This month’s headlines:

• Our Green MLAs in action
• UN World Environment Days in June
• Volunteer opportunities
• Green Party news from around the world
• COVID-19 information

Our Green MLAs in action

May was another busy month for David, Megan and Kevin. Housing is a concern across New Brunswick, with our Green MLAs supporting constituents facing difficulties securing affordable, safe and secure housing for their families.

After the Legislative Assembly resumed sitting on May 11, all Green MLAs continued to advocate for changes in housing legislation. The Greens want rent control in New Brunswick. On May 20, David brought his bill 18 to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act for debate (second reading). 

When introducing bill 18, David noted that New Brunswick renters have fewer legal protections than renters in other provinces. He said the Residential Tenancies Act requires a comprehensive overview, a major project beyond the means of the Greens that should properly be a government responsibility. David’s bill 18 is meant to address the most critical problems by providing legal authority to the government to limit rent increases in New Brunswick. Further debate on bill 18, and a vote, will happen on June 3.

Green Caucus media releases in May

Green Party Bill to Protect Tenants Reaches Second Reading Debate

Rental review shows it is imperative for government to modernize Residential Tenancies Act

Arseneau says reversal of regulations on stamped lumber is great news for New Brunswickers

Green interventions in the Legislature

Did you know that most of the speeches by Green MLAs in the Legislative Assembly are archived on the Green Caucus YouTube channel? You can view them all HERE. Here’s a selection from May:

David - Paid sick leave
David- Tenants rights

Kevin - Tax Havens (FR)
Kevin- Forestry (FR)

Megan - Neurological disease
Megan - Nursing shortage

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This month’s headlines:

• May Day!
• Special Meeting of Members May 11
• Survey: We would like to hear from you and others about the Green Party
• The Policy Working Group resumes
• News from Green MLAs
• Volunteer opportunities
• Green Party news from around the world
• COVID-19 information

May Day!

It’s May Day today, a day to honour the struggles of workers and labour movements. This past year has been a particular struggle for workers in the public sector. Recently the leaders of nine public sector unions in New Brunswick issued a joint statement calling on the government to invest in public services.

“The pandemic has reminded New Brunswickers of the importance of our public services and exposed the cracks and gaps in our public sector, but they come as no surprise to those working in the system. For many years, workers have been calling attention to these weaknesses and vulnerabilities. These same people have demonstrated a willingness to work with the government to help make the necessary improvements,” the union leaders stated.

On April 28, the National Day of Mourning, a day to remember the workers who have died, were injured, or became ill from their job, Green Party Leader David Coon issued a statement urging the government to recognize them by ensuring all workers have access to paid sick days.

Special Meeting of Members - May 11

The Provincial Council invites you to join your fellow members at our Special Meeting of Members (SMM) on Tuesday, May 11 from 7pm to 9:30pm (and May 18 if needed). The purpose to complete the unfinished business of this past AGM: the bylaw and constitution amendments provided to all members on February 17, 2021.

There is no fee to attend the SMM, but we invite you to contribute and renew your membership. (Membership fees are not tax deductible.) Deadline for registration is May 10 at 5pm.

The SMM will be held online, with a phone in option. Simultaneous French/English translation will be provided.

To register for the SMM, you must complete this Zoom registration form. You can also register by calling us at 506-447-8499 and leaving a message with your name and phone number. We will get back to you to complete your registration.

To ensure all interested members can participate efficiently in our meeting, a “practice” session will be offered 30 minutes prior to the meeting to provide guidance in using Zoom features; simply login with your registration link.

Survey: We would like to hear from you and others about the Green Party

Active citizenship is one of the six principles of the Green Party. We often host community meetings to generate dialogue and inform on our values, policies and platform. Today we are reaching out to you as an individual too. We want to know what is important to you and how this impacts your decisions.

We would like to hear from everyone - including keen Green supporters, those unsure of their political stance, those doubtful of the Greens, and others. Please share this link widely so that this survey reaches a wide range of New Brunswickers. Responses to this survey are anonymous. Thank you for your participation!

Click here to start the survey.

Policy Working Group resumes

You may remember that Party members voted on two multi-part resolutions at the 2021 AGM. The first, comprising three elements:

• Green forestry
• Just transition to a green economy
• and Public schools

… was sent back for more study before it could be presented again to members to vote for inclusion in the Green Party of New Brunswick policy manual. The time has come! We are convening a Zoom meeting on Thursday, June 10 at 7:30pm to begin working on these elements.

