New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, Tuesday 21 October 2025
The New Brunswick Legislative Assembly held its 37th daily sitting on October 21, 2025, primarily to prorogue the first session of the 61st Legislative Assembly. The sitting included the tabling of election returns from the Miramichi West by-election, the presentation of newly elected member Kevin Russell, and a prorogation message delivered by the Lieutenant-Governor. The House was prorogued at 11:15 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. that same day.
Official Hansard: Hansard — October 21, 2025 — afternoon (Legislature 61, Session 1) ↗ Official Hansard: Hansard — October 21, 2025 — afternoon (Legislature 61, Session 2) ↗
Routine Proceedings
Election Returns Tabled - Miramichi West By-Election
Madam Speaker
Pursuant to the Elections Act, the Speaker laid upon the table the return of votes polled in the electoral district of Miramichi West at the by-election held on October 6, 2025.
Government Motion to Enter Returns in the Journals
Hon. Ms. Holt
Hon. Ms. Holt, seconded by Mr. M. LeBlanc, moved that the election returns be entered in the Journals of the House.
Presentation of New Member - Kevin Russell
Mr. Savoie
Mr. Savoie escorted and presented the newly elected member for Miramichi West, Kevin Russell, who had taken the oath and signed the roll and claimed the right to take his seat; permission was granted.
Orders of the Day
Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne (seconder's speech)
Member for Dieppe (seconder)
The member described her riding of Dieppe and Memramcook and reviewed government accomplishments over the past year, including the 10% electricity rebate, rent cap, property tax reform, $10-per-day daycare expansion, breakfast programs, waiting-list reductions, Nursing Homes Without Walls, and collective agreements with civil servants. She outlined forward-looking priorities in health care, affordable housing (430 new units by 2026), environmental protection, education, French-as-a-second-language flexibility, and economic and tourism development, framing the government's leadership as grounded in listening, collaboration and empathy, and seconded the motion of the member for Hautes-Terres—Nepisiguit.
Reading of the address, debate, and adjournment
Madam Speaker
The Speaker read the proposed address and put the question, leading to a debate; Mr. Savoie moved the adjournment of the debate, and Hon. Ms. Holt moved that the House adjourn, which it did at 2:49 p.m.
Other business
Arrival of Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor
Madam Speaker
The arrival of Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor was announced; the Speaker vacated the chair, Her Honour entered accompanied by her Aide-de-Camp, and House officials presented themselves before her.
Her Honour's Message and Prorogation
Her Honour
Her Honour delivered a message congratulating members on completing their first session, urging respectful and constructive debate, an end to polarization, and a focus on improving quality of life, before issuing the command to prorogue the Legislature.
Prorogation of the House
Clerk (Shayne Davies)
The Clerk announced that Her Honour's will and pleasure was that the Legislative Assembly be prorogued until one o'clock p.m. today; the House prorogued at 11:15 a.m.
Opening of the Second Session and Arrival of the Lieutenant-Governor
The Speaker
The Legislature formally opened at 1:01 p.m. for the second session of the 61st Assembly, presided over by Lieutenant-Governor Hon. Louise Imbeault, who was admitted to the Chamber with honorary escorts and invited members to be seated.
Speech from the Throne — Opening Remarks and Land Acknowledgement
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
Her Honour welcomed members to the session, acknowledged the unceded territories of the Wolastoqey, Mi'gmaw and Peskotomuhkati peoples, and stressed the government's commitment to reconciliation and to bold, collaborative action to meet its goals.
Speech from the Throne — Congratulations and Recognition
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The speech thanked those who protected the province during summer wildfires and congratulated numerous New Brunswickers, including Order of New Brunswick and Order of Canada recipients, education, VIVE, literacy and export award winners, athletes, and performers on national talent shows.
Speech from the Throne — Condolences
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The speech remembered those who died in the past year, including Acadian novelist Antonine Maillet, labour leader Daniel Légère, union leader Buzz Hargrove, and jockey Ron Turcotte.
Speech from the Throne — Introduction and Accountability Metrics
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
Marking one year since the government's election, the speech emphasized transparency, collaboration and action, noting 15 accountability metrics introduced in January covering health care, education, housing, environment and the economy, with a focus on next steps for the second year of the mandate.
Speech from the Throne — Health Care: Primary Care
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The government pledged to increase primary care access from 77% to 81% by 2026, boost five-day access to a provider, and expand collaborative family health teams (seven established, at least three more by December, 10 more in 2026, and at least 30 by 2028), which have already removed over 10,000 patients from waiting lists.
Speech from the Throne — Health-Care Workforce
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The speech highlighted nurse recognition and retention payments (a second $5,000 payment issued), an upcoming agreement with the Nurses Union, expanded training programs, recruitment efforts, additional medical seats (80 for New Brunswick students in 2026), a $6.5 million paramedic bursary program, a planned physiotherapy program at Université de Moncton, and a bilateral Indigenous health forum.
