Press release

For immediate release

April 8, 2019

Beresford – The Green Party of New Brunswick’s annual convention drew a large and diverse crowd from all over New Brunswick to Beresford this weekend.  The energy in the convention room at Danny’s Inn was palpable, as members gathered to hear about the work of the Green Caucus in Legislature, build their skills for growing the party in their ridings, and to elect new members to the Green Party’s governing council. 

‘’It was exciting to see so many new faces in the crowd,’’ said Green Party leader David Coon. ‘’Our party’s family-centred and community-focussed approach to making life better for everyone in New Brunswick, is clearly giving people hope that green politics is the way forward.  And they know we are the real green deal when it comes doing our part to reduce New Brunswick’s impact on the living world and the climate’’, said Coon.

At the convention, the membership elected four new members to the Executive of their government council including retired software developer, Tom McLean as President, former MLA and Deputy Speaker, Carolle de Ste. Croix as francophone Vice-President. 

The Green Party’s policy convention was held in early March.  The updated policy manual will be available in May.

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For more information:

Marco Morency

[email protected]

Marco Morency new executive director of the Green Party of NB

(Fredericton, April 2, 2019) - The Green Party of NB has hired an experienced activist, Marco Morency, as executive director. The community organizer wants to be at the heart of the action and make gains in the next election. For him, the time has come to become politically engaged.

Originally from Edmundston and based in Moncton since university, Marco Morency is known for his commitment to social and environmental causes. He first became involved in the Petitcodiac River issue in the late 1990s and then became executive director of the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper in 2010. He has been active locally, provincially and nationally for more than 20 years and has contributed to many organizations, including several environmental and Acadian organizations. Before joining the Green Party of New Brunswick, he was deputy executive director of the Congrès mondial acadien 2019.

According to him, his new functions are the logical next step from his social activism. "I support the ideas and values of the party 100%. Frankly, I didn't think I'd find that in a political party. The Green Party of NB is the best vehicle to meet the challenges of this critical time for our common future".

The results of the last election give him hope. "People want change and I want to help give them a voice. Our three MLAs do politics differently. These are not just words; they take concrete action. It's refreshing and that's what people want to see. Now we need more Green Party MLAs and that's why I'm here," says the new executive director.

"Marco's management skills and organizational leadership experience are exactly what our rapidly growing party needs to succeed in every region of our province", said Green Party leader David Coon. "I look forward to working with him".

People will have the opportunity to engage with Mr. Morency at the Party's annual convention to be held on April 6 and 7 in Beresford.

For Immediate Release
10 October 2018
Green Caucus Invites all MLAs to collaborate in the Legislature

Fredericton – The Green caucus, including David Coon, Leader and MLA for Fredericton South, Kevin Arseneau, MLA for Kent North, and Megan Mitton, MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar, held a news conference to release a copy of a Declaration of Intent they have drafted for the consideration of all MLAs to declare their willingness to collaborate in the Legislative Assembly once a government has been formed.

Following the election on September 24th Green Party Leader David Coon has spoken to Brian Gallant, Blaine Higgs and Kris Austin about the election results. Coon met with both Mr. Gallant and Mr. Higgs throughout the week of October 1st.

“After several days of useful discussions with the leaders of the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties, it became clear the conditions for formal agreements of confidence and supply are not present,” said Coon. “However, once a government is in place, New Brunswickers want to see all of us cooperate to find solutions to the challenges we face, so our caucus has drafted a Declaration of Intent to cooperate for all MLAs to consider endorsing, based on the values we share as New Brunswickers.”

For Immediate Release
27 September 2018
Green MLAs offer to open discussions with Tories and Liberals

Fredericton – David Coon, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick has met with his new caucus of Green MLAs: Megan Mitton, MLA-elect for Memramcook-Tantramar, and Kevin Arseneau, MLA-elect for Kent North. Coon has arranged to speak with both Blaine Higgs and Brian Gallant later today, about commencing formal negotiations toward establishing a stable government for the people of New Brunswick.

“Both Mr. Gallant and Mr. Higgs have obtained a minority of support from New Brunswickers, and they need to be prepared to discuss governing in a way that respects the majority,” said Coon. “My caucus and I will work toward a collaborative, stable government that accomplishes positive change for the people of this province. We take this responsibility seriously.”

