Green leader now a target as Higgs raises spectre of 'coalition'
Tories warn of costly Liberal-Green deal; candidate says Lamèque bridge is on list of demands
Green Party Leader David Coon finds himself in an unusual position at the outset of his fourth New Brunswick election campaign: on the defensive.
Third parties like the Greens usually have the latitude to promise just about whatever they want, without fear of attack or serious scrutiny, because there's little chance they'll be in a position to implement those commitments.
But with a potentially close election result on Oct. 21 — and with Coon confirming he's working on a list of conditions for supporting a Liberal minority government — the Greens are now a target.
"We cannot let Susan Holt and David Coon do to New Brunswick what Trudeau and Singh have done to Canada," PC Leader Blaine Higgs said at the start of his campaign.
He was referring to the agreement federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made in 2022 to support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government during confidence votes in the House of Commons.
At
the start of his campaign, PC Leader Blaine Higgs said, 'We cannot let
Susan Holt and David Coon do to New Brunswick what Trudeau and Singh
have done to Canada.' (Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press)
That allowed Trudeau to avoid a new election — but according to Higgs, it has also led to excessive government spending and far-left policies that most Canadians now reject.
"Anyone who thinks it would be different here with a Green-Liberal coalition — it won't be," Higgs said.
"That'll be a carbon copy of what we've seen federally."
To be clear, the federal Liberal-NDP deal was not a coalition government as it's usually defined. There were no NDP ministers sitting in Trudeau's cabinet.
Instead, the New Democrats supported the Liberals on key votes, in return for the government acting on several NDP priorities, such as a national dental coverage plan and anti-replacement worker legislation.
Green
Leader David Coon talks to candidates Wilfred Roussel, left, and
Jacques Giguère, centre, after the party's campaign launch on Sept. 18. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
It's not unlike how Higgs himself worked with three MLAs from the right-wing populist People's Alliance when he led a minority government from 2018 to 2020.
That was different, the PC leader said last week, "because the philosophies are very different."
There is indeed potential common ground between the New Brunswick Liberals and Greens.
They align on opposing Higgs's tight-fisted approach to budgets, his refusal to cap rents and his changes to Policy 713 last year, among others.
But they also have differences.
The Greens have promised to ban glyphosate spraying, for example — an idea Liberal party members rejected at a policy convention in February.
Wilfred
Roussel, a former Liberal MLA now running for the Greens in
Shippagan-les-Îles, told CBC News that a new bridge between Shippagan
and Lamèque to replace the existing bridge, seen here, would be on the
party’s list of conditions. (Radio-Canada)
Coon has been up front that, if the Greens don't win government and no one else gets a majority of seats, he'll have a wish list ready to take into negotiations.
But he won't say what's on it.
"It's important to prepare for any possibility. We have a very long list now, just from some brainstorming," he said at his campaign launch last Wednesday.
"The platform will be the starting point if we find ourselves in that situation."
Until Coon gets specific, Higgs has the opportunity to raise the spectre of runaway spending and other hypothetical far-left scenarios.
Unfortunately for the Green leader, some of his own candidates are already getting specific.
Liberal
candidate for Fredericton North, Luke Randall, who ran for the Greens
in 2020, raised the prospect of 'a Higgs-Coon' coalition. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Wilfred Roussel, a former Liberal MLA now running for the Greens in Shippagan-les-Îles, told CBC News that a new bridge between Shippagan and Lamèque to replace the existing bridge, built in 1960, would be on the party's list of conditions.
"The Green Party is the only party that has said, 'If we get elected, before we make an alliance with any Liberals or Conservatives, we will make sure that this [commitment] is within the package,'" he said.
Comments like that can further feed Higgs's argument that a Liberal-Green deal would indeed be costly.
It also gives Holt and the Liberals, however, the opportunity to put more distance between them and Coon.
"From what we've seen of their promises so far, they're really expensive," Holt said of the Green campaign.
She says Coon's platform, including a pledge to restore rural services that have been cut, would take the province back into deficits, "something we fundamentally disagree with. It's our goal to balance the budget every year. We've committed to that."
Holt's Fredericton North candidate, Luke Randall, who ran for the Greens in 2020, even raised the prospect of "a Higgs-Coon" coalition.
"My expectation is that if David really wants to get work done … he would be willing to work with any leader," Randall said – using that to make the argument for a Liberal majority.
Last year Coon said he would not make any deals with the PCs as long as Higgs is leader, making Holt his only potential partner.
But the fact that both parties are taking shots at him — while accusing each other of being willing to deal with him — shows how pivotal he will be if no one wins a majority on Oct. 21.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
348 Comments
Higgy having fun on his new Honda
Here is to yet another wondrous 4 years of absolute PC rule for NB.
I expect Higgs to step down before summer 2025 to allow someone else a chance to rule absolutely.
Someone explain to this fellow how a Westminster style Parliamentary democracy thing works.
On the flip side, though, is the notion that party that gets the most support from voters in an election could under these types of arrangements be shunted to the side while fringe parties could team up to rule the roost.
Which scenario is more unfair?
But you denigrate the idea of cooperation by two parties, that likely will represent a majority of voters as somehow illegitimate.
