Joined by Miramichi Bay-Neguac Green Party candidate Curtis Bartibogue,  this morning Green Party Leader David Coon announced that a Green government would prioritize building nation-to-nation relationships with the Wolastoqey, Mi’kmaq and Peskotomuhkati people. Coon re-iterated that the first step he would take is to immediately convene an inquiry into systemic racism in the New Brunswick justice system.

Coon said he would follow this up with an initiative that would ensure First Nations would be partners in the management of Crown forests, given they had never surrendered the land.  “It is time that we turn public acknowledgements that the indigenous people of New Brunswick never ceded their lands into genuine actions that reflect this reality,” said Coon.

He also committed to supporting the training of Indigenous language teachers and Indigenous student immersion programs for the Wabanaki languages.

“Language is vital to the fabric of who people are,” said Coon. “There are fewer than 100 fluent Wolastoqey speakers and only about 2000 Mi’kmaq speakers left in New Brunswick. We need to take decisive action now to save these important languages.”

Kevin Arseneau, incumbent candidate for Kent North and francophone lieutenant of the Green Party of New Brunswick, promised the revival of the Northern and Miramichi Funds if the party is elected, at a press conference in Robertville today. 

 

The Green Party representative believes that the unique situation of each region of the province requires specific funding to address their particular needs. "What is being proposed is to recognize the need for an asymmetrical approach to address the particular challenges of the North, the Acadian Peninsula and Kent County," said Kevin Arseneau. 

 

According to him, it is necessary to develop comprehensive regional development plans to ensure the full effectiveness of the funds, which must include all elements that have an impact on development such as demographics, the environment and the long-term economic development of the regions.

 

Mr. Arseneau insists that these development plans must be rooted in the community and in consultation with local stakeholders: "We must put an end to Fredericton's paternalism and political interference and stop centralizing development decisions. Our regions need support and it is crucial that these funds be administered in a transparent and community-based manner". The use of the various regional funds will be guided by these development plans and with clear criteria. "We want to stop simply throwing money around and hoping for a miracle to happen. We need a solid plan. A green vote is a vote for your region." He added.  

 

The Green candidate for Restigouche-Chaleur, Marie Larivière, agrees: "Regional development plans are essential to take into account the demographics, environmental issues and economic challenges facing northern communities - free from political interference. The Green Party wants to bring power back to the regions. That's how we're going to build our economy. "

Green Party leader David Coon was in Moncton today to launch the Moncton-region campaign, joined by the all-female group of local candidates, interim leader of the Green Party of Canada Jo-Ann Roberts, and Fredericton Green MP Jenica Atwin.

“I am absolutely thrilled with the candidates we have attracted in the Moncton area,” said Coon. “We’ve invited women to step up for this election and have been overjoyed by the number of women of diverse backgrounds and walks of life who have joined us. Because of our values, the Green Party attracts a diverse group of candidates.”

The candidates for the Moncton area are:

• Mélyssa Boudreau (Dieppe) 
• Carole Chan (Moncton Centre)
• Josephine Watson (Moncton South)
• Laura Sanderson (Moncton Northwest)
• Claire Kelly (Moncton Southwest)
• Rachel Pletz (Riverview)
• Jenny O’Neil (Albert)
• Phylomène Zangio (Moncton East) (Update: New candidate)
• Kimberly-Mai Therrien (Shediac Bay-Dieppe) (Update: This candidate missed the nomination deadline by one minute.)  

 

“This group of women will be tireless advocates for their communities once they are elected to the Legislative Assembly,” said Coon. “I look forward to them joining me in Fredericton come September 15.”

Standing in front of the Sackville Hospital today, Green Party Leader David Coon announced that a Green government will restore autonomy to local hospitals and health centres.

“I will re-establish the essential role of the hospital administrator to ensure hospitals have the autonomy they need to ensure they can provide the health services local people need, when they need them,” said Coon.

Coon also committed to establishing community health boards to ensure local healthcare services reflect the needs and expectations of the community. These will replace the role public members play on the Regional Health Authority Boards.

“Decentralization will provide better decision-making that reflects local realities,” said Coon. “It will restore a true sense of belonging for the hospital staff, confident that they are part of a team working together to serve the community.”

“Successive governments have failed to listen to what people living in rural areas need, and failed to recognize that these ill-conceived plans would add strain to the already overburdened urban hospitals,” said Green Party campaign co-chair and candidate for Memramcook-Tantramar Megan Mitton. “We need decision-making at the local level, by our local communities and at the hospital level, not by someone in Fredericton who doesn’t listen to our community.”

Green Party Leader David Coon announced today that a Green government would make New Brunswick’s property tax system fairer for small business and residential taxpayers. 

“For far too long, heavy industry in New Brunswick has received unfair tax breaks leaving small businesses and homeowners paying an unfair share of provincial property taxes,” said Coon. “A Green government would amend the New Brunswick Assessment Act to bring fairness to the system.” 

