New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, Wednesday 3 December 2025
During this sitting of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, members delivered statements on local businesses, the lobster fishery, road funding, official languages review, the capital budget and deficit, disability rights, and critiques of the Holt government. In Orders of the Day, the House sat in Committee of Supply, concluding the Transportation estimates and beginning debate on the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's 2026-27 capital budget, presented by Minister C. Johnson, who addressed school infrastructure priorities and announced the public release of the 2026-27 Quadruple Bottom Line list. The estimates were set aside, the committee reported progress with leave to sit again, and the House adjourned at 12:06 p.m.
Members' Statements
Local juice business by Mr. Kamlen
Unknown
A member congratulated Mr. Kamlen, originally from Cameroon and arrived in Canada in 2022, for opening a business producing fully pasteurized juices from local New Brunswick fruit, the first product of its kind in the province.
Support for lobster harvesters
Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee urged the provincial government to create an emergency relief stream for inshore harvesters facing short-term cash flow challenges due to reduced catches and lower prices, suggesting options such as a provincial loan guarantee, stabilization fund, and restructuring within the fisheries loan program.
Partisanship in road funding
Mr. Coon
Mr. Coon alleged that DTI's district projects fund allocated more road money to government-held ridings than opposition ridings during the Gallant and Higgs years, with a top-up for the Transportation Minister's riding, and called for an end to secrecy and partisanship in road funding.
Review of the Official Languages Act
Mr. Mallet
Mr. Mallet highlighted the Premier's motion for the Standing Committee on Official Languages to review the Official Languages Act by December 31, 2026—five years earlier than planned—taking into account the Finn-McLaughlin report recommendations to strengthen bilingualism.
Deficit and capital budget
Mr. Oliver
Mr. Oliver criticized the Holt government for a deficit exceeding $800 million in the first half of the year against a $1.47 billion capital budget, noting interest payments rose by nearly $100 million while only $78.1 million was budgeted for housing.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Ms. Sodhi
Ms. Sodhi marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, reaffirming the government's commitment to accessibility and inclusion and noting the summer measure ensuring the federal Canada Disability Benefit would not detract from provincial disability programs.
'Medal of shame' critique of government statements
Ms. Scott-Wallace
Ms. Scott-Wallace mocked the government with the opposition's 'medal of shame' theme, citing the Education Minister's PD day changes made without adequate local data and the Housing Minister's approval of a homeless shelter next to an elementary school before holding an open house.
Chaleur Regional Hospital investment
Mr. M. LeBlanc
Mr. M. LeBlanc celebrated the capital budget investment in the Chaleur Regional Hospital, saying the long-awaited move is expected to begin next year after six years of stagnation under the previous government.
'Naughty and nice list' critique of government
Mr. Cullins
Mr. Cullins used a Santa Claus theme to criticize the government for broken promises and secrecy, referencing the Skyline Acres issue, the school bus problems, and health care chaos for nurses.
Nursing Home Without Walls program expansion
Mr. Bourque
Mr. Bourque highlighted recent expansions of the Nursing Home Without Walls program, including Faubourg du Mascaret, Villa St-Isidore, and Villa Saint-Joseph, which helps seniors age at home.
Hospital overcrowding crisis critique
Ms. S. Wilson
Ms. S. Wilson used a 'Headline Hunters' game-show framing to criticize three ministers—Health, Social Development, and others—for passing the buck on responsibility for hospital overcrowding.
Routine Proceedings
Committee report and concurrence
Mr. Arseneault
Mr. Arseneault reported progress and asked leave to sit again; the Speaker put the question on concurrence in the report pursuant to Standing Rule 78.2 and the motion was carried.
Adjournment
M. M. LeBlanc
Mr. M. LeBlanc moved that the House adjourn, and the House adjourned at 12:06 p.m.
Orders of the Day
Department of Transportation capital estimates
Mr. Chair
The Transportation Minister concluded remarks on his department's capital budget, praising investments in the road network, after which the estimates were set aside pursuant to the Orders of the Day.
Unanimous consent for Education Minister's speech
Mr. M. LeBlanc
Mr. M. LeBlanc sought and obtained unanimous consent for the Education Minister's speech to run a few minutes past noon, and the Clerk read the Department of Education estimates before debate.
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2026-27 capital budget
Hon. C. Johnson
Minister C. Johnson presented the 2026-27 education capital budget of over $242 million (a 25% increase), including six new projects such as renovations at École Mathieu-Martin and École Sainte-Anne, a new French-language school in Woodstock, school replacements in Moncton and Oromocto, and $229 million for ongoing projects, maintenance, ventilation, universal washrooms, and security. She explained the Quadruple Bottom Line Multi-Criteria Analysis (QBL) tool used to prioritize projects and listed schools that moved up the priorities list.
Education infrastructure estimates and Quadruple Bottom Line priority list
The Minister of Education
The minister discussed school infrastructure priorities, including new schools, additions, and mid-life upgrades, and announced that the 2026-27 Quadruple Bottom Line list, including the stable infrastructure priorities list, is being made public for transparency. She emphasized responsible management of infrastructure spending and collaboration with the province's seven school districts.
Setting aside estimates and rising of committee
Mr. Chair
The Chair set aside the estimates pursuant to the Orders of the Day, concluding the committee's agenda, and called in the Speaker.
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.