By Daryl K. Branscombe
President of Coalition of Concerned Citizens
Email: dbranscombe@coalitionnb.com Phone: 1-506-461-0053
It is written in Scripture and over the entrance to the House of Commons:, “Where there is no vision, the people perish!
The Coalition of Concerned Citizens of New Brunswick was conceived about 18 months ago. What brought us together was a serious concern for the present, the near term future and the long term future of New Brunswick. We believed there was a need for a nonpartisan organization that could provide informed advice and leadership that will enable (identify and implement) the actions necessary for New Brunswick to succeed both socially and economically.
We established a set of principles that we believe can help get New Brunswick back on track to sound governance, fiscal responsibility, good public services and long-term sustainable well-being. The principles are broken down into four categories:
- Principles for Responsible Public Spending
- Principles for Responsible Revenue Generation
- Principles for Enhancing New Brunswickers’ Well-being
- Principles for Good Governance
Within each of these categories there is content which goes in to very specific details that will propel us into the future of a sustainable economy and a quality of living that is second to none.
These principles as well enable us to evaluate whether Provincial government policies and its legislation are consistent with the objectives outline in our principles-a report card per se. In school these report cards are completed at the end of the school year. In government, the report card is done once a year by the Auditor General.
It, therefore, may be premature to evaluate the progress of our new Government who has only been in power for six months, but we join the voices of others by saying we are impressed with what Premier Higgs and his team has done in a short time. He has demonstrated remarkable, courageous leadership by “walking the talk” and setting in place a framework for change that has the potential to lead to a brighter future for New Brunswickers. Winston Churchill who once said, “There is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure”. In areas of controversy, the Premier and his colleagues have shown some of these qualities.
Our group is non-partisan, but I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Experts have published much about the need for strong leadership to get New Brunswick on a stronger economic and social footing. The Higgs team has tackled some difficult issues in a short term in office. And have done so with a unique minority government situation. In the days following his election, the Premier has reiterated that his overall modus operandi is “Province first and Politics” second. Higgs himself comes across as non-partisan and seems prepared to reach across the aisle with all parties regardless of their political stripes to achieve essential goals and objectives.
Balancing the books has to be the first item to be applauded. We haven’t seen balanced budgets for over 20 years. In doing so, tough decisions had to be made. The cancellation of the French Olympia games in Moncton is one example. The deferring of the construction of the new court house in Fredericton was another. Highway construction had to be cut back. At the same time he has removed the moratorium on fracking. He is battling for the utility corridor from West to East. And the list goes on.
Less you think we are going to canonize Premier Higgs, we are not. We’ll continue assess government actions in relation to the CCC’s stated principles. The Province is beleaguered with a litany of issues and history will only judge the Premier when he leaves office and in the years thereafter
The Province has financial problems and our debt/ratio is not healthy. We rely far too heavily on transfer payments from Ottawa. And, historically, the surplus funds from Provinces, like Alberta, have enabled payments to flow through. Will this continue in the long-run? We have a labor shortage and the demographics are working against us. Education, social services and health need major reform and modernization. This small province desperately needs Municipal reform and creation of more density in the larger cities.
The University of New Brunswick is doing exciting research projects and the knowledge park in Fredericton is abounding. There are a number of amazing projects going on throughout the Province and it is exciting to see them unfolding.
At this point the coalition feels optimistic that challenging decisions are being dealt with. We are reminded that in New Brunswick each essential change requires investment of much political capital. The province has a long way to go in order to get essential changes implemented. Early signs give hope.
June 17, 2019
By Daryl K. Branscombe
President of Coalition of Concerned Citizens
Email: dbranscombe@coalitionnb.com Phone: 1-506-461-0053 b