are funded solely by us
Me thinks that's a little selfish N'essay pas?
Dennis Woodman
Reply to Marc LeBlanc
Worker’s transportation is their own responsibility
MR Cain Reply to Dennis Woodman Improved transportation services reduce traffic congestion in the city.
Dennis Woodman
Reply to MR Cain Then improve it, with a shared municipal tax and increased fares.
Matt Steele Reply to Marc LeBlanc
Well , don't forget who is spending money at those stores , and helping keep them afloat , and paying for those hospitals ; and the property tax that those businesses are paying into the city . No customers equals no business , no business equals no taxes for the city.....it is all related .
Ron parker Reply to Marc LeBlanc
I hope you know that the people you speak of pay taxes and support the stores you mention, good luck trying to do business without them.
Ron parker Reply to Matt Steele good comment Matt.
MR Cain Reply to Dennis Woodman You need to travel sometime outside your suburbs and see what the real world looks like.
Dennis Woodman
Reply to MR Cain I get outside my suburbs at least once week, you ?
Dennis Woodman
Reply to MR Cain Sorry you don’t own a car.
MR Cain Reply to Dennis Woodman Sorry, but I do. We don't have big cities like you.
Dennis Woodman
Reply to MR Cain I don’t live in a big city.
MR Cain Reply to Dennis Woodman Just raise taxes, huh?
Dennis Woodman
Reply to MR Cain Higher taxes and higher fares. How else would you suggest it would get paid for ?
MR Cain Reply to Dennis Woodman Never said you did, just like I never said I did not have a car.
James Risdon Reply to Marc LeBlanc
No, it's not selfish.
It's common sense.
Workers are responsible for getting to their jobs. It's not up to me in Bathurst to pay taxes to cover the transportation costs of a worker living in Fredericton.
You want public transit?
Pay for it. Leave me out of it.
Samual Johnston In the end, his government provided transit systems in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John with $1.6 million from a broader COVID relief fund from Ottawa — something other provinces didn't have to do.
"something other provinces didn't have to do."
reporting or commentary?
James Risdon Reply to Samual Johnston They don't even know the difference between reporting and commentary anymore.
Don Corey Reply to Samual Johnston True journalism is non-existent here.
John Clarke No,No,No I live in rural Kings County and don't want my tax dollars paying for the City of Fredericton Transit system. Manage your finances and remove the routes that don't support themselves. You want the local municipalities to help pay your ice rinks, the new 40 million dollar pool and now buses. Get busy and look after your own affairs. I want my tax dollars to support health care, infrastructure, roads and education. Not buses in Fredericton. I for one am sick and tired of the Mayors in the Cities dipping into Provincial Tax money for their problems. Handle your affairs at a local level and leave us alone.
Daniel Henwell Reply to John Clarke well said
MR Cain Reply to John Clarke What is unfair is the finances related to amalgamation were never discussed nor settled between the Higgs government and the municipalities. The report deals with the provincial transportation system and all the municipalities are included; it would be a shared resource.
Jake Newman Reply to MR Cain yes yes everything is Higgs fault isn't it.
Don Corey Reply to John Clarke My sentiments exactly.
Don Corey Reply to MR Cain Try another line.
Matt Steele
What a joke . The Mayor of Fredericton
squanders taxpayer cash on anything , and everything ; yet expects the
provincial government to pay for the city's basic services . Maybe the
Mayor should stop wasting tax dollars on their Taj Mahal playhouse , and
massive pool , that she wants so badly ; and spend the tax dollars on
basic city services instead . Mayor Rogers seems to have these visions
of grandeur in her head , and wants everyone else to pay for her big
ideas .
Don Corey
Rural NB tax dollars should not be subsidizing
the Fredericton public transit system. The federal government seems to
think we all have access to public transit, and they sure love to spend
money, so the city officials can take a trip to Ottawa. Or, let the
locals pay with their carbon tax rebates.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt released her party's full platform Thursday. (Election Pool)
New
Brunswick Liberals have released a full campaign platform that contains
no specific plan for how to address one of their biggest political
liabilities: the federal carbon tax.
Leader Susan Holt
says she'll work to persuade the federal government to let her adopt an
alternative to the federal price, which this year is adding 17.6 cents
to the price of a litre of gasoline.