Please join us if the issues above are ones that you would like to see reflected in Green policy in future. We have a goal to re-examine other issues of concern that did not come to the table at the AGM but which the Policy Working Group has drafted in the past. Please RSVP to: [email protected] with any questions or if you wish to participate. We will be in touch with more details as the date approaches.

 

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Provincial Council 2021

 

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This month’s headlines:

• Green Party Leader statement on Premier’s State of the Province speech
• Reminder: AGM March 20 and Provincial Council elections
• Reminder: Membership renewal & fee
• More news from Green MLAs
• COVID-19 information

Green Party Leader statement on Premier’s State of the Province speech

Premier Higgs has drawn a line in the sand on environmental action and a transition to a green economy during the State of the Province address, and he is standing against it. The Premier has firmly anchored himself on the wrong side of history in order to maintain the status quo. 

He is ignoring the efforts of local businesses to expand renewable energy development but handing $20 million to foreign nuclear power developers to weigh us down with more costly and dangerous waste-generating nuclear technology. He came out firmly against the application of Canada’s clean fuel standard to the Irving Oil refinery while backing their application to the EUB to increase the price of heating oil, gasoline and diesel. 

The Premier’s revelation that the province will have a deficit of just $13 million this year is a slap in the face to all of those small business people in the hospitality, entertainment, arts and tourism sectors who are struggling to stay afloat, and desperately need targeted support to get through this pandemic.

The same could be said for those New Brunswickers facing unreasonable rent increases forcing them to look for new homes during the pandemic in a very tight rental market.  The Premier should freeze rents and evictions until his three-month review of New Brunswick’s tenancy system is completed to avoid companies from jacking up rents in the interim for fear of future rent controls.

Read the full statement here:

Green Party Leader statement on Premier’s State of the Province speech

Reminder: Annual General Meeting March 20 and Provincial Council elections

The 2021 AGM agenda will be held online on March 20. The AGM will include elections for the Provincial Council, the Party’s governing body. We encourage members interested in taking a more active role in the Party to put their name forward. The positions open in 2021 are: President, VP Francophone, Secretary, and 4 Members-at-large.

The role and purpose of the Provincial Council is described in our Party’s Constitution, available here. To learn about the positions available and how you can be nominated, contact Nomination Committee members (Nicolas Jelic, Sarah Colwell, and John Sabine ) at [email protected] or Tom McLean at [email protected].

Through the pandemic, Green MLAs continue to serve the needs of their constituents. Here is the link to the hours and contact details for the constituency offices of David, Megan and Kevin: https://greencaucusvert.ca/fr/contact-us/

Register here for the AGM

Reminder: membership renewal & fee: renew soon!

We use the membership list to ensure you can participate as a member including notice of member meetings, voting at member meetings, participation in policy development, and many more. As we mentioned in the February newsletter, the Provincial Council determined that implementing an annual membership renewal and membership fee would greatly help in ensuring the accuracy of our ever-lengthening membership list.

Please renew as soon as possible so the membership list will be up-to-date in preparation for the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 20. Renew your membership via our website by going to the membership renewal page.  Prior to your membership  anniversary date, you will automatically receive a reminder to renew again.

We want to ensure that the $10 membership fee is not a barrier to membership. If it is for you, please let us know, and we will waive the fee. Simply send an email to [email protected] specifying your request with the completed membership form (available here) or call the office at 506-447-8499 ( toll free 1-888-662-8683).

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Here are this month’s headlines:

• Annual General Meeting and Provincial Council elections
• Membership renewal & fee
• Green Party policy on official languages
• More news from Green MLAs
• COVID-19 information

First, don’t forget to attend the Budget of Hope - 2021 Pre-Budget Consultation with the Green Caucus on Facebook Live this Tuesday at 7:30 pm (or in French this Thursday at 7 :30 pm).  

Annual General Meeting and Provincial Council elections

The 2021 AGM agenda will be held online on March 20. The AGM will include elections for the Provincial Council, the Party’s governing body. We encourage members interested to take a more active role in the Party to put their name forward. The positions open in 2021 are: President, VP Francophone, Secretary, 4 Members-at-large.

