News
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Government must treat public Transportation as an essential public service
Posted by Julie Guillemet · March 14, 2022 2:00 PM
FREDERICTON – With gas prices nearing $2 per litre, Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon says it’s time for the Higgs government to recognize public transportation as an essential public service and invest carbon tax revenue to ensure it is widely accessible.
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Government must hire dedicated hospitalists to ease pressure on family doctors
Posted by Julie Guillemet · March 01, 2022 10:00 AM
FREDERICTON – With news that a family physician has left New Brunswick because she was unable to work in the hospital, Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon is reiterating his call for the provincial government to fund Horizon and Vitalité to hire dedicated hospitalists to provide care in hospitals.
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Minister Holland needs to help New Brunswickers afford heating costs
Posted by Julie Guillemet · February 25, 2022 11:30 AM
FREDERICTON – According to Auditor General Paul Martin, almost 40 percent of New Brunswick households cannot afford their heating costs. He found they are unable to access NB Power’s energy efficiency saving programs because government has failed to make good on its commitment to provide financing.
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Energy efficiency responsibility needs to be returned to an independent agency
Posted by Julie Guillemet · February 24, 2022 1:00 PM
FREDERICTON – The Auditor General report released this morning found that NB Power’s energy saving programs are difficult to access by low and moderate-income households despite 37% of New Brunswick households experiencing energy poverty, where they spend more than 6% of their income on energy. NB Power has slashed its energy saving targets and failed to implement government’s commitments on energy efficiency contained in the Climate Action Plan.
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Premier Higgs needs protect most vulnerable as he removes COVID restrictions
Posted by Julie Guillemet · February 16, 2022 9:00 AM
FREDERICTON – As Premier Higgs relaxes COVID-19 measures for the general population, NB Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon says he must put in place a plan that will protect those most vulnerable to serious illness, hospitalizations and death.
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Tracadie Firing Range should be co-managed by the local community in partnership with the M’ikmaq Nation
Posted by Julie Guillemet · February 02, 2022 3:00 PM
FREDERICTON - New Brunswick Green Party Leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon says the 18,000 hectares of forest and rivers of the former Tracadie Firing Range should be co-managed by the local community in partnership with the M’ikmaq Nation.
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Fragile supply chain shows the importance of prioritizing local food production
Posted by Julie Guillemet · January 27, 2022 9:00 AM
FREDERICTON – Many New Brunswickers were alarmed to find empty produce shelves across New Brunswick last week due to multiple major snowstorms. Green Party Agriculture critic and MLA for Kent North Kevin Arseneau says this is indicative of a food system that relies on imported fruits and vegetables, which will be increasingly disrupted by crises outside of New Brunswick, such as severe weather from climate change or major COVID outbreaks.
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Premier needs to take action to protect New Brunswickers from unaffordable rent increases
Posted by Julie Guillemet · January 25, 2022 9:00 AM
FREDERICTON – Statistics just released by Statistics Canada reveal that the average cost of rent in New Brunswick has increased by 7.2% over the past year, compared with the national average of 1.6%. This, says NB Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon, is further proof that the province must adopt strong rent controls, including an annual cap on rent increases.
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Inaction on Mental Health Commitments Highlighted by Lockdown
Posted by Julie Guillemet · January 18, 2022 9:00 AM
FREDERICTON – NB Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon has been hearing concerns from New Brunswickers about their mental health as the lockdown takes hold – a stark reminder that the provincial government has been slow to implement its commitments from the mental health and addictions strategy it announced last year.
“Last February, the government committed to opening 13 mental health walk-in clinics around the province based on the successful pilot project in Campbellton,” said Coon. “And they committed to adding addiction and mental health resources to address increased demand for services resulting from COVID-19. These are needed now.”
It has been over two years since the Legislature unanimously adopted a motion to create a mental health advocate for the Province, but no one has been appointed. And almost a year has gone by since the circumstances surrounding Lexi Daken’s suicide exposed gaping holes in emergency mental health care services, but the ensuing recommendations remain largely unimplemented.
“The Premier often talks of living with COVID-19, so his upcoming budget must support a properly funded healthcare system so we can live with COVID-19 and the restrictions it imposes on our lives,” said Coon. “Neither medical nor mental health services should fall by the wayside during a pandemic, but that is precisely what is happening.”
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Government needs to immediately offer support for those that are hardest hit by Level 3
Posted by Julie Guillemet · January 13, 2022 3:00 PM
FREDERICTON – With the announcement that the province will go to Level 3 COVID restrictions this week, NB Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon says that the government must immediately offer financial support for the people and businesses who will be hardest hit by the move, including small businesses, the hospitality sector, artists and their performance venues, and those who will lose their income.
“While this is a necessary public health measure to try to slow the spread of Omicron and ease the pressure on our healthcare system, it will have a significant negative effect on both businesses and workers in those sectors that will be closed over the next few weeks,” said Coon. “The Premier must loosen the purse strings to support those in need, to reduce the hardship they will face.”
Kevin Arseneau, the Green Caucus Advocate on matters of Developing and Strengthening Communities, has been meeting with, and hearing from, families, people in the arts & culture community, as well as small business owners about how dire their situation is.
“We are going on two years that these sectors have been negatively affected by the pandemic, and for two years Premier Higgs has completely ignored their needs.” said Arseneau. “Now is the time for him to step up and begrudgingly support those who are most in need.”