I simply point out that while it may seem fairer to go with the majority of voters, it all depends on how that vote is spread.
Let's say a traditional, centrist party gets 46 per cent of the votes. And let's say a far left party gets 17 per cent and a far right party gets 28 per cent and a party of anarchists four per cent and a joke party that wants to require all New Brunswickers to wear rainbow-coloured beanies and party in the streets with free cannabis gets the remaining five per cent.
Under such a scenario, the centrists do not have a majority.
Would it makes sense though for the joke party, the anarchists, the far right and far left parties to join forces and form a coalition government?
Would you consider that a fairer outcome and more representative of the voters' intentions?
Don't like the Westminster style Parliamentary democracy, push for a change.
Or not...
Hmmm...
From: David Amos<motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 28, 2018 at 11:49 PM
Subject: Yo Dominic Cardy you must know where the old Chief of Staff Greg Lutes ran off to N'esy Pas?
To: oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, kelly <kelly@lamrockslaw.com>, Dominic.Cardy <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
https://www.telegraphjournal.
New Tory chief of staff has ties to Larry’s Gulch controversy
CHRIS MORRIS Legislature Bureau August 26, 2015
FREDERICTON • The opposition Tories in New Brunswick have hired a
chief of staff – Greg Lutes, a former deputy minister who has been
involved in the controversy surrounding the alteration of a guest list
at the Larry’s Gulch fishing camp.
http://davidraymondamos3.
Monday, 22 January 2018
Mr Higgs and Dominic Cardy are trying to learn how to herd cats and
even the clowns are laughing at the nonsense
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:51:37 -0400
Subject: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory lane with Blaine
Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy Kelly Lamrock
should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, kelly <kelly@lamrockslaw.com>,
"Dominic.Cardy"<Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs"
<blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
<serge.rousselle@gnb.ca>, "Bill.Fraser"<Bill.Fraser@gnb.ca>, andre
<andre@jafaust.com>, "David.Coon"<David.Coon@gnb.ca>, krisaustin
<krisaustin@peoplesalliance.ca
<dan.bussieres@gnb.ca>, "Gilles.Blinn"<Gilles.Blinn@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>,
"Gilles.Cote"<Gilles.Cote@gnb.ca>, "brian.gallant"
<brian.gallant@gnb.ca>, jbosnitch <jbosnitch@gmail.com>, "bruce.fitch"
<bruce.fitch@gnb.ca>, "bruce.northrup"<bruce.northrup@gnb.ca>, Brian
Gallant <briangallant@nbliberal.ca>, "brian.keirstead"
<brian.keirstead@gnb.ca>, "Bill.Oliver"<Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, "carl.
davies"<carl.davies@gnb.ca>, "carl.urquhart"<carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>,
greg.byrne@gnb.ca, jack.keir@gnb.ca, premier <premier@gnb.ca>,
Bernard.LeBlanc@gnb.ca, "denis.landry2"<denis.landry2@gnb.ca>,
"Stephen.Horsman"<Stephen.Horsman@gnb.ca>,
Stephane.vaillancourt@rcmp-
<wayne.easter@parl.gc.ca>, "Brenda.Lucki"
<Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "hon.ralph.goodale"
<hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca>, "Hon.Dominic.LeBlanc"
<Hon.Dominic.LeBlanc@canada.ca
<kedgwickriver@gmail.com>, markandcaroline
<markandcaroline@gmail.com>, "Wilfred.Roussel"
<Wilfred.Roussel@gnb.ca>, Kevhache@nb.sympatico.ca,
gaudet2018@gmail.com, "Gilles.LePage"<Gilles.LePage@gnb.ca>,
dannysoucypc@gmail.com, dcardy@gmail.com, "Gary.Crossman"
<Gary.Crossman@gnb.ca>, "Glen.Savoie"<Glen.Savoie@gnb.ca>,
jeannotvolpe2018 <jeannotvolpe2018@gmail.com>, "jeff.carr"
<jeff.carr@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore"<Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"jill.green.fton"<jill.green.fton@gmail.com>, MarcelDoiron
<MarcelDoiron@rocketmail.com>, martykingston2018@gmail.com,
votemarywilson <votemarywilson@gmail.com>, mikeholland4albert
<mikeholland4albert@gmail.com>
scott.smith.nms@gmail.com, "Trevor.Holder"<Trevor.Holder@gnb.ca>,
"Dorothy.Shephard"<Dorothy.Shephard@gnb.ca>, Newsroom
<Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, news <news@kingscorecord.com>, news
<news@dailygleaner.com>, "David.Raymond.Amos"
<David.Raymond.Amos@gmail.com>
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)"<Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 05:35:32 +0000
Subject: RE: Mr Higgs and Dominic Cardy are trying to learn how to
herd cats and even the clowns are laughing at the nonsense
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be
assured that your email will be reviewed.
If this is a media request, please forward your email to
media-medias@gnb.camedia-
>. Thank you!
******************************
Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du
Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné.
Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à
media-medias@gnb.camedia-
Tuesday, 28 August 2018
For people who haven't seen the interview I made with P.C. Leader
Blaine Higgs....
https://youtu.be/gJurxc9Msxw
Posted by Charles Leblanc at 1:04 pm No comments :
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Byrne, Greg (PO/CPM)"<Greg.Byrne@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:47 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting me; unfortunately, I will be out of the
office until September 25, 2018. If you need asistance, please
contact vreception at 506-453-2144.
Merci de m’avoir contacté ; malheureusement, je suis hors du bureau
jusqu'au 25 septembre et je ne répondrai peut-etre pas à vos messages
avant cette date. Si vous avex besoin d'aide, veuillez appeler la
réception au (506) 453-2144.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Fraser, Bill Hon. (DTI/MTI)"<Bill.Fraser@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:47 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email. Due to the provincial election, I will be
out of the office until Tuesday, September 25, 2018. This email
account will not be accessible until after the election.
For matters related to the Department of Transportation and
Infrastructure, please call 506-457-7345.
For matters related to the Regional Development Corporation, please
call 506-453-2277.
For matter related to Intergovernmental Affairs, please call 506-453-2875.
_____
Je vous remercie pour votre courriel. En raison de l'élection
provincial, je serai hors du bureau jusqu'au mardi 25 septembre 2018.
Ce courriel ne sera pas accessible durant l'élection.
Pour les questions relatives au ministère des transports et de
l'infrastructure, veuillez composer le 506-457-7345.
Pour les questions relatives à la société de développement régional,
veuillez composer le 506-453-2277.
Pour les questions relatives aux affaires intergouvernementales,
veuillez composer le 506-453-2875.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Carr, Jeff (LEG)"<Jeff.Carr@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:47 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing the office of Jeff Carr, MLA for the riding of
New Maryland - Sunbury. Please know that we have received your email,
and someone from our office will be in touch with you shortly.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Coon, David (LEG)"<David.Coon@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:47 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your email./ Merci pour votre courriel.
During the election period, I can be contacted at
david.coon@greenpartynb.ca./ Pendant la campagne électorale, vous
pouvez me contacter à david.coon@greenpartynb.ca
Best Regards,/Meilleures salutations,
David Coon
MLA Fredericton South & Leader of the Green Party/
Député de Fredericton Sud et chef du Parti Vert
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Oliver, Bill (LEG)"<Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:47 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
The Constituency Office will be closed from August 23, 2018 to
September 24, 2018, inclusively.
Accordingly, this email account will not be active during the same period.
Le bureau de circonscription sera fermé due 23 août 2018 au 24
septembre 2018, inclusivement.
Par conséquent, ce couriel ne sera pas actif pendant cette période
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Fitch, Bruce (LEG)"<Bruce.Fitch@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:47 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
The Constituency Office will be closed from August 23, 2018 to
September 24, 2018, inclusively. Accordingly, this email account will
not be active during the same period.
Le bureau de circonscription sera fermé du 23 août 2018 au 24
septembre 2018 inclusivement. Par conséquent, ce couriel ne sera pas
actif pendant cette période.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Holder, Trevor (LEG)"<Trevor.Holder@gnb.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:43 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
"The Fifty-sixth Legislature of the Province of New Brunswick is
dissolved. Accordingly, the office with which this email account is
associated is closed.""La cinquante-sixieme legislature de la province
du Nouveau-Brunswick est dissout.En consequence, le bureau aupres
duquel ce compte courriel est associee est ferme."
---------- Original message ----------
From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:51:48 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Whereas Chucky Leblanc is going down memory
lane with Blaine Higgs tonight Methinks Dominic Cardy and his buddy
Kelly Lamrock should remind their boss of a few things N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical
support, please contact our Customer Service department at
1-800-387-5400 or send an email to customerservice@globeandmail.
If you are reporting a factual error please forward your email to
publiceditor@globeandmail.com<
Letters to the Editor can be sent to letters@globeandmail.com
This is the correct email address for requests for news coverage and
press releases.
https://www.telegraphjournal.
Retired RCMP officer to investigate alleged misuse of Larry’s Gulch
ADAM HURAS Legislature Bureau May 14, 2015
A group of canoes along the shore at Larry's Gulch.
Submitted
FREDERICTON • The province’s attorney general office has asked a
retired RCMP officer to investigate alleged misuse of Larry’s Gulch.
Attorney General Serge Rousselle has confirmed the move after pledging
earlier this year that the Liberal government will hire an independent
body to conduct further inquiry into the handling of Larry’s Gulch
guest lists.
No timeline has been placed on the investigation.
New Brunswick’s Access to Information Commissioner, Anne Bertrand, is
also investigating a 2013 trip to Larry’s Gulch.
A 2013 Larry’s Gulch guest list obtained by Brunswick News on Sept.
18, 2013, included a total of 20 names, including former premier David
Alward and a former assistant managing editor of the Times &
Transcript, Murray Guy, beside a three-day trip in July organized by
NB Liquor.
But another version of the list obtained by the newspaper L’Acadie
nouvelle at a later date no longer has any of those names for the
dates in question, instead replacing them with the word “private.”