"That's a conversation that we'll need to have with Ottawa," she told reporters.
Earlier
this year, Holt promised "a bold made-in-New Brunswick plan that
reflects our local reality and opportunities" if she becomes premier —
reflecting that many residents don't have an alternative to driving cars
and trucks that produce carbon dioxide emissions.
But Ottawa rejected that, and imposed its own price, because it didn't comply with the national climate plan's pricing standard.
"I'm
not Brian Gallant and this isn't Brian Gallant's model, so we're going
to bring something different to the feds," Holt said Thursday after
releasing her full platform.
The federal carbon price is
designed to nudge consumer behaviour away from burning fossil fuels by
gradually raising the cost of consumption — while providing rebates
after the fact.
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs has brushed off the rebates and complained that the tax adds to the cost of living.
He
has repeatedly assailed Holt for not standing up to Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau on the issue, tying her to Trudeau's unpopularity.
PC
Leader Blaine Higgs has called out Susan Holt for what he calls not
standing up to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the carbon
tax. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
But
she was not able to articulate on Thursday what she might put in place
as premier that would remove the 17.6-cent charge from the pumps while
still complying with the federal requirement.
"We're
going to go to Ottawa with a clear ask of what we want our industrial
price to be, what we're looking to do incentivize and support new
Brunswickers to change their behaviour … and I am expecting a
willingness to have the conversation from the federal government," Holt
said.
WATCH | 'We're going to bring something different': Liberal leader on carbon price:
Liberals release platform without a carbon-tax alternative
Susan Holt’s campaign platform presents no plan to replace the federal carbon tax in New Brunswick.
The national plan requires both a
fuel charge for consumers and an industrial price, unless a province
adopts an alternative such as a cap-and-trade system used in Quebec.
The Green Party has promised to adopt that mechanism, which they say shifts more of the cost of emissions to industry.
The
existing New Brunswick industrial price, known as an output-based
pricing system, has been accepted by Ottawa, even though critics say
it's not stringent enough.
Holt said it needs to be more "robust" but provided no detail of what she'd propose on the consumer side.
PC candidate Glen Savoie said Holt's answers aren't consistent with her attempts to distance herself from Trudeau.
"Susan
Holt has run around everywhere saying she's never had a conversation
with this prime minister, but yet somehow she's going to convince him to
take off the consumer portion of the carbon tax?" Savoie said.
"This is just more Liberal strategy to confuse voters."
PC
candidate Glen Savoie pointed out what appears to be either an
accounting error or an increased HST in the Liberal platform costing
table. (Jacques Poitras/CBC News)
Savoie
also questioned the overall costing of Holt's platform, pointing out
that it appears to count a portion of harmonized sales tax revenue
twice.
The PCs have promised to cut the HST by two points, to 13 per cent, at an eventual annual cost of $450 million in lost revenue.
The
Liberal platform costing table shows that revenue being added back onto
the provincial total – but the total already assumes a 15 per cent HST,
meaning the $450 million is being counted twice.
Savoie
said either the Liberals have made a major accounting error or are
planning to raise the HST by another two points to 17 per cent.
"They need to come clean with New Brunswickers about what this is actually going to mean," he says.
"It
tells me that as per usual, Liberals are not going to put out anything
that gives a transparent fiscal accounting of what their election
promises are actually going to be."
Without the double-counting of the HST revenue, the Liberal costing would show budget deficits.
In
an email statement, the Liberals didn't dispute the revenue is being
counted twice but pointed out that Higgs's HST math doesn't add up
either.
The PC leader hasn't said clearly how he would avoid cutting services without that $450 million in revenue, talking in vague terms about finding better ways to manage government finances.
"Premier Higgs has said he can reduce the HST without impacting the deficit," the Liberals said in a statement.
"We thought that should be reflected in the costing to give a sense of what surplus surprise the government is expecting."
The
Liberal campaign criticized Higgs for not clearly explaining how he
would cover costs after the HST is cut, a key campaign promise from the
PCs. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The
30-page Liberal platform document is the first full platform from any of
the three major parties campaigning for the Oct. 21 election.
It recaps the party's major promises to date and adds some new ones.
But
it also omits some of the ideas that were approved by members at a
Liberal policy convention in February, including lowering the voting age
to 16 and convening a "citizens' assembly" to discuss electoral reform.
