New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, Friday 5 December 2025
During this sitting, Members delivered statements on issues including district funding history, publicly funding the shingles vaccine, interprovincial trade legislation, the Nursing Home Without Walls program, the health care capital budget, reproductive health services, and partisan critiques of the government. Routine Proceedings included two notices of motion by Green members opposing American investment and fracked gas power plants, a Lieutenant-Governor's message transmitting Supplementary Estimates, third reading and passage of Bill 21, and the House entering Committee of Supply to consider the Housing Corporation capital estimates. In committee, a minister highlighted housing investments such as community housing targets, modular construction partnerships, and efforts to address homelessness and affordability; the vote was set aside, the committee reported progress, a committee report was concurred in, and the House adjourned.
Members' Statements
District funding record under Higgs government
Mr. Weir
Weir defended the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure over the school bus fiasco and cited figures showing Memramcook-Tantramar received a 290% funding increase and ranked 11th among funded ridings under the Higgs government.
Funding the shingles vaccine
Ms. Mitton
Mitton urged the government to publicly fund the shingles vaccine for people 50 and over, noting it remains unfunded, leaving seniors to pay hundreds out of pocket, and citing studies showing it reduces Alzheimer's risk by 25%.
Interprovincial trade legislation
Mr. Johnston
Johnston highlighted memoranda of understanding signed with Ontario, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba, and legislation to reduce interprovincial trade barriers to lower costs and expand markets.
Nursing Home Without Walls / MyHealthNB
Ms. Conroy
Conroy recognized the Nursing Home Without Walls program partnering with Horizon Health Network to help seniors set up MyHealthNB access at Miramichi Regional Hospital.
Health care capital budget
Mr. J. LeBlanc
LeBlanc promoted the tabled capital budget's $21 million health increase, $205 million for hospital renovations in Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, and Bathurst, and $42 million to replace aging medical equipment.
Premier's performance 'stuffies' critique
Mr. Hogan
Hogan mockingly questioned whether the Premier was still awarding performance stuffed animals to caucus, listing failures by the Finance, Transportation, and Housing ministers.
Interprovincial free trade
Mr. Mallet
Mallet praised New Brunswick for leading on free trade in Canada and coming legislation to reduce barriers with neighbouring provinces to lower prices and help businesses diversify.
Critique of 2025 government record
Mr. Lee
Lee characterized 2025 as a year of broken promises, bad-faith bargaining, and a $1-billion deficit, listing grievances including firing librarians, spending on American lobbyists, and cuts to child welfare, Chimo, and food banks.
Reproductive health services
Ms. Sodhi
Sodhi highlighted the repeal of Regulation 84-20 and new funding for one round of IVF and IUI to improve equitable access to reproductive health care.
New Year's resolutions for the Premier
Mr. Austin
Austin offered satirical New Year's resolutions urging the Premier to keep broken promises, including the school lunch program, the 8-cent gas cut, increasing the nursing home comfort allowance, and being more transparent.
Routine Proceedings
Congratulations to Opportunities New Brunswick
Unknown
A member congratulated the team at Opportunities New Brunswick, CEO Traci Simmons, and the board of directors.
Notice of Motion 22 — American corporate investment
Mr. Coon
Coon gave notice of Motion 22, seconded by Ms. Mitton, urging the government to end efforts to facilitate American corporate investment (citing the Sisson Mine, ProEnergy, and VoltaGrid) and instead invest in local economic development and green energy.
Notice of Motion 23 — Tantramar fracked gas plant
Ms. Mitton
Mitton gave notice of Motion 23, seconded by Mr. Coon, urging NB Power to halt plans for a ProEnergy fracked gas plant in Tantramar and instead invest in proven green options like wind, solar, and battery storage.
Lieutenant-Governor's message — Supplementary Estimates
Hon. Mr. Legacy
Legacy delivered a message from the Lieutenant-Governor transmitting Supplementary Estimates 2025-2026, Volume 1, and recommending them to the House.
Business of the House
Mr. M. LeBlanc
LeBlanc announced the House would begin with third reading of Bill 21, then resolve into Committee of Supply to open and set aside the capital estimates of the New Brunswick Housing Corporation.
Third reading of Bill 21
The Speaker
Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Child and Youth Well-Being Act, was read a third time and passed.
Orders of the Day
Committee of Supply — New Brunswick Housing Corporation estimates
Hon. Mr. Hickey
In Committee of Supply, Housing Minister Hickey presented the capital estimates, highlighting $78.1 million for housing (a ~70% increase), a $15.37 million community housing acquisition fund, $9.6 million for existing stock, and mandate targets of 30,000 new homes, 1,760 affordable units, and a 40% reduction in chronic homelessness.
Capital budget debate - housing investments
Unknown
A minister emphasized the government's commitment to affordable housing, noting community housing is at 3.5% of the market against a national 20% target, described partnerships with modular construction firms (Maple Leaf Homes, Kent Homes, Supreme in Tracadie), and defended the capital investments as responding to homelessness and the housing crisis.
Vote set aside and committee resumes
Mr. Chair
Pursuant to the Orders of the Day, the vote was set aside and the Speaker was called back to the chair as the committee rose.
Committee report concurrence and adjournment
Multiple
Mr. Arseneault requested reverting to Presentations of Committee Reports and reported progress; the Speaker put the concurrence motion which carried, and Mr. M. LeBlanc moved adjournment of the House at 10:34 a.m.
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.