FREDERICTON – In order to address the challenges that have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton-South, David Coon, is calling on the Higgs government to establish a Select Committee on Social and Economic Resilience, with the following two main goals:

1. Promotion of Personal and Social Well-Being
2. Promotion of Sustainable Economic Progress

 “As we begin to navigate a recovery from the pandemic, we need to be sure to place the well-being of all New Brunswickers at the heart of our decision-making,” said Coon. “We also have a unique opportunity to reset our economy in a way that is more locally-based, resilient, ecologically sustainable, and most importantly, serves all New Brunswickers.”

The Select Committee would include members of all parties in the Legislature and be mandated to engage with New Brunswickers to recommend social and economic measures which will put New Brunswick on a path toward a more resilient society and economy.  

“In the weeks and months since the beginning of the pandemic, we discovered that partisanship can be put aside and party leaders are capable of working together to serve the common good, as we have on the all-party cabinet committee,” said Coon. “I want to carry through that spirit of collaboration into the Legislature with this Select Committee to look at how we better support the most vulnerable, such as our seniors, youth and the poor, while pursuing economic progress that is more sustainable and suitable for a province the size of New Brunswick.”

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