Coon will offer both leaders the opportunity to begin negotiations in order to reach an agreement of confidence and supply that would enable the Green MLAs to support throne speeches and budgets, which are matters of confidence in the House. This arrangement follows the model used successfully in British Columbia wherein Greens hold the balance of responsibility in that minority government.

“The people of New Brunswick should rest assured that we will take the appropriate time to ensure that any agreement reached, with either party, is done so with the best interest of New Brunswickers in mind,” said Coon.

Leader David Coon joined local farmers and forest workers today, releasing the Green Party rural protection plan.

“For too long, governments have pursued economic development out of Fredericton, by degrading our natural resources around the province and giving hand-outs to large, profitable corporations,” said Coon. “I’m proud to say that a Green government would flip this model on its head – we need to protect our lands and forests, end the natural resource giveaway, and make financing available to small and medium-sized businesses, invested in their local economies.”

Coon says the Green Party plans for expanding sustainable agriculture and implementing a local food strategy with aggressive targets for increasing the local food production to replace imports.

“To grow our economy, we have to use the talent and the resources we have here and stop giving away our valuable natural resources,” says Coon. “Crown forests – those controlled by the provincial government - are a public trust and must be managed in a way that upholds treaty obligations to First Nations, provides sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities, and maintains the ecological integrity of the forest.”

To protect and grow rural communities the Green Party platform includes commitments to:

• Consolidate the various economic development agencies into a Department of Community and Rural Development.
• Simplify the establishment of Community Economic Development Investment Funds and make them eligible for investments from RRSPs and TFSAs – to facilitate access to investment funds for local enterprises.
• Implement a local food strategy with measurable targets.
• Develop a bio-economy strategy - bioenergy, bioplastics, and biochemicals - that would sustainably utilize renewable resources from our forests, farms and fisheries, including their processing wastes.
• Increase in-province tourism by maintaining and restoring covered bridges and river ferries.
• Immediately cancel the 25-year forestry contracts signed by the Alward government in 2014 and return softwood from private woodlots as the primary source of supply to the mills.
• Give farmers greater power in the marketplace by supporting marketing cooperatives and supply management systems and support education and training opportunities for new farmers.

The full platform can be found here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/bed666ce-15d5-472c-ae5b-a9158e7f5e56

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Media Contact: Shannon Carmont
506.440.4980
[email protected]

(Fredericton) Party Leader David Coon says pursuing a post-secondary education in New Brunswick should not leave students, graduates and their families with big debts and worries about growing interest rates on loans, announcing the Green’s commitment today in Fredericton.

“I’m proud that the New Brunswick Greens’ platform stands out from the other parties by demonstrating our commitment to the long-term goal of extending the public education system to include post secondary institutions through universal, free tuition,” says Coon. “But the immediate priority must be to act to address the crushing debts carried by many graduates and current students.”

“As our sons and daughters hit the books this fall, or enter the workforce with their new degree or trade certificate, the last thing they need is that constant worry about paying back student loans and carrying high interest rates on those loans,” says Coon.

Coon says a Green government would:

• Eliminate interest on provincial student loans, as Nova Scotia has done.
• Reduce the cap for the Timely Completion Benefit Program to $20,000 and extend the eligibility period to account for special circumstances.
• Reinstate the tuition rebate program for recent graduates.
• Develop comprehensive, accessible adult French and English training programs to increase fluency in the two official languages, in cooperation with the community colleges.

The full platform can be found here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/bed666ce-15d5-472c-ae5b-a9158e7f5e56

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Media Contact: Shannon Carmont
506.440.4980
[email protected]

(Fredericton) Green Party leader David Coon says a Green government would make New Brunswick a leader in building safe, climate change resilient communities. Coon says the lack of leadership on this vital issue to-date has held the province back, putting homes and jobs at risk.

Coon released the Party’s climate change action commitments today, which includes tough new limits on greenhouse gases for large polluters, strict requirements for NB Power to provide 50% of our electricity needs from renewable sources such a wind and solar energy, stronger protection for our forests and wetlands to protect New Brunswickers from heavy rain storms and sea level rise, and investments in home energy conservation.

