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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
New Brunswick was one of the provinces where winner-take-all cheated the NDP of a couple of MPs. (The others were Saskatchewan 5, Ontario 5, Alberta 4, and Manitoba 2.) I'd love to see her take an outreach job with the federal caucus. She could just stay in New Brunswick and do the job an MP from anglophone New Brunswick would do. Then again, maybe the caucus has already hired Rob Moir or someone else to do this?
Rob has a full-time job as an Economics professor at UNB Saint John.
Some New Brunswick families are questioning why they are receiving a $100 cheque in the mail that is intended to help low-income families prepare for school.
The Progressive Conservative government revamped the school supplement program this year to boost the amount to $100 from $50.
But the program was also expanded to include families with a household income of less than $20,000 instead of just families that receive social assistance
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/08/11/nb-school-s...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-...
The latest poll
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/front/article/1437812
Liberals, NDP can't win without merging - LutzLutz acknowledged he's the only prominent Liberal in the province calling for electoral co-operation.
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1438264
That would be so much fun, with the new party colours. In fact perhaps, to avoid sticky labels like Democrats (too yankee) or Liberal Democrats (too washed-out Brit), they could call it the red-green-orange party. R-GO sounds positive and can-do. NOT R-O-G, though - it would become "rogue" too easily.
R-G-O with two hyphens sounds like a film studio or a soft rock band.
(Sorry. It's a sleep-deprived midnight ramble. I was serious about the colour acronym, though.)
Lutz needs to stick to being a defense lawyer, something he is very good at.
Seems like MacDougall is out as Green leader. No story on CBC yet, I expect it will be up soon.
What does this do for the Greens? They've been very quiet on the shale gas front and the best Jack could muster was not so subtly condoning the ant-shale gas folk to keep acting up.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/09/12/nb-green-le...
as mentioned above.
Jack MacDougall has resigned as the leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick, a year after he led the party into the 2010 election campaign.
Greta Doucet, who was a Green candidate in the Moncton North, will be the interim leader of the party.
MacDougall said he expects a full-time leader will be in place by next spring and he felt it was the right time to step aside
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/09/12/nb-green-le...ummm had already posted the story, no need for duplication now.
Two hydro-fracking opponents disrupted a Fredericton city council meeting on Monday night even though the contentious mining practice was not on the local agenda.
About two dozen people who were upset that trucks used for natural gas exploration were seen driving through the city sat in the public gallery during the regular council meeting.
Later in the evening, two members of the group disrupted the meeting demanding to speak to the councillors before being rejected by Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside.
"I do not appreciate anybody bringing a provincial issue into the council chamber and using it for a soap box. It's inappropriate," Woodside said.
"And, as I pointed out tonight, it's disrespectful to those who were sitting here waiting their turn."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/09/13/nb-woodside...
I'm sure the biggest concerns to residents of Fredericton is the traffic that goes through it. Well done fracking protestors, you've managed to find a new level of crazy.
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.
The Department of Health is considering delisting the seasonal influenza shot for some high-risk people in New Brunswick.
The provincial government is seeking public input on its plan to no longer offer the seasonal flu shot for free, along with all non-surgical treatments for skin lesions.
Those proposed changes have some New Brunswick doctors worried about the impact on their patients.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/09/14/nb-health-f...
"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...
Feds eye provincial finance deputy for auditor general
New Brunswick NDP Leader Dominic Cardy confirmed yesterday that the Official Opposition in Ottawa had been consulted about the appointment, which hasn't been officially announced. Cardy couldn't say for certain, however, whether Ferguson was the sole candidate presented, or one among a list of potential candidates.
http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/newstoday/article/1443797
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.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/10/07/nb-unemploy...Finance Minister Blaine Higgs is facing criticism by the Liberals for questioning why so many people are on social assistance when employers cannot fill vacant jobs.
Premier David Alward's government is on track to blow its deficit reduction target by $65 million this year mostly because of overspending in health care and on social assistance payments.
Higgs said in an interview with CBC News that perhaps there aren't enough incentives for social assistance recipients to look for work.
The finance minister said some employers are having trouble filling jobs, while 23,000 people collect social assistance cheques
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/10/13/nb-higgs-ar...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.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/10/14/nb-liberal-...The Progressive Conservative government will set out a number of key priorities for the upcoming session in its throne speech that will be delivered on Wednesday afternoon.
Premier David Alward's government is struggling to contain its projected deficit that has already ballooned by nearly $100 million since March and it is continuing to face opposition to the possibility of shale gas development in southern New Brunswick.
Finance Minister Blaine Higgs was unavailable to discuss his inability to rein in spending on Tuesday in advance of the throne speech but he has said repeatedly this will be the session where serious cuts happen.
"We've caused a refocus to control spending and to reduce spending, but the major decisions are yet to come," Higgs said recently.
Some of the topics that are likely to be on the Progressive Conservative government's agenda this session:
At the same time, activists opposed to shale gas development, in particular the process of hydro-fracturing, say they will continue their protests.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/11/23/nb-alward-t...
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...
Even more interesting then the boring post from above that doesn't bother with the reduction in MLA's is this nugget.
https://twitter.com/#!/poitrasCBC/status/139775478176284672
Enjoy
Webby
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.
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/1461421The latest CRA poll in NB:
CRA: PC 45% (up from 41), Liberals 28% (down from 34), NDP 23% (same), Green 3% (up from 0), PA 1% (down from 2). Undecided 43% #nb #nbpoli
The NB NDP is holding up well at 23% for the second straight month and they getting tinto the Liberals rear-view mirror!
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.
The previous CRA poll was dismissed as an aberration because it was so soon after the federal election and the field dates also coincided with Layton's death and funeral etc...This poll is significant because NDP support is holding at a very high level three months later when you would think that the post federal election halo and the Layton funeral effect would have worn off!
It's interesting that the "next leader of the Liberal Party" is prefered over Dominic Cardy for premier.
That's a very common phenomenon in polling. People can project any fantasy image they want on to the "next leader of the Liberal Party". Its like how in the US - every time a poll asks would you vote for Obama or the next Republican presidential nominee - the GOP mystery cndidate wins. But when its Obama vs. Romney or Obama vs. Gingrich etc... Obama always wins