In Saint John, for example, homeowners contribute 61% of all property taxes while heavy industry pays just eight percent. The Saint John Regional Hospital’s annual property tax bill is $4.5 million while Irving Oil pays just $2.6 million in property taxes for their refinery. 

“The property tax system has become corrupted”, said Coon. “And I am going to clean it up.”

The Green Party leader committed to eliminating a loophole which enables heavy industry to receive property tax cuts if their income declines, something unavailable to any other class of taxpayer. 

“If you lose your job or you have lost business, government is not going to cut your property tax bill like they do for heavy industry. It is unbelievably unfair,” said Coon.

Coon said he would also end the tax breaks heavy industry receives on industrial machinery and heavy equipment, and cancel the tax exemption Irving Oil receives on its tank farm.

Green Party Leader David Coon announced today that a government led by him will take bold action to ensure people living with disabilities are fully included in New Brunswick society.

“While we have successfully included children with disabilities into our school system, we fail to include people with disabilities in our broader society. Greens are committed to building an inclusive New Brunswick for the 26.7 percent of New Brunswickers who are living with at least one disability. That’s the second highest rate in the entire country,” said Coon.

Coon committed to four actions he would take in his first 100 days in office.

1. Scrap government’s household income policy to enable people with disabilities living on income assistance to get married or live with a roommate without losing their source of income.

2. Allow people with autism or intellectual disabilities to access the New Brunswick mental health care system, from which they are currently excluded.

3. Introduce a New Brunswick Accessibility Act so that people with disabilities will no longer be barred from going where the need to go.

4. Adopt the Disability Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities written by the Premier’s Council on Disabilities, and begin implementing its recommendations.

Coon had earlier announced that people living with disabilities would be the first group in society to benefit from the Guaranteed Livable Income his Party would implement to replace the income assistance system.

New Brunswick seniors deserve better from their government, said Green Party Leader David Coon, and COVID-19 has shown us how much they need our attention and immediate action.   

 

“We would ensure the Department of Health moves immediately to permit a close family member to be designated as a family care-giver so they can resume their role as part of the senior’s care team in New Brunswick nursing and special care homes. Following COVID 19 protocols, these loved ones could return to feeding their loved ones, reduce the burden on overworked staff, end the feelings of isolation, bring happiness to their daily lives and improve their overall well being,” he said.  “The status quo is cruel.  It’s heartbreaking.”

 

“I am also asking the Chief Electoral Officer to designate the first two hours everyday the returning offices are open exclusively for seniors and other vulnerable people so they can vote in a safer environment,” said Coon. “This will help reduce the stress and anxiety they may face having to choose to vote in person in a provincial election during a pandemic.” 

 

Coon announced that a Green government would redesign senior care in New Brunswick to focus on the quality of life and quality of care of nursing home residents by increasing the hours of care residents receive, increase wages for workers and spearhead a model that takes profit out of the equation. 

 

“We cannot ethically stand by and allow the care of our parents and grandparents to increasingly be taken care of by for-profit companies who are accountable to shareholders, not the community,” said Coon. “We can and must do better.” 

 

More details on the Green Party of New Brunswick’s focus on seniors will be provided in the 2020 Green Party Platform to be released in the coming days.

This morning in Mactaquac, Green Party Leader David Coon announced that Louise Comeau will be running for the Green Party in the upcoming election in the riding of Carleton-York.

“I am thrilled that Louise has chosen to run in Carleton-York,” said Coon. “She has many years of experience as a leading climate change expert and advisor to Elizabeth May and I know she will make a great MLA.”

Comeau is an environmental consultant specializing in climate change policy and communications. She also is an honorary research associate and instructor at the University of New Brunswick.

“I’m running for three reasons: First, because of my enormous respect for David as leader and as a person of character; second, to spark conversations in our community about the importance of Green values to a thriving rural life, and third because we need new provincial policies to stimulate the transition to a non-polluting economy,” said Comeau. “The last two years have shown that we need more Green MLAs in the Legislature and I’m excited to get to work on environmental solutions for rural New Brunswickers, including the residents of Carleton-York.”

Green Party leader David Coon was joined by Green Party candidate for Fredericton North Luke Randall today to announce the Green Party’s plan for a Guaranteed Livable Income in New Brunswick.

“I’ve seen the struggles of those living in poverty in my constituency office on a daily basis over my last six years as MLA,” said Coon. “Now the COVID-19 pandemic has blown the doors wide open, exposing the holes in our social safety net.”

Coon announced that a Green government would launch a Guaranteed Livable Income in New Brunswick. The first recipients would be people living with a disability as a pilot project. The next step would be to make it available to everyone that depends on social assistance, followed by minimum wage workers.

“A Guaranteed Livable Income has been tremendously successful in helping people get ahead where it has been tried, in places such as Hamilton, Ontario and Dauphin, Manitoba.,” said Coon. “My plan will ensure that people don’t have to choose between putting a roof over their head, food on the table, or buying a bus ticket to get to work or an appointment. It will allow people with a disability to have the basic dignity that we all expect as New Brunswickers.”