New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, Thursday 8 May 2025
During Members' Statements in the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly on May 8, 2025, opposition members repeatedly criticized the Holt government's budget cuts to transportation, education, ambulance services, and child welfare, while government members defended new investments in housing and education. Several members invoked a 'duck test' analogy to characterize the government's spending decisions as cuts, and one member congratulated newly elected federal MPs following the April 28 federal election.
Members' Statements
Cut to Centennial Bridge sidewalk in Miramichi
Ms. Conroy
Conroy criticized the Holt government for cutting the sidewalk from the Centennial Bridge, calling it unacceptable, and challenged the MLA for Miramichi Bay-Neguac to demand a sidewalk from his government.
Ambulance response times in rural New Brunswick
Mr. Coon
Coon criticized Medavie Blue Cross's dynamic deployment model for Ambulance New Brunswick, citing poor February response times and deaths in Sussex and Norton, and called for community-based ambulances.
Anglophone South School District heritage fair
Ms. Wilcott
Wilcott recounted serving as a judge at the regional heritage fair on May 1, praising the students and their projects and celebrating the teachers and families involved.
Duck test applied to education cuts
Mr. Austin
Austin used a 'duck test' analogy to argue that the $43-million education reduction is a cut, criticizing the government for the loss of librarians and teachers and accusing it of gaslighting the public.
HST rebate for purpose-built rental housing
Mr. Mallet
Mallet highlighted the government's action to remove the provincial portion of HST on eligible new purpose-built rental housing, describing it as an incentive to encourage rental construction in rural and remote regions.
Education cuts and impact on students
Ms. Bockus
Bockus criticized the $43-million cut to the seven school districts, noting library workers had already lost jobs and warning of further job losses and reduced student services.
Investments in classroom learning and education
Ms. Sodhi
Sodhi defended the government's $250-million in new spending commitments for education, including redirecting $43 million into schools, new behaviour mentors and academic support teachers, and funding for educational assistants and school food programs.
Contradictory government spending and cuts
Ms. Scott-Wallace
Scott-Wallace criticized the Premier's claim of 'a better result for less money,' listing cuts to roads, Chimo, pharmacy clinics, child welfare, education, and food banks while spending an additional $750 million.
Congratulations to newly elected federal MPs
Mr. Bourque
Bourque congratulated New Brunswick's newly elected and re-elected MPs following the April 28 federal election, including Dominic LeBlanc, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and others, and wished Prime Minister Mark Carney success.
Questioning government education spending results
Mr. Hogan
Hogan challenged the Premier's saying about better results for less money, questioning what results the government expects from spending $200 million more on education.
This is Tabled's summary of the sitting, written from the official record; Hansard is only ever quoted at the link above. Search New Brunswick Hansard for the words themselves, or read this sitting in the archive.