N.B. election campaign hits halfway mark on Day 16

The New Brunswick election campaign reached the halfway mark on Friday with the Progressive Conservatives, Liberals and Greens continuing their pitches to voters.

PC Leader Blaine Higgs criticized the Liberals for their recently-released platform, claiming it would run a billion-dollar deficit. He also asked Leader Susan Holt to clarify a statement she made regarding taking lawsuits before the courts off the table.

“Susan Holt needs to clarify immediately if she is referring to the court cases launched by the Wolastoqey and the Mi’gmaq?” Higgs said in a statement. “If so, this would be the most expensive election promise in New Brunswick history. In both instances, the government is being sued. The plaintiffs are seeking to establish Aboriginal title over the entire province of New Brunswick.

“Property owners, municipal governments and taxpayers across the province deserve to know which lawsuits she plans to drop, and what impact it will have on them.”

Holt, along with candidate Marisa Pelkey, appeared in Woodstock to announce the Liberals’ plan to open a community care clinic in the area.

“As I talk to voters in Woodstock and Hartland, access to healthcare is the number one issue they bring up,” said Pelkey in a news release. “They’ve told me that many of their family members and neighbours have not had a family doctor for several years, while others have shared that they’ve recently lost their primary care provider.”

Green Party Leader David Coon announced a plan to reduce the small business tax rate from 2.5 per cent to one per cent. It would also raise the income threshold at which point the higher corporate tax rate kicks in from $500,000 to $700,000.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and some of the very best employers in our communities,” said Coon in a news release. “These small business owners live in and understand our communities. They generally buy local for their businesses and support other local businesses, creating community wealth. This makes for a vibrant and more resilient province.” 

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