NB Politics potpourri

Film producers say they are cautiously optimistic after meeting with Economic Development Minister and Deputy Premier Paul Robichaud about the government decision to cut the film tax credit in the March budget.

Since then producers have protested the decision, with many saying they would leave the province and move their businesses and their employees elsewhere.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/05/02/nb-film-cre...

The strength of the NDP is being credited to the rise of New Brunswick's voter turnout in Monday' election.

Elections Canada's preliminary statistics show New Brunswick's voter turnout level jumped to 66.1 per cent up from 62.9 per cent in 2008.

New Brunswick's share of registered voters who cast ballots in Monday's election is the third highest in Canada, behind only Prince Edward Island and the Yukon.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/05/04/nb-election...

Premier David Alward is facing questions about whether he approved a special pension for Saint John MP Rodney Weston when he was a cabinet minister in 2003.

Opposition Leader Victor Boudreau pressed Alward on Thursday in question period over the fresh pension allegations.

Weston, who is now the Conservative MP for Saint John, had served for three-and-a-half years as the chief of staff for Bernard Lord.

It's time to open the province's books and reveal how many specially approved pensions successive New Brunswick governments have doled out to party supporters, says the province's NDP leader. Accusations have emerged that both Conservative and Liberal cabinets being turfed from power in the last decade have granted special dispensation to political appointees who otherwise didn't qualify for a government pension.

Dominic Cardy says it's time for everyone to shed light on how the deals happened and how much it's costing New Brunswickers.

"It's our money and we should know how it's spent," he said.

"It's shameful. This is why people get turned off politics," said the NDP leader, who earlier this week called on the Liberals and Conservatives to commit to an independent, merit-based process for appointing senior officials to Crown corporations.

Hiding behind cabinet privilege on the pensions issue is unacceptable, he said.

NB Speaker Dale Graham said

Does that mean 15% of our exports stay in NB?

New Brunswick should revamp some of its oldest legislative and political traditions in an effort to re-engage citizens in democracy and give a voice to smaller parties, according to a new report.

Don Desserud, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John and Cody Waite, a graduate student at the University of New Brunswick, authored a 66-page report to be released Friday in Fredericton.

New Brunswick motorists will have to let the cellphone go to voicemail while they drive, starting Monday.

That's when the province's distracted driving legislation comes into effect.

The Progressive Conservative government passed the new law in December which prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones and the manual programming of GPS systems while driving.

Drivers who break the law will have to pay $172.50 in addition to losing three points from their license.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/06/05/nb-cellphon...

never mind

A South Korean family that is facing deportation because their youngest son is autistic and epileptic has received assurances from the New Brunswick government that it will pay for the child's health and education costs.

The federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration told the Maeng family, which has been living in Moncton since 2003, last week they must leave Canada by the end of the month.

The federal government is arguing that because Sung-Joo Maeng, 15, is epileptic and autistic the costs of his care would be too expensive.

Social Development Minister Sue Stultz presented a letter to the Maeng family Wednesday with a guarantee the provincial government will cover the health-care costs for their son.

Nicole Druckman, the family's lawyer, said the provincial government's support will help the family's bid to stay in the country.

Saint John's city employees could be facing more pain as municipal politicians continue to battle the $129-million pension deficit.

The city had planned to make changes to employee benefits and spread out the pension deficit payments over a longer period of time.

However, the provincial government did not approve the necessary legislation and has asked the city to go further in its own cuts.

Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northrup is remaining steadfast in the provincial government's insistence there will not be a ban on hydro-fracking in New Brunswick.

Northrup said in an interview on Wednesday there is no proof to support the concerns raised by many opponents that the shale gas extraction process is harmful to water supplies.

He said there is still time to strengthen the regulatory regime surrounding hydro-fracking in the province

Would love to see her run federally in 2015.

She is 63: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Weir

graft. clientelism. New Brunswick.

The Progressive Conservative is proposing to delay the planned minimum wage hike until next spring over concerns raised by the business community that the increases were hurting their bottom lines.

Labour Minister Martine Coulombe announced the policy shift in a statement on Tuesday.

The provincial government is required to consult the Minimum Wage Board before it can officially delay the wage increase to April 1 from Sept. 1. The minimum wage was supposed to jump to $10 per hour.

