Abortion, Euthanasia & Alternatives
In order to bring the provincial health care system back to human scale, the party advocates:
– ensuring that reproductive health services, including abortions, are covered under Medicare, and can be delivered at community clinics such as Clinic 554.

Gender Modification
The party states that:
– it is illegal and unjust to discriminate on the basis of sexual identity and gender, yet despite the progress that has been made, lesbian, gay, transgender and two-spirit communities will experience discrimination.

The party advocates:
– ensuring the effective right of all people to self-determine their sexual identity and gender.
– prohibiting the practice of conversion therapy on minors.

Abortion, Euthanasia & Alternatives

The party states that:
– access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including abortion, is a fundamental aspect of healthcare that respects individuals’ rights to make decisions about their own bodies.
– Regulation 84/20 under the New Brunswick Medical Services Payment Act currently restricts the funding of abortion services to those performed in hospitals, thereby limiting access to these essential services.
– the limitation imposed by Regulation 84/20 contributes to barriers in accessing safe and timely abortion services, especially for those living in rural areas, facing socio-economic challenges, or experiencing other forms of systemic discrimination.
– other Canadian provinces provide funding for abortion services outside of hospital settings, demonstrating a commitment to equitable, accessible, and comprehensive reproductive health care.

The party advocates:
– immediate removal of Regulation 84/20 to ensure that abortion services are funded regardless of whether they are performed in hospital or clinic settings, aligning with best practices in reproductive health care and respecting the rights and dignity of all individuals seeking such services.
– working collaboratively with healthcare providers, clinics, and community organizations to enhance the accessibility, availability, and quality of abortion services across New Brunswick, ensuring that all individuals have equitable access to the reproductive health care they need.

Human Engineering 

The party has published no current statement regarding its policies relating to:
• Gender modification, gene manipulation, or other forms of human engineering

Contraception & Population Control

The party states that:
– a World Health Organization report from April 2023 highlights that approximately one in six people globally, including Canadians, are affected by infertility. With Canada’s and New Brunswick’s fertility rates at historic lows, there is a critical need for supportive reproductive policies and funding models.
– New Brunswick’s current fertility treatment funding model provides a limited lifetime grant of $5,000 per family, which falls short of covering the costs and needs of those facing fertility challenges.  Other Canadian jurisdictions like Ontario and Quebec offer more comprehensive and inclusive fertility treatment funding, covering procedures like Artificial Insemination (AI), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), and one cycle of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) per patient including the transfer of all viable embryos.
– comprehensive fertility treatment coverage has shown to support better health outcomes, reduce financial burdens, and promote equitable access.

The party advocates:
– broadly increased access to fertility treatments irrespective of financial status, promoting equitable healthcare access across the province, including reforming the current funding model, moving to a comprehensive approach similar to Ontario and Quebec, which fully funds AI, IUI, and one IVF cycle per patient including the transfer of all viable embryos, and support for consultations with healthcare professionals, fertility experts, and patient advocacy groups to study if the diverse needs of those requiring fertility treatment are being met and to assess if the single fertility clinic in Moncton provides adequate provincial access.

Abortion, Euthanasia & Alternatives

The party states that:
– it is committed to ensuring that the universal pharmacare plan covers important medications such as Mifegymiso and PrEP.

Human Engineering

Gender Modification
The party states that it stands in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ community, and is committed to advancing the rights and priorities of LGBTQ+ people and working together to build a more just and inclusive province, including:
– improving the sexual education curriculum in public schools, with a focus that includes teaching a greater understanding and respect for gender and sexual diversity.
– commiting to advancing trans-inclusive health care, and improving accessibility to services and medication.
– making it easier to change gender identity markers on official government documents.
– ending the requirement that educational institutions have gendered bathrooms.

Abortion, Euthanasia & Alternatives | Human Engineering | Population Control

The party has published no statement concerning its policies relating to:

• The meaning or purpose of life
• Abortion, euthanasia, or alternatives
• Gender modification, gene manipulation, or other forms of human engineering
• Population Control
• Human Trafficking

Abortion, Euthanasia & Alternatives  |  Human Engineering  |  Population Control

 The party has published no current statement concerning its policies relating to:

• The meaning or purpose of life
• Abortion, euthanasia, or alternatives
• Gender modification, gene manipulation, or other forms of human engineering
• Population Control
• Human Trafficking

Stewardship of Creation

The party states that:
– humanity and all other species are an integral part of the Earth’s biosphere.
– the Earth’s ability to provide resources and energy to meet human demands and to absorb our waste and pollution is limited.
– our primary responsibility is to learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet, providing for the needs of all people, while not threatening the existence of other species and future generations.
– because our knowledge is limited, we must take the path of precaution in order that life is not jeopardized and ecosystems are protected.

In seeking such a society, the party is guided by the following fundamental principles:
– living with the province’s ecological means. Humanity and all other species are an integral part of the Earth’s biosphere. The Earth’s ability to provide resources and energy to meet human demands and to absorb our waste and pollution is limited. Our primary responsibility is to learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet, providing for the needs of all people, while not threatening the existence of other species and future generations.

– New Brunswickers have a right to healthy air, safe water and a wholesome food supply; a right to know when these are threatened or have been compromised; and a right to participate in decisions that have the potential to do harm to people and ecosystems.

Climate Change 

The party states that:
– climate scientists warn the world needs to cut climate-changing pollution by half by 2030, and get to zero by 2050, or risk runaway global warming.
– New Brunswick needs to get on board with these global targets.
– the province has a Climate Change Act that lays out some strong pollution reduction targets and actions to get us started, but successive governments have done nothing to implement it.

The party advocates:
– meeting existing targets, which are legally binding, with a combination of actions to reduce pollution while building resilient, local economies.

Managing climate emergencies

The party states that:
– climate change is not something around the corner, it’s already here, and we’re already suffering.
– as climate change unfolds before our eyes, home and property insurance is becoming unaffordable or unavailable due to storm and flooding damage. This is only going to get worse.
– protecting people and communities from severe weather must be a top priority.

The party advocates:
– ensuring municipalities have well-funded plans for dealing with severe weather, flooding, drought, wildfires and other climate-related problems.
– preserving wetlands and flood plains and banning large forest clear-cuts to buffer against heavy rains, flooding, and sea level rise.
– investigating each major flood event to identify contributing factors and incorporate lessons learned into adaptation plans.
– providing affordable public insurance for home and property owners that covers damages private insurers will not cover, to replace the emergency funds now provided.

Energy & Resources

The party states that:
– New Brunswick’s biggest source of climate-changing pollution is the electricity system built on coal, oil and gas. It is necessary to reduce energy waste and transform this system to run on renewable energy sources.
– New Brunswickers want warm, insulated houses, heat pumps, solar panels on roofs of houses, and community-owned solar and wind. This should be the goal of energy policy.

The party advocates:
– banning extraction of all new sources of climate-changing fossil fuels, including shale gas.
– funding energy efficiency retrofits and renewable energy systems for homes and businesses.
– transitioning the provincial electricity system to 100 percent renewable sources by 2035, including use of storage technologies, installation of renewable systems on buildings, and long-term purchases of hydropower from Quebec and Labrador, dependence on coal, oil and gas can be ended.
– support for First Nations, community and cooperatively owned renewable energy development, with revenues flowing back into those communities.

To shake up NB Power, which for years has blocked progress on energy efficiency and renewables, wasting money on flights of fancy like JOI Scientific, the unproven latest version of nuclear power, and other irresponsible projects, while other countries are surging forward in world of renewables, the party advocates:
– requiring NB Power to allow municipalities to establish their own electrical utilities like Saint John, Edmundston and Perth-Andover, or enter into renewable energy projects with partners, to provide electricity services directly to their citizens.
– requiring NB Power to meet the 2035 renewable energy requirement.
– requiring NB Power to invest in upgrades to the grid to accommodate new renewables.
– requiring NB Power to purchase renewable energy from producers at competitive prices.
– prohibiting NB Power from investing in speculative, unproven technologies, including modular nuclear reactors.
 

Conservation & Sustainable Development

The party states that:
– along with the well-being of people, the state of the environment is the primary indicator of a sustainable society.
– the very the New Brunswick governments regulate polluters should be changed, including enactment of new laws to protect provincial water, air and land.
– New Brunswickers have a right to healthy air, safe water and a wholesome food supply; a right to know when these are threatened or have been compromised; and a right to participate in decisions that have the potential to do harm to people and ecosystems.

The party advocates:
– enacting an Environmental Bill of Rights granting citizens the right to clean air, water and land.
– making quarries subject to public review and improving regulations and enforcement to protect the health and safety of rural residents.
– protecting water quality in rivers, streams, lakes and bays to maintain or improve current conditions by implementing the 2017 provincial water strategy.
– introducing watershed, wetland and coastal zone protection legislation.
– investing in new water and sewage treatment plants, and moving sewage lagoons out of floodplains.
– phasing out the release of cancer-causing pollutants from industries.
– setting strong waste reduction targets and ban plastic grocery bags.
– enacting a “right to repair” law to extend product life.
– moving quickly to establish protected areas on 17 per cent of the provincial land base and developing a short-term action plan to protect at least 25 per cent.

Transportation

The party states that:
– after power plants, transportation is the province’s next largest contributor to climate-changing pollution. To meet its climate commitments, the province needs to completely reimagine how we move around, within communities and between them.
– besides reducing pollution and relieving congestion, access to affordable, convenient public transit is essential to reducing poverty and isolation, and increasing equity among citizens. Yet New Brunswick is the only province that doesn’t subsidize city transit systems.
– New Brunswick also has no proper public transportation system between communities, including for example the refusal of prior governments to to provide Campobello with a direct connection to Canadian mainland. Unlike Grand Manan, White Head and Deer Island, Campobello has been stranded and abandoned.

The party advocates:
– immediate acceptance of the federal government’s offer of funds to support the development of public transit and transportation systems
– subsidizing operation of municipal transit systems with money from the carbon fee.
– providing a convenient, affordable public transportation system for regions not currently served by private busses.
– developing a plan for commuter trains in the Fredericton-Saint John-Moncton triangle, and for a rail system linking northern NB with the triangle.
– providing residents of Campobello Island with a year-round ferry to the New Brunswick mainland.
– protection for the system of river ferries in the Wolastoq River system as vital transportation links.
– funds for walking and biking trails and lanes in communities and providing safe cycling training for elementary school children.

To speed the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles and promote road safety, especially in rural areas where local roads are being neglected, causing dangerous driving conditions, the party advocates:
– creating an electric vehicle (EV) incentive program to replace 20,000 gasoline vehicles with EVs by 2030.
– quickly transitioning the government vehicle fleet to EVs, including school buses.
– increased funding for brush-cutting, mowing, snow plowing, and line painting to ensure safety of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians

Crown Lands and Forests

The party states that:
– prior governments have given control over Crown forests to private corporations. The result has been widespread clear-cutting, herbicide spraying, and undermining of the private woodlot sector, which has supported rural families for generations.
– wealth from provincial public forests is now concentrated in very few hands.  The native forest and the species that depend on it are in decline.

The party advocates:
– taking Crown forest management away from forestry corporations and giving it to a publicly accountable Forest Stewardship Commission that would establish co-management agreements with First Nations.
– canceling all 25-year Crown land contracts signed with the forestry companies in 2014.
– restoring private woodlots as the primary source of wood supply to mills and returning marketing powers to the local forest products marketing boards.
– ensuring that one-third of forest land is managed to maintain wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
– requiring forestry companies to protect natural water flows and fish habitat, sustain native wildlife communities, and restore forest diversity.
– ending large scale clear-cutting.
– banning the spraying of herbicides such as glyphosate on Crown forests.

Food & Agriculture

The party states that:
– the pandemic demonstrated the fragility of the global food system as store shelves emptied, and New Brunswick residents learned that 90 percent of the province’s vegetables and fruits are imported.
– to improve the province’s ability to feed itself, it is necessary to ensure farmers can earn a decent living, help young farmers to get into the business, and expand markets for local food.
– to minimize agriculture impact on the environment, a local food strategy needs to be grounded in climate friendly, ecological, humane practices.

The party advocates:
– setting targets to reduce food imports, and a standard logo to identify NB grown and produced foods.
– removal of barriers to small- and medium-scale food production, processing and distribution, while maintaining food safety.
– setting targets for organic food production and supporting farmers in transitioning from conventional to organic farm systems.
– providing training programs for new farmers.
– supporting marketing cooperatives and supply management systems, while exempting direct-to-customer sales from supply managed quotas.
– preventing speculators and corporations from buying farmland.
– as part of a climate change action plan, developing a program to make agriculture a net carbon sink.

Climate Change 

The party states that:
– New Brunswick is endowed with rich natural resources and areas of natural beauty.  The provincial economy is closely intertwined with these natural resources, impacting everything from seasonal recreation businesses to farming, and there is a growing recognition of the need for their protection.  New Brunswick’s reliance on natural resources for both economic vitality and maintaining a healthy province necessitates a careful balance.
– New Brunswickers, who live, work, and play in and near nature, possess a profound appreciation for the natural world, and the health and well-being of New Brunswickers and visitors to the province are deeply connected to the health of the environment.

Recognizing the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental human right, affirming that both people and nature deserve protection and the right to a clean, sustainable, and healthy environment, the party advocates making New Brunswick a Green province by adopting and prioritizing modern environmental policies and laws, focusing on, but not limited to:
– Green Economy,
– Nature conservation and protection,
– Supporting local initiatives (food, buildings),
– Enforcement of environmental regulations,
– Advancement of Circular Economy,
– Health, Well-being, and Safety,
– Development of Sustainable Infrastructures,
– funding and technical support to government departments and stakeholders to focus on making New Brunswick a leader in the adoption and implementation of green policies and practices.

In particular, the party advocates review and modernization of the following, especially those that are 25-30 years out of date:
– Clean Air Act – 1997
– Clean Environment Act – 1991
– Clean Water Act – 1989
– Climate Change Act – 2018
– Pesticides Control Act – 2011
– Beverage Containers Act – 2011- Environmental Trust Fund Act – 2011
– exploration and potential implementation of a Wood First Act and Nature and Biodiversity Act, as seen in other provinces, and addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.

Energy & Resources

Individual and Micro-power generation

The party states that:
– climate change is a significant and real challenge.
– solar electrical generation contributes to reducing the carbon emissions associated with burning fossil fuels, and allows individual citizens to actively participate in reducing the carbon footprint.
– the New Brunswick power grid has the capacity to integrate private electrical production.

The party advocates:
– mandating NB Power to purchase all electricity generated privately, ensuring full compensation for households for any excess production.

Shale Gas

The party states that:
– in recent years, the government of New Brunswick has implemented a moratorium on shale gas development, recognizing shale gas as a significant environmental threat.  The environmental impact of shale gas, comparable to other fossil fuels, is exacerbated by its extraction method, hydraulic fracturing, which releases significant quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas with a greater warming potential than carbon dioxide.
– exploitation of shale gas involves the high-pressure injection of a highly toxic liquid, posing serious risks to ecosystems and threatening the water table.

The party advocates a permanent moratorium on the exploration and exploitation of shale gas in New Brunswick.

Indigenous Cooperation

The party states that:
– New Brunswick possesses existing and potential natural resources.  There is a legal obligation to consult with First Nations in the province on developments impacting Aboriginal or Treaty Rights.
– the First Nations of New Brunswick never ceded lands with the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaties.
– involvement of First Nations as partners in negotiations on natural resource development projects in their traditional lands is essential to assess risks and potential benefits.

The party advocates:
– collaborating with the First Nations of New Brunswick to obtain consent on development projects on their lands.
– working with First Nations to establish a revenue sharing model benefiting all New Brunswickers, including the Mi’gmaq, Wolastoqiyik, and Peskotomuhkati Nations.

Species, Conservation & Sustainable Development

Plastics

The party states that:
– single-serve plastic bottles are widely prevalent in our environment.  A discarded plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose, significantly impacting the province’s natural environment.
– there are numerous refillable options available on the market, specifically designed for personal water consumption.  Health Canada advises a minimum daily water intake of two liters, which equates to the use of four single-use plastic bottles.

The party advocates:
– policies aimed at gradual phase-out of single-serve plastic water bottles, eventually restricting all single-use water containers to sizes of two liters and above.
– active promotion of the adoption of refillable alternatives that are currently available.

Coastal Erosion

The party states that:
– climate change and the warming of our oceans is causing an urgent threat of coastal erosion to provincial communities and infrastructure, especially for citizens residing along the New Brunswick East and Northeast coast.  These challenges include increased ice accumulation, rising water levels, and the resultant stress and financial burden on citizens in protecting their land from erosion.
– there is a need for proactive measures to mitigate and adapt to these impacts through comprehensive planning and community support.

The party advocates:
– implementing a Comprehensive Coastal Erosion and Climate Change Resilience Action Plan, with key provisions including: Coastal zone planning and natural buffer preservation, development of engineered structures and infrastructure, public awareness and education initiatives, and assistance programs to support citizens facing erosion and climate change challenges.
– collaborating with federal authorities, municipal entities, and concerned departments to establish a Coastal Erosion and Climate Change Fund, ensuring the successful implementation and continuous improvement of the Action Plan.

Land and Nature Conservation

The party states that:
– globally, nature is experiencing a dangerous decline due to land, water, and ocean usage, compounded by the increasing pressures of climate change and extreme weather events.  The federal government, along with the United States and many other countries, has committed to protecting 30% of land and water by 2030.
– New Brunswick currently lags behind neighboring jurisdictions in establishing protected areas for nature.  The provincial government has committed to developing a new protected areas target for 2030 but has not yet confirmed alignment with the national target of 30% nor outlined a plan to link critical areas.
– ecosystems in New Brunswick, such as peatlands, wetlands, forests, and coastal areas, serve as vital carbon sinks, flood-protection zones, and critical habitats.
– the majority of species listed under the provincial Species at Risk Act lack legally required protection plans, with over two-thirds of the 88 endangered or threatened species not yet assessed, despite the act’s requirements since 2013.
– scientific research in New Brunswick indicates that extensive large-scale clearcutting over the past 30 years in the Acadian/Wabanaki forest has led to significant habitat degradation for 66% of bird species, with some species declining by up to 30% in the last decade.