Holt
said Thursday that she was open to the idea, which was opposed by
several sitting Liberal MLAs who attended and voted at the policy
convention.
"That discussion is happening now with candidates and, actually, with folks from other parties," Holt said.
"That's
something we're not prepared to promise in an electoral platform like
this, but those are conversations that are going to continue."
She said the party chose to focus the platform on issues that are clearly priorities for New Brunswickers.
Vivian
Unger, a party member who introduced the resolution on electoral reform
at the February convention, said it was disappointing that electoral
reform and a lower voting age were excluded.
"Those are both things that will improve democracy, and they are things that the members voted on," she said.
Jacques
Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick
since 2000. He grew up in Moncton and covered Parliament in Ottawa for
the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. He has reported on every New
Brunswick election since 1995 and won awards from the Radio Television
Digital News Association, the National Newspaper Awards and Amnesty
International. He is also the author of five non-fiction books about New
Brunswick politics and history.
On April 1 2025 the price will increase by 3.3 cents per litre. To 20.91 cents.
Meanwhile the Provincial Fuel tax adds 10.87 cents a
litre and then the HST provinical componet adds another 10% so lets call
that 15 cents a litre.
If the cost of fuel is to high the politicians should lower the taxes they control.
David Amos
Reply to JOhn D Bond
April Fools Day should be a National Holiday
Jerry Dion Those balance budgets every year isn't looking to good.
Jerry Dion Reply to Jerry Dion Meaning holts promise
David Amos Reply to Jerry Dion Do you recall what I said about the provincial debt when I ran in 2018? If not rest assured that Higgy does
David Amos Reply to Jerry Dion Do you recall who defeated Holt in 2018?
Jerry Dion So does that mean Holt isn't gonna change the clean fuel regulations she heavily criticized Higgs on?
David Amos Reply to Jerry Dion Nope
Denis Van Humbeck Better technology is needed not carbon tax.
David Amos Reply to Denis Van Humbeck Yup
Marc Leger Reply to Denis Van Humbeck The technology’s there, buy an EV.
Michael G. McKay Unfortunately Ms. Holt the leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick is too WOKE in her policy and will adopt the policies and agenda of the Federal Liberal party Government that is now in power. I can honestly say that nothing any good or lasting other than a lot of hi prices, and a Globalist agenda that is what we as New Brunswickers can expect from a Liberal part in power in the Province of New Brunswick. I would not vote Liberal if they were the last party to vote for. they are simply not worth voting for. David Amos Reply to Michael G. McKay Why is it I am not surprised?
Lou Bell This is more like Ms. Holt is being made aware that her promises would guarantee NBers another 4 years of high deficits and an added billions more in debt from her party . Just look at their candidates and their shadow cabinet they've had over the past 4 years . Most all NBers haven't even heard from them . Our Public Broadcaster has been their mouthpiece with their left wing news , and as we're now seeing from polls by Narrative research , we've been not getting the truth .
David Amos Reply to Lou Bell If you know the truth tell it
Robert Brannen Reply to Lou Bell Finally, one of your posts that I have found useful. You have confirmed my suspicion that one of the numbers that pops up from time to time on my Call Display is, in fact, a polling organization. I never answer that call. Thank you!
Lou Bell Really , anyone surprised Liberals have made another huge accounting blunder ? Remember , they and the Greens , as well as the union leaders themseves , have said they fully support the one Public Employees union that has cost NBers oer a billion dollars in underfunded pensions , and currently their pensdion fund is in arrears of 287 million dollars , a fund Prmier Higgs has attempted to convert to the same " shared risk " plans of all the other Public employees , a plan that has cost NBers not one cent , and of which those employees have indicated they're very happy with . In fact , the antiquated fund is shown returns well under those of the shared risk plan . Really , we sure don't need and can't afford the Liberals and Greens anywhere near our taxpayer dollars !
David Amos Reply to Lou Bell Why are you not running in this election? Obviously you have been campaigning for years
Buford Wilson I see Susan is following Blaine's lead on the carbon tax issue.
