New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, Friday 7 November 2025
On Friday, November 7, 2025, the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly heard Members' Statements on topics including potato farming, NB Power rates and winter disconnections, residential tenancies reform, forest ranger jobs, provincial finances, and energy affordability, with guests including former Premier Camille Thériault and advocate Norma Dubé introduced. Premier Holt delivered several ministerial statements, honouring the 2025 Order of New Brunswick recipients, announcing advancement of two recommendations from the 2021 Official Languages Act review, marking Remembrance Day, and noting a new endoscopy suite in Moncton, while the Health Minister introduced Bill 19 respecting occupational therapists. The House debated and unanimously carried Motion 15, which strengthens the mandate of the Standing Committee on Official Languages by directing it to review the Official Languages Act by December 31, 2026, and the McLaughlin-Finn report recommendations. After introducing a guest, the House adjourned until November 18.
Members' Statements
New Brunswick potato growers
Unknown
A member praised New Brunswick potato producers, noting they grow enough potatoes to fill the Rogers Centre one and a half times, with Carleton County producing the best.
NB Power bills and winter disconnections
Mr. Russell
The member for Miramichi West raised constituents' fears about power bills and disconnections, noting NB Power's November 1 to March 31 protection policy and urging customers to communicate with NB Power to avoid disconnection.
Residential Tenancies Act reform
Mr. Coon
Mr. Coon urged the housing minister to consider his 2018 reform bill and cited a tenant forced to move after her landlord withdrew from the rent subsidy program without fixing black mould, calling for the anticipated bill to close this gap.
Opposition Motions 12 and 13 on municipalities
Mr. Johnston
Mr. Johnston said the government received a letter opposing the opposition's Motions 12 and 13, which were proposed without consulting the Union of Municipalities, and accused the opposition of hypocrisy on stakeholder engagement.
Liberal governments and NB Power
Mr. Oliver
Mr. Oliver criticized Liberal governments over NB Power, citing the Point Lepreau cost overrun and the Joi Scientific waste, and mocked a billion-dollar power plant using jet-engine junkyard parts.
$50 million federal payment in budget
Ms. Scott-Wallace
Ms. Scott-Wallace criticized the Finance Minister for budgeting $50 million the federal government has said it will never pay, noting the position shifted from non-negotiable to negotiable.
Elimination of cost of carbon adjustor
Mr. Mallet
Mr. Mallet highlighted that the government will eliminate the cost of carbon adjustor on December 1, reducing gas costs by 8¢ or more per litre, after Public Accounts hearings found the formula was not based on real New Brunswick data.
Premier's knowledge of policy consequences
Mr. Cullins
Mr. Cullins argued that on the HST removal, winter disconnections, and education funding cuts, the Premier either sought no advice, got bad advice, or ignored good advice—none of which are reassuring.
Government affordability measures
Ms. Sodhi
Ms. Sodhi defended the government's affordability record, citing the 10% electricity rebate, energy savings program, HST removal on multi-unit housing, a 6,000 annual housing starts goal, the 3% rent cap, and rental support for over 10,000 households.
Premier and Mark Carney relationship
Ms. S. Wilson
Ms. S. Wilson used a Seinfeld 'no soup for you' analogy to criticize the Premier for relying on photo ops while Mark Carney promotes other provinces over New Brunswick.
Routine Proceedings
Introduction of guest Camille Thériault
Hon. Ms. Holt
Premier Holt welcomed former Premier Camille Thériault, the 29th Premier of New Brunswick, noting his political career, national work at the Transportation Safety Board, leadership of caisses populaires and UNI, and Order of Canada, and his role as partner to the Minister responsible for Women's Equality and Seniors.
Introduction of guests Camille Thériault and Norma Dubé
Hon. Ms. Boudreau
Minister Boudreau welcomed her partner Camille Thériault and women's equality advocate Norma Dubé, founder of the Women for 50% movement and President of the Association francophone des aînés du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Recognition of Norma Dubé
Ms. Scott-Wallace
Ms. Scott-Wallace, on behalf of the official opposition, praised Norma Dubé's invaluable work for women and seniors during her time as women's minister.
Ministerial statement on Order of New Brunswick recipients
Hon. Ms. Holt
Premier Holt honoured the five 2025 Order of New Brunswick inductees—William Hoyt, Rick Hutchins, Rodney Ouellette, Danielle Pelletier, and Cherrill Edwina Shea—outlining their contributions to law, community, cancer research, autism services, and human rights.
Response to Order of New Brunswick statement
Mr. Savoie
Mr. Savoie joined the Premier in congratulating the recipients, emphasizing the theme of 'impact' and reviewing each honouree's achievements.
Response to Order of New Brunswick statement
Mr. Coon
Mr. Coon, having attended his 12th Order of New Brunswick ceremony, congratulated the recipients and urged the government to create a permanent, accessible, educational way to expose young people to past honourees' inspiring work.