The role and purpose of the Provincial Council is described in our Party’s Constitution, available here. To learn about the positions available and how you can be nominated, contact Nomination Committee members (Nicolas Jelic, Sarah Colwell, and John Sabine ) at [email protected] or Tom McLean at [email protected].

Membership renewal & fee: renew soon!

As the party continues to grow the Provincial Council looks for ways to support that growth and the membership. With that in mind we are introducing (1) an annual membership renewal and (2) a membership fee.

Annual Membership Renewal

We use the membership list to ensure you can participate as a member including notice of member meetings, voting at member meetings, participation in policy development, and many more. Recently the Provincial Council determined that implementing an annual membership renewal would greatly help in ensuring the accuracy of our ever lengthening membership list. By taking action to reaffirm your membership once a year, you are assured that the information we have on file for you is correct and we are assured that you remain committed to the party and its principles.

Please renew as soon as possible so the membership list will be up-to-date in preparation for the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 20. Renew your membership by going to the membership renewal page on our website greenpartynb.ca. Prior to the anniversary date, you will automatically receive a reminder to renew again.

Membership Fee

We take pride in that fact that we run a very efficient organization due to the efforts of our volunteers and staff. That said, a modest $10 membership fee will go a long way in ensuring we can cover our ever increasing administration costs which include the cost of maintaining an accurate, efficient and robust membership list. The decision to introduce a membership fee was not taken lightly. We appreciate your support in this matter. The annual fee will be collected when you renew your membership.

We do not want this fee to be a barrier to membership. If you feel that is the case then please let us know and we will waive the fee. Simply send an email to [email protected] specifying your request with the completed membership form or simply call the office at 506-447-8499 (toll free 1-888-662-8683).

Your membership, participation and support are essential, and we value them all highly.

Thank you.
Tom McLean
President, Parti Vert NB Green Party

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Happy New Year! Hopes and predictions for 2021

January: An early federal election is avoided

February: The Green Party’s rent control bill passes second reading

March: All members love the Green Party of New Brunswick AGM

April: David Coon wins an award for his rendition of “It’s not easy being Green”

May: The vaccines quash COVID-19 and New Brunswickers come out of winter more resilient than ever

June: More hugs and smiles than the previous 18 months combined

July: Kevin Arseneau’s crops have have a bumper year

August: Megan Mitton is celebrated as a climate action leader

September: Kids returning to school see the smiles of their schoolmates.

October: Halloween is back to being only “fun” scary.

November: Thousands more people are working in new green economy jobs

December: "Zoom" will just mean moving quickly

Local self-reliance

The Green Party of New Brunswick has six founding principles that we believe form the basis of a just, equitable and sustainable future for our children and our province. The principle of local self-reliance is particularly appropriate to consider at this point in our history, as we think collectively about our future.

Principle of local self reliance: New Brunswick communities must be in charge of their own destiny to the greatest extent possible. Resilient, sustainable communities require economies that meet local needs and are locally controlled, minimizing dependency on external forces. Self-reliance and resilience is built on public assets placed in the hands of and dedicated to the service of local communities. Local self-reliance is integral to the shift to a society which respects the ecological and social limits of human production.

News from Green MLAs

The Legislative Assembly was recessed on December 18 and will return on February 8, a delayed start due to extensive renovations in the Department building. Hansard and translation services (as well as the press gallery and the Green caucus office) are moving out of the building during the renovations and won't be fully operational in time for a January start as planned.

In December, our Green MLAs continued to make public statements on issues of concern in the province. Click on the headline below to read the statements:

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A message from the Green Party Leader

Your Green caucus is back in action at the Legislative Assembly, buoyed by strong votes of confidence from our constituents, and the surge in support for Green candidates around the province.

We were all hoping to paint more seats Green in the Legislative Assembly, but the snap COVID election undermined the winning conditions that otherwise were present in a number of ridings. 

However, we now have incredible Green teams in so many ridings throughout the province that we didn’t have before. And it is that locally organized grassroots capacity that key to the growth and future success of the party.

The traditional parties have been picking up positions we have taken because of their popularity, without adopting the substance underlying our long-term vision for the future of New Brunswick. Flattering or frustrating, this reflects the growing strength and influence of Greens.

The flipside of this is muck-raking and dirty tricks directed at us in this recent election. It is a sad commentary on politics, but this signals that we have emerged as a major player in the body politic of New Brunswick.