“Climate change action requires strong leadership, not rhetoric,” says Coon. “A province-wide effort that moves us more quickly towards renewable energy and away from coal, oil and gas is warranted. If we take one lesson from the growing incidence of Lyme disease, the ice storm, and this spring’s dangerous floods, it must be that we need to protect our communities from the impact of our changing climate and rapidly invest in new jobs and training.”

“The obsessive bickering between the old parties of Higgs and Gallant over the carbon tax is a distraction from the urgent actions we need to take to avoid this crisis. A carbon tax is not a plan to fight climate change, it is one tool in the toolbox. The Green Party has a plan which we are ready to act on now.”

The Green Party’s commitments on climate change and green energy include:

• Legislation to put a cap on industrial carbon pollution
• Requiring that NB Power use renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydro) to provide 50 percent of our electricity needs by 2025, 75 percent by 2035 and 100 percent by 2050.
• Financing energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses to meet new provincial targets to reduce energy demand.
• Providing financing and incentives to homeowners and businesses to convert from oil and gas to local sources of renewable energy.
• Ensuring New Brunswickers are served by an effective public transportation system, including buses, marine and river ferries and rail.
• Protecting intact forests, wetlands, salt marshes and flood plains as buffers against climate change impacts such as flooding and sea level rise.
• Support the training/re-training of workers in fossil fuel industries and young people to meet the labour needs of the green economy

David Coon has 30 years of experience in climate change. He is a past-chair of the Canadian Climate Action Network, served on the Legislature’s all-party select committee on climate change in 2016, participated in the United Nations Climate Summits in Paris in 2005, and in Montreal in 2005, played a role in the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers 2001 climate action plan, and contributed to the development of Canada very first climate action plan in 1994.

The full platform can be found here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/bed666ce-15d5-472c-ae5b-a9158e7f5e56

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Media Contact: Shannon Carmont
506.440.4980
[email protected]

Green Party releases smart home care plan: increasing salaries for workers

(Waterborough) Green Party leader David Coon says New Brunswick needs a smart, robust, new system to provide quality home care for the province’s seniors and those living with a disability.

Coon released the Green Party’s home care platform today at the Women’s Institute in Waterborough, New Brunswick.

“Everywhere I go in New Brunswick, I see demand for quality home care increasing, but our senior citizens and their family members are hitting a wall of inadequacy in current services — the system designed by the Conservative and the Liberal parties in this province just isn’t working, not for our elders, not for New Brunswickers with disabilities, and not for the workers who provide essential services for people in their homes,” says Coon.

“The Green Party knows that a flexible, multi-faceted system that matches up needs with care is what we need, and that cannot be delivered by a one size fits all profit driven model,” says Coon. “That old fashioned approach leads to lower in-home care standards and drives wages for the women and men who provide care down to unacceptable levels,” he says.

The commitment from the Green Party platform includes:

• Increase training requirements for homecare workers to support workers in their professional development;
• Increase salaries for home-care workers to ensure a living wage;
• Improve standards for in-home care to ensure individuals are having their needs met

The full platform can be found here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/bed666ce-15d5-472c-ae5b-a9158e7f5e56

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Media Contact: Shannon Carmont
506.440.4980
[email protected]

(Saint John) Green Leader David Coon released his party’s economic development strategy today, saying the mission of government should be to help communities and businesses create jobs for a made-in-New Brunswick, greener economy.

The Green Party leader says that 10% shift in consumer spending on imported goods and services to New Brunswick-made products would create 14,000 jobs and add $1.8 billion to the provincial economy annually.

“The Green Party platform contains a practical, achievable plan that will strengthen local economies in both our rural communities and our cities,” says Coon, “a plan that stops the flow of government subsidies to a handful of large corporations.”

[insert quote here]

Highlights of the Green Party economic development commitments include:

• Redirect loan guarantees and payroll rebates from supporting large, profitable corporations, to local enterprises.
• Develop an import substitution strategy that would increase the local production of essential goods and services.
• Consolidate the various economic development agencies into a Department of Community and Rural Development.

The full platform can be found here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/bed666ce-15d5-472c-ae5b-a9158e7f5e56

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Media Contact: Shannon Carmont
506.440.4980
[email protected]