Susan Holt is leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party. Image: Submitted
Susan Holt has experienced some resistance to changes she has put in place since becoming New Brunswick’s Liberal leader last August.
“Certainly there are people who have been around politics for a long time and who are used to it being done a certain way and who like it that way and I’ve come in and asked our party to change,” Holt said.
She understands change can be hard, but she’s also seen a willingness for change.
“Like our health care systems, like our education systems, like our government, we need to change to respond to who New Brunswickers are today and what they want from elected officials and political parties,” Holt said.
She said many people have embraced the idea of modernizing the party.
The changes made by Holt include publishing data from the leadership race, which she said was discouraged.
Holt also made Liberal party events accessible to all by adding a “pay what you will” policy.
“We’ve always done a $500 [a plate] dinner and for me to say ‘no, we’re not going to do it that way anymore.’ There was resistance and people who really embraced that because that means new people can come and participate,” Holt said.
The nature and frequency of communication have also changed under Holt’s leadership.
“Doing live-streamed Q&A’s with anybody in the province who can show up and ask any question unplanned and unscreened. That was met with some fear from the folks who are used to really controlled environments of dialogue,” Holt said.
Despite resistance or fear, Holt said there is a celebration as the public responds positively to the open and transparent party they want to be.
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