FREDERICTON -- The vote will be Friday, but New Brunswick's premier feels confident he now has the votes he needs to pass the controversial essential services bill -- avoiding an election and a nursing home strike.

A lot has been done during this sitting of the legislature. Twenty-seven pieces of legislation have been introduced since Nov. 19, including a consumer carbon tax.

"It's a win for the consumers of New Brunswick to be able to have our own model or price on pollution, our own carbon tax, that will be best put to use to protect our consumers," said Environment Minister Jeff Carr.

They've also introduced protections for victims of domestic violence, "to ensure that woman who are victims of domestic violence can break their lease, and get out of their apartments without a huge cost," said Green Party leader David Coon.

And then there was a new bill on an old issue: mandatory vaccinations.

"I'm feeling pretty good about it, perhaps it's just Christmas optimism, but I think from all sides of the house that there's recognition that protecting our children is important, especially as the headlines pile up from around the world about the spread of measles and other dangerous and easily preventable diseases," said Education Minister Dominic Cardy.

Above all, the premier says getting his essential services bill passed was critical.

The bill would allow for a process to determine how many nursing home workers could legally strike, but it also includes a condition that during binding arbitration, the province's ability to pay be considered.

After a marathon debate on the bill Wednesday night, an amendment was passed which ensured that during the confidence vote Friday, the People's Alliance will support the bill

"It was very important that this went through," said Premier Blaine Higgs. "So, at this point in time, for this year other than the ones that are common - this would certainly have been the most important moment for my government thus far."

Some of these bills still have a ways to go before becoming law, but 27 pieces of new legislation is far more productive than last year.