The party advocates:

– collaborating with experts from the Indigenous and scientific communities, as well as the province’s nature conservation groups, to develop a strategic plan to protect 30% of New Brunswick’s lands and water by 2030, ensuring that such a plan respects and acknowledges the rights of the province’s First Nations and includes adequate resources to support the development of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and that the plan includes measures for the protection and restoration of key climate-fighting ecosystems like wetlands, floodplains, and salt marshes in New Brunswick, and leveraging these nature-powered solutions to address the growing threat of extreme weather events and ongoing coastal erosion.

Pesticides

The party states that:
– use of pesticides, including herbicides, and fungicides, has raised concerns about potential environmental and health effects.  There is a growing body of evidence indicating the adverse effects of pesticides on human health, including potential carcinogenic properties.
– there is a need to re-evaluate the impact of pesticides on biodiversity, soil health, and water quality within the province.

The party advocates:
– moving towards a pesticide-responsible province with improved regulations, in order to protect the province’s natural resources, ensure the well-being of New Brunswickers, and demonstrate commitment to responsible environmental stewardship, including immediate steps to address the use and regulation of pesticides in the province.

– initiating a comprehensive review of current agricultural and forestry practices, exploring and promoting environmentally sustainable alternative methods that pose minimal risks to human health, actively engaging with and supporting stakeholders in the adoption of these alternatives.

Local Empowerment

The party states that:
– local governments are already engaged in land use planning, with plans either in place or under development.
– the effects of climate change require changes in our consumption habits, development plans, and infrastructures.  Related loss of nature directly impacts communities and their citizens.
– the consequences of climate change, such as erosion, forest fires, heat or cold waves, air quality issues, and economic impacts, as well as potential solutions, may vary significantly from one community or region to another.

The party advocates:
– adopting a collaborative approach with Indigenous communities, municipalities, Regional Services Commissions, and concerned non-profit organizations to devise local and regional solutions to the effects of climate change and nature loss, with multi-year funding and technical support to local governments and non-profit organizations for environment and climate change-related projects.

Promotion of Local Products

The party states that:
– climate change (droughts, floods) is increasingly affecting harvests.  Growers are struggling to find seasonal workers for the harvest.  New Brunswick grocery stores sell many products imported from other provinces.

The party advocates a review of provincial economic policy and development of a strategy to encourage New Brunswickers to consume more local products.

Conservation & Sustainable Development

The party states that:
– it is proud to call New Brunswick home, but concerned that it must be cared for, on behalf of future generations. Working hand in hand with Indigenous peoples, the province can be a leader in transitioning to renewable energy, while protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.
– it is time for to address climate change and preserve the environment while ensuring natural resources are responsibly managed in the long-term interests of New Brunswickers and in ways that are sustainable.

Carbon Reduction Plan

The party advocates introduction of a Carbon Reduction Fund to help the province transition to green energy through the introduction of a $30 per ton carbon reduction program to reach $50 per ton after four years.
– one-third of the funds generated would be returned to low and middle-income earners in the form of a rebate.
– one-third would be invested in green energy projects, such as infrastructure upgrades related to wind, solar, tidal, hydro, nuclear, and geothermal energy.
– the remaining third would be invested in green infrastructure programs such as electrified public transit and a province-wide electric vehicle charging network.

Green Infrastructure

The party advocates:
– re-introducing the popular Energy Efficiency Savings Program with an emphasis on targeting low-income households.
– creation of a Green Innovation Fund for local researchers and engineers to develop “Made in New Brunswick” green technology within provincial public governmental and academic institutions.
– respecting New Brunswickers by ensuring the price of electricity remains the same or is lowered so that hydro is affordable for working families and small businesses.

Conserving land and forests

To protect provincial forests and other important natural areas, the party advocates:
– setting a land conservation target of at least 17%.
– protecting forests by ending glyphosate spraying, protecting older growth forests, and implementing the best forestry practices from around the world.
– defending the province’s rich agricultural lands by developing regulations that prevent the stripping of agricultural land for residential purposes.

Water, shores and coastline

The party advocates:
– increasing the 30 metre set-back from navigable water ways and wetlands, and legislating stronger protections for all provincial waterways.
– enforcing or strengthen existing protections for fresh water wetlands and flood zones, and making flood zone charts and other information widely available to help protect New Brunswickers from catastrophic weather events like flooding.

Climate Change  |  Species, Diversity & Wildlife

The party has published no current statement regarding its policies relating to:
• Climate change
• Species, diversity or wildlife
 

Energy & Resources; Conservation & Sustainable Development

The party states that it has long called for a ban on the use of Glyphosate on Crown Lands.

The party further advocates:
– reducing the size and percentage of clear-cutting allowances on Crown Land to balance economic viability and environmental concerns.
– preserving water and soil by safeguarding conservation areas and buffer strips (brooks, streams, rivers).
– increasing primary sources for private woodlot owners with fair market values.
– providing competitive access to crown land for current mills and new industrial opportunities.
– working with our First Nations to engage in responsible resource management that respects Aboriginal Rights.
– ensuring the Department of Natural Resources directs policies and planning without political or corporate meddling.
– mandating an exhaustive review by the Auditor General of allocation, forest management, royalties, stumpage fees, etc.
– working with industry to develop new and innovative uses of pulp wood.
– ensuring crown lands are accessible to the people of New Brunswick for responsible recreational use.

Care for Creation

The party’s constitution states that the party believes in protection of the environment: the province must ensure that economic growth and resource development take place in an environmentally sustainable manner, and that decisions taken reflect the shared role of government, business and individuals as stewards of the environment for the current and future generations. 

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated environmental protection through:
– expanded glass recycling.
– extended producer pay program.
– banning of single-use plastic bags & plastic bottles.
– stricter controls on illegal dumping.

Climate Change 

The party’s 2024-25 budget proposes allocation of:
– $48.7 million for the Climate Change Secretariat, to support development and implementation of policies and programs to reduce the province’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, including preparations for New Brunswickers to adapt to future climate conditions, monitor the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan, and administer the Climate Change Fund and the Output-based Pricing System for large industrial emitters.

Species, Diversity & Wildlife  |  Energy & Resources

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated, in order to promote conservation:

• doubling of protected areas
• boosting online licensing & education
• protecting waterways within provincial boundaries

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that its clean energy transition plan supports its aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transform how New Brunswickers consume energy, and support significant economic opportunity.  To support this, budgeted investments include:
– $50 million for the Enhanced Energy Savings Program to provide free heat pumps, air sealing and insulation for eligible recipients.
– $5 million to support energy conservation for people who use non-electric fuel types, First Nations, non-profit organizations, and low-income individuals and families.
– $12.5 million to navigate a complex regulatory approval process and ensure that clean non-emitting nuclear energy is generated safely.

In its 2024-25 budget the party further proposes allocation of:
– $3.8 million for emergency management/response and local service delivery of relevant environmental programs and an inspection program through six Regional Offices, and liaising with Justice and Public Safety for the management of enforcement activities related to the Acts and Regulations under the department’s mandate.
– $4.6 million for regulating the construction and operation of specific activities in order to minimize impacts on the province’s air, land, and water environments, using various regulatory tools a strong auditing program to assess compliance.
– $328 thousand to manage surface water management activities in close proximity to the province’s wetlands and watercourses to ensure they are conducted in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.
– $1.4 million to process environmental impact assessments of proposed activities and developments.
– $2.6 million for monitoring current environmental conditions (air and water), provide baseline information and data, and provide scientific services and hydrologic forecasting to interpret, evaluate, and report on the state of the environment in New Brunswick.
– $1.1 million for providing scientific and engineering advice for environmental health policy, through the Healthy Environments Branch, including source water protection of drinking water.
– a new/increase $3.9 million for a Private Woodlot Sustainability Fund

Role of the Family  

The party states that:
– understanding that it takes a village to raise a child, it asserts society’s collective responsibility for ensuring that every child is raised in a healthy nurturing environment where they are afforded an equal opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually to their reach their full potential.

Health Care

The party states that:
– all New Brunswickers have a right to quality health care. The global pandemic brought into sharper focus improvements needed to bring the province’s health care system into the 21st century.
– health services can now be offered virtually with the use of technology. Services in all communities can be extended to include primary health care by establishing multi-practice health care centres throughout the province.
– there is an urgent need for mental health services, services which were inadequate long before the pandemic.
– the pandemic highlighted the important role played by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.  Society depends on that Office to provide scientific advice without political interference, and to have the resources it needs to address a wide range of public health issues.

The party advocates:
– ensuring that the position of Chief Medical Officer of Health is independent and directly accountable to the Legislative Assembly.
– establishing protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease, drawing on best practices currently used internationally.
– ensuring that the vaccination records of all New Brunswickers are tracked and kept up to date, and that vaccines are readily accessible.
– phasing out industrial releases of cancer-causing pollutants in communities to reduce diseases caused by harmful chemicals.
– taxing high sugar drinks to discourage their purchase.
– raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21 years, and banning the sale of flavoured vaping products designed to appeal to children.

In order to bring the provincial health care system back to human scale, the party advocates bringing decision-making about the delivery of public services closer to the communities that use them, and by reinvesting in those services to meet the needs and expectations of the public. This includes:
– bringing management of the Extra-Mural Program and Ambulance NB back into the public health care system.
– establishing community health centres throughout the province, to offer the services of a variety of professionals, including family doctors, mental healthcare specialists, nurse practitioners, dieticians, respiratory technicians, and midwives.
– increased services in mental health and addictions, including 24-hour emergency helplines.
– decentralizing management of hospitals and clinics, by allowing local hospital boards to decide the services to be offered based on the needs and expectations of the people they serve. This model would empower communities and prevent the partial closure of emergency rooms, such as was attempted by the current government earlier.
– ensuring that LGBTQ+ and reproductive health services including abortions, are covered under Medicare, and can be delivered at community clinics such as Clinic 554.
– maintaining emergency services and acute care beds in rural hospitals.
– supporting the creation of a national pharmacare program, including the coverage of diabetic medical supplies, vision care, dental care and equipment such as hearing aids.
– eliminating annual premiums of the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Program both for individuals and for families earning less than $25,000 and $40,000 respectively.
– continuing to exert pressure on the federal government for an adjustment to health transfers to better reflect the needs of the oldest population of any province in the country.

Elder Care

The party states that:
– the provincial government has a moral responsibility to provide respectful, high quality care for senior citizens in long term care.
– the pandemic brought to light the inadequacy of the current nursing home model, such as underfunding, low wages, and the expanding role of private corporations.

The party advocates:
– adopting a not-for-profit model for all future nursing home developments.
– increased funding to nursing homes, to ensure 4 hours of care per day to all residents.
– increased wages for all workers in the nursing home sector and improved training and standards of care.
– developing an affordable housing model for seniors who do not require nursing care, particularly in rural areas.
– establishing facilities, based on the special care home model, for those autistic adults who cannot live independently

Ageism

The party states that:
– ageism, the discrimination against individuals based on age, is a significant challenge faced by seniors in New Brunswick and Canada, often manifested as misconceptions about seniors being burdens on healthcare and the economy.  Seniors, representing 22.7% of New Brunswick’s population, lead predominantly healthy and active lifestyles.
– seniors’ contributions to society include substantial economic value through work, volunteering, and charitable donations, as evidenced by various studies and reports.
– the New Brunswick Aging Strategy promotes healthy aging in supportive, age-friendly communities.  Engaging seniors in social, recreational, or group activities is a noted desire among this demographic.

The party advocates:
– developing and implementing strategies that foster positive attitudes towards aging and the contributions of seniors, including collaboration between government and the private sector to create incentives for businesses to employ interested seniors, recognizing their valuable experience and skills.

Education & Young Workers 

The party states that:
– a forward-looking education system is adequately funded and rooted in the community it serves, and provides a continuum of learning, from early childhood through adulthood.
– it is imperative that all New Brunswickers have equal access to education, whether online or in person.
– all regions of the province must have access to fibre optic internet service, and computers must be provided to all public school students.

The party advocate:
– giving schools the authority to manage their own budgets based on the circumstances and priorities in their area.
– implementing a universally accessible childcare system.
– accessing federal funding for a universal school breakfast and lunch program, designed and implemented locally to take advantage of local circumstances.
– adequate funding for public universities so they can gradually reduce tuition fees, with a long-term goal of achieving free tuition.
– restoring the Tuition Access Bursary program.
– restoring the Timely Completion Benefit program with a debt cap of $20,000 and extend the eligibility period to 5 years.
– restoring the Tuition Tax Credit Program for graduates who work in the province upon completion of their studies.
– eliminating interest on provincial student loans.
– eliminating credit checks associated to the loan and bursary application.

Culture, Arts & Tourism

Francophones and Anglophones; Cultural Duality
The party states that:
– the provincial government has an important role to play in closing the gaps that exist between francophone and anglophone regions, supporting duality in health and education services, educating the population on issues relating to our official languages, and promoting the cultures of diverse communities.

The party advocates:
– creating a Legislative Standing Committee on Official Languages, and reviewing the Official Languages Act through an open and transparent process.
– ensuring that seniors have access to long term care in the language of their choice.
– increasing the Commissioner of Official Languages’ budget to promote the advancement of both official languages in the province.
– obtaining some authority over immigration to respond to the needs of New Brunswick, and adopting a management structure that respects the principle of duality in matters of francophone immigration.
– providing free language training programs in both official languages in community colleges and public libraries.
– maintaining the Memramcook Institute as the provincial, community, cultural and historical asset that it is, and providing funding to ensure its continued role in the local community and for all Acadians.

Tourism

The party states that:
– New Brunswickers have fallen in love again with their province, as a result of the pandemic’s upheaval.  Southerners went north, northerners went south, and we are amazed.
– tourism in New Brunswick is built on two pillars – nature and culture. Yet forests are clear-cut around parks, people have a hard time getting to beaches because of private development, and rivers are under assault.
– during the pandemic, local tourism operators suffered greatly — many have given up.
– in a Green economy, the arts, culture and tourism are not an economic afterthought.

The party advocates:

– making sure artists and cultural entrepreneurs have the income support they need to survive and thrive following the pandemic. This constituency would benefit greatly from a guaranteed annual income.
– enacting legislation to create a professional designation of artist.
– establishing a provincial poet laureate resident at the Legislative Assembly.
– developing a network of nature and cultural interpretation throughout the province.
– keeping provincial parks in public hands.
– investing in tourism infrastructure such as bike trails, hiking trails, public access to beaches and waterways, culture discovery, and gastronomy.
– ending the private leases on segments of the Restigouche and Miramichi rivers, as Quebec has done, allowing tourism outfitters to expand their offerings into these areas.

Role of and Support for the Family 

School Breakfast Program

The party states that:
– nutrition is essential for the learning and development of all children.  But a significant number of students live in poverty in New Brunswick and lack access to sufficient food.
– food programs ensure students receive nutritious meals, yet programs designed only for those struggling create stigma and do not reach those who need it most.
– access to food is a fundamental right, and many families struggle to obtain sufficient quantities of quality food, leading to some students lacking access to a nutritious breakfast.
– free universal school breakfast programs provide students with an equal opportunity to start their learning day, improve health, well-being, and academic performance, and reduce absenteeism.
– New Brunswick’s current breakfast program is inequitable as it excludes schools with community involvement and is unfair to schools that already offer a similar program.

The party advocates:
– establishing and funding a free universal school breakfast program in all New Brunswick public schools, focusing on the needs of students living in poverty, ensuring that the provincial funding for such programs does not penalize schools that already have breakfast programs run by volunteers or with community funding.

Health Care & Elder Care

The party states that:
– citizens of New Brunswick continue to face significant challenges in accessing timely and quality healthcare services, leading to increased frustration, potential health decline, increased complications, rising future costs, and concerns about the overall well-being of the population.
– strains on the healthcare system have been exacerbated by factors such as a growing and aging population, increased prevalence of chronic diseases, and persistent pressures arising from health-related crises, placing an immense burden on healthcare providers and facilities.
– widespread dissatisfaction among residents is creating a pressing need for targeted reforms that address both immediate issues and long-term sustainability.

The party advocates:

– establishing a Provincial Health Plan that serves as a framework and guide to improve and enhance the state of the Healthcare system, informed by data and people’s lived experience, detailed with population health needs projections for up to 30 years including clear goals and an accountability framework, to ensure sensible system design, organization, operation, and resource use, and performance standards at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care, including components for Primary Care, Rural Care, Acute Care, Long Term Care, Addictions and Mental Health Care, and Epidemic/Pandemic preparedness.
– establishing both immediate-term measures to alleviate immediate pressures to prevent system collapse, as well as medium- to long-term strategies to shape the healthcare system for the future.
– implement such Provincial Health Plan while applying a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens across the system, acknowledging and recognizing the significance of all communities living within its borders, including Indigenous, Newcomers, and both social linguistic communities.
– establishing a public education and awareness protocol, highlighting the benefits of new measures and ensuring stakeholders and the public are informed well in advance of any changes in healthcare service delivery while including meaningful community engagement as a fundamental component of change management processes

Healthcare Governance

The party stats that:
– the health and well-being of New Brunswick citizens are of paramount importance, and a robust healthcare governance model is essential to achieving this valued goal.
– the Health Authority Boards and CEOs were fired by the current government, temporarily replaced with Trustees and later reinstated under a new legislative framework.
– reduction in board size from 15 to 7 members and a complete shift to appointed members by the current government has raised concerns about democratic representation and community engagement.
– First Nation representation in healthcare decision-making is recognized as a fundamental step towards addressing historical disparities and ensuring culturally safe healthcare services, while stakeholder engagement and the inclusion of diverse competencies are crucial to creating a comprehensive and effective healthcare strategy.

The party advocates:
– examining the new framework of the Health Authority Boards to establish the best representation, including First Nations, including elected members; ensuring that all board members have appropriate competencies to contribute in an informed fashion to the governance of the Health Authorities, and that the Board has as a mandate to represent the best interest of their respective Health Authorities as a whole.
– consideration of what structure can best achieve these objectives within one year of the election.