Organizers of a blockade that surrounded several pieces of equipment used in the exploration of shale gas say they want to meet three provincial cabinet ministers and hear that the province has banned seismic testing.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday about 50 protesters surrounded five Geokinetics "thumper trucks" on Route 625, on a section of gravel road about 10 minutes north of Stanley. Geokinetics has been conducting geochemical surveys looking for shale gas under contract with Southwestern Resources Canada, a firm the province awarded a licence to explore for shale gas and oil over a huge swath of New Brunswick in 2010

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/1430577

Rob has a full-time job as an Economics professor at UNB Saint John.

Opponents of shale gas exploration are shifting their protest from a dirt road outside of Stanley to the province's main government office.

Roughly 60 protesters, most of whom were from the Stanley blockade that ended Wednesday evening, are now in the lobby of the Centennial Building. The lobby is one floor below the Office of the Premier.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/08/11/nb-protest-...

Lutz acknowledged he's the only prominent Liberal in the province calling for electoral co-operation.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1438264

Lutz needs to stick to being a defense lawyer, something he is very good at.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/09/12/nb-green-le...

as mentioned above.

ummm had already posted the story, no need for duplication now.

There is a province-wide anti-shale gas coalition made up of over 20 community-based groups and alliances --and growing-- that's organizing against the current gov't's lies and obstructionism.   In addition to local forums, town meetings, etc., there will be a march and rally in Moncton on Saturday, Sept. 17, leaving at noon from Vaughn Harvey Blvd. and Assomption Blvd. down Main St. to City Hall.

This Wednesday the 14th (tomorrow!), in Sussex, supporters of the Penobsquis community victim of shale gas exploration and of the Potash mines will rally outside the Mining Commission hearings.

"Ban fracking" and "No shale gas" signs are all around to let the gov't know that opponents aren't just a vocal little minority. 

Premier Alward has rejected the call for a referendum saying that the last election was as good a referendum as any, since the majority of voters gave them a virtual blank cheque. 

At the NB Union of Municipalities convention in Fredericton Sept 30-Oct 2, a special meeting on shale gas and hydrofracking was called at the request of several municipalities. The gov't agreed but they are using 3.5 hours to present their own position (parroting industry) and leaving 1/2 hour for concerned citizens.   Alward and his people are starting to rule à la Harper. 

That's today's summary.  I think I got the facts right. I hope so, at least.

If individuals are going to act up as those two did at a town council meeting, it's not the responsibility of the anti-fracking coalition, which is made up of thoughtful, responsible people acting in concert and in consultation.

Don't make light of the anti-shale gas movement.  First nations, environmentalists, farmers, fisherfolk, and people who've chosen N.B. because of the peaceful way of life and the landscapes, and tourists and tourism-dependent businesses who will suffer from harm to rivers and lakes and potentially to the Bay of Fundy, form this opposition.  We can't be dismissed as just a bunch of cranks.

"Premier Alward said he would act on the commission's report this summer. The energy commission was the centrepiece of Mr. Alward's campaign," Cardy said in a statement.

"Summer ended last Thursday, the weather will soon be getting colder and New Brunswickers will be paying more for their power. All because the Conservatives don't have the courage to implement their own recommendations."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/09/27/nb-energy-c...

New Brunswick's jobless rate edged down to 8.9 per cent in September as the economy added 3,000 full-time jobs.

The province's unemployment rate fell for the second straight month, according to Statistics Canada's monthly labour force report that was issued on Friday.

New Brunswick's labour force grew to 387,400 in the last month.

The number of full-time jobs jumped to 294,700, an increase of 3,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the number of part-time jobs shrank to 58,200, a reduction of 300 jobs.

The Liberals are looking to give grassroots party members greater influence in selecting the party's next leader, according to a commission report released on Thursday.

The New Brunswick Liberal Association launched its internal renewal commission shortly after the party was turfed from office last September.

The commission came up with 31 recommendations that are designed to reinvigorate the party after becoming the first one-term government in the province's history. The recommendations were released on Thursday and Liberals will vote on the proposals at a special membership meeting on Nov. 26 in Fredericton.

Jane Fritz, who was one of the commissioners, said on Thursday there was significant tension within the party about whether to stick with the traditional delegate system or move to a one-member, one-vote model.

Premier David Alward's government outlined a plan in its throne speech on Wednesday to cut the number of MLAs during the upcoming electoral boundaries redistribution initiative.

The Alward government's second throne speech continued to warn of challenging economic times and broadly listed a series of looming reforms that will streamline the New Brunswick government.

In recent months, civil servants in government departments and nurses have been laid off in the province's attempt to curtail its $545-million forecasted deficit. Now, some of New Brunswick's 55 MLAs will also be among those losing their jobs.

