Hello New Brunswick Greens! I am so very excited to start in this role of Executive Director – to support our Green MLAs in the Legislature, the hard-working volunteers and RDAs we have across the province, and to invite even more New Brunswickers to get involved with the Green Party!

For those of you who do not know me, I am a bilingual immigration consultant, environmental activist, feminist, determined optimist, and two-time Green Party candidate. I have lived and worked across Canada and abroad, but I have spent most of my life in this beautiful province and consider myself a proud maritimer and New Brunswicker. 

While immigration and international education have been the primary focus of my career path, after the IPCC report was released in October 2018, stating that we had 12 years (now 7) to limit global warming and prevent catastrophe, I decided to get involved in Canadian politics. I began by serving as the RDA President of Fredericton South, and then ran as the Green candidate in my hometown of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe in the 2019 federal election. Together, our team managed to quadruple the Green vote, putting us in a strong 3rd place. 

Determined to keep the momentum going, I helped form a historic slate of women candidates for the Green Party in the Moncton region for the 2020 provincial election, landing two in 2nd place. After the election, I co-founded Femmocracy Now to encourage more women to get involved in politics, and was extremely proud when Melyssa Boudreau (a Green volunteer in 2019 and provincial candidate in 2020) won her seat in Dieppe as a City Councillor. I hope to use the political skills, experience and enthusiasm I have gained these past 5 years to accelerate the Green momentum we’ve built together and elect more Greens to enact meaningful change.

I have been so impressed with the work that David, Megan, and Kevin have been doing in the Legislature, and I look forward to supporting all of the caucus priorities of our hardworking MLAs. I am particularly passionate about addressing the urgent healthcare crisis, the current debate about language equality in our education system, affordable housing, and ensuring a just energy transition to fight climate change while protecting workers’ rights. 

I look forward to working with you to help build our grassroots momentum by strengthening RDAs, empowering local communities and volunteers, and of course, highlighting the voices of women and minorities and advancing Indigenous reconciliation. 

Now is the time to get involved. Join me as we gear up and get organized over these crucial next months to choose candidates, inspire voters, and run successful and competitive campaigns in the upcoming 2024 election. Change is coming to New Brunswick and I am calling on you to be a part of it. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas to share, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Claire Kelly-Orozco

Executive Director

 

In this issue:

• Volunteer Spotlight: Eric Allain
• Upcoming Events
  • So You Want To Elect A Green MLA? Zoom Workshop February 6
  • Snowshoeing near Fredericton February 11
  • Quarterly Leader’s Update February 22
  • AGM April 29
• Get Involved
  • Provincial Council Nominations
  • Submit a policy resolution
  • Renew your membership to join your local RDA
• MLAs In Action
  • Update on the Sick Days Bill
  • French Immersion Public Consultations

 

Volunteer Spotlight 

Our passionate volunteers continue to inspire us with new and creative ways to get involved and bring their talents and skills to the Green Party. Eric Allain has served on Provincial Council and is the creator of our very successful Trivia Night fundraiser. He is a father of two from Neguac who works as a scientist and adjunct professor at Université de Moncton and currently lives in Dieppe. 

“I saw the Greens as an organization that was better-aligned with my priorities than other parties and had political momentum, thus motivating my work with provincial council.”

Eric regularly went to Trivia Night in downtown Moncton while attending university. Partly out of nostalgia for his student days, he decided to organize our very own Trivia Night as a fundraiser for the Green Party of New Brunswick last year. It was a great success, and yet another example of how people’s innovation and creativity brought us together during the isolation and hardship of the Covid_19 pandemic. Volunteers like Eric Allain are vital to our party’s resiliency and growth despite the tumultuous times we live in. 

Part of Eric’s motivation to volunteer for the Green Party is his desire to see environmentalism become mainstream in Canadian politics. He hopes to have future governments that enact policies that not only curb our emissions, but reverse course on Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions trajectory so that we can be part of the global solution instead of part of the problem. 

From all of us at the Green Party of New Brunswick, we want to thank Eric for his dedication and hard work to bring us together during the pandemic.

 

Upcoming Events

So You Want To Elect A Green MLA?

Mon, Feb 6, 7 - 8:30 pm

Do you want to get involved in your local campaign but not sure where to start? We host regular training sessions on Zoom to provide information and answer questions about how to form a Registered District Association. Learn how to organize your team and start preparing for the 2024 election.

Attendance at the first two sessions is NOT REQUIRED and all members are welcome to join.

Register for free here. 