An investigation by senior management at Brunswick News, which began
following a media inquiry, has uncovered that Murray Guy, a former
assistant managing editor at the Times & Transcript, was the guest of
Daniel Allain, then-president and CEO of NB Liquor, at Larry’s Gulch
fishing lodge in 2013.
The investigation also found that Guy and former Times & Transcript
managing editor Al Hogan, on their own initiative and without
disclosing to senior management, then sought to have Darell Fowlie,
deputy minister of communications in Alward’s government at the time,
alter the guest list before releasing it to other media.
By the spring of 2014, Fowlie had moved to the private sector and was
no longer with the premier’s office.
As a result of the investigation, Guy has resigned, and Hogan is no
longer employed by Brunswick News.
A government review of changes made to the guest list of the fishing
lodge was released on Tuesday and found that NB Liquor wrote a letter
to trigger the reclassification of a 2013 trip to Larry’s Gulch to
erase from the record the names of those in attendance and deem the
meeting private.
But that request only came after a former member of the premier’s
office asked the Department of Tourism to solicit NB Liquor for that
response.
https://www.telegraphjournal.
Liberals refer Larry’s Gulch report to prosecutors
CHRIS MORRIS Legislature Bureau July 8, 2015
Energy and Mines Minister Donald Arseneault speaks to media in this file image.
Karissa Donkin/Legislature Bureau
FREDERICTON • The Liberal government has asked the Office of the
Attorney General to investigate the privacy commissioner’s finding
that two former deputy ministers altered a guest list for the
provincially owned Larry’s Gulch fishing camp.
Energy Minister Don Arseneault told reporters Tuesday that the Liberal
government has decided to refer the commissioner’s report to the
public prosecutions branch in the Office of the Attorney General to
review options for further action.
He said those options could include investigation by the RCMP.
“It is a very serious matter,” Arseneault said. “The law has been
broken and we feel that there should be repercussions for that but we
will let the process judge for itself.”
He said the review of Privacy Commissioner Anne Bertrand’s report,
which did not recommend charges, will be conducted by prosecutors and
will be independent of any political influence.
Bertrand’s report found that the former deputy minister of
communications “acted inappropriately” by asking the former deputy
minister of tourism to remove names of NB Liquor guests from the
Larry’s Gulch list. Those officials were acting on the request of a
former Times & Transcript assistant managing editor who wanted his
personal information removed from the list, she found.
The commissioner doesn’t use names in her report, but the deputy
minister of communications at the time was Darell Fowlie, while Greg
Lutes held the position of deputy minister of tourism.
Arseneault made it clear he does not accept the rationale offered by
Fowlie who told Bertrand that he did not “perceive a problem” in
making the changes to the fishing lodge guest list.
He said Lutes was advised by three separate department staff members
that altering the list would break the law.
“They knew very well what they were doing,” Arseneault said.
Fowlie served as deputy minister of communications in the office of
former premier David Alward until October 2013 when he took a leave of
absence from government to help plan the Progressive Conservative
re-election campaign.
Lutes was deputy minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture at the time
in question and had worked previously for the Tory party.
The opposition Tories declined to comment on Arseneault’s statements Tuesday.
An official in the opposition office instead referred to a previous
statement Tory MLA and former Attorney General Ted Flemming released
last week after Bertrand published her report.
“We have nothing to add as this entire episode was a carefully crafted
and timed smokescreen to draw attention away from the Auditor
General’s
preliminary report on the Atcon fiasco,” Flemming states, referring to
a previous Liberal government’s failed investment of over $70 million
into the Miramichi-based Atcon construction company.
“We would suggest to the taxpayers of our province to keep a careful
eye on the Gallant government while this report occupies space in the
media, as it offers yet another distraction from the actions of the
government.”
A 2013 Larry’s Gulch list obtained by Brunswick News on Sept. 18, 2013
had 20 names, including former premier David Alward and a former
assistant managing editor of the Times & Transcript, Murray Guy,
beside a three-day trip in July organized by NB Liquor. Another
version of the guest list obtained later by the newspaper L’Acadie
nouvelle no longer had any of those names for the dates in question,
instead replacing them with “private.”
An investigation by senior management at Brunswick News, which began
after a media inquiry, found in February that Guy was the guest of
Daniel Allain, then president and CEO of NB Liquor, at Larry’s Gulch
in 2013.
The investigation also found that Guy and former Times & Transcript
managing editor Al Hogan, on their own initiative and without
disclosing to senior management, then sought to have Darell Fowlie,
deputy minister of communications in Alward’s government at the time,
alter the guest list before releasing it to other media. Following the
Brunswick News investigation, Guy resigned, and Hogan is no longer
employed by Brunswick News.
Earlier this week, Bertrand defended her decision not to recommend
charges despite her finding that Fowlie and Lutes broke the province’s
conflict of interest law by altering the Gulch guest list.
The privacy commissioner said both men have already faced
“substantive” consequences by having their names in the media and
associated with “wrongdoing.”
“The people we interviewed, including the two we found responsible in
this case, had no clue these were consequences of their actions,”
Bertrand said. “For me, one of the pre-eminent results of this report
is to let the public know they have a right.”
Because Lutes and Fowlie are no longer employed by government, she
said she doesn’t believe they will repeat the error.
