New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, Tuesday 28 October 2025
The New Brunswick House of Assembly held its fifth daily sitting of the second session, featuring numerous members' statements and routine proceedings. Opposition members raised concerns about the Holt government's mental health record, fiscal borrowing, and the Centennial Bridge sidewalk, while government members highlighted a school breakfast program, a new youth psychiatric unit, and a new nurses' collective agreement. Members also raised women's health issues and constituency concerns from Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville.
Members' Statements
Government failures on mental health
Mr. Weir
Weir criticized the Holt government's record on mental health, citing the ISD team funding cut, the Chimo helpline funding cut, a $47-million child welfare cut, and the absence of a mental health advocate this year.
Women's health
Ms. Mitton
Mitton cited a report on 27,000 Maritime women showing that women's health needs are under-researched and dismissed, and called for dedicated women's health clinics, better education and research, and more support for mental health and caregiving.
School breakfast program and affordability
Mr. J. LeBlanc
LeBlanc highlighted a partnership with Feed NB to provide healthy breakfasts to every student, noting nearly one in four children arrives at school hungry, and described visiting the program at Polyvalente Louis-J.-Robichaud.
Routine Proceedings
Centennial Bridge sidewalk
Ms. Conroy
Conroy accused the Premier of making things disappear and said thousands have signed petitions to stop the removal of the Centennial Bridge sidewalk, vowing that Miramichi people will keep fighting to keep the bridge accessible to pedestrians and mobility device users.
School breakfasts as public health
Ms. Vautour
Vautour praised the breakfast program as a public health measure that teaches healthy habits, prevents chronic illness, and creates new opportunities for local producers such as orchards selling apples too small for grocery stores.
Constituency concerns of Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville
Mr. Lee
Lee outlined constituent concerns including the Spruce Lake Industrial Park expansion threatening 878 acres of biodiverse land, ferry services, rural broadband, mobile health units, road and bridge upgrades, housing wait lists, and access to primary care.
Youth mental health
Ms. Wilcott
Wilcott spoke about gaps in the youth mental health system and welcomed the government's announcement of a new youth inpatient psychiatric unit in Saint John providing trauma-informed care close to home.
Fiscal update and government borrowing
Mr. Monahan
Monahan warned that the first-quarter fiscal update shows plans to borrow $668 million, nearly $120 million more than expected, and criticized the use of $156 million from the tobacco settlement to mask a $60-million budget overrun.
New nurses' collective agreement
Mr. Bourque
Bourque recognized the government's October 23 signing of a new collective agreement with the New Brunswick Nurses' Union, saying it demonstrates respect for nurses and commitment to retaining health care professionals.
Assessment of the Holt government's first year
Mr. Austin
Austin criticized the Holt government's first year as producing only reports, commissions, reviews, and consultations, accusing the Premier of rebranding the previous government's work as new initiatives.
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.