Newly-elected New Brunswick Liberals hold inaugural caucus meeting

For the first time since winning the New Brunswick election, premier-designate Susan Holt and her newly formed Liberal caucus met in Fredericton Thursday.

The group of 31 spent the day discussing how the new caucus will deliver their campaign promises when it comes to health care, the cost of living and more.

When the Liberals return to the legislature, they will have their largest caucus in nearly three decades. They will also have 10 women MLAs, which is the most ever for the party.

Holt, who will be the province’s first-ever female premier, says she and her team are up to the task of governing.

“We’re thrilled today to have brought our full team of 31 elected and re-elected MLAs who are going to lead New Brunswick through the challenges that we're facing in health care and housing and education,” Holt said “(They) are going to lead with openness and transparency with partnership, teamwork, empathy and with love for New Brunswickers.”

The newly formed government plans to remove the 10 per cent provincial sales tax from power bills and implement a rent cap by Christmas. Holt also stressed the importance of nurses for New Brunswick.

“We want to make sure that the nurses in New Brunswick know that we recognize their work,” Holt says. “We need them to stay with us. We don't want to lose another nurse at a time when our health-care system is so fragile, so those retention payments are getting out the door before the end of the calendar year.”

Holt also promised to amend Regulation 84-20, allowing abortion services to be covered under Medicare.

Other promises such as the construction of 30 new collaborative care clinics in the province likely won’t see much movement until next year.

Holt said she has concerns about the federal Liberals’ recent announcement to cut the immigration target numbers by more than 100,000 for 2025.

“I don't think there's a long term care facility in New Brunswick that would be open today if it weren't for the newcomers that have come to help care for seniors in New Brunswick,” Holt says. “I don't know how we're going to tackle our housing challenges if we don't bring in more people who have those construction skills that we need to help us build the homes and need, and want to live in.”

She is also concerned about the impact it will have on New Brunswick colleges and universities.

Holt says the Liberal caucus will include a mix of experienced and new MLAs.

“We want to put together the strongest team possible that has and then really represents New Brunswickers,” Holt says. “Unfortunately I have 31 people that could fit in that capacity, but I think we're going to have an amazing team of people for cabinet and an amazing complete caucus that is going to continue to work as a team.”

Those members who are new to provincial politics are eager to hit the ground running.

David Hickey, MLA for Saint John Harbour and formerly a city councillor with the City of Saint John, says he was thrilled to see so many seats in Saint John flip from blue to red.

“It’s such a clear message that Saint Johnners were ready to see something different in government,” says Hickey. “Saint Johnners were not getting what they needed for the previous government, and they want to be at the forefront of the change that's coming to this province.”

John Dornan was elected as MLA for Saint John Portland-Simonds. Former premier Blaine Higgs fired him as CEO of Horizon Health Network after Darrell Mesheau died in the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital’s waiting room in 2022.

Dornan says he is ready to move forward and help New Brunswickers however he can.

“(Susan Holt) made it clear to me that there's no inner circle,” Dornan says. “There's a team of colleagues and representatives that will speak with people regardless of the color of their party, because at the end of the day we all form government.”

The newly formed caucus, as well as all other MLAs elected Monday, will be sworn in on Nov. 2 at the legislature, which will be open to the public. Holt says the government will return to the legislature before the end of November.

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