Bertrand said if it happened again, she would recommend charges.
https://www.telegraphjournal.
Former New Brunswick Tory strategist loses new job
JOHN CHILIBECK Legislature Bureau July 9, 2015
A group of canoes along the shore at Larry's Gulch.
Submitted
A former political operative in David Alward’s Tory government has
lost his job in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Sharon Vokey, executive director of the Progressive Conservative Party
of Newfoundland, confirmed in a short interview on Wednesday that her
party’s campaign strategist Darell Fowlie had been relinquished of his
duties.
“He’s been let go – that’s correct,” she said before reading a
prepared statement. “Here’s all I have to say on it, and the party
will be offering no further comment: ‘Due to information that the
Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador was made
aware of recently, the party has concluded its contractual
relationship with Mr. Fowlie.”
Fowlie had been tapped last fall to help devise campaign strategy for
the governing party in the lead-up to the Nov. 30 provincial election
in Newfoundland and Labrador.
He took on the job shortly after his former boss and colleague,
Premier David Alward, lost the New Brunswick election to Brian
Gallant’s Liberals. He had been a senior strategist for Alward for
years and a deputy minister until spring 2014.
In a report released last week, New Brunswick’s access to information
commissioner, found the former deputy minister of communications
“acted inappropriately” by seeking to have the former deputy minister
of tourism remove names of NB Liquor guests from the Larry’s Gulch
guest list. Anne Bertrand found the officials were acting on a request
by a former assistant managing editor at the Times & Transcript who
wanted his personal information removed from the list before it was
made public by the tourism department.
Bertrand said her investigation found the actions of the two
government officials were “deliberate” in circumventing the province’s
access to information rules.
The commissioner doesn’t use names in her report, but the deputy
minister of communications at the time was Fowlie, while Greg Lutes
held the position of deputy minister of tourism.
Asked who would fill Fowlie’s shoes, Vokey said on Wednesday that was
yet to be determined.
“This is what political parties do,” Vokey said. “We’re gearing up
like we do every election, but no further comment on that.”
On Tuesday, New Brunswick’s Liberal government asked the Office of the
Attorney General to investigate the privacy commissioner’s finding
that two former deputy ministers altered a guest list for the
provincially owned Larry’s Gulch fishing camp.
Energy Minister Donald Arseneault told reporters the Liberal
government had decided to refer the commissioner’s report to the
public prosecutions branch in the Office of the Attorney General to
review options for further action.
He said those options could include investigation by the RCMP.
“It is a very serious matter,” Arseneault said.
Bertrand’s report found that the former deputy minister of
communications “acted inappropriately” by asking the former deputy
minister of tourism to remove names of NB Liquor guests from the
Larry’s Gulch list.
A 2013 Larry’s Gulch list obtained by Brunswick News on Sept. 18,
2013, had 20 names, including Alward’s and that of former assistant
managing editor of the Times & Transcript Murray Guy, beside a
three-day trip in July organized by NB Liquor. Another version of the
guest list obtained later by the newspaper L’Acadie nouvelle no longer
had any of those names for the dates in question, instead replacing
them with “private.”
An investigation by senior management at Brunswick News, which began
after a media inquiry, found in February that Guy was the guest of
Daniel Allain, then president and CEO of NB Liquor, at Larry’s Gulch
in 2013.
The investigation also found that Guy and former Times & Transcript
managing editor Al Hogan, on their own initiative and without
disclosing to senior management, then sought to have Fowlie, deputy
minister of communications in Alward’s government at the time, alter
the guest list before releasing it to other media. Following the
Brunswick News investigation, Guy resigned, and Hogan is no longer
employed by Brunswick News.
By the spring of 2014, Fowlie had moved to the private sector, but he
still worked behind the scenes to help the Alward campaign during the
election.
–With files from Chris Morris, Karissa Donkin and Adam Huras
https://www.telegraphjournal.
Larry’s Gulch findings referred to RCMP
CHRIS MORRIS Legislature Bureau August 21, 2015
New Brunswick Attorney General Serge Rousselle, seen in this file
photo, has referred the findings from an investigation into the
provincially owned Larry’s Gulch fishing camp to the RCMP.
Adam Huras/Legislature Bureau
FREDERICTON • New Brunswick Attorney General Serge Rousselle has
referred the findings from an investigation into the provincially
owned Larry’s Gulch fishing camp to the RCMP.
Rousselle’s office said in a statement on Friday that the independent
report, prepared by retired RCMP officer Gary Le Gresley, investigated
“the uses made of Larry’s Gulch and whether public funds were used to
support political goals.”
“The findings were presented to the Office of the Attorney General
and, based on those findings, the decision was made to refer the
matter to the RCMP,” the Office of the Attorney General said in its
statement.
No other details were released.
RCMP Const. Jullie Rogers-Marsh in Fredericton said the force has
received a complaint from the attorney general, along with
documentation, and is reviewing the information “to decide what course
of action should be taken.”
Opposition Tory Leader Bruce Fitch said that the behaviour of the
attorney general is “highly irregular,” and that the Liberal
government is trying to divert attention from other issues.
The Liberals did not respond to requests for comment.
