Health-care management would be decentralized under Green Party

Green Party Leader David Coon focused on health care Monday as he campaigned for election Oct. 21.

"Our health-care system has become so over-centralized," he said.

"It has lost touch with the needs and expectations of our local hospitals and the communities they serve. The solutions proposed by doctors and nurses working on the ground don't go anywhere. They fall on deaf ears because of this broken management system."

Coon said he would"restore the autonomy that hospitals and health centres lost under centralization" by re-establishing the role of the hospital administrator.

WATCH | Greens would establish community health boards if elected:

Non-profits would get access to funds for security measures under PC government, Higgs says

12 days ago

Duration 2:15

Community spaces and places of worship would be able to work with their MLAs to access funding for security measures, like security cameras, under a Progressive Conservative government, Blaine Higgs says.

That person wouldbe responsible for managing the hospital and problem-solving on the ground level, ensuring that staff are heard, he said.

Coon also said that if elected, he would work to shift programssuch as Ambulance New Brunswick and the New Brunswick extramural program out of the private sector. Medavie Health Services New Brunswick now has a contract to run those services.

PCs vowmore money for security of non-profits

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs promised Monday to amend the conditions for the Community Investment Fund to allow non-profit groups to increasesecurity measures.

Higgs said each member of the legislative assembly would be assigned $70,000in 2025-2026, and$75,000 in 2026-2027to support projects that would benefit their communities.

"This amendment will directly support religious organizations and other community-based not-for-profitsin safeguarding their properties, members and visitors," he said.

"In an era where safety concerns have unfortunately become a priority for many, it is our responsibility to respond to the needs of those who serve the public."

WATCH | Here's how much money Higgs would put into the Community Investment Fund:

Holts Liberals promise to open health-care clinic in Quispamsis if elected

12 days ago

Duration 2:23

Leader Susan Holt says her party would open a collaborative care clinic in the Kennebecasis Valley region by 2026 at the latest if elected. The Liberals have previously pledged they would set up at least 30 health-care clinics across the province.

The money could be used to do things such as installsecurity cameras outside a church or strengthenlocks at a community centre, Higgs said.

Liberals proposesKennebecasis Valley community care clinic

Liberal Leader Susan Holt was in the Kennebecasis Valley on Monday to announce anotherproposed community-care clinic.

She was joined by Aaron Kennedy, the Quispamsis candidate for the Liberal Party, and Rothesay candidate Alyson Townsend.

WATCH | Holt explains how new clinic could ease strain on Saint John hospital ER:

Hospitals would get more local authority under Green government, Coon says

12 days ago

Duration 1:12

Leader David Coon said the Green Party would, if elected, give more authority and decision-making powers to local staff at the provinces hospitals.

"Only a third of people in the KV region can get in to see a doctor within five days," said Holt.

"And we know that when they can't get into the doctor, they find themselves waiting at the Saint John Regional Hospital for hours and hours in a crowded ER."

Theannouncement follows an earlier promise by Holt that she would open "at least" 30 collaborative health-care clinics in her first three years of power if she waselected premier.

Higgs coy on what he'll do if PCs fallshort of majority

Premier Blaine Higgs has been urgingvoters for weeks to elect a Progressive Conservativemajority to avoid the province being governed by a Liberal-Green coalition government. But on Monday, he declined to say whetherhe would throw in the towel on election night if his partyfell short.

"There's hypothetical questions that have been asked in the past, and I've been careful not to go down that trail too far," he said.

The PC Party's own messaging hasbeen equally hypothetical.

A fundraising email on Sunday urged supporters to donate money to the campaign, claiming that without a PC majority, Liberal Leader Susan Holt's Liberals could take power "even if they don't win the election."

WATCH | Hanwell residents on the issues swaying their votes this election:

CBC asks: What matters to you?

12 days ago

Duration 2:41

Over the coming weeks, CBC New Brunswick will visit several communities to ask residents whats top of mind this election season. Jeanne Armstrong, host of Information Morning Fredericton, stopped in Hanwell to speak with voters there.

But if the election fails to produce a majority, whichever party can win the confidence of the legislature gets to govern, even if it's not first in the seat count.

In the 2018 election, Liberal Premier Brian Gallant lost his majority. The PCs also failed to win a majority but had one more seat than the Liberals.

Even so, Gallant exercised his right to try to win a confidence vote, which he lost.

Higgs acknowledged this precedent and conceded aLiberal minority government supported by Green MLAs would be legitimate under the rules.

"I understand that," he said.

But it would spell economic disaster for the province, he said.

Last year, Green Party Leader David Coon saidhe wouldn't back a PC minority government with Higgs as leader.

That leaves three options,Higgs said Monday.

"We win a clear majority, or something changes in [Coon's] viewpoint, or we have what he would indicate now, with his secret list [of conditions], is a red-green alliance."

The cabinet order officially dissolving the legislature for the election sets Nov. 19 as the date that the newly elected assembly would convene, giving a party without a majority about a month to sort out whether it could govern.

Liberal uses hand-painted campaign signs to promote arts

Most election campaign signs follow a similar format:the name and usually the face of the local candidate, with the name of the party in that party's traditional colours.

But aFredericton candidate is doing things differently.

Luke Randall, who's running for the Liberals in Fredericton North, has several signs that were hand-painted by campaign volunteers.

Thesigns feature nature scenes, inspiring quotes and even a portrait of Randall surrounded by dogs.

Randall is running in a crowded Fredericton North contest againstthe Progressive Conservatives' Jill Green, the Green Party'sAnthea Plummer, the People's Alliance'sGlen Davis, the NDP's Matthew Stocekand Andrew Vandette of the Libertarian Party. They all appear to have gone with more traditional campaign signs.

Randall saidthesigns are meant to shed light on the importance of the arts in the campaign.

"What my amazing volunteers who painted these really wanted to demonstrate is that they want to be involved in the political process,and that the arts should be included in the political process," said Randall.

The Liberal Party platform released last week doesn't include any specific commitment for the arts, saying only that the party will "consider arts and culture as important economic and social drivers," leverage opportunities to create more arts jobs and support the transition committee's work on "the status of the artist."

While Randall also has traditional signs, he said thebespoke ones have received a lot of positive comments.

The painted signs feature very little red, the party's colour,and do not include the word Liberal or the name of Liberal Leader Susan Holt. The only thing that indicates Randall's party affiliationis a relatively small red uppercase "L" in a circle.

Randall said it wasn't his intention to minimize his connection to the Liberal Party. He said theleader's office is on board.

"[Holt] knows that each riding is unique and that we really need to run individual campaigns that reflect our community," said Randall, who ran for the Green Park in the same riding in 2020. "There was no negative pushback."

Standings at dissolution:PCs 25, Liberals 16, Greens 3, Independent 1, vacant 4.

Where the leaders are today

Liberal Leader Susan Holt will be in Fredericton North for an announcement.

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgsis campaigning in Nackawic.

Green Leader David Coonis announcing the party's climate change action plan in Fredericton.

For complete coverage, here is a link to CBC'sNew Brunswick Votes 2024 stories.