Primary Care

The party states that:
– the provincial healthcare faces challenges in providing seamless and integrated care to its residents, including an inability to access timely care due to a shortage of primary care providers (family doctor, Nurse Practitioner, or multidisciplinary clinical team) or difficulties in getting appointments.
– emergency rooms have become the backstop for too many people, exacerbating unreasonable wait times and crippling demands on staff.
– there is consensus among healthcare professionals that rapid establishment of multi-disciplinary care centers is the primary care model of the future, and successful models of multi-disciplinary care centers have shown the effectiveness of bringing together diverse healthcare professionals under one roof to enhance accessibility, referrals, and follow-ups for patients.

The party advocates:

– expedited establishment of multi-disciplinary care centers as the principal model of primary health care delivery across the province, the centers being tailored to the needs of a particular community with the integration of physicians, physician assistants, scribes, nurses, paramedics, social workers, therapists, and other professionals to ensure comprehensive and well-rounded services.
– establishing a transition plan to facilitate the move from the current situation of independent physician offices to the proposed model of multi-disciplinary care centers with allocated resources, including funding and infrastructure.

Comprehensive Health Human Resources Strategy

The party states that:
– the dedication and resilience of healthcare professionals were tested during the unprecedented challenges posed by the recent pandemic years, and it is crucial to recognize their contributions, address their concerns, and provide a supportive work environment.
– the continuing strain on healthcare workers, compounded by feelings of disrespect, lack of recognition for personal needs, and persistent demands for increased workloads, jeopardizes the retention of valuable healthcare professionals within the province.
– the provincial government has the financial capacity, through consecutive record surpluses and the availability of federal funds specifically designated for healthcare, for investment in the well-being and retention of healthcare professionals.
– to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the provincial healthcare system, it is necessary to act urgently.

The party advocates the immediate development and implementation of a comprehensive and multiyear Health Human Resource (HHR) strategy that prioritizes Recruitment and Retention of healthcare professionals, including the following elements:
– with a commitment to accelerate the expansion of the nursing role within the system, a comprehensive situational assessment to determine: the required number of nurse practitioners (NPs) for optimal system functionality, the speed at which they can be integrated into service and the feasibility of accelerated NP and RN educational programs.
– planned integration of Nurse Practitioners in community systems, incorporated into primary healthcare teams and into hospitals for efficient care.
– review and clarification of healthcare professionals’ scope of practice within the HHR strategy to optimize their roles.
– evaluation of credential recognition processes to streamline where feasible and overcome obstacles and inefficiencies.
– immediate development of a plan to improve working conditions for health professionals, prioritizing support for their wellness, addressing burnout, and including competitive benefits and addressing their most pressing needs as identified by the professionals themselves.
– strategic investments in education, including an expansion of return-to-service scholarship programs for a variety of healthcare professionals, in areas of greatest need and in collaboration with educational institutions.
– a review of Personal Support Workers, placing them within essential health workers, offering increased wages and stable funding.
– a review of pay parity discrepancies and explore measures to make positions in New Brunswick more attractive.
– addition of administrative staff to alleviate administrative burden allowing more time for patient care.
– a focused plan to address the shortage of child psychologists and social workers, aiming to mitigate long-term effects on children’s success in school.

Healthcare Technology

The party states that:
– healthcare delivery should be enhanced through innovative and efficient means, recognizing the transformative potential of digital technologies.  For example, integration of digital transformation and healthcare innovation can lead to improved patient outcomes, increased accessibility, and enhanced operational efficiency within the healthcare system.
– the adoption of standardized digital records management systems is essential for the seamless exchange of patient information and coordination of care across healthcare providers, regions and Health Authorities.
– investment in medical technology for the intake, monitoring and wellness of patients is paramount for lowering healthcare access wait-times, lowering overall healthcare costs and improving services to a higher standard of care

The party advocates:
– immediate establishment and implementation of a comprehensive technology vision for healthcare delivery that outlines the government’s strategic direction for digital transformation and innovation, and for integrating technological advancements into healthcare delivery, seamless and secure exchange of patient information among healthcare providers, regions and Health Authorities, and for the research, development or acquisition of medical technology to advance the diagnosis and treatment of patients, ensuring the healthcare system remains at the forefront of technological innovation.

Home & Long-Term Care

The party states that:
– improving the quality of care and services provided to seniors and individuals requiring long-term care is of the utmost importance.  There exists a need for a comprehensive, streamlined, and integrated approach to long-term care services, bridging the gap between healthcare and social care.
– individuals transitioning to long-term care from hospital or home care settings are most often not re-assessed following rehabilitation and re-enablement initiatives, including following the stabilization of medications or the introduction of adequate supportive services, even though re-assessment may indicate a potential reduction in the need for intensive institutional care, allowing for greater availability of such facilities for those specifically assessed as requiring them.
– the citizens of New Brunswick, especially seniors, have expressed a strong desire to remain at home for as long as possible; and the costs of home care are lower compared to residential care options like special care homes or nursing homes.
– the workforce providing home care and services is not sufficiently valued relative to other employment sectors.

The party undertakes:
– streamlining assessment and placement procedures with the aim of integrating health and social development services, providing a cohesive and patient-centric approach to long-term care.
– clearly defining the responsibilities of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Development in long-term care, including a comprehensive breakdown of what constitutes healthcare and what falls under the purview of social development, to eliminate ambiguity and improve coordination between the two departments.
– implementing strategies to break down silos that exist between departments and service providers in social care and healthcare, fostering collaboration through shared resources, data, and communication channels to ensure a seamless and integrated approach to long-term care.
– collaborating with institutions to address Alternate Level of Care patient issues in hospitals, including focus on rehabilitation and timely discharge to alleviate the strain on hospital resources and enhance the transition of patients to appropriate long-term care settings.
– increased investment in home care services to enable seniors to age in place, supporting their desire to remain in their homes longer. Shifting from an institutional approach to a community care approach, to ensure that seniors receive the necessary support and services in the comfort of their own homes.
– establishing and expanding rehabilitation centers for seniors to promote active aging and maintain independence, including promotion of centers as hubs for holistic care, incorporating physical, mental, and social well-being into the continuum of care for seniors.
– introducing transition centers to facilitate smooth transitions between different levels of care, using centers as bridge facilities, providing temporary support and services as individuals move from hospitals to home care or other long-term care settings.
– developing and implementing policies to ensure a seamless continuum of care for seniors, addressing their diverse needs at various stages of aging, including ongoing assessment, personalized care plans, and coordination among different care providers to deliver integrated and person-centered care.
– increasing increase resources allocated to the home care sector, considering previous studies that have analyzed the needs of this clientele, and promoting measures to facilitate the recruitment and retention of the required workforce, taking into account compensation and working conditions.

Mental Health and Addictions Support

The party states that:
– mental health and addictions represent significant challenges affecting the well-being of individuals across New Brunswick, and should be an integral component of primary care.
– the current Interdepartmental Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions requires review and improvement to address the evolving needs of the province.

The party advocates:
– immediate establishment of an action plan within the first year of its mandate, to prioritize mental health and addictions as a key focus area and including review of previous plans and studies, seeking areas for improvement to enhance the effectiveness of the Interdepartmental Action Plan.
– designating mental health and addictions care as a separate organizational component within the Health Authorities, ensuring dedicated resources and specialized attention.
– integrating licensed therapists into primary healthcare settings, facilitating faster access to expert care for individuals facing mental health and addiction issues.
– exploring innovative solutions such as outsourcing with virtual care and technology or contracting private providers on an interim basis, thereby increasing the capacity and accessibility of mental health and addiction services while recognizing the scarcity of mental health resources in the province.
– ensure meaningful and sustainable community engagement and resourcing in the provision of mental health and addiction care and services.

Shingles Vaccination Program
The party states that:
– shingles is a very painful disease that approximately 95% of citizens aged 65 and over are at risk of contracting.  More than 1,500 cases per year could affect New Brunswickers.
– the Shingrix vaccine is the only vaccine available in Canada with a 90% effectiveness rate against shingle.  The targeted population of 65 years and over in New Brunswick is approximately 184,000 people.

The party advocates:
– introduction of a Shingrix shingles vaccination program to protect New Brunswick citizens over the age of 65, beginning with low-income seniors.

Obstetrics & Women’s Health

The party states that:
– obstetrical services at the Campbellton Regional Hospital have been “temporarily” interrupted since April 2020.
– in many rural areas of the province, women must travel long distances to receive obstetrical and other services uniquely specific to their physical and mental health needs, due to gaps in the healthcare system, including infrastructure, equipment, and personnel.  Other regions are facing temporary closures of services, understaffing, and residents are required to travel long distances for care.
– the Indigenous population in New Brunswick, more than half of whom are women, and the increasing number of Multicultural women, highlight the diversity in healthcare needs.
– the lack of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) in emergency rooms impacts timely assistance for victims of sexual violence and the apprehension of assailants.
– insufficient staffing in women-dominated workplaces such as hospitals, mental health clinics, and care homes creates quality issues and stressful environments.
– inadequate public transportation and language barriers pose significant challenges for women accessing essential services and employment opportunities, while New Brunswick faces a chronic worker shortage.

The party advocates:
– ensuring the return and maintenance of obstetrical services, among others, at the Campbellton Regional Hospital and elsewhere.
– prioritizing the retention, recruitment, and repatriation of provincial healthcare personnel.
– ensuring that each regional hospital and care provider is properly staffed and provides appropriate quality care to all women, regardless of race, age, or socio-economic status.
– supporting all women by ensuring access to public transportation, accessible language training in official languages, and consistent social programs coordinated through the 12 Regional Service Commissions and the Women’s Equality Department.

Physician Shortages and Clinic Closures

The party states that:
– the increasing closure of health clinics and family doctor offices in New Brunswick significantly impacts access to primary healthcare services for residents, exacerbating the current shortage of family physicians and leaving many New Brunswickers without viable healthcare options.  The closure of clinics and the migration of family physicians to daily jobs in hospitals have created a gap in the provincial primary healthcare system, leading to difficulties for residents in accessing comprehensive and timely medical care.

The party advocates:
– undertaking a thorough examination of the factors contributing to these closures including incentives to keep family physicians in their practice, and implement strategies to guarantee residents continued access to quality healthcare services.

Midwifery Services

The party states that:
– there is a recognized need for improved access to quality maternal healthcare services, including for midwives, who play a vital role in maternal care and the promotion of healthy childbirth.
– it therefore advocates expansion of midwifery services across the province of New Brunswick, and allocation of funding to support the education and training of midwives.

Support for the Elderly

Property Tax Rebate to Keep Seniors at Home
The party states that:
– many seniors living on a fixed income are struggling under the weight of skyrocketing food prices, energy and utility costs, prescription drugs, and more; and increases in pensions are not keeping pace.  The median income for seniors living solely on Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement is around $20,000 each.
– often better quality of life and health outcomes are achieved by keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible.  It is most cost-effective for the province to support seniors in their home as long as possible, compared to long-term care or hospitalization.

The party advocates:
– introduction of a policy where seniors under a certain income threshold, upon the registered homeowner reaching the age of 65, would have their property taxes frozen for as long as they continue to reside in said residence, including consideration of a model where seniors could receive an annual rebate of up to 30% of their property tax based on their income, diminishing as income approaches the threshold level.
– upon the seniors moving out of the home, or upon the sale or transfer of the property, the property tax freeze would no longer apply.

Quality, Standardized Services for Seniors

The party states that:
– the population of New Brunswick is aging.  Seniors in New Brunswick are facing growing health needs, along with a lack of resources and services.

The party advocates:
– taking necessary measures to pressure both provincial and federal governments, including the concerned departments, implement social programs with qualified resources and standardized services, ensuring that seniors in New Brunswick can live their lives with dignity.

Rural Transportation

The party states that:
– many seniors in New Brunswick’s rural communities may not have access to automobile transportation.  The ability of seniors to participate in social, educational, and cultural activities often depends on access to alternative transportation modes beyond personal vehicles.
– similar transportation needs are also present among the younger population.

The party advocates:
– development of a comprehensive provincial transportation strategy that addresses the needs of both seniors and the younger population in rural areas.

Education & Young Workers

Inclusive Education
The party states that:
– provincial inclusion policy has been systemically underfunded, leading to an over-reliance on education assistants for addressing complex behaviors.  The policy is often interpreted narrowly, focusing only on students experiencing challenges to their learning or personal development.
– there is a recognized importance of providing an inclusive and equitable education experience for all students, including the unique needs of autistic children, and a need for a thorough assessment and improvement of existing inclusion programs within provincial schools.

The party advocates:
– comprehensive review and enhancement of existing provincial inclusion policy and programs within our schools, ensuring a truly inclusive education system that encompasses all aspects of humanity including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, educational challenges, and more, with funding adequate for support a system that enables all learners, including those with unique needs, to thrive and contribute fully to New Brunswick society and beyond.

Funding and Resource Allocation

The party states that:
– current budgeting procedures, tied to the government of New Brunswick’s fiscal calendar, restrict districts’ ability to self-govern and plan according to their own needs.
– there is an identified teacher shortage across all districts in the province.  Teacher training programs graduate students in spring and summer, but district hiring is constrained until after annual budget approvals.

The party advocates:
– working with the Ministry of Finance, EECD, and districts to explore changes to the funding process that could enhance district autonomy, including for example a three-year budget cycle for districts, adjusting fiscal year ends, or other measures to minimize system-wide disruption.
– collaborating with EECD and districts to make resource decisions based on local data, ensuring tailored and effective educational support.

Ten-Year Funding Plan
The party states that:
– there exists a Ten-Year Plan in education that was established across party lines and with support from experts internal and external to EECD.
– there have been many disruptions for educators and students, both from internal changes (such as altering the immersion program) and external challenges (like the COVID-19 pandemic).
– the education of future citizens is a public good.  Educators in the province of New Brunswick are experts in their field.

The party advocates:
– collaborating with stakeholders across sectors to build a vision of education that all New Brunswickers can be part of, including directing EECD to collaborate with Post-Secondary Institutions, Districts, Industry partners, and municipalities to build a Ten-Year Plan for both Anglophone and Francophone sectors that support provincial, local, and linguistic needs, with a timeframe for this work based on the current Ten-Year plans set to be renewed in 2026.

The party advocates:

– government restraint from political interference in education, and commitment to limiting changes to curriculum, policy, or organizational structures within public education, ensuring that changes are enacted based on items from established Ten-Year plans and in consultation with education experts.
– supporting EECD and districts in establishing a research network to inform goals and resolve issues outlined in future Ten-Year plans, encouraging participation from Post-Secondary institutions and the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labor.
– working with EECD to establish a public-facing dashboard highlighting key data and metrics to inform planning and work for schools, districts, and EECD.

Teacher Education for a Global Society

The party states that:
– information technology has become an embedded part of our global society.  There is a call for future citizens to be well-versed in skills needed to contribute to a globally-connected world, extending beyond specific curriculum areas.
– Bachelor of Education programs need support as they begin to introduce these essential skills into their teacher education and training.

The party advocates:
– working with Bachelor of Education programs, the teacher certification branch, and districts to ensure that incoming teachers receive increased pedagogical training, the training focused on using technology effectively, teaching cross-curricular skills, and implementing inclusive teaching practices.
– encouraging teacher training programs to work more closely with districts to enhance the quality of internship experiences.
– support for teachers’ ongoing development in using purposeful technology across curriculum areas, enhancing learning for all students, and employing multiple technologies to support students with learning challenges.
– supporting continued efforts of EECD and districts in establishing partnerships with industry and community partners to extend student learning opportunities.
– continued invest in the infrastructure necessary to support students in becoming active global citizens.

Teacher Recruitment & Retention

The party states that:
– there exists a teacher shortage in all districts of the province.
– continuing changes to curriculum delivery, policy implementation, and governance models have contributed to a high state of stress among members of the education system.
– other Canadian jurisdictions recognize Masters degrees in fields outside of education for certification and remuneration increases.

The party advocates:

– working with the New Brunswick Teachers Federation and other unions to reinvigorate a positive and supportive environment for all staff and students, and working with districts and universities to establish a recruitment strategy that reduces the number of vacancies in the system and addresses the ongoing issue of supply teacher shortages.  Strategies may include establishing a staffing dashboard useful for professionals in the system and potential hires and working with stakeholders to address the shortages of non-teaching professions such as guidance counselors and school psychologists.
– working with the Office of Teacher Certification and associated unions to allow for New Brunswick teachers and other professionals (for example, Psychologists) to be competitively compensated.

Literacy & Numeracy among Students

The party states that:
– many New Brunswick students are consistently scoring low in numeracy and literacy assessments, with the 2018 Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) ranking New Brunswick last alongside Manitoba and Saskatchewan with only 9% of participants scoring reaching Level 5 and 6 in literacy, and the province with the most students achieving only a Level 1 (22 percent) on literary scores – a level where individuals are unable to fully participate in a modern society.
– New Brunswick ranked 6th nationally according to the same PISA report, finishing 21 points lower than the Canadian average.

The party advocates:
– exploring opportunities to increase funding for literacy and numeracy intervention support, aiming to enhance foundational skills and improve assessment scores.

Enhanced Educational Infrastructure

The party states that:
– a significant number of schools in the province are facing a shortage of classrooms for the number of students enrolled or are in major need of repair, and the school environment must reflect the diversity of society and cater to a wide range of needs.  Students require physical spaces that are conducive to learning, and the influx of immigrants brings diverse values, languages, and cultures, necessitating changes in the traditional classroom environment.
– the province faces challenges in hiring and retaining teachers, and adaptations are needed to meet new educational requirements due to heavy workloads, students with specialized needs, and staff retirements.   Providing conducive learning spaces would enhance the value of teachers’ work and contribute to the improvement of education for our youth, and the physical school environment must be safe, pleasant, and stimulating for both students and employees.

The party advocates:
– implementing strategies to ensure that students and teachers have access to schools adapted to their needs, promoting learning in a stimulating environment, and that the need for adequate physical space in schools across the province be addressed, considering both the quantity and quality of educational facilities.
– establishing clear objectives for school repair, renovation, and construction based on strategic, present, and future needs, and developing strategies to ensure a well-equipped, trained, and motivated workforce to educate young people effectively.

Financial Assistance for Post-Secondary Students

The party states that:
– post-secondary education is becoming increasingly costly for New Brunswick students, resulting in an average university debt load of approximately $42,000.  At the same time, the economic development and well-being of New Brunswick depend on a skilled workforce equipped to meet future labor market demands.  Yet a financial assistance program for New Brunswick students, provided through employment insurance, was abolished in 2022.

