New Brunswick.

• Author: Del Frate, Alicia R.
• Position: Legislative Reports

Budget

The First Session of the 60th Legislature adjourned on December 17 and resumed on March 22, when Finance and Treasury Board Minister Ernie Steeves tabled the 2022-2023 Main Estimates. This is the fourth budget delivered by the Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Blaine Eliggs.

The 2022-2023 budget projects a surplus of $35.2 million after total spending of $11.3 billion. While revenues are projected to grow by 1.2 per cent, the Department of Finance and Treasury Board projects New Brunswick's gross domestic product to grow by 2.2 per cent in 2022. The net debt-to-GDP ratio is projected at 30.1 per cent by March 31, 2023.

Highlights of the budget included $40 million in personal income tax relief to offset federal carbon-pricing increases; continued reductions to the provincial property tax rate resulting in a $45 million revenue reduction; a one-year cap on the allowable increase to rent of 3.8 per cent that is retroactive to January 1, 2022; an increase of $6.3 million for affordable housing; a healthcare budget totalling $3.2 billion, which represents a 6.4 per cent increase; and $38.6 million to increase wages for human services workers.

On March 24, Finance Critic Robert McKee delivered the Official Opposition's Reply to the Budget. Mr. McKee argued that the government underestimated the province's revenues while overestimating expenditures, which led to financial forecasting uncertainty and a missed opportunity to correct financial inequities for New Brunswickers. The Official Opposition outlined service inequities in rural healthcare compared to urban services, a shortage of nursing home facilities in the province, a lack of mental health services in schools, a shortage of subsidized or affordable housing, underspending in northern capital investments, inaction on the climate change portfolio, and an increase to public sector wages that falls behind projected inflation numbers.

Swearing-in of Legislative Officers

Speaker Bill Oliver presided over the swearing in of three new legislative officers. The new Auditor General, Paul Martin, was sworn in on December 22; the new Ombud, Marie-France Pelletier, was sworn in on January 7; and the new Child, Youth and Senior Advocate, Kelly Lamrock, was swom-in on February 9. All three were recommended by resolution of the Legislative Assembly on December 8, 2021.

New Member of the Executive Council

Bill Hogan was sworn in as the Minister responsible for Public Safety by...