Smart. Very smart. David Amos Reply to Buford Wilson Yea right
Demelza Jones The carbon tax isn't a problem what is a problem is oil and gas and their plastics as if Canadians are that foolish. My province was destroyed by a conservative government for 7 years our debt and the loss of services which costs lives our wounds are fresh If we can not see through this scam when fires are burning, places are under water we have plastics and forever chemicals in our bodies what more proof is there. When a political party make no mistake federal or provincial is supported by an industry based on gluttonous behavior and federal conservatives are claiming they will fix everything their provincial conservatives and Harper broke. A carbon tax is a positive and will do nothing for the cost of living if eliminated. Harper's evolution on Canada's international mobility program IMP will explain our immigration situation which has nothing to do with the sitting federal government this is a provincial problem under the provincial conservatives governments. Canadian conservatives are the same as republicans in U.S as the Tory's in the UK provincial, state, municipal they all wear the same coat the UK is in a terrible state after 13 years of what they call Tory rot.
James Risdon Reply to Demelza Jones It is patently untrue that immigration is primarily a provincial matter and it is equally untrue that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has simply been like previous governments in its approach to immigration.
The Trudeau government in Ottawa has set record-breaking immigration levels for several years now, both for permanent immigrants and temporary ones in our universities and working here as temporary foreign workers.
Canada has never in its history had as high a number of immigrants in our country. This is due to the Liberal government's immigration levels plan which sets out even higher immigration targets for next year.
With regards to the carbon tax, removing it would clearly help ease inflation as it would reduce the cost of goods and services Canadians buy. Imposing taxes curbs consumer spending, cutting taxes fuels consumer spending. That's just basic economics.
Liberals and Conservatives are not the same. In terms of taxes and spending, Liberals tend to raise taxes and increase government spending. Conservatives tend to lower taxes and cut back on government spending.
Sometimes government spending is a good thing. We all enjoy public schools and healthcare and roads and parks. But when government spending goes overboard, it leaves the country - or province - in debt and increases the government's interest costs which means money then gets diverted from things like education and healthcare just to pay interest on the debt.
Out-of-control government spending has to be brought in check so our tax dollars can be used on things we want and need, like education and healthcare and roads and parks, and not frittered away on interest payments because our governments are too much in debt.
Premier Blaine Higgs' government is bringing down that debt.
David Amos Reply to Demelza Jones How long has Trudeau the Younger held the reigns of power?
valmond landry Reply to James Risdon higgs is bringing down the debt on the back of us the tax payers while giving big corporation special treatment .
Denis Van Humbeck Strange how the war in Afghanistan and Iraq had little effect on gasoline and diesel fuel prices. Canada and the U.S had better leaders back then.
Harold Reagan Reply to Denis Van Humbeck Better leaders? Bush and Cheney with ombs urstin in air for what? Moneeeeey! Quite an effect on the area and the world in general. Let's get with today?
Randy Vandelay Reply to Denis Van Humbeck Afghanistan isn't a major oil producer and the average price of a barrel of oil in 2003 was $30 per barrel in March 2003 and $98 by the end of 2011.
Try harder.
Denis Van Humbeck Reply to Harold Reagan What moneeeey?
David Amos Reply to Harold Reagan Amen
David Amos Reply to Denis Van Humbeck Our moneeeey
Denis Van Humbeck Reply to David Amos Our current government is taking more of our moneeeey with carbon taxes and subsidies to the Ontario auto sector.
MR Cain Reply to Denis Van Humbeck There was no war in Afghanistan; it was an invasion.
Denis Van Humbeck Scrap that carbon tax. It does nothing. How about putting China out of business with its coal mines along with India.
William Conway Reply to Denis Van Humbeck 🤣🤣🤣
Harold Reagan Reply to Denis Van Humbeck China aside from coal, is leading the world in renewables and sets an example for us to follow. They claim to need coal for a while to produce steel.
David Amos Reply to Denis Van Humbeck Don't they have coal mines in Canada?
MR Cain Reply to Denis Van Humbeck How much of a rebate did you get?
TOM CASEY Wow never in an election have I ever been so underwhelmed. Is the rhinoceros party still alive?
David Amos Reply to TOM CASEY I am still alive
Eric Hamilton Reply to TOM CASEY You should see B.C. politics, kinda makes you want a gag.
james bolt Carbon taxes are like opinions: everybodys got one
David Amos Reply to james bolt I don't have a carbon tax but I have lots of opinions
John Montgomery Studies on countries across the globe have proved that carbon taxes work, so a non issue anyway.