Greens who ran this time are already thinking about the work they need to do in their ridings to win their seats next time. I hope you resolve to participate in your local RDA meetings and volunteer your talents to growing local Greens.

As the party of community power, grassroots democracy, and local self-reliance we will be relentless in the Legislature in our advocacy of local food and renewable energy security, and for decentralizing decision-making about healthcare, regional economic development, and local governance. 

As the party of self-determination, social justice and ecological sustainability we will challenge systemic racism, champion our responsibilities as treaty partners, advocate for the vulnerable and for those in care, and press for action to restore nature’s balance.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me, Megan or Kevin with your ideas.

Best to you all

David

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Your local NB Green Party association NEEDS YOU!

Do you know the other NB Green Party members in your riding? Together you represent the NB Green Party in your community through your local Registered District Association (RDA).  With your knowledge of local issues you are the best people for community members to speak with about the NB Green Party.

Having an active RDA in each of the 49 electoral districts across New Brunswick ensures the party reflects the full diversity of communities and cultures throughout the province. A strong local RDA means supporters have local people to answer their questions. Organizing local events, info sessions and activities encourages everyone to become stronger Green Party supporters and helps to identify and prepare the best candidates for the next provincial election.

Some of the activities and functions the RDA can undertake include:

• Host regular meetings to discuss RDA business (finances, membership, recruitment, etc.)
• Plan inclusive riding activities and info sessions about current issues and desires
• Develop and maintain an online information site where people can learn more about the RDA and the Green Party
• Fundraising activities to support the RDA and prepare for the next election campaign
• Participate in policy development
• Work with members in other RDAs to build a strong province-wide network sharing ideas, events, activities, etc.
• Participate in local and regional events and gatherings to share information about your RDA and the NB Green Party
• Create new ideas and opportunities to meet the needs of community members

Building a strong grassroots RDA can be fun and exciting. The Green Party of New Brunswick depends on the RDAs for their knowledge about local and regional issues and desires. Our party is only as strong as our RDAs!

Please contact your RDA or the NB Green Party office ([email protected]) to learn more about the RDA  in your riding.

A wake-up call on nursing homes

Green Party leader David Coon and Green caucus members Megan Mitton and Kevin Arseneau are calling a recent investigation into the long-term care sector a “wake-up call” for political leaders in New Brunswick.

The report, The Forgotten Generation: An Urgent Call for Reform in New Brunswick’s Long-Term Care Sector, was released in October after a two-year investigation by the New Brunswick Nurses Union (NBNU).

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More New Brunswickers than ever are sharing our Green Party vision. In the recent election, the Green Party again increased its share of the vote, to 15.2%. That's up from 11.9% in the 2018 election, and 6.6% in the 2014 election. The Green Party won 4.6% of the vote in 2010, the first provincial election in which we ran candidates. Our party was formed in 2008.

This year, among all parties, the Greens had by far the most diverse slate of candidates. Results show the Green Party made positive gains in every corner of the province, with almost all ridings showing a positive gain in Green votes.

We regained our three seats: David Coon in Fredericton South, Megan Mitton in Memramcook-Tantramar and Kevin Arseneau in Kent North. When people elect a Green, they are satisfied of their work.

Strong local campaigns resulted in 12 second-place finishes across New Brunswick: Charles Thériault in Restigouche West, Marie Larivière in Restigouche-Chaleur, Marie-Christine Haché in Caraquet, Gilles Cormier in Shediac-Beaubassin-Cap-Pelé, Carole Chan in Moncton Centre, Jenny O'Neil in Albert, Brent Harris in Saint John Harbour, Bruce Dryer in Kings Centre, Jennifer Smith in New Maryland-Sunbury, Luke Randall in Fredericton North, Melissa Fraser in Fredericton-York and Susan Jonah in Fredericton West-Hanwell.

Two of our second-place candidates won the majority of votes cast on election night, but this was not sufficient to overcome the votes cast early, before their campaigns had caught fire. 

Elections NB reimburses eligible campaign expenses when a candidate receives more than 15% of the votes. For the first time, 18 of our candidates exceeded that level of support! The RDAs in the electoral districts represented by those candidates will be able to use those funds to build towards the 2024 election.

Congratulations to all our candidates and their teams and volunteers who did such an amazing job.

 

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