Canada’s prime minister says he is excited to work with the new premier of New Brunswick.
Justin Trudeau and Susan Holt held their first bilateral meeting in Fredericton on Tuesday.
Holt and her newly-elected Liberal government were recently sworn in after winning the Oct. 21 provincial election.
“The challenge we had with the Conservative premier here is the same challenge we’re having with Conservative politicians across the country — that they don’t actually want to step up on investments and solutions that people actually need,” Trudeau told reporters after the meeting.
“New Brunswickers want a government that’s going to get things done and they didn’t see that with the last government,” added Holt.
Holt said her government has a long list of priorities, including health care, housing and education.
One of her first priorities will be a universal school food program — a promise made during the election campaign.
Universal school food program
Holt said the program will amount to an annual investment of $27 million, including $9.3 million for breakfast costs and $18.1 million for lunch expenses.
She noted that too many students are going to school hungry and too many teachers are trying to fill the gap.
“Our current school food program doesn’t reach certain schools in the north, it doesn’t get distributed equitably across the province,” said Holt.
Ottawa recently announced $1 billion over five years for a national school food program. Trudeau said they are looking forward to signing a deal with New Brunswick.
Federal carbon tax
The two leaders were also asked about the federal carbon tax with another planned increase set to take effect in April.
Holt, as Opposition leader, wrote to Trudeau in March asking him to pause the 2024 increase for one year.
“At a time when so many New Brunswickers are struggling to make ends meet, it’s unreasonable to ask them to pay more for a federal carbon tax increase,” she wrote in the letter.
Trudeau said one of the things both leaders agree on is that a strong economy cannot be built without also protecting the environment.
He added that every province can create its carbon pricing plan that reaches “the same leven of stringency and impact” as the federal program.
“I look forward to working with her on how we make sure that we’re protecting the environment and creating a strong economy as we support New Brunwickers what is a challenging time in the world,” said the prime minister.
Holt responded by saying her government plans to put forward a “made-in-New Brunswick” climate change plan.
“We need a plan that reflects the reality in New Brunswick of the fact that we don’t have the same kind of public transportation opportunities,” she said, adding they will stop allowing producers to pass on clean-fuel expenses to consumers.
The change, which Holt said her government will remove “as soon as we can,” would drop the price of fuel by around four cents per litre.