 

Fredericton Area Green Winter Gathering

Saturday, Feb 11, 2:00 - 4:00pm

Get outside this winter and experience New Brunswick’s natural beauty while meeting fellow Green members, including Green Party Leader David Coon.

We invite you to come enjoy a warm bonfire and apple cider, accessible cabin, and snowshoeing in the Fredericton-York riding. The property also features a grid-tied solar array and an electric vehicle for those interested in learning more. Bring your warm winter clothes and your snowshoes. The event is free but donations are appreciated.

Please RSVP here.

 

Quarterly Leader’s Update

Wed, Feb 22, 7 -8 pm 

Tune in to David Coon’s second Quarterly Leaders Update so you can stay informed and get the insider’s scoop on what’s happening in the Legislature, what our MLAs are working on, and what our party is accomplishing. 

Members can register online for free here. 

 

2023 Annual General Meeting

Saturday, April 29

This year’s AGM is all about gearing up for the upcoming election in 2024. It will be held in Saint John and members will have the option of in-person or online attendance. 

Please note that to be able to participate and vote in the AGM, you must have been a member for at least 14 days prior to the event. You must register or renew your membership before Saturday, April 15, 2023.

You must also register for either in-person or online attendance by the deadline of April 15, 2023. Register online here. 

Get involved!

Provincial Council Nominations

This is a reminder that nominations for the following Provincial Council positions are open and will close on March 4, 2023. All members in good standing are eligible for nomination.

The following positions are up for election at this year’s Annual General Meeting in April: 

• President 
• VP Francophone 
• Secretary 
• 4 Regional Council Members: 
  • Fredericton-Miramichi River-Carleton region (2) 
  • Madawaska-Chaleur-Peninsula region (2)
• Policy working group chair 

Find all the details about Provincial Council, including the nomination process, deadlines, and voting procedures on our website. 

 

Submit a policy resolution for the AGM

Green policy is rooted in one of our core principles of participatory democracy. If you are passionate about policy and want to contribute your thoughts and ideas, we want to hear from you. 

To be considered, all policy resolutions must be received by Feb 27. Learn more here. 

 

Renew your membership to join your local RDA team

This year, we are working hard to build and strengthen RDAs (Registered District Associations) in every provincial riding so that we can run competitive campaigns in the 2024 election. This is where our volunteers, donors, and supporters are needed most for on-the-ground action and organizing. As a party member, you are automatically part of your local RDA. 

To check on the status of your membership and get in touch with fellow Greens in your riding, contact our new administrator Betania at [email protected]

***IMPORTANT: Even if you are a monthly donor, your membership may be expired and will have to be renewed separately for a $10.00 fee. NB election laws do not allow tax refunds for party membership fees, and so this fee is separate from your tax-deductible donations. If the fee is a financial barrier for you, please contact the party office for assistance. Members must be active for at least 2 days to be eligible to vote in RDA meetings and candidate nominations.

The Green Party of Canada and the Green Party of New Brunswick are separate entities, and so a membership to one does not translate into a membership to the other. 

Renew your membership online here.

 

 

Green MLAs in Action!

Update on the Paid Sick Days bill

In our last newsletter, we told you the good news that David’s bill prescribing 10 paid sick days for all New Brunswick workers was moving forward. This bill is one step towards addressing the healthcare crisis in our province by allowing people to prioritize their health and well-being to keep more people out of the healthcare system in the first place. 

The Paid Sick Days bill would also providing funding for small to medium sized businesses to adapt to these changes by easing the burden on employers while giving workers the peace of mind to prioritize their health. 

We are excited to announce that this bill continues to move forward and has been sent to a committee for expert and stakeholder feedback this February. Stay tuned for updates as we track this bill’s progress towards helping workers so that they do not have to choose between their health and a paycheque. 

 

French Immersion Public Consultations

Our MLAs are actively involved in public consultations on the government’s proposed changes to French Immersion in schools as we believe this is an important conversation impacting our teachers and students.

Megan Mitton attended the consultation in Moncton and joined David Coon at the consultation in Fredericton. They listened to stories from concerned parents and pleas from teachers to the Higgs government to withdraw their current plan. Megan said she has been so proud of the community members taking to the mic to speak up against the plan. 

We will continue to support teachers and parents and bring their concerns to the Legislature as we hold this government and Minister Hogan accountable.

Press Releases

Green leaders call for demographic top-up to federal healthcare deal, Jan 27, 2023

Green Party of New Brunswick welcomes Claire Kelly-Orozco as new Executive Director, Jan 31, 2023