Ministerial statement on Official Languages Act review recommendations
Hon. Ms. Holt
The Premier announced the government is moving forward on two recommendations from the 2021 Finn-McLaughlin report: introducing a motion tasking the Standing Committee on Official Languages with a review of the Act by December 31, 2026, and establishing a working group led by Social Development to improve nursing homes' capacity to provide equal-quality service in both official languages.
Response to Official Languages statement
Mr. Savoie
Savoie welcomed the clarified mandate for the committee but questioned how the nursing home working group's implementation plan would affect the sector and be delivered sustainably, commending the government while awaiting details.
Response to Official Languages statement
Mr. Coon
Coon expressed happiness at the progress, noting only one of the 2021 recommendations had been adopted and time was lost, and welcomed the plan to enhance French-language nursing home services, highlighting that Francophone seniors in Fredericton lack access to a French-service nursing home.
Remembrance Day and Indigenous Veterans Day ministerial statement
Hon. Mr. D'Amours
The Minister responsible for Military Affairs marked November 11 Remembrance Day and November 8 Indigenous Veterans Day, invited New Brunswickers to honour those who served, and proposed a moment of silence, which the House observed.
Response to Remembrance Day statement
Ms. M. Wilson
The MLA for Oromocto-Sunbury spoke of hosting Base Gagetown, recounted attending the No Stone Left Alone event, and honoured her father Bill Fraser who served 25 years including in the Korean War.
Response to Remembrance Day statement
Mr. Coon
Coon described participating in the Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony at St. Mary's First Nation, recognized the Royal Canadian Legion branches and schools for their commemorative work, and emphasized the importance of reading local veterans' names.
Health announcement on new endoscopy suite
Hon. Mr. Dornan
The Health Minister announced an investment of up to $30 million to construct a new endoscopy suite at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton to improve access and reduce wait times.
Response to endoscopy suite announcement
Mr. Hogan
Hogan welcomed the announcement during Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Month but hoped the 2029 date would not be delayed and that advanced procedures like bronchoscopies would be offered, noting concerns about thoracic surgeons being centralized in Saint John.
Response to endoscopy suite announcement
Mr. Coon
Coon thanked the minister and renewed his call for establishing a standing committee on health, noting he had made the request twice to former Premier Higgs and been refused, arguing such a committee would keep members apprised of health system developments.
First reading of Bill 19, An Act Respecting the New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists
Mr. Bourque
Bourque moved first reading of Bill 19 to modernize the previous legislation by introducing official languages of the association, modifying its powers and council composition, and updating complaints and discipline proceedings.
Introduction of Guests
Hon. Ms. Holt
By unanimous consent the House reverted to Introduction of Guests, and the Premier welcomed artist and businesswoman Monique Poirier, Executive Director and Artistic Director of Pays de la Sagouine.
Orders of the Day
Motion 15 — directing the Standing Committee on Official Languages to review the Official Languages Act
Hon. Ms. Holt
With unanimous consent to dispense with notice, Holt moved Motion 15 directing the Standing Committee on Official Languages to review the Official Languages Act, examine the Finn-McLaughlin recommendations, and present a final report by December 31, 2026, with additional powers to travel, consult and retain personnel.
Debate on Motion 15
Hon. Ms. Holt
Holt provided the history of the Official Languages Act from 1969 under Robichaud through its 2002, 2013 and 2021 reviews, criticized the previous government for delaying responses and removing the review requirement, and expressed pride in advancing two Finn-McLaughlin recommendations including nursing home language services.
Debate on Motion 15
Mr. Savoie
Savoie indicated the opposition can support Motion 15 despite some concerns, and emphasized that in matters of linguistic rights the scales of justice must always be tipped in favour of the minority situation to protect that minority position.
Motion 15 – Mandate of the Standing Committee on Official Languages
Multiple
A committee member spoke in support of Motion 15, stressing that language laws must tilt the scales of justice toward the minority, that the committee needs a clearer defined mandate, and that consultations conducted outside the Chamber must be balanced across regions to avoid perceptions of inequality; he supported the motion without seeking amendments. Mr. Coon spoke on behalf of the Green caucus in support, recalling former member Kevin Arseneau's advocacy for the standing committee, and highlighted issues such as lack of French driving-school theory instruction and inconsistent French service at vaccination clinics.
Motion 15 Carried
Madam Speaker
The Speaker read the motion, put the question, and Motion 15 was carried.
Other business
Adjournment to Standing Committee on Economic Policy
Mr. M. LeBlanc
Mr. M. LeBlanc moved the adjournment of the House to move into the Standing Committee on Economic Policy, and the House was adjourned until November 18, rising at 11:01 a.m.
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