This MLA obtained 1,150 pages about N.B.'s airport study. All but 100 were blacked out

A Liberal politician says the PC government in New Brunswick is not being transparent about the findings of a controversial and unreleased airport study and says he has the documents to back up the claim.

Or, rather, the lack of them.

Bathurst West-Beresford MLA Ren Legacy used provincial freedom of information legislation to find documents about a study into New Brunswick's three airports.Legacy and others are worried the studyis paving the way to asingle international airport in the province.

Legacy said he received 16 documents in mid-September, totalling 1,150 pages.

Of those, 1,050 were redacted.

"Ninety-oneper centof the document was just completely blacked out," Legacy said. "So my curious nature calls me to say, 'Well, what areyou guys hiding?'

"It seems like there's a lot of work being done on this idea of one airport," he said. "So why was the premier not being transparent. Are they only going to support one? Which one is it, or any of them?"

Legacy filedrequests to multiple government departments about the contents of the initial report,after hearing that its first phase had been completed. Legacy also filed requests seekingcorrespondence between government members regarding the contents of the reportand anything that was delivered by consultants.

"The government keeps talking about being transparent, then you get a document and youcan't read anything," said Legacy, who is alsothe former president of the Northern New Brunswick Airport Authority.

Documents mainly showed employees coordinating meeting times to talk with other parties. No further details including the results of the study arereadable.

The documentsshowthat the provincial governmentwas invoiced$11,300 in Decemberby a contractor with Mintage Financial Corp.for consultation around current operationsand historical airline industry advice, with the possibility of renewal for a few more months at the same rate.

Mintage statedthe company'shelp can be provided to "develop more of the P3 project financing facilities that could help NB convert to a single international airport, regardless of whether it is a conversion or greenfield project."

'Not a rationalization of airports themselves'

Premier Blaine Higgs singled out airports as one of his government's priorities in his 2020 throne speech.

Airports are a federal jurisdiction, but Higgs said"airport structures themselves are not without cost to the province." The study "would not be a rationalization of airports themselves as much as an understanding of how do we provide the best service possible, what are we missing?"

Legacy said all New Brunswick airports had requested help from the province duringthe COVID-19 pandemic. A committee was created to discuss economic recovery.

"We sent our general director, month after month, to go to these meetings, waiting for some kind of response,"Legacy said. "When it came around to the fall, I was still curious to see how that was going ... and then the first response I got was from the throne speech where all of a sudden ... he was questioning the whole fabric of our airports and their very existence, essentially. "

Shortly after the speech, Legacy said, he learned that airports were invited to participate in a study.

The documents show multiple drafts of the report from thestudy were made and reviewed in the winter and spring.

'Further analysis is ongoing'

Erika Jutras, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance and Treasury Board, confirmed for CBC News that a baseline study of New Brunswick's air sector took place earlier this year.

"The study examined provincial service needs, roles and responsibilities, challenges, and potential opportunities," Jutras said ina statement.

"Further analysis of opportunities to reduce air sector costs and improve air access is ongoing with input from industry stakeholders. These findings will inform GNB's strategic priorities and decision-making related to NB's air sector."

I find this government has atactic of pushing back files, slowing it downto drag it out.- BathurstWest-Beresford MLARenLegacy

Johanne Gallant, vice-president of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association and president and CEO at the Fredericton International Airport Authority, said all airports wantto see the results of the first phase of the study.

"We have a clientele that we're serving, so we're planning on growing for the future," said Gallant. "[We're] hopingmaybe the government would like to support airports into developing services and hoping [there] might bepositive results of this study, but I haven't seen it."

Although the possibility ofamalgamating the Moncton, Fredericton and Saint Johnairports into one has been discussedfor years, Gallant said there's value in keeping them separate.

"I'm not supporting the business case of one airport," she said. "The airports are each serving cities, and we servethem well. For sure, I'm investing my time, energy and focus onthe current international airport."

Appeal filed

Legacy said he submitted an appeal in mid-October to find outwhat the redacted documents contain.

He said the decision to hide most of the information reflects a larger trend in thegovernment's lack oftransparency. The government has a practice of dragging things out.

"You've got a group that had a need, and they were told 'We need to check, we need to analyze,we need to look, we need to study.'Itjust seems to be the same pattern over and over again."

Legacy said he hopes to bring the manner upin question period when the legislature opens again.