The party advocates:
– immediate re-establishment of the employment insurance-based financial assistance program for New Brunswick students, and exploration of additional mechanisms to provide support to students pursuing post-secondary education.

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party states as a matter of constitutional principle that:
– it stands for full linguistic and cultural equality of those who speak French and those who speak English, and of the equality of the two linguistic communities. These principles will be reflected both in the development of policies and in internal practices.
– it will strive to encourage and enhance multiculturalism in New Brunswick.

Accessible Sports & Cultural Activities

The party states that:
– a significant number of young people under the age of 18 live in poverty in New Brunswick.  Many of their families lack the financial means to enroll their children in clubs or organized activities for sports, recreation, or the arts.
– participating in sports, recreational, and artistic activities contributes significantly to the development, fulfillment, and mental and physical health of young people.

The party advocates implementing a strategy to promote the practice of physical activity and all forms of art among young people under the age of 18, including attractive incentives for municipalities willing to make these activities more accessible to these young people.

Official Languages

The party states that:
– it pioneered the first draft of the Official Languages Act in 1969.  The Act was amended in 2002, 2013, 2015, and 2023.
– the current government has disregarded the most recent review of the Act, including recommendations in a report by John McLaughlin and Yvette Finn.

The party advocates:
– establishing a Standing Committee on Official Languages, and consideration of the recommendations from the report by John McLaughlin and Yvette Finn.

Role of & Support for the Family 

Support for Family Work and Education
The party states that:
– many New Brunswick families struggle to find before and after school care that is affordable, accessible and conveniently located. Parents feel the burden when childcare costs are high or lack flexible hours. Many question whether they should leave the paid workforce, put their children in care in another language, or slash their family budgets to afford the high costs of childcare.

The party advocates introduction of a a before and after school care program in every New Brunswick public school wherever parental demand exists, allowing children aged 3 to 12 years old to stay in their own schools for before and after care that is provided from 6am to 6pm. Spaces would be available to everyone at a cost that families can afford.

The plan includes:
– creating an expected 20,000 new before and after school childcare spaces and 4000 new pre-school spaces to meet current demands for additional care.
– offering care in school classrooms before the school day begins and after the school day ends, from 6 am to 6 pm, with flexible hours for shift workers, where demand exists.
– creating 4000 new pre-school spaces in communities where there is unmet need.
– providing access to all school resources like gyms, libraries and playgrounds. A play-based program will include recreational activities, nutritious snacks, homework help, music and other programs.
– ensuring that childcare workers will be public servants and qualified Early Childhood Educators (ECE).  The language of operation will be that of the school, with bilingual exposure a key emphasis.
– ensuring that care is open to everyone and that there exist no waiting lists. The cost to parents will be $10 per child. Existing provincial and federal government subsidies will follow the child to the school-based program.
– this would all 18,000 parents to return to the labour force or pursue educational opportunities

Sex Education
The party states that it is committed to reforming and improving the sexual education curriculum in public schools with the following goals:
– reduce teen pregnancy and STDs.
– increase awareness and reduce prejudice of gender and sexual diversity.
– teach the importance of sexual consent; provide tools to recognize and disclose abuse; and foster healthy relationships.

Health Care & Elder Care

The party states that:
– its key focus, if elected, would be to implement its universal pharmacare program and its plans for better home care and long term care. Evidence-based studies show that a universal pharmacare program will reduce demands on doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals and emergency rooms. Making it easier for seniors and disabled persons to live longer in their own homes would significantly reduce overall costs to the provincial health care system.
– it believes in a strong public health care system that meets the principles of universal access and public ownership as set out in the Canada Health Act.

The party advocates:
– creating a comprehensive plan for New Brunswick’s health care system that is developed in consultation with all key stakeholders, including the public.
– implementing universal pharmacare and better home care for seniors.
– ending all privatization in health care by restoring the Extra Mural program, Tele Health and Ambulance NB to public ownership and control.
– establishing a new program in ERs to address non-urgent patient needs.
– lowering specialist wait times and aim to meet the Canadian average by the year 2030.
– improving access to mental health services.
– accelerating the move of primary care into community-based clinics. Clinics will have set geographic and demographic patient loads, and could be led by nurse practitioners where appropriate.
– supporting an increased role for nurse practitioners, paramedics and midwives in the health care system.
– supporting risk reduction programs to combat addictions, including safe injection sites.
– publicly funding the sexual health clinic 554 in Fredericton.

To recruit more doctors, nurses and health care practitioners, the party advocates:
– hiring 20 new family physicians, and recruiting new physicians trained in New Brunswick.
– hiring 100 new nurse practitioners over the next four years.
– working with provincial universities and community colleges to ensure the province is educating enough registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, doctors, specialists and all other health care professionals.
– expanding the medical program at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John to address the province’s shortage of doctors and specialists.

Prescription Drug Coverage
The party states that:
– one in five New Brunswickers has no prescription drug coverage, and over a quarter of Atlantic Canadians have admitted to rationing an existing prescription or not filling or renewing a prescription in the last 12 months because they could not afford it.
– Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Office estimates that $503 million is spent on prescription drugs in New Brunswick each year—$300 million by various private plan insurers and uninsured individuals, and $203 million by the province. Income-based drug coverage plans—especially those with large deductibles— undermine access to essential medicines. They force people to pay out-of-pocket for routine medicines.
– some people neglect to take preventative medication for conditions like heart attacks and strokes because they cannot afford the expense.  Getting sick and ending up in emergency rooms because prescription drugs cannot afford them can lead to outcomes such as longer wait times for everyone else.
– in the end, all New Brunswickers pay the social cost of neglecting prevention. The lack of preventative healthcare treatment costs the Canadian government as much as $9 billion every year.
– experts predict that a single entry program would result in major cost savings and efficiencies, even in a province the size of New Brunswick.

The party advocates:
– full support for a national single entry universal pharmacare plan that is cost shared by federal and provincial governments, and pushing hard for such a plan on the national level.
– investing $50 million to establish universal coverage, including everyone in New Brunswick who is not covered by an existing insurance plan. All prescription drugs currently listed on the New Brunswick Drug Plan Formulary will be covered. All those currently covered by the New Brunswick Drug Plan and the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Program will not lose any coverage.
– studying various funding options to allow New Brunswick to have a single entry universal pharmacare plan at a reasonable cost, including the best way to pay for the program from three sources: workplaces: employers contribute; individuals: employees, self-employed, retired and those who are not in the workforce; and provincial government: to provide half the cost.

Elder Care

The party states that many seniors require assistance in order to stay independent, and the need for assistance tends to increase with age. But there are serious problems with the delivery of social services to seniors, disabled adults, children and youth in need, and victims of domestic violence in our province.

To improve home care services for seniors in need, the party advocates:
– ending privatization in the health care system, including returning the Extra Mural Program and Tele-Care to the province to be run as public institutions, and doing the same with Ambulance New Brunswick.
– dedicating all new federal home care funding for expanding the Extra Mural Program, which provides medical needs and home services supports to seniors and other New Brunswickers in need of care. This will allow more patients to receive health care services in their own homes.
– creation of a new government agency, Home Care Services, to provide affordable home support services for seniors and others requiring support in their home. All personal support workers will be public servants. Where necessary transition will be accomplished by integrating existing non-profit services and staff into the new public agency.
– expanding Tele-Care to provide advocacy and referral services for New Brunswickers who need assistance navigating health care and social services.
– studying the best way to create a Community Care public agency to replace the hundreds of agencies that currently exist. This would improve accountability and transparency, create uniform standards, and allow home care workers to become public servants.
– ensuring pay equity legislation applies to New Brunswick’s health care sector. Alongside a $15 an hour minimum wage, this plan will finally raise wages for those providing home care and community care services.

To improve nursing home care, the party advocates:
– keeping nursing homes under the purview of community and church-based non-profit groups.
– stopping the shift toward for-profit nursing homes. All new nursing homes will be under the community non-profit umbrella.
– ensuring better resident care by revisiting the skill mix ratios currently under review.
– moving towards a resident-to-caregiver ratio of 3.5 hours of care per day.

Education & Young Workers

K-12

The party states that:
– New Brunswick’s education system is falling short in meeting the needs of the province’s children. Instead of investing in a stronger public education system, previous governments have made unwarranted cuts and have failed to address low literacy rates in New Brunswick.
– the province’s children deserve better, do its thousands of hardworking teachers, education assistants, professional educators, office administrators, bus drivers, custodians and all the support people working in provincial schools.
– it will take a concerted effort with strong leadership across government to ensure that every child has the best possible chance of success. The whole child must be nurtured before they can learn. Barriers to learning such as hunger, health care, and stresses at home like family violence must be addressed before a child can reach their potential.

The party advocates:
– adopting best practices from around the world to raise provincial literacy rates through methods such as team teaching, differentiated instruction, self-directed learning and individualized education plans—all of which address the needs of the whole child.
– working to address students’ mental health needs by reviewing resources and supports available in high schools across the province.
– immediate reinstatement of support professional positions cut from schools such as psychologists, occupational therapists, public health nurses, behavioural specialists and social workers.
– adjusting classroom sizes to meet the specific needs of students and those from low-income neighbourhoods, and hiring more teachers and educational assistants.
– expanding before and after school childcare in every school in the province.
– reintroducing life skills courses in intermediate and secondary schools in areas like culinary arts, shop, auto repairs, financial management, physical fitness and other essential skills.

Sex Education

The party states that it is committed to reforming and improving the sexual education curriculum in public schools with the following goals:
– reduce teen pregnancy and STDs.
– increase awareness and reduce prejudice of gender and sexual diversity.
– teach the importance of sexual consent; provide tools to recognize and disclose abuse; and foster healthy relationships.

Post-Secondary Education

The party states that:
– higher education is becoming more and more difficult for students in obtain New Brunswick. Tuition fees in universities have risen by 20% since 2010, to the point where New Brunswick students now have the highest average debt load in the Country and pay the highest interest rates on that debt. Even with the introduction of the Tuition Access Bursary, the province is actually spending $20 million dollars less today on student financial assistance than it was before 2010.
– in order to retain youth within the province, bold investments towards universality in Post-Secondary Education are required. It’s time to make post secondary education a public right.

The party advocates:
– eliminating tuition fees at all NBCC/CCNB community colleges.
– reducing undergraduate tuition for all New Brunswick publicly funded universities by 25%.
– eliminating interest charges on all existing and future student loans for New Brunswick residents.
– increasing up-front financial assistance for Graduate Students by expanding eligibility under the Tuition-Access Bursary and allowing graduate students to access tuition relief for the middle class under the Tuition Relief for Middle Class program (TRMC).
– introducing a Graduate Student Scholarship Program.
– investing in dedicated mental health services on campus.
– ensuring that on campus harassment and sexual assault prevention policies exist in all colleges and universities with capacity for investigation, education and enforcement.
– ensuring fair funding for St Thomas University.

Culture, Arts & Tourism

As party of its plan for investing in northern and rural communities, the party advocates:
– new investment in northern roads, highways, and other infrastructure.
– renewed emphasis on supporting secondary manufacturing and services by investing in the traditional industries of the North—farming, fishing and forestry.
– significant improvements to tourism and investment in the Arts.

Support for Francophone Communities:

The party states that:
– it recognizes and values the uniqueness of New Brunswick as Canada’s only officially bilingual province in which French Acadian culture and many others make our lives rich and vibrant.
– it supports the aspirations of our unique linguistic communities.

To that end, the party advocates:
– reaffirming and recognizing distinct nature of both official languages and ensuring equitable treatment of both linguistic communities in the implementation of policy.
– reiterating commitment to the Official Languages Act.
–  reaffirming commitment to duality in education and health care.
– re-examining the governance structure for health authorities to allow more local decision making where feasible and freeing them from political interference.
– allowing the issue of school bussing to be left to the direction of the Anglophone and Francophone school boards.

Status of the Artist

The party advocates introducing ‘Status of the Artist’ legislation, including the following principles:
– the right of artists to establish and freely join professional associations and trade unions.
– encouraging a fair system of collective bargaining with the same workplace rights as other workers in New Brunswick, including health and safety standards, employment benefits, and fair presumption of employment contracts with a special status for ‘intermittent artists’.
– the right of artists to be fairly integrated into the provincial tax system. This would be accomplished by introducing professional expense and copyright income deductions, the spreading of average income over several tax years, and the exemption of final produced art from the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax.
– the right of artistic freedom and freedom of speech for artists

To improve expand the Arts and improve working conditions and improve learning experience for Artists, the party advocates investing  $20 Million in new funding.

Role of the Family 

In advocating that citizens of New Brunswick receive excellence in programs, teaching, and systems to achieve provincial, national, and international learning standards, the party advocates reinforcing the importance of family and community involvement in continuing educational and social growth outside the school environment.
 

Health Care & Elder Care

Alternate Level Care (ALC) & Acute Care

The party states that:
– at any given time, hundreds of Acute Care Hospital Beds are unavailable across the province because they are occupied by individuals requiring an alternate level of care, meaning that they no longer require medical care in a hospital, but have nowhere to go and cannot be released.
– as a result of the limited availability of Acute Care Beds:

• Emergency Rooms are backed up with patients waiting to be admitted, causing delays in seeing other patients and causing gridlocks in the waiting room.
• Ambulances experience lengthy off-load delays while paramedics wait to transfer care of the patients they have transported.
• Television and Family Rooms have sometimes been converted into makeshift hospital rooms. Sometimes, patients are housed in hallways for days with no room available.
• Surgeries have been delayed or outright canceled.

The party advocates:
– taking all steps, including amending legislation, to allow ALC patients to be temporarily placed in any Nursing/Special Care Home available within their region until a preferred location becomes available.

Nursing/Special Care Home Capacity

The party states that:
– hundreds of ALC beds in the province have been empty due to a staff shortage to provide adequate care. The party is committed to recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, personal support workers, and relevant support staff to provide the New Brunswickers deserve.
– many existing homes have the facilities to add beds with renovation or expansion at less time and cost than new construction, making it far easier to add beds where they are needed across the province than a single new construction would allow.
– New Brunswick’s population continues to grow. Now or in the future, additional construction will be required. Planning should begin immediately, not once a crisis occurs.

Further Healthcare Initiatives:
The party advocates:
– eliminating the doctor billing number system to retain and recruit family doctors.
– increasing the number of Specialist positions to reduce wait times for consultation, treatment, or surgery.
– ensuring that compensation is competitive with regional jurisdictions and workloads.
– establishing a new program within ERs to provide alternative care for non-urgent cases without other reasonable alternatives.
– increased resources for and development of accessible and effective mental health care and addiction treatment.
– enhancing and expanding training and education programs here in New Brunswick to meet the needs of our province.
– increasing resources and grants available to help families keep their loved ones at home as long as possible, and working with non-profits providing these and other in-home services.
– recognizing and easing the financial constraints confronting seniors living at home.
– profiting from selling Alcohol and Cannabis should not be seen as a general revenue stream for the government. Instead, it should be explicitly earmarked for healthcare (including mental health and addictions) and education.

Education & Young Workers

The party undertakes to ensure that citizens of New Brunswick receive excellence in programs, teaching, and systems to achieve provincial, national, and international learning standards, including:
– maintaining a focus on achieving educational standards and beyond with attention to reading, writing, mathematics, and sciences basics.
– a thorough review of second language education and training to enable a consistent quality of delivery and outcome while ensuring no hindrance to educational basics in the mother tongue.
– developing and delivering an education model encompassing academics, trades, life skills, and special needs.
– integrated service delivery to ensure access to the emotional intelligence curriculum, school psychologists, and public health nurses for overall well-being and intervention.
– ensuring a safe, positive, and respectful learning environment for staff and students. Reinforcing the importance of family and community involvement in continuing educational and social growth outside the school environment.
– increasing access to Alternative Learning Centers and focusing on the implementation and use of technology for enrichment, distance, and life-learning.

Post-Secondary Education

The party states that:
– the capacity of provincial post-secondary institutions is an asset that cannot be underestimated and must be leveraged to aid economic development and the long-term prosperity of New Brunswick through relevant, marketable skills.
– to that end, it advocates review of current funding models to ensure the best outcomes, maintain/promote competitiveness, and reduce dependence on over-enrollment and uncertain funding.
 

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party advocates:
– review and, if necessary, strengthening of laws and policies for the protection and well-being of domestic animals, including collaboration with stakeholders to improve the enforcement of current legislation.

Role of and Support for the Family

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that it has allocated $1.91 billion ($1,911 million) for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.  These allocations include:
– $1.63 billion for School Districts and K-12 schools.
– $288 million for Early Childhood Development, including providing services aimed at supporting parents and enhancing early learning experiences to improve childhood outcomes.

Child Care and Early Education

That party further undertakes to increase funding through the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Child Care Agreement by $7.4 million, bringing the total investment to $150.7 million in 2024-25, intended to improve access to affordable, high-quality designated child-care spaces, and that further investments include:
– $4.4 million to support children with autism spectrum disorder, providing the right supports at the right time and setting up children for success.

In its 2024-25 budget, the further party states that it has allocated $1.66 billion ($1.663 million) for the Department of Social Development.  These allocations include:
– $182 million for Child Welfare and Youth Services, to improve personal and social functioning through the provision of Child Welfare services.  This is a decrease from $191.4 million spent in 2023-24.
 

Health Care & Elder Care

The party’s constitution states that the party believes in:
– Access to Education and Health Care: the strength of New Brunswick is derived from the ability of the province to educate its citizens and to encourage a healthy lifestyle so that they may fulfill their potential and by our ability to provide care for New Brunswickers when they are in need.
– Social Policies Which Promote Individual Responsibility: provincial social programs should ensure dignified and meaningful lives for those who need assistance, but also recognize the importance of providing the support and resources necessary for an environment in which New Brunswickers can work together, be self-reliant and take responsibility for their own lives.

 Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated action to promote mental health & address addictions:

• walk-in mental health clinics
• virtual psychiatric network
• education for professionals
• drug prevention, treatment & enforcement plan

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated action to promote health care:

• increased funding to recruit doctors, nurse practitioners, & extra mural liaison nurses
• improved wait lists for hip & knee replacement surgeries
• expanded use of virtual appointments for rural healthcare
• free universal flu vaccinations, including high-dose flu vaccinations for seniors
• expanded role for pharmacists to improve access to healthcare

In announcing its 2024-25 budget, the party states that it has presented the largest health care budget in provincial history, nearly $3.8 billion, with a focus on developing a system that is innovative, timely, and patient-focused, including:
– $850 million for Medicare.
– $252 million for Pharmaceutical programs.
– $1.81 billion ($1,808 million) for hospital services, plus $44.4 million for hospital capital expenses.
– $200 million for addiction and mental health services.
– $266 million for home care and ambulance services.
– $70 million to expand collaborative practices and improve access to primary health care, consistent with recommendations shared by doctors, nurses, and other health-care professionals.
– $562,000 to expand midwifery services in Fredericton and add services in two other communities.
– $7.1 million to fund agreements with cataract surgical centres, to provide cataract surgeries outside of hospitals.
– $7 million in additional funding for mental health and addictions services.
– $1.4 million to fund additional marketing and programs to attract and recruit domestic and international health-care professionals.
– working to reduce nursing vacancies by offering an incentive program to fill “hard-to-recruit” positions.
– $2.9 million to support screening programs for colon cancer, lung cancer, HPV cervical cancer, and oncology drug funding.
– expanding breast cancer screening to include women aged 40 to 49, benefiting more than 50,000 women.
– $2.1 million for additional resources to ensure appropriate care is provided to survivors of sexual or domestic violence.

Seniors Support

The party states in its 2024-25 budget that it has allocated $1.66 billion ($1.663 million) for the Department of Social Development, an increase from $1.55 billion.   The allocations include:
– $1.075 billion for Seniors and Long Term Care, to improve personal and social functioning and support independent living through a range of community based services and develop initiatives around aging and aging care, and includes $275 million for disability support services.  This is an increase from $984 million spent in 2023-24, out of a budget for $1.004 billion.
– $47.2 million for other benefits, to provide financial assistance to support seniors and low-income families with children under 18 years and to low-income households to help offset or reduce energy costs. Assistance is provided through programs such as the Low Income Seniors’ Benefit, Child Tax Benefit and Working Income Supplement, and the Healthy Seniors’ Pilot Project. This is a decrease from $52.6 million spent in 2023-24.
 

Education & Young Workers

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated, in order to promote education:

• raises for early childhood educators
• pilot food school programs in 10 schools, province wide in 2021
• modernize curriculum & the delivery of lessons online
• introduce civics classes, refreshed Indigenous & Black history

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that it has allocated $1.91 billion ($1,911 million) for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.  These allocations include:

– $105.1 million for management and oversight, including $63.9 million to provide education services, including panning and implementation of prescribed curriculum; support services for district staff in organizing and implementing educational services; direct and indirect services to students with additional needs; provincial testing programs at elementary and secondary school levels; and early intervention

– $1.517 billion ($1,517 million) for School Districts and K-12 schools, including:
– $42.1 million for administrative services for school districts.
– $1,360 million ($1.260 billion) for prescribed instructional programs.
– $152.6 million for planning and operation of school facilities.
– $61.9 million for school bus operation and maintenance.

The party further states that it will increase funding through the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Child Care Agreement by $7.4 million, bringing the total investment to $150.7 million in 2024-25, intended to improve access to affordable, high-quality designated child-care spaces, and that further investments include:
– $4.4 million to support children with autism spectrum disorder, providing the right supports at the right time and setting up children for success.
– $18.6 million to address challenges resulting from enrolment growth, as well as an additional $24.3 million to address rising operating costs such as energy, transportation and other services.
– $1.1 million to address costs associated with opening new schools in Fredericton and Moncton this September.
– $2.5 million to support language learning and ease the transition for immigrant students entering the New Brunswick education system.
– $7.4 million to provide services to help students attend school and address their diverse needs.
– $7.8 million to provide support to reverse the effects of instruction time lost during the pandemic.
– $4.1 million to begin implementing longer-term measures, such as teacher recruitment and retention, enhanced virtual learning and leadership development among school leaders.

Post-Secondary Education

The party’s 2024-25 budget proposes to allocate a total of $724 million for post-secondary education (an increase of 10% over the 2023-24 budget), including:
– $534.2 million to support universities and community colleges, including $70.5 million in student financial assistance and $295 million in grants to institutions for educational programs to meet social and economic needs.
– $150.8 million for WorkingNB, to provide creative interventions and meaningful services to individuals, employers and the labour market in order for New Brunswick to have a skilled workforce that meets the needs of an evolving labour market.
– $19.0 million for the New Brunswick Public Library Service.
– 17.4 million (increase of 96% over the 2023-24 budget) for Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification, to provide quality apprenticeship learning, life-long skill development and certification opportunities in current and future designated occupations that are standardized, up to date and relevant to the needs of industry and its workforce; and to plan and provide funding for apprenticeship training.
– 14.0 million (increase of 26% over the 2023-24 budget) for immigration, to support demographic and economic growth through advancing immigration, settlement and retention activities; administer provincial immigration pathways and support both candidates and employers in having access to the immigration programs most adapted to their situation; provide advice and support to departments on policy development, interdepartmental coordination and intergovernmental relations; to promote, implement and monitor foreign recruitment activities to attract and integrate immigrants. To provide financial support to the settlement sector and ethnocultural organisations to advance newcomer integration and retention.

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party’s constitution states that the party believes in:
– 3. Equality of the Two Linguistic Communities:  it believes the diversity of our two linguistic communities is a unique strength of the province. It believes in official bilingualism, and that it must protect and promote the cultures and heritage, while treating each community with fairness and justice.

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated, in order to promote social connection:
– expanding rural Internet access & speeds.
– pursuing 5G.
– building a cybersecurity cluster to attract foreign investment and jobs.

Prior to its current term in office, the party further advocated, in order to promote provincial population growth:
– investment in communities with growth plans.
– a pilot model for temporary foreign workers & year-round employment.
– partnering with universities to attract more international students.
– through FutureNB, promoting hands-on experiential learning.
– partnering with professional associations for faster credential recognition.
– increasing the flow of Francophone newcomers – 33% by 2024

The party  states in its 2024-25 budget that it has allocated $80.7 million for the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture, an increase from $76.0 million spent in 2023-24.  The allocations include:
– $18.3 million for provincial parks, an increase from $14.7 million spent in 2023-24.  The allocation is intended to provide inclusive, protected natural and cultural destinations that inspire wellness, enjoyment and education for all. With a vision that all people are stewards of New Brunswick’s permanently protected natural and cultural destinations, the division is responsible for the stewardship of 25 provincial parks and one special crown reserve. The division is directly responsible for managing and operating 12 provincial parks, a fishing lodge and multiple day use parks.
– $7.0 million for Sport and Recreation, an increase from 6.996 million spent in 2023-24.  This allocation is intended to provide strategic leadership and support to strengthen sport and recreation in New Brunswick and promote participation, foster development and celebrate excellence. A network of regional offices supports the delivery of community-based sport, recreation and physical activity programs and services.
– $31.4 million for Culture, Archaeology and Heritage, an increase from $30.7 million spent in 2023-24. Culture, Archaeology and Heritage support economic growth and foster pride of place through the conservation, development, promotion and nurturing of our human and natural archaeological and heritage resources, the arts and our cultural industries.
– $20.136 million for Tourism, a decrease from $20.168 million spent in 2023-24.  This allocation is intended to provide leadership in the development and implementation of innovative experiential products, multi-channel marketing and sales campaigns, social media community management, and travel media strategies while engaging with the various regional and municipal tourism organizations throughout the province to become the most sought after destination in Canada

An Economy at the Service of All People

The party states that:
– for too long, provincial governments have pursued economic growth at all costs.
– growth that destroys forests and wetlands, and dumps pollution into our air, rivers and bays is uneconomic. While companies may profit, our children and grandchildren pay the price.
– rather than looking backwards with tired, failed 20th century thinking, a Green economy moves confidently forward, anticipating and meeting the challenges of the climate emergency with creativity and energy.
– since the Covid-19 pandemic revealed the province’s vulnerabilities in the face of globalization, New Brunswickers want to be more self-reliant, and they can be, simply by harnessing the creativity and energy that already exists in their communities.  Communities and regions should set their own paths, building on their unique assets, culture and geographies, with the provincial government supporting them with appropriate policies and funding.
– it seeks a shift from today’s Consumer Society based on perpetual growth to a Conserver Society based on ecological and social sustainability.

In seeking such a society, the party is guided by the following fundamental principles:
– living within the province’s ecological means.
– local self-reliance.  New Brunswick communities must be in charge of their own destiny to the greatest extent possible. Resilient, sustainable communities require economies that meet local needs and are locally controlled, minimizing dependency on external forces.  Self-reliance and resilience is built on public assets placed in the hands of and dedicated to the service of local communities.  Local self-reliance is integral to the shift to a society which respects the ecological and social limits of human production.
– social justice and equality.  Everyone is diminished by the presence of poverty amidst great wealth. A caring society ensures that all people have equal access to the necessities of life and to amenities which enhance our collective human experience – health, education, quality housing, meaningful livelihoods, and cultural enrichment. Recognizing that individual wealth is socially created, the greatest burden for ensuring a just society must be borne by those with the greatest means.
– it is committed to reducing the gap between rich and poor by identifying and addressing the root causes of economic and social injustice at home and globally.

The party advocates:
– setting a local procurement quota for hospitals, schools, universities and colleges, and long-term care homes to increase the local production of essential goods and services, and decrease reliance on imports.
– creating a Department of Rural Affairs and Community Development with decentralized decision-making, to support community-led regional development, and expand the role of cooperatives, worker-owned business, and social enterprises in the economy.
– supporting, promoting, and expanding Community Economic Development Investment Funds as a means of financing local development.
– providing funds for communities to retrofit and repurpose unused and historic buildings such as schools, courthouses and the Memramcook Institute.

Poverty Reduction
The party states that:
– the province must place the well-being and dignity of New Brunswickers at the heart of all government decisions.  The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many social inequalities.
– it is committed to reinforcing the social safety net and reducing poverty.

The party advocates:
– implementing a Guaranteed Liveable Income with the support of the federal government, beginning with a pilot project for people living with a disability.
– increasing social assistance rates by 11 per cent for single people and by 8.3 per cent for families.
– abolishing social assistance rules that claw back benefits from people sharing housing.
– increasing the financing of legal aid services so it is on par with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
– creating a public automobile insurance system since the Financial and Consumer Services Commission has not guaranteed fair and affordable insurance.
– fully subsidizing the Housing First initiatives in Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John, and providing portable rent supplements to renters instead of landowners.
– investing in affordable housing in rural areas, maintaining public housing and rent subsidies.

In order to bring the provincial health care system back to human scale, the party advocates:
– supporting the creation of a national pharmacare program, including the coverage of diabetic medical supplies, vision care, dental care and equipment such as hearing aids.
– eliminating annual premiums of the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Program both for individuals and for families earning less than $25,000 and $40,000 respectively.

Labour, Unions & Employment  | Corporations, Competition & Consumers

The party states that:
– the pandemic made us realize who are the essential workers in our communities. Many earn minimum wage, or slightly more, which does not come close to reflecting the social value of their work.

The party advocates:
– immediately increase minimum wage to $15 and index it to the rate of inflation, and provide support to small businesses so they can adapt to the new salary requirements.
– abolishing changes made by the current government to the Essential Services in Nursing Homes Act to ensure that nursing home workers have the right to a fair and effective negotiation process.
– increasing salaries for homecare and childcare workers.
– prohibiting replacement of workers during a strike or lock-out.
– guaranteeing paid sick leave, vacation, and paid overtime for all workers covered by the Employment Standards Act.

An Economy at the Service of All People

The party states that, as a matter of constitutional principle,
– it believes that effective and inclusive social programs contribute to the development of a vibrant economy, and recognizes that a strong economy is needed to provide such programs. It therefore seeks innovative and progressive means to ensure the continued development of relevant and responsive social programs, as well as the expansion of employment opportunities for all New Brunswickers.

Poverty Reduction 

The party states that:
– the rising cost of living is a significant concern for many residents in New Brunswick.  The price of electricity has steadily increased over the past few decades, further straining household budgets.

The party advocates:
– alleviating financial burdens by eliminating the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on residential electricity bills.

Expansion of Basic Income

The party states that:
– key populations in NB, including children (via the Canada Child Benefit) and seniors over 65 years old (via Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplements), are eligible for a version of Basic Income.  A basic Income for persons with a disability has been proposed by the Government of Canada.
– differing versions of Basic Income have been tested or launched by the governments of Manitoba, Ontario, NFLD, Quebec, and PEI.  The Basic Income program in NFLD targets seniors 60 to 64 years old and aligns with the seniors benefits provided by the Government of Canada.
– Basic Income programs are typically delivered via the income tax system as refundable tax credits, requiring annual income tax filing to access, which also unlocks additional federal and provincial program supports for low-income tax filers.   Such programs reduce poverty, support access to improved housing and nutritious food, improve access to other necessary supports, and enhance overall wellbeing for recipients.

The party advocates, as a first step, establishing a pilot project to assess the impact of providing a Basic Income to seniors aged 60 to 64.

Property Tax Reform

The party states that:
– it acknowledges the concerns and challenges posed by rising property tax assessments on homeowners and businesses, recognizes the need for a balanced approach to property tax assessments that ensures fiscal responsibility without causing undue financial strain on property owners; and recognizes the need for a fair and equitable property tax system that promotes economic stability for municipalities and takes into account the complex nature of property taxes and the need for careful consideration.

The party advocates:
– property tax reform with the following key provisions: (1) fair assessment, (2) exemptions and relief, (3) commercial and industrial property reform, and (4) public engagement, monitoring and adjustment.
– establishing a small representative committee of experts to study options and propose a fairer property tax regime for the future and that the committee’s report include an executive summary that presents the main points in clear and easy-to-understand language
– working collaboratively with municipalities, stakeholders, community organizations, and experts in tax policy, to ensure successful implementation of this comprehensive property tax reform.

Property Tax Rebate to Keep Seniors at Home

The party states that:
– many seniors living on a fixed income are struggling under the weight of skyrocketing food prices, energy and utility costs, prescription drugs, and more; and increases in pensions are not keeping pace.  The median income for seniors living solely on Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement is around $20,000 each.
– often better quality of life and health outcomes are achieved by keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible.  It is most cost-effective for the province to support seniors in their home as long as possible, compared to long-term care or hospitalization.

The party advocates:
– introduction of a policy where seniors under a certain income threshold, upon the registered homeowner reaching the age of 65, would have their property taxes frozen for as long as they continue to reside in said residence, including consideration of a model where seniors could receive an annual rebate of up to 30% of their property tax based on their income, diminishing as income approaches the threshold level.
– upon the seniors moving out of the home, or upon the sale or transfer of the property, the property tax freeze would no longer apply.

Housing

The party states that:
– housing costs in New Brunswick are on the rise while housing stock remains low; and there is no indication that this crisis will improve in the foreseeable future.  Housing costs (rents, mortgage costs, construction costs) are rising very quickly while housing affordability indicators are falling.
– housing is key to the safety and stability of all New Brunswickers.
– the province relies almost entirely on the private sector for its supply of new housing, and the population of New Brunswick is growing quickly.
– the Government of New Brunswick has successfully responded to similar housing demand and supply imbalances in the past.

The party advocates:
– adoption of policies and principles that ensure timely access to affordable and accessible housing in the province of New Brunswick, including immediate appointment of a small committee of representative experts to identify policies and actions that will provide both immediate and long-term solutions.
– establishment of a Ministry of Housing, mandated to expand new public housing and subsidized housing, facilitate an increase in accessible housing, maintain the existing stock of public housing, and facilitate an increase in the overall housing supply directly and through partnerships with key housing industry stakeholders, in order to better meet the affordable housing needs of NB residents.

Unused Government Property

The party states that:
– many buildings owned by the provincial government remain vacant for unacceptably long periods.  Numerous provincial buildings and lands have been unused for extended periods, often over a decade, with minimal maintenance, diminishing their value.  Many could be repurposed into affordable housing.
– holding onto unused land and buildings restricts potential land revenues for municipal and/or provincial governments.

The party advocates:
– developing a clear plan mandating that any provincial building or land becoming vacant or unused be offered to other government departments within 6 months. If no interest is expressed, the government should proceed to put the building or land up for sale using appropriate methods within the subsequent 6 months.

Long-Term Homelessness

The party states that:
– long-term homelessness occurs when a person is homeless for a year or more.  People are suffering and sometimes dying while living rough (without a home) throughout New Brunswick.  The number of people who are homeless in NB has doubled in the last 12 months.
– people who are homeless account for a disproportionate amount of petty crime, addictions, mental health challenges, policing costs, emergency room visits, corrections, and court costs, and are vulnerable targets for drug dealers and other abusers.  And they are members of our communities, including our families, friends, and co-workers.
– successfully housing individuals who are homeless dramatically reduces healthcare costs, police costs, and instances of petty crime.

The party advocates:
– immediate implementation of proven strategies towards eliminating homelessness and elimination of long-term homelessness.

Reducing Barriers to New Construction

The party states that:
– regulatory and permit requirements on housing in New Brunswick have significantly increased over the past 40 years without substantial changes in housing complexity, adding unnecessary costs.  The recent addition of seismic qualification requirements for new housing construction adds between $500 and $1000 per home unit, exacerbating the housing affordability crisis, as highlighted by the example of increased trailer home costs in Charlotte County.
– no deaths in New Brunswick since confederation have been attributed to houses collapsing in earthquakes, questioning the necessity of this added regulatory burden.
– current regulations exempt homes under 600 square feet from certain requirements, and there’s a strong case for expanding this exemption to larger single-family homes.
– the cost of building permits and regulatory inspections has become a significant challenge to housing affordability. Residents are effectively charged twice for regulatory costs – through property tax and permit acquisition.

The party advocates:
– acknowledging that solving the housing affordability crisis requires more than just government-built homes or nonprofit initiatives. A key part of the solution lies in reducing the regulatory costs associated with building new homes, making it affordable for the average working person in New Brunswick to acquire modest housing.