David Amos Reply to John Montgomery Surely you jest
Steph Roche Reply to David Amos John is being inconsiderate.
he should realize that facts will confuse some people
David Amos Reply to Steph Roche I don't see your names going on any ballot
Dennis Woodman Reply to John Montgomery Then why do so few countries have a carbon tax ?
buster jones Reply to Dennis Woodman do some homework buddy , most countries do
Marc Bosse Reply to buster jones Most countries? 27 does out of 195 countries.
James Risdon Provincial Liberal leader Susan Holt is basically a clone of federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. She even uses the same phrasing in speeches as does Prime Minister Trudeau.
Expecting her to do anything other than Ottawa's bidding on the carbon tax is just downright silly.
Holt will do whatever Trudeau asks her to do. They're both playing on the same team.
If you like Trudeau, vote Holt. If you don't like Trudeau, well, why would you vote for clone in New Brunswick?
valmond landry
Reply to James Risdon higgs will do anything big corporation tell him to do except the people that voted him in .
John Montgomery Reply to valmond landry And also the people who share his religion. Let's not forget that.
David Amos Reply to John Montgomery Lets not forget that just last week, Speaker Greg Fergus ruled that the government "clearly did not fully comply" with an order from the House to provide documents related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.
Vivian Unger Reply to James Risdon This is baloney. Susan Holt is not like Trudeau. Trudeau is an arrogant fop who thinks he knows better about everything than everybody. Holt is much more humble and willing to listen. I like Holt, and I can't stand Trudeau.
James Risdon Reply to Vivian Unger Provincial Liberal leader Susan Holt has used exactly the same phrasing as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, head of the federal Liberal party, in her campaign. That's a matter of public record.
They both have the exact same stand on the carbon tax.
True, Holt is a blonde woman and Trudeau is a dark-haired man. They are not the same person.
Their politics, though, are exactly the same.
Holt will not stand up to Trudeau. That much is certain.
Daniel Henwell Liberals at all levels have historically taxed this country into oblivion. MR Cain Reply to Daniel Henwell Canadians have always benefited the most with Liberal governments.
Eddy Geek Reply to Daniel Henwell “Liberals at all levels have historically taxed this country into oblivion”
Clearly you are not familiar with Canadian history
David Amos Reply to Eddy Geek I am
David Amos Reply to Eddy Geek What was our National Debt in 1970?
Mike Fowler Reply to David Amos Problem is that graph is almost a decade old now.
Dennis Woodman Reply to MR Cain Benefited how ?
David Amos Reply to Mike Fowler That is the problem MR Cain Reply to Dennis Woodman You got your rebate. Got kids too, I bet. Start there. No sense I tell you; you will learn if you look for yourself.
Matt Steele Susan Holt is the P Ms biggest cheerleader , so she won't say a thing . Fortunately , the FERERAL government will change in another year , and the Carbon Tax will be eliminated by the incoming CPC . One more year , and it is BYE BYE Carbon Tax .
Chantal LeBouthi. Reply to Matt Steele
So how are you going to overturn the supreme courts of Canada
Matt Steele Reply to Chantal LeBouthi. Very easily , by changing the law which Parliament is free to do , and will do once the CPC assumes power in a year's time.
Eddy Geek Reply to Matt Steele “and the Carbon Tax will be eliminated by the incoming CPC”
Yes, but then replaced with a carbon fee
David Amos Reply to Eddy Geek Yea right
John Montgomery Reply to Eddy Geek They would need to renegotiate most trade agreements with Europe to actually do that
valmond landry Reply to Matt Steele can't change the law with a minority government polirabit will never go in anyway
Vivian Unger Reply to Matt Steele Cheerleaders don't say a thing? I'm not sure how you can be a cheerleader for somebody without saying positive things about them.
Dennis Woodman Reply to Matt Steele Or sooner. The Bloc has a month end deadline for Libs to comply
Dennis Woodman Reply to Eddy Geek How do you know what it will be replaced with ?
Dennis Woodman Reply to John Montgomery Vast majority of our trade is with US and China.
Dan Lee Cons......transparent accounting.....bahahaha........
David Amos Content Deactivated
Reply to Dan Lee
You are not the only dude laughing about transparent accounting
"The government has
been unable to put any of its own business before the House of Commons
for a full week, and the Conservatives on Thursday said that's the
result of Liberal "corruption."
