Blaine Higgs: Building a stronger New Brunswick

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As families gather for the holiday season, we have much reason to be thankful. We all know New Brunswick is a beautiful place full of opportunities. More people are choosing to build their careers, raise their families and put down roots here. Over the last year, we’ve seen our population grow to new heights. Whether you’re a long-time resident or new to the province, New Brunswick is unique and offers something for everyone.

Over the course of our mandate, we have been focused on making our province stronger by investing in priorities that matter most to you, such as affordability, safer communities and strengthening the health-care system. Every day, New Brunswickers are dealing with the rising cost of gas, groceries and energy. The federal government’s carbon tax and clean fuel regulations are driving up the cost of living, which is putting financial pressures on many households. Recognizing this, we have taken steps to help. We have invested $100 million in the new Enhanced Energy Savings program to allow eligible New Brunswickers to install heat pumps to help better manage and reduce energy costs. We also know you work hard for your money, which is why we have helped over 420,000 New Brunswickers save $138 million by permanently reducing personal income taxes across all tax brackets. Additionally, through responsible fiscal management, we have helped homeowners save $121 million in annual property tax.

We understand rising costs are impacting seniors. To provide relief, we are increasing the Low-Income Seniors Benefit from $400 to $600. Seniors with spouses in long-term care facilities will only have to contribute 40 per cent of their income toward care for their spouse instead of 60 per cent, which means more money stays with the spouse at home.

We are continuing to support our most vulnerable by increasing spending by 31 per cent in programs to address housing and homelessness challenges. Since 2018, New Brunswick’s minimum wage has increased 31 per cent with another increase coming in 2024 in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Furthermore, we are committed to making our communities safer. We have implemented several initiatives over the past year to increase the number of police officers and crown prosecutors, and to strengthen and create legislation. This includes a $20.5 million investment in policing to hire 80 RCMP officers to bring peace of mind to our rural communities.

Every day, Justice and Public Safety (JPS) peace officers work with our law enforcement partners. We are seeing great success with the JPS Safer Communities Unit, especially when it comes to shutting down drug houses in communities and addressing illegal sales of drugs, cannabis, and tobacco products. To help with these successes, we have added 35 officers to this Safer Communities Unit. This year, these efforts resulted in the seizures of 245 drugs, $1 million in cash, 457 weapons and one million illegal cigarettes.

Having access to dependable public health care is a right each New Brunswicker deserves. In the 2023-24 budget, we invested $3.58 billion to strengthen our health-care system, up 10 per cent from the previous year. Improvements have been made to provide better access to surgeries. We have seen a 60 per cent reduction in long-waits for hip and knee replacements and we are continuing to make progress with cataract surgeries. There have been more than 4,000 cataract surgeries performed at clinics in Bathurst, Miramichi and Fredericton. In the Bathurst region, we have eliminated the waitlist for these surgeries. There are 1,689 nursing students enrolled in the registered nursing programs  – a 90 per cent increase from 2019. This year, more than 51,000 New Brunswickers have been connected to primary care through NB Health Link, and this number continues to grow. As well, our government remains committed to adult treatment with a new 50-bed addictions and mental health residential centre. Another major health-care improvement we are working on is a patient-first approach to make it easier for you to access services throughout the province.

As our population approaches 850,000 people, we are experiencing unprecedented growth and diversity, making us a more welcoming place not only for individuals, but for businesses, too.

Our government has reduced red tape to allow businesses to see us as a place where organizations can thrive – and it’s working. We have awarded $973 million in contracts to New Brunswick businesses through the New Brunswick First procurement strategy. This has generated $275.6 million in employment income and resulted in 4,900 jobs. For a fifth consecutive year, WorkSafeNB premiums have dropped; they’re down 55 per cent since 2018. It’s these types of efforts that help businesses succeed and grow our economy.

We recognize we are still facing challenges in health care, housing and affordability. We continue to work hard to deliver on our promises and we have a plan to accomplish much more by building upon the steps we have already taken to address these major challenges in the year ahead. Through strong and responsible fiscal management, we have been able deliver on our promises. We know there is still work to do in our province as we continue into 2024 so that we can build a stronger New Brunswick together. I hope you find time to relax and be with those you love this holiday season.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Blaine Higgs is the Premier of New Brunswick