Labour, Unions & Employment

Homegrown Labour

The party states that:
– New Brunswick faces critical labor shortages in sectors such as health and long-term care, education, and trades.  The high cost of postsecondary education is a significant barrier for many young people.
– individuals often establish long-term residency in communities where they live for extended periods.  Relying solely on immigration is insufficient to fill the labour force gap.
– thus there is a need to cultivate a local, skilled labour force to meet future demands.
– New Brunswick is home to five universities, a bilingual community college network, and numerous private learning institutions;

The party advocates:
– introducing a policy offering full scholarships (covering tuition and reference materials) to students entering fields with critical labour shortages. In return, students commit to a five-year service in a designated community, with the total student debt being reduced by 20% annually.
– developing and implementing a coordinated skills training and recognition strategy that addresses the skills needs in each economic sector, optimizes the education and training capacity of New Brunswick’s higher education institutions, facilitates the recognition of skills acquired outside the province, and provides career pathways for young New Brunswickers.
– mandating the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour to report annually on the status of skills shortages and to adjust the strategy accordingly.

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

Promotion of Local Products

The party states that:
– climate change (droughts, floods) is increasingly affecting harvests.  Growers are struggling to find seasonal workers for the harvest.  New Brunswick grocery stores sell many products imported from other provinces.

The party advocates a review of provincial economic policy and development of a strategy to encourage New Brunswickers to consume more local products.

Agriculture

The party states that:
– New Brunswick has a long and rich history in the Agriculture and Agri-food industry.  Industry players have proven to be very innovative, and the agriculture sector has seen immense transformation over the last few decades.
– the recent pandemic brought new light to the rise in food insecurity in the province.
– New Brunswick has a surplus of abandoned farmland that has become non-productive.

The party advocates:
– a full assessment of abandoned farmland, and working stakeholders to actively plan and manage these properties for agricultural needs, including encouraging the value added of New Brunswick farmed goods to optimize industry growth.

An Economy at the Service of All People

The party states that:
– it is committed to building a New Brunswick where young people can see themselves having a prosperous future with good jobs and public services they can rely on.  For too long, the provincial government has dragged its heals on tackling the greatest challenges facing today and tomorrow’s generations: the decline in quality full-time jobs and the rise of precarious work, stagnant wages and less retirement security, the rise of global emissions and climate change.

The party advocates bold, progressive ideas that reflect the NDP’s hope and optimism for the future of New Brunswick, including:
– raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for all workers.
– creating 24,000 before and after school childcare spaces for children ages 3 to 12.
– extending prescription drug coverage to everyone through our plan for universal pharmacare.
– introducing a carbon reduction program that puts a price on carbon and invests the funds into green energy and infrastructure projects, and rebates for low and middle income earners.
– eliminating tuition fees at all NBCC/CCNB community colleges, and reducing undergraduate tuition at all public universities by 25%.
– implementing pay equity and working to end gender-based violence.
– thereby building a New Brunswick where young people see their values reflected in the priorities of their government.

Housing & Poverty Reduction

The party states that:
– the province must address the growing gap between rich and poor in New Brunswick.  Many people—young and old—are working two or three jobs just to stay ahead.
– there has been a large increase in precarious  work that is part time, casual, low paid and de-skilled. These jobs often have no guarantee of hours or shifts, and no benefits like paid sick leave, prescription drug coverage, dental plans or private pensions.
– across Canada as well as in New Brunswick, businesses are increasingly relying on outsourcing, contracting out, franchising, and temporary agencies. This has led to less job security for New Brunswickers than ever before.
– wages for the lowest paid workers are not enough to allow these families to live above the poverty line and provide for themselves or their children. Far too many New Brunswickers are forced to live in poor housing, make difficult choices between feeding their kids or fixing their cars, and sacrifice their health because they can’t afford to take unpaid sick days.
– low wages are bad for the provincial economy, depressing economic activity and resulting in lower labour productivity, purchasing power and tax revenue.  Other provinces are moving to recognise the harm to all of society when income inequality is left unchecked.  Ontario and Alberta have joined a North American-wide movement for a fifteen dollar minimum wage.

The party advocates:
– raising the minimum wage for all workers in New Brunswick to $15 per hour, staging increases over four years to give employers an opportunity to plan ahead.
– implementing changes to Employment Standards that will improve working conditions for New Brunswick workers, including addressing precarious work. These changes go hand in hand with changes to the minimum wage.

Housing & Homelessness

The party states that:
– all New Brunswickers should have access to affordable housing. But the province is facing a housing crisis, and is not adequately addressing housing and homelessness challenges. Many families are spending well over 30% of their income on shelter, and there is a growing number of homeless people.
– ignoring housing and homelessness is more costly than addressing them. Providing access to affordable housing is key so that additional supports and services can be offered. In the long run, investments in affordable housing and ending homelessness will reduce pressure on public services like health care and will reduce costs for government.

The party advocates:

– adopting a ’Housing First’ strategy to end homelessness, and expanding municipal powers over social housing.
– giving cities the powers and resources they need to enforce housing standards.
– prioritizing public management of social housing, and curbing subsidies and grants for landlords who provide sub-standard housing.
– researching the impacts of introducing rent control legislation so that people aren’t faced with unfair rent increases.
– reviewing the mandate of the Office of the Rentalsman with the goal of providing better services to New Brunswick’s tenants and landlords.

Income Assistance
The party states that:
– the party to must do more to fight against income inequality.  It must provide more income for those on provincial income assistance.
– since 2009, the percentage of New Brunswickers with income below the poverty line has increased by 1.5% while it has decreased by 5.6% in the Atlantic Provinces and by 4.7% nationally. As of 2015, 100,000 New Brunswickers had income lower than the poverty threshold.
– 36% of New Brunswickers make below $15 an hour, the majority of whom are women.  The 2016 Census revealed that New Brunswick has the lowest household incomes in the country.  It doesn’t have to be this way. New Brunswick’s social assistance rates are one of the lowest in the country, and barely cover half the poverty line.
– it time to lift New Brunswickers out of poverty, fix social assistance to help people return to work and not keep them in a poverty trap. That means increasing social assistance to better reflect the cost of living.

The party advocates:
– raising all social assistance rates immediately by 10%, and indexing all rates to the cost of living.
– ensuring equitable access to the public education system, with the inclusion important and diverse New Brunswick artists and cultural literature into the education curriculum.

Labour, Unions & Employment

The party states that:
– it is committed standing up for workers’ rights and for fundamental reform of the province’s labour laws. Alongside raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, it also advocatess strengthening employment standards to ensure every worker is treated fairly.
– for youth to stay in New Brunswick, they must see a bright, progressive and green future for themselves in New Brunswick.

To make life better for every worker in the province—not just those with unions—the party advocates implementing basic rights, including:
– introducing a $15 an hour minimum wage.
– introducing paid sick days for all employees.
– ending unfair employer practices such as split shifts, call-ins without pay and never knowing when work is scheduled.
– increasing the coverage of employment standard legislation to dependent contractors and others excluded by the current definition of employee.
– introducing common employer provisions to make franchisors responsible for the working conditions of employees of franchisees.
– increasing the provincial government’s capacity to enforce employment standards.
– prohibiting employers from requiring doctors’ sick notes.
– increasing the provincial government’s capacity to enforce employment standards.

To make it easier for unions to represent workers, the party advocates conducting a An NDP government a comprehensive review of collective bargaining laws, and enacting long-needed changes to the Industrial Relations Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act, including:
– common employer designation for franchise operations protection.
– expanded successor rights and protections for contractors in the service industry.
– anti-scab protection to defend union jobs.
– empowering the Labour Relations Board to extend sectoral bargaining—as done in the construction industry—to all sectors of the economy.

To strengthen workplace safety, the NDP advocates:
– reviewing  WorkSafeNB’s mandate to ensure that a culture of safety is properly enforced in all work places.
– improving access to injured worker benefits by ending the three-day waiting period.
– investing $225,000 to hire five more employment standard officers, who would focus on enforcing the provincial rules and regulations.

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

The party states that:
– New Brunswick needs good stable jobs to retain youth, to create a more just and sustainable society, and to develop the tax base needed to deliver strong public services.

To increase income and wages, and to combat inequality, the party advocates gradually implementing a $15 minimum wage over four years, which will lead to more disposable income for individuals and more tax revenues as economic multipliers kick in and more people participate in the workforce.

The party’s Industrial and Economic Growth Strategy is based on six pillars:

1. Creating a Public Investment Bank that fosters broad-based, equitable and regionally diverse economic growth with a focus on closing the ‘capital gap’ for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) though the creation of a Public Investment Bank. Investment of $130 million will be paid for by eliminating funding for Opportunities NB and regional development programs.
2. Pursuing an industrial strategy that encourages investments in value-added jobs, exports and supply chains across New Brunswick.
3. Creating ‘green collar’ jobs based on large public investments in the renewable energy economy and energy efficiency home retrofitting.
4. Investment in research and development, training, and infrastructure to foster productivity growth and prepare for our future high-tech, innovation-based economy.
5. Investment in better public services that will make life more affordable for New Brunswickers. Its plans for $15 an hour minimum wage, childcare, home care, and free or reduced tuition will help build a skilled workforce and increase our labour participation rates.
6. Developing a new northern and rural strategy that better serves these communities’ needs.

Agriculture

The party states that:
– New Brunswick’s family farmers work hard and deserve to have a government that’s on their side. The provincial agricultural sector is a key economic driver and employs over 13,000 New Brunswickers. But New Brunswick family farms face complex challenges trying to succeed in today’s markets.
– at the same time, New Brunswick has a growing problem with food insecurity that must be addressed by the next provincial government. New Brunswick produces only 10% of the food it eats. Yet it has a talented agricultural sector and many workers who are looking for new opportunities.

To support farmers and their families, the party advocates:
– ending to the practice of large landowners buying up agricultural land and leasing it back to farmers.
– making more land available to farmers, and stopping land speculation, including by enforcing and enhancing enhance the Farm Land Identification Program by deferring property tax on farm land.
– recognizing and supporting women farmers by increasing women’s participation in farm management and ownership and (co-)operating their own farms.
– providing agriculture programs in schools for farmers to upgrade their skills, and developing agriculture education policy for schools and colleges to encourage and support new and young farmers.
– returning subsidies for lime transportation.
– increasing access to rural services, agricultural support and other rural infrastructure.

To drive growth and innovation in the provincial agricultural sector, the party advocates:
– leveraging the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal five-year investment to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector in New Brunswick.
– providing incentives for value added processing to New Brunswick-grown produce to create jobs and accelerate value-added transformation of the provincial economy.
– using research and statistics to make evidence-based decisions for agricultural policy, building technical capacity for growing food and other crops in New Brunswick soil and climate conditions.
– enhancing business skills for entrant and current farmers to help them get started and to help them grow their businesses and get fair prices, ensuring the vitality and sustainability of the family farm.

To create new opportunities for local food producers to meet more of New Brunswickers’ food and produce needs, the party advocates:

– ending dumping of American fresh produce during local season.
– supporting and promoting year-round local markets.
– developing initiatives for local food programs in schools, hospitals and other provincial programs.
– identifying wholesale and retail opportunities for New Brunswick products including institutional contracts and large retail chains, working with farmers and retailers to remove barriers to entry.
– offering support for federally inspected abattoirs in New Brunswick where none exist.

To support farmers as entrepreneurs and small business owners, the party advocates:
– providing mentorship programs for young farmers to learn best farm practices from experienced farmers.
– helping farmers connect with other businesses to form key partnerships with value-added processers.
– providing incubation sessions for sharing ideas and fostering mutual support and creative business development.
– better connecting services like veterinarians and engineers to the farming community.
– helping provide streamlined channels to market using latest technical advancements.
– supporting farmers in using best practices—such as regenerative agriculture—to build healthy soil, regenerate eco-systems and fight climate change.

An Economy to Serve All People

The party has provided no specific current statement regarding its policies concerning:
– the role or purpose of the economy.

Poverty Reduction & Housing

Rent Control

The party states that:
– it supports rent caps to protect safe, affordable housing for New Brunswick citizens. A rent cap on existing tenants and on any unit older than 5 years ensures that unscrupulous activity does not leave our most vulnerable without protection.

In addition to the reasonable use of rent caps, the party advocates:
– making the repair and maintenance of public housing a priority.
– ensuring that the current public housing stock meets the provincial population’s needs and taking steps to right-size it if necessary.
– tying provincial grants to developers to create a percentage of affordable and diverse housing units to fit all needs and work with municipalities to compel the same.
– enacting legislation to make it illegal for a property owner or superintendent to inquire about family status or any other right under the Human Rights Act before signing a rental agreement in non-owner-occupied buildings.
– enacting legislation penalizing property owners engaging in discrimination based on any protected human right characteristic in non-owner-occupied buildings.
– ensuring that rental subsidy certificates are considered a source of income and, as such, protected from discrimination. Therefore, disclosure would not be required before entering into a rental agreement.

Further Housing Initiatives

The party advocates:
– increasing staff and enforcement officers to investigate, inspect, and resolve landlord/tenant matters, including, where necessary, inspection of a property/unit.
– collaborating with municipalities to determine and, if necessary, regulate the number of short-term rentals to minimize the impact on housing availability.
– working with Community Colleges and Trade Schools to ensure that every step possible is being taken to meet the needs of our labor force, including real-life experience and on-the-job training/certification where possible.
– encouraging municipalities to review zoning requirements, take steps to reduce sprawl, and encourage diversity of housing in new construction.

Tax Reform & Cost of Living

The party states that:
– Vestcor is entrusted to manage the pensions of public servants with taxpayer dollars. NB Power is a Crown Corporation acting at arm’s length from the government but for which the government (taxpayer) is on the hook. NB Liquor and Cannabis NB are also Crown Corporations. Medavie is not a Crown Corporation but holds multiple contracts for managing and providing public services.
– the party’s position is two-fold.

• any entity responsible for or using tax dollars must be subject to the Auditor General’s investigation and review.
• no bonuses should be paid to management/board without successfully achieving pre-determined targets.

Labour, Unions & Employment

The party has provided no specific current statement regarding its policies concerning:
– labour, unions, or employment

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

Corporate Handouts

The party states that reducing taxes and investing in small/medium-sized businesses in New Brunswick, rather than giving large Corporate Handouts, will continue to promote innovation, diversity, and competition in the market, all of which benefit the consumer.

An Economy to Serve All People

The party’s constitution states that the party believes in:
– 2. New Brunswick and Canada:  it strives to build and preserve a prosperous, united New Brunswick within a prosperous, united Canada.
– 5. Free Enterprise: the creation of prosperity can best be achieved by a free enterprise economy.

Prior to its current term in office, the party stated that during its prior term in office:
– even before the pandemic struck, it had been working diligently to prevent New Brunswick from falling off a financial cliff. It improved the provincial credit rating from negative to stable, meaning that the province pays less interest, and investors are more confident in doing business in New Brunswick.
– it also implemented a number of changes to protect the financial security of the province, its employers and workers.
– it increased increased wages for home support workers, announced a regulated annual minimum wage increase, and rejected the federal tax change that would have seen many small businesses suffer another 2.5% on their tax rate. WorkSafe premiums for employers were reduced, and it presented a balanced budget.
– it advocated not just recovery, but reinventing and renewing the provincial economy because doing business in a post-COVID world would be very different.

Post-COVID Recovery

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated promotion of economic recovery through:
– promotion of e-commerce skills to compete in a digital world.  The party stated that helping businesses compete in a digital economy is absolutely key to the province’s long-term success when international trade missions are no longer occurring and travel is restricted. It instructed Opportunities New Brunswick to work with provincial businesses to support their transition to a digital economy so sales and exports can continue. This would include for businesses in learning how to sell online, use enhanced marketing and e-commerce strategies, and promote our province’s brand through social media.
– productivity & technology adoption for manufacturers: the party stated that productivity must improve to help New Brunswick businesses close the gap. Opportunities New Brunswick has been directed to design suitable programs, especially for manufacturers who struggling to scale their operations.  This could mean embracing robotics, artificial intelligence, and just using existing technologies more effectively to increase outputs and improve overall competitiveness.
– prioritizing NB businesses in procurement policy, the policies being developed to help New Brunswick businesses compete in their own province.
– extension of tourism rebates.
– advancing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for energy innovation.  The party stated that substantial progress had already been made on energy innovation through its small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) action plan, including:
• signing an MOU with the governments of Ontario and Saskatchewan for the co-development and deployment of SMRs.
• completing an economic analysis through the Université de Moncton to enable stakeholder engagements, including a previously untapped industrial and mechanical supply chain.
• working with two private-sector partners and establishing strong links with global leaders like GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

Poverty Reduction & Housing

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated expansion of housing through:

• build new affordable housing units
• repair existing stock
• create mixed housing communities

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that:
– as costs have continued to rise, New Brunswickers are feeling more and more financial stress.  Initiatives outlined in the budget will help alleviate some of those pressures people are experiencing.  Such initiatives include:
– an increase of 3.6 per cent for social assistance recipients under the Transitional Assistance Program and Extended Benefits Program.
– $29.7 million to increase wages for personal support workers in home support and special care homes, group homes, community residences, family support and attendant care.
– $2.2 million to increase the per diems in adult residential facilities.

The party further states in its 2024-25 budget that it has allocated $1.66 billion ($1.663 million) for the Department of Social Development, an increase from $1.55 billion.   The allocations include:
– $1.075 billion for Seniors and Long Term Care, to improve personal and social functioning and support independent living through a range of community based services and develop initiatives around aging and aging care, and includes $275 million for disability support services.  This is an increase from $984 million spent in 2023-24, out of a budget for $1.004 billion.
– $182 million for Child Welfare and Youth Services, to improve personal and social functioning through the provision of Child Welfare services.  This is a decrease from $191.4 million spent in 2023-24.
– $347 million for Income Security, an increase from $307 million in 2023-24.  This allocation is intended to provide individuals and families in need with financial benefits and, where appropriate, with self-sufficiency program services to enhance their potential for employment, gender-based support services to enhance safety, and appropriate shelter and supports to foster a healthier quality of life.
– $47.2 million for other benefits, to provide financial assistance to support seniors and low-income families with children under 18 years and to low-income households to help offset or reduce energy costs. Assistance is provided through programs such as the Low Income Seniors’ Benefit, Child Tax Benefit and Working Income Supplement, and the Healthy Seniors’ Pilot Project. This is a decrease from $52.6 million spent in 2023-24.

