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The leader of the Green Party believes the Higgs government’s new budget fails to provide a plan for the province to move forward.
David Coon says the $10.6 billion document lacks the vision to save New Brunswick Higgs promised during last fall’s campaign.
“The budget doesn’t reflect any kind of a cohesive or comprehensive plan,” he said. “Where there’s additional spending, they’re trying to play catch up because of past neglect.”
Coon added when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic there is no support for the small business sector, the arts sector, or the hospitality and tourism sectors.
“The assistance that’s necessary to ensure they survive until the other end of that pandemic isn’t there,” Coon said. “Those businesses are in trouble through no fault of their own, but because of the nature of their business, their market, their clientele, they’ve been severely damaged by the pandemic compared to many other businesses.”
He warned with federal support running out over the remainder of 2021 those industries are in desperate need of help.
Coon did say he agreed with the Torys that it was necessary to run consecutive deficits in order to help the province get back on its feet.
“There was no way this budget could be balanced on the back of New Brunswickers,” he said. “The needs are too great, they’re too important, and so this budget recognizes that but it really is stuck on trying to play catch-up based on the neglect of past governments around important issues like mental health.”
Despite approximately $7 million being earmarked for addictions and mental health, the Greens leader criticized the Torys budget for not adequately addressing what he called an ongoing crisis.
“This is buying band-aids for bullet holes given the mental health crisis we’ve got in this province, the suicide rates we’ve got, that’s all the Premier was willing to come up with?” Coon asked. “Half of what they’re giving to an American company for a technology that doesn’t exist.”
The budget sets aside $20 million to invest in small modular nuclear reactors.
Among other things, Coon also took issue with the lack of investment in renewable energy and public transportation.
“On affordable housing, you’ve got just the commitment they made a couple years ago, no new money. So I don’t see a plan,” Coon said.
He says the province has yet to make a dent in the fight for affordable housing province-wide.
“We know by the end of this year they’re supposed to have 151 additional units,” said Coon. “I was calling for them to triple that. We need an additional 500 units to really make a dent in the demand for affordable housing.”
Coon added he was surprised not to see any mention of Aboriginal affairs in Tuesday’s budget announcement.
“I’m extremely worried the Premier has in his cross-hairs the tax agreements with First Nations, which are essential to their economic well-being,” said Coon.
He says the government could look to opt-out of the tax agreements next January.