In July, the Liberal government asked the public prosecutions branch
in the Office of the Attorney General to investigate Privacy
Commissioner Anne Bertrand’s finding that two former deputy ministers
altered a guest list for the Larry’s Gulch camp to omit the name of a
former Times & Transcript editor.
The privacy commissioner said in her report that the former deputy
minister for communications within the Premier’s Office “acted
inappropriately” by pursuing having the then-deputy minister from the
Department of Tourism remove the names of NB Liquor guests from the
Larry’s Gulch list.
Bertrand did not use names in her report, but the deputy minister of
communications at the time was Darell Fowlie, while Greg Lutes held
the position of deputy minister of tourism.
In that case, Energy Minister Don Arseneault said the Liberal
government decided to refer the commissioner’s report to prosecutors
to review options for further action, including possibly sending the
matter to the RCMP.
Bertrand did not recommend charges in her report.
A 2013 Larry’s Gulch list obtained by Brunswick News on Sept. 18,
2013, had 20 names, including former premier David Alward and a former
assistant managing editor of the Times & Transcript, Murray Guy,
beside a three-day trip in July organized by NB Liquor. Another
version of the guest list obtained later by the newspaper L’Acadie
nouvelle no longer had any of those names for the dates in question,
instead replacing them with “private.”
An investigation by senior management at Brunswick News, which began
after a media inquiry, found in February that Guy was the guest of
Daniel Allain, then president and CEO of NB Liquor, at Larry’s Gulch
in 2013.
The investigation also found that Guy and former Times & Transcript
managing editor Al Hogan, on their own initiative and without
disclosing to senior management, sought to have Fowlie, deputy
minister of communications in Alward’s government at the time, alter
the guest list before releasing it to other media. Following the
Brunswick News investigation, Guy resigned, and Hogan is no longer
employed by Brunswick News.
Bertrand has said she decided not to recommend charges despite her
finding that the two deputy ministers broke the province’s conflict of
interest law by altering the list. At the time, the privacy
commissioner said both officials had already faced “substantive”
consequences by having their names in the media and associated with
“wrongdoing.”
She also said she believed her report sent the required message about
the need for civil servants not to alter or conceal public government
records, but that if there was another similar incident, she would
consider charges.
https://www.telegraphjournal.
New Tory chief of staff has ties to Larry’s Gulch controversy
CHRIS MORRIS Legislature Bureau August 26, 2015
FREDERICTON • The opposition Tories in New Brunswick have hired a
chief of staff – Greg Lutes, a former deputy minister who has been
involved in the controversy surrounding the alteration of a guest list
at the Larry’s Gulch fishing camp.
The hiring of Lutes was announced via a brief message on Twitter on
Tuesday, saying the opposition office is “pleased to welcome new Chief
of Staff Greg Lutes.”
Opposition leader Bruce Fitch declined to be interviewed, but reacted
in an email to Liberal government disapproval of the appointment by
questioning government policies, including a recent senior-level
appointment in the office of Premier Brian Gallant.
“The people of New Brunswick might wonder why the premier has created
yet another deputy-level paycheck in the premier’s office in the form
of the new Principal Secretary,” Fitch said in his statement.
Energy Minister Don Arseneault, who is the Liberal government’s chief
spokesman on the Larry’s Gulch issue, said the hiring of Lutes raises
questions about decision making in the opposition office.
“I mean, come on ... for the Tories to actually hire Greg Lutes after
all we know and is still unfolding about Larry’s Gulch, it really
questions their decision- making,” Arseneault said.
“They need to explain – do they really think this is the right decision?”
Last week, the New Brunswick attorney general’s office said the
findings from a private investigator’s report into the provincially
owned fishing camp have been referred to the RCMP.
In addition, in July, the Liberal government asked the public
prosecutions branch in the Office of the Attorney General to
investigate Privacy Commissioner Anne Bertrand’s finding that two
former deputy ministers altered a guest list for the Larry’s Gulch
camp to omit the name of a former Times & Transcript editor.
The privacy commissioner said in her report that the former deputy
minister for communications within the Premier’s Office “acted
inappropriately” by pursuing having the then-deputy minister from the
Department of Tourism remove the names of NB Liquor guests from the
Larry’s Gulch list.
Bertrand did not use names in her report, but the deputy minister of
communications at the time was Darell Fowlie, while Lutes held the
position of deputy minister of tourism.
Lutes was deputy minister of tourism under the previous Progressive
Conservative government from 2013 until last year’s election.
A 2013 Larry’s Gulch list obtained by Brunswick News on Sept. 18,
2013, had 20 names, including former premier David Alward and a former
assistant managing editor of the Times & Transcript, Murray Guy,
beside a three-day trip in July organized by NB Liquor. Another
version of the guest list obtained later by the newspaper L’Acadie
nouvelle no longer had any of those names for the dates in question,
instead replacing them with “private.”
An investigation by senior management at Brunswick News, which began
after a media inquiry, found in February that Guy was the guest of
Daniel Allain, then president and CEO of NB Liquor, at Larry’s Gulch
in 2013.