Food Security

Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated promotion of food security through:

• year-round farming
• promote NB Food Basket
• workforce development

Support for vulnerable populations

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that:
– as costs have continued to rise, New Brunswickers are feeling more and more financial stress.  Initiatives outlined in the budget, will help alleviate some of those pressures people are experiencing.  Such initiatives include:
– an increase of 3.6 per cent for social assistance recipients under the Transitional Assistance Program and Extended Benefits Program.
– $29.7 million to increase wages for personal support workers in home support and special care homes, group homes, community residences, family support and attendant care.
– $2.2 million to increase the per diems in adult residential facilities.
– making amendments to the New Brunswick Income Tax Act to provide additional support to low-income seniors, permanently increasing the base amount of the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit to $600 from $400, with the value of the benefit indexed to the consumer price index annually.
– providing a monthly household supplement for social assistance recipients and youth engagement services recipients that will benefit more than 33,000 residents, including more than 10,000 children.

Housing

The party states that its 2024-25 budget includes an increased investment of $68.9 million for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation; a 54.1 per cent increase over last year’s budget, and that investments in affordable housing include:
– $130.3 million for housing program delivery, to assist households in need to obtain affordable, suitable and adequate housing through several programs such as subsidized rental assistance, repair assistance to rehabilitate or improve their dwellings and provide financial assistance to existing homeowner clients.
– $59.4 million in new allocations for housing facilities, to provide construction, modernization and building management for public housing and property development services to support various affordable housing initiatives.
– $33.0 million in additional capital construction costs for new public housing
– $2.8 million for Tenant and Landlord Relations office, to assist tenants and landlords in resolving issues, providing education and information regarding rights and responsibilities, ensuring compliance under the Residential Tenancies Act and leases, and management of security deposits.
– $22 million for a direct-to-tenant rental benefit for families and seniors who are in core housing need for affordability reasons.
– $5.5 million through the Canada Housing Benefit to help an additional 1,200 New Brunswick households.
– $3.5 million through the Canada Housing Benefit to support survivors of gender-based violence.
– $3 million through the Rent Bank to reduce the risk of eviction due to arrears in rent or utility bills.
– $11 million in permanent funding to respond to the homelessness crisis.
– $2.5 million to support the development and repair of rental units.
– $2.6 million in support of a partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
– $20 million through the Regional Development Corporation to help small communities build or enhance existing infrastructure.
– 2.5 million through the Regional Development Corporation to support pre-construction work related to affordable housing.

Corporations, Competition & Consumers

Agriculture, Aquaculture, & Fisheries

In its 2024-25 budget, the party proposes:
– allocation of $13.9 million to provide specialist advice and services for the growth and competitiveness of the agriculture sector, including provision of services and programs focused on maintaining livestock and animal health, crop development and preserving food safety and quality.
– allocation of $5.6 million to provide specialist advice and services for the growth and competitiveness of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, including provision of services and programs focused on maintaining sustainable practices and preserving food safety and quality.
– allocation of $2.4 million to provide strategic delivery and coordination of marketing and trade initiatives such as Local Food and Beverages Strategy, seafood exports, market intelligence and other related activities.
– allocation of $1.8 million to provide strategic delivery and coordination of development initiatives to support new entrants and the growth of businesses within the agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries sectors.
– allocation of $23.3 million for financial assistance to the agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries sectors under various funding programs.

Opportunities New Brunswick

The party states that in order to lead and facilitate, through Opportunities New Brunswick, the execution of high growth opportunities that will accelerate private sector growth and job creation through the pursuit of strategic and viable opportunities; the promotion of New Brunswick opportunities outside the province; the development of strategic markets; the delivery of business development services; the development of targeted economic sectors; the support of business productivity, growth, capacity, and sustainability, it proposes to allocate, in its 2023-24 budget, a total of $46.5 million, including:
– $16.6 million for administration and business development;
– $25 million in financial assistance to businesses; and
– $5 million in strategic investments in productivity improvements aimed at strengthening competitiveness of New Brunswick companies.

The Individual & Society

The party states that:
– the fight against climate change and the transition towards a green economy needs an activist government, as well as the mobilization of all sectors of society. If everyone is to contribute, it is essential that each person is respected and feels secure in a society that values them.
– a Green society celebrates and protects social and cultural equality and diversity.
– to achieve this, we must make peace with one another by recognizing the vulnerability of certain groups and communities. We must collectively reject racism, sexism, homophobia, and mistrust towards those who are different from the majority.
– we must counter the idea that democracy is simply the rule of the majority. It also includes the right of all people to equality in society.

Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Racism

The party states that:
– racialized people experience systemic racism and oppression in Canada and New Brunswick. Prejudice and stereotypes have no place in a fair and green society. The government must act to eliminate the racism embedded in provincial political, social, and cultural systems to allow racialized minorities to fully participate in society.

The party advocates:
– including in school curricula the study of the history of slavery, segregation, and systemic oppression in Canada and in New Brunswick.
– ordering a study of the personal, social, and economic impact of racism in New Brunswick, and developing a strategic anti-racism plan to repair this damage and prevent racism going forward.

Gender Equality

The party states that:
– the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of women and the fragility of the gains that they achieved over the years.
– the government has a leadership role to play in correcting systemic inequalities and providing women with services that support their access to employment, justice, and elected positions. Half of the potential of humankind must not be lost.

The party advocates:
– requiring pay equity in the private sector, and providing support to small businesses to help them carry out comparative job analyses.
– funding implementation of the framework proposed in the report, Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in New Brunswick: A Strategic Framework for Action, in order to fill the gaps in services for survivors and better support the community organizations working on issues related to sexual violence.
– providing adequate funding to support salaries of workers providing community services and childcare service.
– collaborating with the Multicultural Council of New Brunswick and its partner organizations to increase employment possibilities for immigrants and newcomers.

Gender Expression

The party states that:
– it is illegal and unjust to discriminate on the basis of sexual identity and gender, yet despite the progress that has been made, lesbian, gay, transgender and two-spirit communities will experience discrimination.

The party advocates:
– ensuring the effective right of all people to self-determine their sexual identity and gender.
– prohibiting the practice of conversion therapy on minors.
– ensuring that, in cases of students who have changed their name in accordance with the Change of Name Act, only the adopted name will appear on the student’s file and be used by school system teachers and staff.

Speech & Freedom of the Press

The party dates that:
– the cornerstone of any democracy is a media independent of vested and political interests, reflecting the full diversity of New Brunswick society. Without this the province’s full democratic potential cannot be realized.

Duties & Responsibilities

The party states that:
– to counter the cynicism and detachment of individuals from the political life of our province, people must be seen as citizens in communities contributing to a common good, not as self-interested consumers in a Consumer Society.
– local, national and global security should rest on cooperation, just economic and social structures and relations, ecological security, and vigorous protection of human rights.

Civil Liberties & Human Rights 

The party states among its values that:
– it is committed to full gender equality and is open to all New Brunswickers who accept Liberal principles, regardless of their race, creed, social standing, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
– through its commitment to equal opportunity, and a belief in the inherent dignity of all people, the New Brunswick Liberal Party will strive to advance progressive and innovative policies and programs designed to overcome social inequities, whether based on economic or regional factors, age, gender and sexual orientation, ethnic background, or physical or mental ability.
– it will strive to encourage and enhance multiculturalism in New Brunswick.
– it stands for full linguistic and cultural equality of those who speak French and those who speak English, and of the equality of the two linguistic communities. These principles will be reflected both in the development of policies and in internal practices.

Human Rights

The party states that:
– people who are transgender have the same human rights as anyone else.
– human rights in Canada are defined and protected by our constitution and courts.
– the current provincial government in NB has driven wedges between NB residents on human rights issues for people who are transgender, leading to fear, conflict, and threats of violence.

The party advocates:
– governmental respect for respect the human rights of every person in NB, including no intentional or knowing abridgement of the human rights of any New Brunswicker, except as provided by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the NB Human Rights Act, or other applicable laws.
– not using the Notwithstanding Clause to sustain legislation that restricts human rights in New Brunswick.
– amendment of Policy 713 in accordance with the guidance and recommendations of the Child and Youth Advocate Report on Policy 713.

Gender Equity

The party states that:
– significant inflation rates have led to higher costs of living, resulting in increased foodbank usage, scarce affordable housing, overburdened mental health services, and record high homelessness.
– there are inadequate resources addressing the specific needs of women (including Indigenous and Multicultural women), in areas such as healthcare, violence, childcare, senior and long-term care, housing, food security, education, financial aid, pay equity, transportation, language learning, and leadership opportunities.
– existing government, business, and non-profit programs and services are either unknown, uncoordinated, or insufficiently women-focused, and gaps in services exist in specific areas.  The current Women’s Equality Branch and Women’s Council lack the resources to address these issues effectively.
– integration of Social Inclusion Networks into the 12 Regional Service Commissions offers an opportunity to work efficiently within existing structures, providing regionally accessible services in a hub and spoke model.

The party advocates:
– creating a Department of Women’s Equality with infrastructure and resources on par with other Provincial government departments, mandated to assess and address women’s needs and provide consistent women-centered services throughout the province through direct “one-stop shops” in the 12 Regional Service Commissions. The department would be funded by allocating existing budgets from departments like ONB (Opportunities New Brunswick) and PETL (Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour), specifically for women’s services.

Pay Equity for Women

The party states that:
– women, including Indigenous and Multicultural women, often bear significant care responsibilities alongside their employment, without commensurate wages.  Essential services such as healthcare and education, dominated by female workers, have been highlighted for inadequacies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
– worker shortages in essential care services and many private-sector businesses in New Brunswick have heightened the need to address service gaps.
– barriers specific to women, such as long waitlists for childcare, limit their workplace participation.  Models in other countries like the Netherlands demonstrate the effectiveness of workplace flexibility and supports for women, balancing work and family life without compromising worker shortages.
– 65% of women in New Brunswick work in the private sector, yet the current Pay Equity Act, 2009, is limited to the public service sector and Crown Corporations.  Pay Equity legislation applies to the private sector in Ontario, Quebec, and the Federal Government.
– the care sector, a major employment area for women in New Brunswick, is among the least well-paid and most undervalued sectors.  Women constitute the majority of the 11,000 individuals employed by approximately 700 community care agencies across rural and urban areas in New Brunswick.  The sector serves vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, and people living with disabilities or mental illness, and encompasses homecare, daycare centers, specialized nursing homes, community residences, family support, employment, and support services (PESS), and transition homes.  The sector faces recruitment and retention challenges, and the absence of a long-term pay equity and improved working conditions plan exacerbates the crisis, affecting the quality and availability of care.

The party advocates:
– evaluating such workplaces and initiating plans to remedy gaps, ensuring quality care and education.
– extending the Pay Equity Act, 2009 to the private sector, including the non-profit sector, ensuring that such extension involves job evaluation based on skills, responsibility, effort, and working conditions, with the creation of an independent Pay Equity Bureau to implement and monitor the law, providing tools, training, and information to employers and employees.

Women in Government

The party states that:
– the 2021 Census revealed New Brunswick’s population as 50.8% female and 49.2% male, yet women’s representation in government at various levels does not reflect these figures.  The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has expressed concern about the underrepresentation of women in politics and public life in Canada and its provinces.
– only 29% of members in provincially appointed agencies, boards, and commissions are women, while other countries have successfully implemented gender quotas or parity in such appointments.  Methods like Wales’ ‘zippering’ approach and New Zealand’s proportional representation have effectively increased women’s participation in government.
– the Federal Government of Canada has demonstrated the feasibility of gender parity in its Cabinet.

The party advocates:
– exploring and adopting methods to achieve full gender parity in the Legislative Assembly, Cabinet, and appointments to provincial agencies, boards, and commissions, including includes evaluating and removing existing barriers to women’s involvement, reflecting the population composition of New Brunswick.
– ensuring that a comprehensive plan to achieve pay equity in the entire community care sector includes public investment in sector wages until pay equity is achieved; development of pay scales incorporating pay equity and annual indexation of these scales; and conducting pay equity exercises for all roles in the sector that have not yet been evaluated.

Responsibilities:  Participation & Subsidiarity

Local Empowerment

The party states that:
– local governments are already engaged in land use planning, with plans either in place or under development.
– the effects of climate change require changes in our consumption habits, development plans, and infrastructures.  Related loss of nature directly impacts communities and their citizens.
– the consequences of climate change, such as erosion, forest fires, heat or cold waves, air quality issues, and economic impacts, as well as potential solutions, may vary significantly from one community or region to another.

The party advocates:
– adopting a collaborative approach with Indigenous communities, municipalities, Regional Services Commissions, and concerned non-profit organizations to devise local and regional solutions to the effects of climate change and nature loss, with multi-year funding and technical support to local governments and non-profit organizations for environment and climate change-related projects.

Civil Liberties  |  Human Rights  |  Responsibilities:  Participation & Subsidiarity

Racism

The party states that it is committed to ending all forms of racism and discriminatory practices, including:
– through provincial education and justice systems, working to recognize and stop anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Indigenous racism and all other forms of systemic racism.
– declaring New Brunswick to be a Sanctuary Province where people can access basic services without fear, regardless of their immigration status, as a decent, humane thing to do.
– expanding oversight of provincial police and correctional facilities with an emphasis on moving towards a system that reduces recidivism through rehabilitation—rather than profiling and punishment.

LGBTQ+

The party states that it stands in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ community, and is committed to advancing the rights and priorities of LGBTQ+ people and working together to build a more just and inclusive province.

The party advocates:
– improving the sexual education curriculum in public schools, with a focus that includes teaching a greater understanding and respect for gender and sexual diversity.
– commit to advancing trans-inclusive health care, and improving accessibility to services and medication.
– making it easier to change gender identity markers on official government documents.
– ending the requirement that educational institutions have gendered bathrooms.

The party has published no current statement concerning its policies relating to:
• Responsibilities, participation, or subsidiarity

Civil Liberties  |  Human Rights  |  Responsibilities:  Participation & Subsidiarity

The party has published no current statement concerning its policies relating to:

• Civil liberties
• Human rights
• Responsibilities, participation, or subsidiarity

Civil Liberties  |  Human Rights  |  Responsibilities:  Participation & Subsidiarity

The party’s constitution states that the party believes in:
– 4. The Individual:  it respects the rights of the individual, but is mindful of the responsibilities, which those rights demand. It is by accepting their responsibility and acting on their own initiatives that individuals will achieve their full potential.

Gender Equity

The party’s 2024-25 budget states that, to promote gender equality and reduce systemic discrimination by providing advice and support to the Minister responsible for Women’s Equality as well as to departments of government, and to coordinate the implementation of the government’s actions and initiatives in the areas of women’s personal, social and economic security:
– in 2023-24, the party budgeted $6.4 million.
– in 2023-24, the party spent $9.3 million, or 45% more than planned.
– for 2024-25, the party has budgeted $10.4 million, a further 12% increase.
– for 2024-25, the party has budgeted an additional $485 thousand for the New Brunswick Women’s Council, an independent body that provides advice to the Minister on matters of importance to women and their substantive equality; to bring to the attention of government and the public issues of interest and concern to women and their substantive equality; to be strategic and provide advice on emerging and future issues; and to include and engage women of diverse identities, experiences and communities, women’s groups and society in general.

The party has published no further current statement concerning its policies relating to:

• Civil Liberties
• Human rights
• Responsibilities, participation, or subsidiarity

Solidarity

The party states that:
– the fight against climate change and the transition towards a green economy needs an activist government, as well as the mobilization of all sectors of society. If everyone is to contribute, it is essential that each person is respected and feels secure in a society that values them.
– a Green society celebrates and protects social and cultural equality and diversity.
– to achieve this, we must make peace with one another by recognizing the vulnerability of certain groups and communities. We must collectively reject racism, sexism, homophobia, and mistrust towards those who are different from the majority.
– we must counter the idea that democracy is simply the rule of the majority. It also includes the right of all people to equality in society.

With the Disabled 

The party states that:
– according to 2017 data, 26.7 per cent of New Brunswick’s population aged 15 and over has one or more disabilities, the second highest rate among all provinces and territories.
– significant progress has been made to raise awareness about people with disabilities, but much remains to be done to obtain reliable, consistent, and inclusive services in the public and private sectors.
– each person must be granted both the right and opportunity to reach their full potential as autonomous individuals, empowered to assert control over their own circumstances and to assume the responsibility of active citizenship within supportive communities.

The party advocates:
– implementing the recommendations of the July 2020 report of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
– legislating improved building codes and adopting universal design regulations for accessibility in all public facilities and buildings.
– abolishing the unjust policy which denies access to mental health services to people with autism and people with intellectual disabilities.
– removing people with disabilities from the current social assistance categories and policies and implementing a Guaranteed Liveable Income pilot project to provide them with an adequate income.
– ensuring that people with disabilities have access to affordable housing that includes all necessary equipment.
– increasing access for people with disabilities to affordable transportation services in communities.

Indigenous Peoples 

The party states that:
– the provincial government must no longer postpone the identification and correction of biases towards First Nations in our systems, including healthcare, childcare, education, and justice systems.

The party advocates:
– establishing a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and implementing, without delay, the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and those of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
– ordering a public inquiry into the New Brunswick justice and policing systems to shed light on the systemic biases towards indigenous peoples and correct them.
– support for the training of Indigenous language teachers and Indigenous student immersion programs for Wabanaki languages and ensure that school curricula promote a better understanding among all students of the history and meaning of Indigenous languages and cultures.
– each person must be granted both the right and opportunity to reach their full potential as autonomous individuals, empowered to assert control over their own circumstances and to assume the responsibility of active citizenship within supportive communities.

Rural Communities

Local Self-Reliance

The party states that:
– New Brunswick communities must be in charge of their own destiny to the greatest extent possible. Resilient, sustainable communities require economies that meet local needs and are locally controlled, minimizing dependency on external forces.
– self-reliance and resilience is built on public assets placed in the hands of and dedicated to the service of local communities.
– local self-reliance is integral to the shift to a society which respects the ecological and social limits of human production.
– New Brunswickers must have meaningful opportunities to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, created through responsive and decentralized democratic processes, structures and institutions.

In order to bring the provincial health care system back to human scale, the party advocates bringing decision-making about the delivery of public services closer to the communities that use them, and by reinvesting in those services to meet the needs and expectations of the public. This includes:
– establishing community health centres throughout the province, to offer the services of a variety of professionals, including family doctors, mental healthcare specialists, nurse practitioners, dieticians, respiratory technicians, and midwives.
– maintaining emergency services and acute care beds in rural hospitals.