Speech from the Throne — Women's Health and Midwifery
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The speech noted the repeal of Regulation 84-20 to increase reproductive choice, over $1.9 million invested in fertility treatments, and more than 623 families served by the Fredericton Midwifery Centre, with additional midwives to be hired in 2026.
Speech from the Throne — Digital Health
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The government committed to expanding digital health solutions in 2026, citing MyHealthNB surpassing 200,000 users, a new emergency department wait-time dashboard, a hybrid operating room at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, standardized medical imaging sharing, and modernized medical records using AI to reduce administrative burden.
Speech from the Throne — Mental Health
Her Honour (Lieutenant-Governor)
The government identified improving access to mental health services as a priority, noting investments in treatment beds throughout the province, including a 50-bed facility.
Throne Speech — Mental Health and Addictions
Unknown
The government outlined plans for a 50-bed complex substance use facility opening summer 2026, legislation in spring 2026 to create a Mental Health Advocate position, and expansion of the addiction and mental health court diversion model, starting with a specialized program in Moncton and identifying the next community in 2026.
Throne Speech — Seniors and Long-Term Care
Unknown
The speech highlighted free RSV vaccination for seniors, expansion of the Nursing Home Without Walls program from 30 to 40 sites, a $10 million home care investment, integration of personal care aides into the Extra-Mural program, efforts to stop growth of the 1,129-person nursing home waitlist, wage improvements for personal support workers, and a forthcoming Dementia Strategy and Dementia Care Navigation services in 2026.
Throne Speech — Affordability and Housing
Unknown
The government cited affordability measures including a 10% residential electricity rebate, the Enhanced Energy Savings Program, an independent review of NB Power (final report March 2026), eliminating the carbon adjustor to cut seven cents off gas prices, a property tax assessment freeze for 2026 with broader Equalized Payment Plan eligibility, a 3% rent cap, the Direct-to-Tenant rental benefit, new housing pilots, a Housing First approach and homelessness task force targeting a 40% reduction in chronic homelessness by 2028, and a $7.4 million emergency housing fund.
Throne Speech — Education
Unknown
The government detailed a $7.24 million investment in early childhood educator wages, 3,600 new child-care spaces by March 2026, forthcoming legislation to reduce administrative burden on child-care operators, new education plans to improve literacy, numeracy and reduce absenteeism, free breakfast in all public schools with healthy lunches by September 2026, a teacher recruitment/retention strategy, new school infrastructure projects, a Provincial Youth Treatment Centre, an Actions to Outcomes prevention plan, and youth-in-care supports and scholarships.
Throne Speech — Economic Development
Unknown
The speech addressed economic uncertainty from U.S. tariffs, port modernization at Saint John and Belledune, the Sisson Mine tungsten/critical minerals project (300 permanent jobs), a forthcoming minerals strategy and legislation in 2026, market diversification with rising exports to Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong and India, a new economic development strategy, the New Brunswick Free Trade Within Canada Act, and workforce/immigration measures including apprenticeship programs, labour mobility reforms, the Status of the Artist Act, rural cellular service improvements, tourism strategy, and revenue-sharing agreements with 14 First Nations.
Throne Speech — Environment
Unknown
The speech began addressing environmental priorities, noting New Brunswick's natural beauty of forests, trails, lakes and bays.
Speech from the Throne (conclusion)
The Lieutenant-Governor
The throne speech concluded with reviews of the historic wildfire season, flood mitigation planning, environmental protection goals (protecting 15% then 30% of the province), air quality targets, NB Power wind projects, climate change funding, trusted leadership, anti-racism strategy work, official languages progress, public sector union relations, upcoming pay transparency and Public Health Act legislation, and a Right to Information Act review.
Introduction and First Reading of Bill 1
Hon. Ms. Holt
The Premier introduced Bill 1, An Act to Perpetuate a Certain Ancient Right, which was read a first time, following the traditional acknowledgement of the throne speech.
Motion on Address in Reply
Mr. Robichaud
Mr. Robichaud, seconded by Ms. Vautour, moved that Her Honour's speech be taken into consideration and that an address of humble thanks be presented to the Lieutenant-Governor.
Address in Reply — Mover's speech
Mr. Robichaud
As mover, the member for Hautes-Terres—Nepisiguit thanked the Lieutenant-Governor, Premier, colleagues, constituents and family, and endorsed the throne speech's priorities on health (family health teams, mental health advocate), seniors (Nursing Home Without Walls), housing and cost of living, education and youth, the economy (port modernization, critical minerals), the environment, rural cellular coverage and official languages, praising the Premier's leadership.
Address in Reply — Seconder's speech
Ms. Vautour
As seconder, the member for Dieppe-Memramcook thanked her constituents, colleagues, staff and family, reflecting on a year of learning, listening and action, including facing tariff threats and community needs, and began her support of the throne speech.
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 Hansard — October 21, 2025 — afternoon (Legislature 61, Session 1), Hansard — October 21, 2025 — afternoon (Legislature 61, Session 2).