The investigation also found that Guy and former Times & Transcript
managing editor Al Hogan, on their own initiative and without
disclosing to senior management, sought to have Fowlie, deputy
minister of communications in Alward’s government at the time, alter
the guest list before releasing it to other media.
Following the Brunswick News investigation, Guy resigned, and Hogan is
no longer employed by Brunswick News.
Bertrand has said she decided not to recommend charges despite her
finding that the two deputy ministers broke the province’s conflict of
interest law by altering the list.
At the time, the privacy commissioner said both officials had already
faced “substantive” consequences by having their names in the media
and associated with “wrongdoing.”
She also said she believed her report sent the required message about
the need for civil servants not to alter or conceal public government
records, but that if there was another similar incident, she would
consider charges.
No charges in Larry’s Gulch investigation: RCMP
ADAM HURAS Legislature Bureau April 14, 2016
Submitted A group of canoes along the shore at Larry's Gulch.
FREDERICTON • The New Brunswick RCMP has concluded that no charges
will be laid after an investigation into the government’s fishing
lodge guest list.
“Last fall, we received some documents reporting of a discrepancy in
the guest lists at Larry’s Gulch in 2013,” said Const. Jullie
Rogers-Marsh. “This would have been information we received from the
attorney general.
“We have reviewed the information and it was determined that there is
no criminality and the matter is now concluded and the complainant has
been informed of the outcome.”
It was revealed in early 2015 that a Gulch guest list from 2013 had
been altered and the names of NB Liquor officials, government
representatives and their guests removed and replaced with the word
“private.”
Privacy commissioner Anne Bertrand then investigated and released a
report in which she concluded that two senior government officials
“acted inappropriately” by altering the Larry’s Gulch list – a
document that is available to the public under the Access to
Information law.
Bertrand said the officials in question were acting on the request of
a former Times & Transcript assistant managing editor who wanted his
personal information removed from the list.
An investigation by senior management at Brunswick News in February,
2015 found that Murray Guy, former assistant managing editor at the
Times & Transcript, was the guest of Daniel Allain, then-president and
CEO of NB Liquor, at the 2013 event.
The investigation also found that Guy and former managing editor Al
Hogan, on their own initiative and without disclosing to senior
management, then sought to have Darell Fowlie, who was deputy minister
of communications in former premier David Alward’s office, alter the
guest list before releasing it to other media.
As a result of the investigation, Guy resigned, and Hogan is no longer
employed by Brunswick News.
The commissioner didn’t use names in her report, but the two
government officials were Fowlie and Greg Lutes, a former deputy
minister of tourism.
The commissioner did not recommend charges, despite stating that “such
actions constituted an offence” under the province’s Conflict of
Interest Act.
Attorney General Serge Rousselle then asked a retired RCMP officer to
investigate the alleged misuse of Larry’s Gulch. The finding from that
investigation were then referred to the RCMP.
“There is vindication there that there are no charges,” Opposition
Leader Bruce Fitch said in an interview. “That was my thought all
along.”
Fitch said with the Larry’s Gulch file wrapped up, the RCMP can focus
on another.
“It frees up their time now to do the Atcon investigation,” Fitch said.
The Progressive Conservatives handed over the disgraced Miramichi
company’s backup computer servers to the RCMP after revealing last
December that the party purchased them at a bankruptcy auction in
2013.
Rogers-Marsh said there was no update to provide on that investigation
on Wednesday.
Liberal Minister Donald Arseneault was critical of Fitch’s comments
that the Progressive Conservatives have been “vindicated,” pointing
back to the privacy commissioner’s findings of wrongdoing.
“They altered lists and Bruce Fitch thinks they’re vindicated, that
they’ve done nothing wrong,” Arseneault said, adding that the
Progressive Conservatives have since hired Greg Lutes as their chief
of staff. “A good day for the Conservatives is when there’s no
criminal charges laid against them.”
Still, Arseneault said he respects the RCMP’s findings.
“This chapter on this process is over,” he said. “But at the same
time, New Brunswickers continue to judge the various parties,
including the Tories, on how they conduct themselves.”
Emails sent to both Fowlie and Lutes for comment were not returned.
The Gallant government has since announced that booking priority at
the Gulch is now being given to private sector groups, although
government trips will continue, limited to excursions that “will lead
to job creation, improving New Brunswick’s economy, and fostering
intergovernmental partnerships.”
The February budget then stated that government would look for a
private-sector operator to run the lodge beginning next year.
About Wilfred Roussel
Wilfred Roussel is a distinguished professional with a diverse and impactful career. He served as a substitute teacher for the District scolaire francophone Nord-Est from 2020 to 2024 and was a Member of the New Brunswick Government from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, he became Minister of Agriculture, Mines, and Rural Affairs for New Brunswick. His dedication to local development was evident during his tenure as Mayor of Le Goulet and President of CSRPA from 2012 to 2014. He also owned Verger-cidrerie Girard-Roussel in Rougemont, QC, and served as General Director and Publisher at Médias Transcontinental. His career includes management, real estate roles, and he was General Director of the first World Acadian Congress. Starting as a journalist and editor at Les Éditions du Nord in Caraquet, Wilfred holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the Université de Moncton and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from ENAP. He was the President of the Club Quad de la Côte acadienne and the founding President of the Corporation citoyens Le Goulet. His ongoing commitment to enhancing local life and fostering regional development reflects his deep dedication to his community.Need for fiscal reform in focus at municipal forum with political leaders
Susan Holt, David Coon critique PC record as local government minister defends it
The Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick hosted a panel for political leaders on Thursday night that highlighted the need for fiscal reform as the provincial election campaign gets underway.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Green Leader David Coon put forward promises and criticized the current government, while Local Government Minister Glen Savoie attended on behalf of Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs to defend their record.