Francophones and Anglophones; Cultural Duality

The party states that:
– the provincial government has an important role to play in closing the gaps that exist between francophone and anglophone regions, supporting duality in health and education services, educating the population on issues relating to our official languages, and promoting the cultures of diverse communities.

The party advocates:
– creating a Legislative Standing Committee on Official Languages, and reviewing the Official Languages Act through an open and transparent process.
– ensuring that seniors have access to long term care in the language of their choice.
– increasing the Commissioner of Official Languages’ budget to promote the advancement of both official languages in the province.
– obtaining some authority over immigration to respond to the needs of New Brunswick, and adopting a management structure that respects the principle of duality in matters of francophone immigration.
– providing free language training programs in both official languages in community colleges and public libraries.
– maintaining the Memramcook Institute as the provincial, community, cultural and historical asset that it is, and providing funding to ensure its continued role in the local community and for all Acadians.

Racialized people

The party states that:
– racialized people experience systemic racism and oppression in Canada and New Brunswick. Prejudice and stereotypes have no place in a fair and green society. The government must act to eliminate the racism embedded in provincial political, social, and cultural systems to allow racialized minorities to fully participate in society.

The party advocates:
– including in school curricula the study of the history of slavery, segregation, and systemic oppression in Canada and in New Brunswick.
– ordering a study of the personal, social, and economic impact of racism in New Brunswick, and developing a strategic anti-racism plan to repair this damage and prevent racism going forward.

Immigrants & Newcomers

The party advocates:
– collaborating with the Multicultural Council of New Brunswick and its partner organizations to increase employment possibilities for immigrants and newcomers.
– increasing the Commissioner of Official Languages’ budget to promote the advancement of both official languages in the province.
– obtaining some authority over immigration to respond to the needs of New Brunswick, and adopting a management structure that respects the principle of duality in matters of francophone immigration.

Solidarity

The party states, as a matter of constitutional principle, that:
– through a commitment to equal opportunity, and a belief in the inherent dignity of all people, it will strive to advance progressive and innovative policies and programs designed to overcome social inequities, whether based on economic or regional factors, age, gender and sexual orientation, ethnic background, or physical or mental ability.
 

With the Marginalized 

Accessibility
The party states that:
– New Brunswick has the second-highest disability rate in Canada.
– accessibility legislation would help reduce barriers and provide equity for those with disabilities.
– to that end, it advocates ensuring the timely implementation of effective legislation comparable to other provinces.

Special Care Home Subsidies

The party states that:
– it recognizes the financial challenges faced by special care home residents due to insufficient subsidies intended to help pay for personal items, clothing, and some medication not covered by the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Program, which not been increased since 2005.  It also acknowledges the critical importance of ensuring special care home residents have access to necessary resources.
– it therefore advocates an immediate assessment, an equitable increase in subsidies, and the establishment of a continuous review mechanism to monitor the impact of these increased subsidies on residents’ well-being.

Mental Health and Addictions Support

The party states that:
– mental health and addictions represent significant challenges affecting the well-being of individuals across New Brunswick, and should be an integral component of primary care.
– the current Interdepartmental Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions requires review and improvement to address the evolving needs of the province.

The party advocates:
– immediate establishment of an action plan within the first year of its mandate, to prioritize mental health and addictions as a key focus area and including review of previous plans and studies, seeking areas for improvement to enhance the effectiveness of the Interdepartmental Action Plan.
– designating mental health and addictions care as a separate organizational component within the Health Authorities, ensuring dedicated resources and specialized attention.
– integrating licenced therapists into primary healthcare settings, facilitating faster access to expert care for individuals facing mental health and addiction issues.
– exploring innovative solutions such as outsourcing with virtual care and technology or contracting private providers on an interim basis, thereby increasing the capacity and accessibility of mental health and addiction services while recognizing the scarcity of mental health resources in the province.
– ensure meaningful and sustainable community engagement and resourcing in the provision of mental health and addiction care and services.

Mental Health Courts

The party states that:
– the Mental Health Court offers an alternative for offenders with mental health issues.  It is widely praised by mental health advocates for its focus on community treatment as opposed to incarceration or other sanctions, and was developed based on best practices in other jurisdictions and informed by research.  Other provinces, including Nova Scotia, have recognized the benefits of having a Mental Health Court and have made a commitment to expanding availability.
– during a former term in office, the party reinstated the Mental Health Court through the Provincial Court system in Saint John, with plans to expand Mental Health Court Services throughout the province.  There exists a need to expand the Mental Health Court program to other regions of the province so that more offenders with mental health issuers can avail themselves of this invaluable service for addressing their mental health needs.

The party advocates:
– comprehensive expansion of the Mental Health Court program across the entire province, including providing the appropriate resources and funding, strategic partnerships, and the implementation of evidence-based practices to ensure the program’s effectiveness in addressing mental health issues within the judicial system.

Indigenous Peoples

Healthcare

The party states that:
– historical and ongoing disparities in healthcare outcomes for Indigenous peoples necessitate a commitment to meaningful consultation to address systemic issues facing Indigenous peoples within the province.
– First Nation communities have long identified mental health and addictions as a healthcare priority.  Considering the longstanding crisis in this sector, there is an urgent need to prioritize the implementation of specific recommendations aimed at improving the physical and mental health of Indigenous communities.
– First Nation healthcare leaders in New Brunswick are currently engaged in developing plans to improve the health status of their community members.

The party advocates:
– establishment by First Nation Chiefs of a bilateral forum and an ongoing process to arrive at sustainable and meaningful dialogue with the goal of achieving culturally safe and equitable healthcare outcomes for Indigenous people in the province.
– provincial commitment to engaging and working in partnership with Indigenous communities and organizations to co-create and implement mental health and addictions programs that meet culturally safe First Nation service and practice standards of care.

Reconciliation

The party states that:
– relations between the Government of New Brunswick and Indigenous peoples have been adversarial for many years.
– Indigenous peoples are one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in New Brunswick.
– several significant challenges in New Brunswick can only be resolved through improved relationships between the Government of New Brunswick and Indigenous peoples.
– the Peace and Friendship Treaties, covenant chains signed between the Crown and the Mi’gmaq, Penobscot, Wolastoqiyik, Abenaki, and Peskotomuhkati, establish a government-to-government relationship and partnership, and these treaties recognize the partnership between First Nations in New Brunswick and the provincial and federal governments.  But full implementation of the Peace and Friendship Treaties has not been realized under current provincial government policies.

The party advocates:
– as a first step in building new relationships to support more effective collaboration and solutions for both the Government of NB, Indigenous peoples, and First Nations governments, reviewing all current civil court claims and actions between the Province of New Brunswick and Indigenous peoples, and making good faith efforts to resolve those claims and actions by settlement agreement, or where appropriate, through withdrawal from the litigation.
– provincial commitment to being a true partner with the Mi’gmaq, Wolastoqiyik, and Peskotomuhkati, including focus on implementation of the Peace and Friendship Treaties to foster the economic and social advancement of New Brunswick.

Natural Resources

The party states that:
– New Brunswick possesses existing and potential natural resources.  There is a legal obligation to consult with First Nations in the province on developments impacting Aboriginal or Treaty Rights.
– the First Nations of New Brunswick never ceded lands with the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaties.
– involvement of First Nations as partners in negotiations on natural resource development projects in their traditional lands is essential to assess risks and potential benefits.

The party advocates:
– collaborating with the First Nations of New Brunswick to obtain consent on development projects on their lands.
– working with First Nations to establish a revenue sharing model benefiting all New Brunswickers, including the Mi’gmaq, Wolastoqiyik, and Peskotomuhkati Nations.
 

Rural Communities

The party states that:
– New Brunswick has a long and rich history in the Agriculture and Agri-food industry.  Industry players have proven to be very innovative, and the agriculture sector has seen immense transformation over the last few decades.
– the recent pandemic brought new light to the rise in food insecurity in the province.
– New Brunswick has a surplus of abandoned farmland that has become non-productive.

The party advocates:
– a full assessment of abandoned farmland, and working stakeholders to actively plan and manage these properties for agricultural needs, including encouraging the value added of New Brunswick farmed goods to optimize industry growth.

Cellular Coverage

The party states that:
– many citizens in New Brunswick lack acceptable cellular coverage, although the increasing reliance on cellular usage for daily tasks makes coverage essential.  Cellular usage is a critical tool for economic development, an area in which New Brunswick cannot afford to lag behind;
– poor cellular coverage poses safety risks to the citizens of New Brunswick.  Yet New Brunswick has historically been a leader in the information technology sector.

The party advocates:
– development of a clear, time-bound plan to achieve comprehensive provincial cellular coverage, reinforcing New Brunswick’s position as a leader in this field.

Rural Transportation

The party states that:
– many seniors in New Brunswick’s rural communities may not have access to automobile transportation.  The ability of seniors to participate in social, educational, and cultural activities often depends on access to alternative transportation modes beyond personal vehicles.
– similar transportation needs are also present among the younger population.

The party advocates:
– development of a comprehensive provincial transportation strategy that addresses the needs of both seniors and the younger population in rural areas.

Needs Assessment

The party states that:
–  many residents of rural New Brunswick feel that the challenges of their daily living, including transportation, access to healthcare, emergency services, and policing, are not adequately addressed.
– some rural areas, particularly isolated island communities, face unique challenges.

The party advocates:
– active exploration of opportunities to aid rural communities and advocate effectively for their specific needs, ensuring equitable access to essential services and support.

Immigrants & Newcomers

Housing-Aware Immigration Policy

The party states that New Brunswick is facing significant challenges related to housing availability and affordability.  At the same time, the province needs to develop an immigration policy that addresses housing concerns while still leveraging the economic and social benefits of immigration.

The party advocates a housing-aware immigration policy that includes elements to support seniors with health conditions or impairments requiring in-house caregivers and encourages skilled immigrants to build their own homes, including:
– Immigrant Live-in Caregivers: Prioritizing immigrant caregivers for live-in positions with seniors with health conditions or impairments. Such arrangements eliminate the need for additional housing, ensuring immigrants contribute to meeting social needs without straining the housing supply.
– Seeking Skilled Immigrants Committed to Homebuilding: To address the housing shortage, draw policy elements from the entrepreneur class immigration criteria targeting skilled immigrants committed to building their own homes.
– Preferential Immigration Sponsorship: Skilled immigrants demonstrating the ability to build their own new home within a year of moving to NB will be given preferential allocation weight. The provincial government will provide support systems such as information on available financing, CMHC programs, and guidance on building regulations.

Indigenous Peoples 

The party states that:
– Indigenous peoples in New Brunswick continue to suffer from deep inequality and injustices. It is committed to meaningful reconciliation, and to making the province more equal, just and inclusive.
– working in partnership with Indigenous peoples, we advocates working to protect the environment, defend the vulnerable and reduce inequality.
– it recognizes and remembers that New Brunswick is located in the traditional territory of the Wolastoqey (Maliseet), Mi’Kmaq and Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Nations.
– it will work wherever possible to facilitate the health and wellness projects First Nations communities request to meet their needs.
– it will encourage and support First Nation entrepreneurship so that First Nation communities become more independent and self-sustaining.
– it advocates ensuring that the “Jordan Principle,” that First Nations people are not disadvantaged by jurisdictional squabbles between the federal and provincial governments, is respected and First Nations in New Brunswick get the help they need.
– in moving  towards a fair and just approach to the use of lands called ‘Crown lands,’ the province must be guided by principles laid out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It advocates development of legislation and policy with these facts in mind and with meaningful consultation with New Brunswick’s First Nations communities.
– as a measure of good faith, it advocates officially renaming the Saint John River to its original name, the Wolastoq River, as recommended by the Wolastoq Grand Council as an important act towards fostering Reconciliation.

Northern & Rural Communities

That party states that as part of its overall strategy for generating economic growth, it is committed to focusing on the priorities of Northern communities, including the following:

Investing in infrastructure

The party states that Roads and highways are important trade corridors that connect the province’s northern and rural communities. Successive prior governments have neglected to adequately invest in northern infrastructure priorities. As a result, Northerners are being shut out from sharing in the province’s prosperity.  For too long, the northeast region of New Brunswick has not received its fair share of highway construction funds. There are serious problems getting goods to and from the industries in the Peninsula—including fisheries, lumber, blueberries and peat moss. Trucking costs are more than they should be because the highway infrastructure is inadequate.

The party advocates:
– prioritizing completion of a limited access highway from Janeville to Bertrand by allocating highway construction funds from the existing annual capital budget to complete the $82-million portion of the project. This was called for by the mayors of the Pensinsua back in 2015.
– upgrading the Road to Resources from St Quentin to Bathurst from a chip seal to a paved road.

Industrial development

The party advocates:
– through its Public Investment Bank, investing in creation of a galvanising plant located in northern New Brunswick to service the many small and medium iron and sheet metal fabrication plants. Currently galvanising involves costly transport to and from Montreal. A locally owned and operated zinc coating plant would add a key missing ingredient to the current industrial infrastructure of the North.
– as part of its forestry and rural development policy, strengthening the Woodlot Owners Marketing Board’s ability to address the bargaining imbalance between the large forestry companies and private woodlot owners in the North and other rural communities, and re-opening the Forestry Act to ensure fair access to Crown Land, and in addition implementing sustainable logging practices and eliminating clear cutting and glyphosate spraying.
– renewed emphasis on supporting secondary manufacturing and services by investing in the traditional industries of the North—farming, fishing and forestry.
– significant improvements to tourism and investment in the Arts.

Support for Rural Communities

The party states that many rural New Brunswickers feel a sense of despair that the provincial government has turned its back on them. It’s time to give rural communities the support they deserve so they can thrive again.

To that end, the party advocates:
– creating a Blueberry Marketing Board to ensure a fair price for blueberries and cranberries.
– passing legislation to empower the Woodlot Owners’ Marketing Board to redress the bargaining imbalance between the large forestry companies and private woodlot owners and re-open the Forestry Act.
– declaring a moratorium on rural school closures until a more community-inclusive policy can be developed in consultation with rural communities.
– supporting value-added exports from our primary industries of agriculture, forestry and fishing with assistance from its proposed Public Investment Bank.
– requiring all public institutions—including hospitals, schools and correctional centres—to adopt a “Buy in New Brunswick” food policy.

Immigrants & Newcomers

The party has published no current specific statement concerning its policies relating to:
• Immigrants & newcomers

Solidarity with the Marginalized  |  Indigenous Peoples  |  Rural Communities  |  Immigrants & Newcomers

The party has published no current statement concerning its policies relating to:

• Journeying with the marginalized
• Indigenous peoples
• Northern & rural communities
• Immigrants or newcomers

Solidarity

The party’s constitution states that the party believes in:
– 8.  Social Policies Which Promote Individual Responsibility: provincial social programs should ensure dignified and meaningful lives for those who need assistance, but also recognize the importance of providing the support and resources necessary for an environment in which New Brunswickers can work together, be self-reliant and take responsibility for their own lives.

With the Marginalized 

The party  states in its 2024-25 budget that it has allocated $1.66 billion ($1.663 million) for the Department of Social Development, an increase from $1.55 billion.   The allocations include:
– $1.075 billion for Seniors and Long Term Care, to improve personal and social functioning and support independent living through a range of community based services and develop initiatives around aging and aging care, and includes $275 million for disability support services.  This is an increase from $984 million spent in 2023-24, out of a budget for $1.004 billion.
– $182 million for Child Welfare and Youth Services, to improve personal and social functioning through the provision of Child Welfare services.  This is a decrease from $191.4 million spent in 2023-24.
– $347 million for Income Security, an increase from $307 million in 2023-24.  This allocation is intended to provide individuals and families in need with financial benefits and, where appropriate, with self-sufficiency program services to enhance their potential for employment, gender-based support services to enhance safety, and appropriate shelter and supports to foster a healthier quality of life.
– $47.2 million for other benefits, to provide financial assistance to support seniors and low-income families with children under 18 years and to low-income households to help offset or reduce energy costs. Assistance is provided through programs such as the Low Income Seniors’ Benefit, Child Tax Benefit and Working Income Supplement, and the Healthy Seniors’ Pilot Project. This is a decrease from $52.6 million spent in 2023-24.

Indigenous Peoples

In its 2024-25 budget the party has allocated $6.9 million to the Department of Indigenous Affairs, a reduction of 6% from $7.42 million, for oversight of whole-of-government approach to Indigenous relations, with responsibility for the coordination of all of the Province’s initiatives with First Nations, serving as the main point of contact and representing the interests of the Province in multilateral initiatives and negotiations. The department leads the consultation process with Indigenous peoples and provides research, analysis and policy advice to government on Indigenous matters.

 Rural Communities

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that it has allocated $80.9 million (an increase from $50.8 million in 2023 to the NB Regional Development Corporation to provide funding for the development, diversification, and growth of the provincial economy, communities, and infrastructure.  The funds are provided under the Rural Economy Fund, the Total Development Fund, Community Development Fund, Preconstruction and Small Community Housing Infrastructure Funds, First Nations Development Fund and Community Investment Fund, and include.

Immigrants & Newcomers

In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that:
– over the last five years, New Brunswick’s population has grown significantly – more than the previous 37 years combined.  The budget invests $3.4 million to help newcomers navigate various immigration streams and provide support such as language training and settlement assistance through non-profit agencies.
– further support will be provided to reduce certification barriers for internationally trained workers in regulated professions as they transition to work in their fields of expertise in New Brunswick.
– to support economic immigration of skilled workers, it proposes to allocate $14.0 million (increase of 26% over the 2023-24 budget) for immigration, to support demographic and economic growth through advancing immigration, settlement and retention activities; administer provincial immigration pathways and support both candidates and employers in having access to the immigration programs most adapted to their situation; provide advice and support to departments on policy development, interdepartmental coordination and intergovernmental relations; to promote, implement and monitor foreign recruitment activities to attract and integrate immigrants. To provide financial support to the settlement sector and ethnocultural organisations to advance newcomer integration and retention.

Prior to its current term in office, the party further advocated, in order to promote provincial population growth:
– increasing the flow of Francophone newcomers – 33% by 2024.