Health care and heritage promises on sixth day of N.B. election campaign

Health care and heritage were themes on the sixth day of New Brunswick’s provincial election campaign.

In St. Stephen, Liberal leader Susan Holt announced what she called a four-point plan to recruit more doctors to the province.

Holt said her government would improve compensation for physicians working in after-hours care, and “streamline” the process for international credentials to be recognized faster. Holt also said her government would “overhaul” the province’s recruitment system to include input from municipalities and medical professionals, in addition to creating 10 new residency spaces at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick and the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick. 

From left to right, Liberal candidate Troy Lyons, Liberal leader Susan Holt, and Liberal candidate Patty Borthwick, at a campaign announcement in St. Stephen, N.B. on Sept. 24, 2024. (Nick Moore/CTV Atlantic)

“It’s making sure we have more seats in our education system, so we can train health care professionals here in New Brunswick and include them in caring for New Brunswickers,” said Holt, costing the promise at $430,000 a year.

In Memramcook, Green Party leader David Coon said his government would prioritize a plan to preserve heritage buildings, lighthouses, and covered bridges “which have been left to deteriorate.”

“As an example of this, there’s the Wheaton Covered Bridge just down the road in (Megan Mitton’s) riding of Tantramar, which government after government has neglected terribly.”

From left to right, Green candidate Megan Mitton, Green leader David Coon, Green candidate Jacques Giguère at a campaign announcement in Memramcook, N.B. on Sept. 24, 2024. (CTV Atlantic)

Coon made the announcement in front of the Memramcook Institute, which was once the site of l’Université St Joseph – one of the first Acadian post-secondary institutions created in 1864.

The building was sold by the provincial government to Moncton-based Heritage Developments, earlier this year. Coon said a Green Party government would buy the building back to make it a facility for public use.

The Progressive Conservatives had no scheduled campaign events on Tuesday.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.