The Higgs government implemented local governance reforms in 2023, creating or expanding municipalities, and also promised fiscal reform. Municipalities have called for better tax-sharing with the province to generate more revenue.
"We are going to tackle what the Higgs government has not finished, and that is get after fiscal reform urgently on day one of a mandate, and do it as quickly as possible," Holt said.
Holt said she would bring municipal fiscal reform on day one, something
she said the Higgs government has not been able to do. (Sam Farley/CBC)
Savoie pushed back, saying "I know it's been asserted through here tonight that fiscal reform is not happening. It is happening. Right now."
He criticized the other two leaders for making promises and said they were simplifying complex problems.
Fiscal reform in each community needs to be looked at separately "because the solution for Saint John with a heavy industry presence might not be the same for Beausoleil or Five Rivers," Savoie said.
Savoie
said the Higgs government tackled municipal reform while previous
governments did not, and fiscal reform will take time to get right. (Sam Farley/CBC)
Despite financial issues, he said municipalities should not be dependent on residential property taxes. He said the province has spent $25 million to upgrade Service New Brunswick systems to give municipalities more flexibility on taxing.
With municipal reform, Savoie said change is never easy.
"Successive governments have avoided addressing municipal reform because it was challenging, but this government had the courage to do that," Savoie said.
Reforms were first recommended in 2008 but were shelved by Brian Gallant's Liberal government.
Savoie said the most common concern he hears from mayors is about red tape from the federal Canadian Mortgage and Housing Commission.
"I think when you look at affordable housing and the crisis we're experiencing, some of this challenge is due to growth, which we're not used to."
Concrete promises
Coon said he is in favour of transferring the "vast majority" of industrial tax to municipalities, a move that would especially benefit Saint John. Coon also said he would transfer one per cent of the HST to municipalities and implement a tax system where landlords who charge lower rents would be awarded lower property tax rates.
Holt promised to immediately undertake "a total reform" of the property tax system, with interim measures for 2025 while the full reform comes by 2026. She also said she would give more power to municipalities to deal with vacant land and derelict properties, an issue that has appeared in municipalities like St. Stephen.
Coon
said he would transfer the vast majority of industrial tax to
municipalities and implement a tax system in which landlords with lower
rents would see reduced property taxes. (Sam Farley/CBC)
"Work has to be done in partnership with municipalities," Holt said.
Savoie said he would not make any concrete promises.
"I haven't promised you anything other than to ensure that I will continue to work hard for you, and to work hard with you to ensure that your needs are met," he said.
Both Coon and Holt said the province needs to review the responsibilities of Regional Service Commissions, which have seen their responsibilities grow under Higgs.
All
parties told mayors and officials in attendance that municipalities
should be involved in discussions over issues that affect their
communities most. (Sam Farley/CBC)
Throughout the forum, leaders repeated that a "one size fits all" approach doesn't work, and mayors and councils should be more involved in decisions.
Coon called out Higgs for what he called a failure to address homelessness, mental health, addictions, affordable housing and health care, which he said have become burdens pushed onto municipalities.
"We're going to ensure you don't have to spend money on things the province should be spending money on, and that is to ensure the provincial government takes its responsibility to address issues within your communities that are fully within the jurisdiction of the province," he said.
Mayors firm on need for fiscal reform
After the meeting, Salisbury Mayor Rob Campbell said municipal reform has gone well.
"But not coupled with the fiscal reform, which we need. It's been very hard to operate," he added.
"We worked on municipal reform in partnership with government. Now we expect fiscal reform not next year, not into 2026, we expect it to happen right after the election," he said.
Salisbury Mayor Rob Campbell said he expects municipal fiscal reform immediately after the election. (Sam Farley/CBC)
Nouvelle-Arcadie Mayor Jimmy Bourque agreed.
"We're a community that's really struggling financially. Our taxation is very high for our community," he said.
Bathurst councillor and former mayor Stephen Brunet said he was encouraged by all three parties promising more communication.
"When it seems like the election is over, provincial government is gone. We don't see them at our meetings. We don't see them at our community all the time," Brunet said.
Municipal government is closest to the community, he said.
"We can't go to the grocery store or the bank without someone stopping you and saying, 'What about that street? What about that pothole?'"
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“When the premier’s talking about dead Liberals and laughing at it, it certainly creates the temperature that’s concerning,” she said.
Green Party Leader David Coon told reporters he not only thought the joke was “inappropriate,” but that he thought Higgs was “descending into a very dark place.”
“I don’t know what happened to the man, but he’s certainly a different person from the man who was elected (premier) in 2018,” Coon said.