The Electoral Boundaries and Redistribution Act is being revised to "ensure provincial ridings are as representative and equitable as possible." But the Alward government is sending a clear signal that there will be fewer politicians in Fredericton after the 2014 election.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/11/23/nb-throne-s...

Eleven anti-poverty and social justice organizations have signed an open letter to the provincial Tory government denouncing its consultation process on a two-tiered minimum wage.

The groups say it's unacceptable to use information received electronically and anonymously to justify a lower minimum wage for workers who receive tips.

"A true consultation is required before making such important decisions that will impact the working poor," wrote Jean-Claude Basque, the provincial co-ordinator for the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice, one of the groups that signed the letter on Monday. "How can anonymous online answers be considered credible? In fact, can we even believe these answers? What about transparency?"

Last month, Martine Coulombe, the minister of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour, announced a six-week consultation on the concept of a special minimum wage for servers earning tips. The public was invited to complete an online survey between Nov. 2 and Dec. 14.

An election is a long way of and the Libs have an interim leader. That being said it is nice to see the NDP polling consistently over 20%. Cardy has been working hard to keep the party's name in the press. The NDP Federal campaign is also keeping the brand before the NB population.

It's interesting that the "next leader of the Liberal Party" is prefered over Dominic Cardy for premier.

Beausejour Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc is coming under renewed pressure to enter the New Brunswick Liberal leadership race.

LeBlanc came under immediate pressure to consider a foray into provincial politics after former premier Shawn Graham lost the 2010 election.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/12/08/nb-dominic-...

Story is now on CBC as well.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/12/08/nb-windsor-...

New Brunswick's population grew by 2.9 per cent between 2006 and 2011, bucking a decades-long trend of a declining population, according to Statistics Canada.

The population figures from the census were released on Wednesday. New Brunswick's population now stands at 751,171 in 2011 up from 729,997 in 2006.

New Brunswick is becoming more of a southern, urban and suburban province, according to the census data.

A Riverview woman is raising questions about the provincial government sharing New Brunswickers' personal information with a charitable organization.

The provincial government provides the names and addresses of 550,000 drivers in the province to the War Amps.

Leslie Last said she has no problem with the War Amps' work, but is concerned with how people's personal data is being handled.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/02/15/nb-war-amps...

The PCs seem to be lurching from blunder to blunder these days. They turned down a million dollars from the hospital foundation to purchase a better MRI at the SJRH.  Dr. Jim Parrot, one of the local  PC MlAs essentially came out and said the Health minister was crazy to reject the offer.

ETA: an article on the controversy http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/02/28/nb-mri-3t-a...

That's been an open secret for awhile.  Debater, Actor, standup comedian, lawyer  and former student politician. What more could the NB Libs want? By the next election will the electorate remember he was taken to court as Education Minister over  the consultation process for early French Immersion? He would certainly best Alward in any debate. I think lamrock and cardy are of the same vintage.

Interesting dilemma:  Is this a bad legal precedent that we should all oppose? Or is it in reality a move we should support (I mean, cutting pensions and salaries)?   IMO (despite my loathing of the whole pension and salary scale for elected officials across the board)  it is a dangerous precedent, even though it would seem fair on the surface that MLAs share the burden of cuts along with seniors, the disabled, the sick, the unemployed, and the working poor, of whom N.B. has far more than any province should have.

So you're suggesting that the MLA pensions could be the thin edge of the wedge, a faux-populist/egalitarian gambit to attack other sectors...

This would be more of a concern for me if the payments received by MLAs had any relationship to what Saint John workers (or any other group of workers) receive as pension payments. The Pension Benefits Act deals with what almost all workers in New Brunswick receive as pensions. The worker has an amount deducted from her/his wages which is matched by the employer, and these amounts are invested by professional advisers to maximize returns and ensure the stability of the pension plan in the long run.

MLAs are covered by the Members' Pension Act, in which the amounts paid out to MLAs are based on general revenues of the province (i.e. money that was collected for health care, schools, roads, and all government services) rather than a return on the money jointly invested by the employer and worker. Workers in the City of Saint John, like any worker of which I am aware, would kill for this kind of pension plan.

The people who devised the plan, who will benefit from it directly at some point unless they die in office, use the term "pension" because it carries a meaning that gives it a positive impression. If it were called a "retirement allowance" or "annual allowance" -- a term more accurate than calling the payment a "pension" -- the scrutiny of the payments would be more appropriate.

