(Elxn-NB)
(ELXN-NB)
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has called an election for October 21s.
The 33-day campaign is expected to focus on pocketbook issues and the government’s provocative approach to gender identity policies.
The 70-year-old Progressive Conservative leader, who is seeking a third term in office.
At dissolution, the Conservatives held 25 seats in the 49-seat legislature, while the Liberals held 16 seats, the Greens had three and there was one Independent and four seats vacant.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Elxn-Indigenous-Survey)
The Wolastoqey (WUL’-ah-stook-kway) Nation in New Brunswick has released results from a pre-election questionnaire sent to the province’s main political parties, asking about their view on land titles, treaty rights, systemic racism and policing.
The Wolastoqey Nation says the response the governing Progressive Conservatives’ gave on Indigenous treaty rights is troublesome, and the party responded saying they disagree that land titles have been unceded.
The reference to unceded territory refers to the fact that these First Nations never relinquished or legally signed away their lands to the Crown or to Canada.
The chiefs say they are looking for a government that wants to build a forward-looking relationship with First Nations ahead of the provincial election.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Francophone-Schools-Lawsuit)
A francophone education council has voted to sue New Brunswick’s government over failures to build enough schools or renovate existing ones.
The francophone South district education council says the vote to pursue the matter was unanimous.
The Education Council chair says the lack of action threatens the vitality of the francophone community in New Brunswick, with students forced to enrol in anglophone schools instead.
The francophone south district has roughly about 17-thousand, 5000-students in 38 schools. (CBC New Brunswick)
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(NL-Coast-Guard-Death)
A crew member of a Canadian Coast Guard ship has been lost at sea off the coast of southern Newfoundland.
The coast guard says the agency says an extensive search and rescue effort for the man has been called off.
The man from C-C-G-S Vincent Massey was reported missing on Monday, when the vessel arrived in St. John’s.
The agency says it was “devastated to confirm” the crew member had been lost at sea, adding that
decisions to end searches are “never taken lightly.” (The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Tidal-Junk)
Nova Scotia’s minister of resources says he’s committed to removing four large containers left in the harbour entrance of Walton, Nova Scotia, by a bankrupt tidal power firm.
Tory Rushton made the comments as Transport Canada indicated they sent a notice on September 10th to Occurrent Power and a bankruptcy trustee ordering a plan be produced to remove the containers filled with concrete as they’re a navigational hazard.
Paul Pettigrew — vice-president with bankruptcy trustee M-N-P Ltd. — says the trustee “does not have an interest in the railcars,” and that it’s expected government agencies would remove them and then become a creditor in the bankruptcy proceedings to recover costs.
Rushton says the company’s 20-thousand dollar deposit for the project is available to assist, but he’s still awaiting estimates on the actual cost involved.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Carbon-Tax)
Nova Scotia’s Opposition Liberals say a bill they plan to table today would put an end to the carbon tax in the province.
Environment and climate change critic Iain Rankin, who was premier prior to the Tories winning power in 2021, is proposing the removal of the carbon tax to replace it with a cap and trade model.
Rankin says this model would comply with the federal government climate change action plan.
(The Canadian Press)