Conservative House leader Andrew
Scheer said the governing party would rather see the House bogged down
in debate than produce documents related to misspent government dollars
in a program his party has dubbed the "green slush fund."
House
Speaker Greg Fergus ruled last Thursday that the government "clearly did
not fully comply" with an order from the House to provide documents
related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds
of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.
The
House has been seized with a debate on the issue ever since and Scheer
said it will stay that way until the government agrees to hand over the
documents to police."
David Amos Reply to Dan Lee Oh My My
Chantal LeBouthi Meanwhile the facts is In 2023, the Government of Canada provided at least $18.553 billion in financial support to fossil fuel and petrochemical companies.
Can you imagine if we could get that money how we could change things but no
Ron parker Reply to Chantal LeBouthi I wish they would stop that, they are doing fine on their own.
Darren MacDonald Reply to Chantal LeBouthi Can you imagine if the same government could find the missing hundreds of billions they are yet to account for.
Chantal LeBouthi Reply to Darren MacDonald Agreed
Eddy Geek Reply to Ron parker Doing fine?
They’re making record profits that unfortunately go out of the country to the foreign owners of the big oil and gas companies
David Amos Reply to Chantal LeBouthi Ditto
Vivian Unger Reply to Eddy Geek Record profits, yes. I think that qualifies as "doing fine on their own."
And let's not forget the TMX, which has cost Canadians billions and allowed the doubling of tar sands output. A climate disaster in the making. That money could have been used to put solar panels on every roof in the country, among other things. Trudeau is a spectacular failure. Dennis Woodman Reply to Chantal LeBouthi Meanwhile Canada has given 43 billion to battery plants, millions on EV rebates and heat pump rebates. Can you imagine what we could do with that money ?
Dennis Woodman Reply to Vivian Unger Why is a climate disaster in the making ? Ron parker Reply to Eddy Geek Yes, like I said.
Robert Brannen I'm happy to see the idea of lowering the voting age to 16 is gone, it should never have been lowered below age 21.
Jake Newman Reply to Robert Brannen Why? at 16 you can drive a car, you can change your name or sex, but voting is a no-go?
Robert Brannen Reply to Jake Newman The human brain is still a few years short of reaching full maturity at the age of 16.
Eddy Geek Reply to Jake Newman What the drinking age in NB Jake?
Oh btw/ a person must be at least 18 to change their gender in NB
David Amos Reply to Robert Brannen So you say
Dennis Woodman Reply to Jake Newman 16 yr olds would just vote for who their parents told them too.
Robert Brannen Reply to David Amos Regarding the brain, those who study such matters agree it reaches full development in the mid to late twenties.
Vivian Unger The carbon tax is supposed to leave most people with more money in their bank accounts due to the rebate. I guess everyone from Liberals to the media have given up on pointing that out?
MR Cain Reply to Vivian Unger The PCs always forget; when reminded, they ignore. Everybody knows it benefits 8 out of 10 Canadians.
David Amos Reply to Vivian Unger Par for the course Dennis Woodman Reply to MR Cain If the carbon tax was really about emissions, it would be used for green initiatives, not rebated.
Jake Newman so no actual plan and a potential a HST increase from the liberals?
David Amos Reply to Jake Newman Bingo
Loran Hayden
Content Deactivated
Dude in the picture looks kinda shifty-eyed to me.
Green
Leader David Coon said he thinks the provincial government has a role
in partnering with municipalities on public transit, adding that his
government, if elected, would help with transit operating costs. (Election Pool Camera)
Canadian
Urban Transit Association president and CEO Marco D'Angelo says New
Brunswick's four transit agencies are struggling with aging buses, more
expensive maintenance, and other costs associated with maintaining and
improving their services. (Canadian Urban Transit Association)
PC
Leader Blaine Higgs has called out Susan Holt for what he calls not
standing up to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the carbon
tax. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
PC
candidate Glen Savoie pointed out what appears to be either an
accounting error or an increased HST in the Liberal platform costing
table. (Jacques Poitras/CBC News)
The
Liberal campaign criticized Higgs for not clearly explaining how he
would cover costs after the HST is cut, a key campaign promise from the
PCs. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
And, determining the reasoning behind his termination is simple arithmetic.