In other provinces, parents have gone to Court to prevent governments from reducing services -- the last one I recall was Ontario parents opposing the ending of funding for a particular treatment approach for autistic children. Courts have said that governments get to make decisions about which programs to fund and which ones not to fund -- short of finding the decision was motivated on prohibited grounds (like disability, ethnic origin, or the like), the Courts have said that they will not overturn the authority of government to decide which programs to fund. THAT is how MLA pensions should be seen, IMO -- as a government program that competes with other government programs for its continued funding. Just calling it a "pension" should not give it sacrosanct status nor inhibit progressives from criticising the retired MLA annual allowance plan.

I would not dream of "mobilising around the allocation of public funds" -- it is "inside the ballpark" framing of an issue. People who read this message board may get excited about the processes used to allocate government funds to this program over that program. This message board represents 0.01% of the voters in any province, at best.

That comment does not mean that this idea should be ignored. Instead, I would suggest the following approaches to using the idea around other moblisations:
(1) Whenever possible, use phrasing like the "MLAs pensions, which could more accurately be called Retired MLA annual allowances, should be ..." in any sentence mentioning what Conservatives and Liberals call "MLA pensions".
(2) The next time a government representative talks about there not being enough funds for education, health care, child care, enviornmental protection, or any one of dozens of other worthwhile government-funded programs, include in the next question/response to that government representative: "We all understand that government funds are limited, but both the Liberals and Conservatives in the legislature have found the money needed to increase the annual payments made to retired MLAs. Why can the money be found for retired MLAs' allowances while our seniors and kids are being told the cupboard is bare?"

A campaign focused on "the allocation of public funds" will bore the crap out of almost every member of the general public. It's not the kind of thing that can lead a campaign; it is the kind of thing with which you "counterpunch" while fighting another issue with more public appeal.

http://www.cbc.ca/informationmorningfredericton/2012/04/16/ndp-convention/

A wide ranging interview with Dominic Cardy after NB Convention this past weekend.

I must admit Cardy is starting to grow on me. The next NB election will be interesting.

Former Saint John city councillor John Ferguson embraced friends and family in the lobby of a Saint John courthouse Tuesday night, celebrating a complete victory in his five-year legal battle with the city's pension board.

"I'm pleased with the decision," an emotional Ferguson told reporters.

"Very pleased with the decision."

A seven-person jury deliberated for eight hours following 12 weeks of courtroom testimony and arguments.

The jury concluded Ferguson was well within his rights to criticize management of the city's deficit-plagued pension fund while he was a councillor.

The Saint John Pension Board sued Ferguson for multiple statements he made at five city council meetings and in a newspaper opinion piece over an 18-month period beginning in April of 2005, claiming serious and malicious damage to its reputation.

Are you sure it wasn't the  crew of  This Hour ...  dressed up as plainclothes cops to tape an episode?

Or perhaps it was a pilot for a new comedy show.  Canadian humour can be so zany.

The campaigning is over and New Brunswick voters are heading to the polls today to elect new mayors, councillors as well as members for their local education and health councils.

While each of the 105 municipal races and dozens of regional health authority and district education council races are important to the local candidates and communities, there are a handful of races that may draw provincial intrigue.

Some of the province's larger cities have intense battles for mayors or high-profile candidates seeking election or electoral redemption.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/05/14/nb-7-races-to-watch-600.html

Election day in NB where most people have some personal connections in the race. For example, the incumbent mayor taught me science when I was in grade 8. His chief opponent is the brother of my oldest son's former principal. I still chair the Parent School Support Committee at that school and the principal is running for council in my parents' ward.

I graduated from high school with one of the perceived front-runneres in the at large elections and we work at the same institution. Many others in the city would have even more connections to the candidates.

Ms. C. and I are going to vote after work and watch the results roll in after the polls close at 8.

None in SJ that I am aware of. One of the incumbents has been approached by the NDP in the past. He has done a lot of progressive things in his neighbourhood, yet is a former SA officer. I'm not quite sure where he stands on social issues.

Is Virgil an incumbent? I new them both when I worked at Mount A around the turn of the century.

Bill Evans won election with the 2nd most votes for council (Virgil was defeated). Progressive Leah Levac was elected in Ward 10 in Fredericton. Donnie Snook, a councillor who considered running for the NB NDP in 2010, easily defeated a field of 6 other candidates to win election in Ward 3 in Saint John.

New Brunswick voters shook up the province's political landscape on Monday night, electing many new faces to council positions and turning to new mayors.

Almost every council across the province will have some new faces around the table when the next session is called to order in the next month.

There are some candidates who were elected in the first election where they could actually vote. And some fresh faces will have leadership positions in some of the province's largest municipalities.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/05/15/nb-5-new-fa...

That riding is now held by Carl Killen, a Tory.