https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/susan-holt-bathurst-education-comments-1.7346310
Liberal leader explains comments about education levels in Bathurst
Greens talk public transit, Liberals on affordability, no announcements from PCs
Liberal Leader Susan Holt is defending herself from criticism over her comments that people in the Bathurst area are "totally different" from the "highly educated" residents where she lives in Fredericton.
Holt made the comments on a podcast interview earlier this year, and Progressive Conservative candidates in northern New Brunswick have seized on them.
"I'm in urban Fredericton," Holt said. "It's really progressive people here, highly educated. My riding of Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore is a totally different makeup."
Bathurst PC candidate Kim Chamberlain cites the quote in a new party advertisement aimed at northern francophone ridings — though she distorts Holt's exact words.
"The Liberal leader even said that people in Bathurst, my hometown, have no education," she says in French.
In an interview, Chamberlain, the mayor of Bathurst, called Holt's comments "sad" and said it seemed Holt "looks down on us."
The Liberal leader made the comments in January while discussing the range of opinions about 2SLGBTQ+ issues around the province on the podcast True North Eager Beaver Media.
She compared Fredericton South-Silverwood, where she is now running, with the northern seat she held at the time.
The new French-language PC ad was released Tuesday as PC Leader Blaine Higgs began a four-day campaign swing across northern New Brunswick.
Holt explained her comments Tuesday, saying Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore was "a pretty different environment both in terms of educational background, programs of study, what kind of work people do."
She cited the large size of the riding, which has been redrawn for this election as Hautes-Terres-Nepisiguit, and also pointed to its primary industries, such as fishing, farming and mining.
"It's one of the reasons I was really excited to go and represent [the riding] — because of the diversity of people and the work they do and the way that they live," she said.
"You have folks who have PhDs and you have folks who completed school before the end of high school. There's a real diversity in educational attainment of the folks up there, and there's a real diversity in what they learn from the school of hard knocks."
In
a French-language video shared on social media by PC Leader Blaine
Higgs, Bathurst PC candidate Kim Chamberlain called out the remark from
Holt. (Blaine Higgs/X)
Asked if that meant they were less educated, Holt responded, "just differently educated."
Holt was elected as MLA for Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore in an April 2023 byelection after the previous Liberal member retired to make way for her after she became party leader.
The riding she's now running in, Fredericton South-Silverwood, is where she lives.
Chamberlain said in an interview that Holt met with her as mayor many times when she held the Bathurst seat, "taking pictures all the time. … I kind of realized, 'I think we're being used here.'"
Many voters she has met while campaigning have raised Holt's comments, said Chamberlain, who added she doesn't buy Holt's explanation.
"No, I don't accept it, because I don't believe she had to go there. She did not have to compare both, and she did."
The new PC ad features Chamberlain and other party candidates in the north arguing that the Liberals don't do enough for the region because they take it for granted, and that the area needs more representation in a PC government.
Greens promise rapid rail network, more reliable transit
As part of his climate action plan, Green Leader David Coon announced several promises to improve public transit.
Coon promised a provincial rapid train network. The first phase would connect Campbellton, Moncton and Sackville, with further plans to connect Saint John and Fredericton to the network later. Coon said he would negotiate with the federal government and rail line owners VIA Rail and CN on cost-sharing measures.
"To fight climate breakdown and cut transportation costs, New Brunswickers need alternatives to driving to get around," Coon said.
He also said the province would help fund municipal transit in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John and Miramichi with $4 million annually spread across those cities to help them increase bus frequency.
Similar to what exists in Prince Edward Island, Coon said he would start a $10 million annual fund available to any regional service commissions that offer "toonie transit" within their systems, a rural bus service offering trips for $2.
Coon also said he would begin discussions with neighbouring Maritime provinces and Maritime Bus to explore a public-private partnership for intercity bus routes in the region.
"So you can get there from here, which you can't right now," he said.
Aside from public transit, Coon also said he would create initiatives for homes and small businesses to use solar power.
All of these promises would be funded from Coon's proposal of a cap-and-trade system to replace the carbon tax, as is currently used in Quebec.
Coon said it would "cut costs for consumers while ensuring industrial polluters finally pay their fair share and do their fair amount of work on this."
Liberals explain timeline on promise to remove gas tax
If elected, Holt said she would reconvene the legislature in the fall to introduce legislation that would remove the carbon cost adjustor.
Now at four cents, the Higgs government passed legislation giving the Energy and Utilities Board the authority to add the adjustor to the formula it uses to set maximum gasoline prices every week, starting in July 2023.
"Mr. Higgs chose to charge New Brunswick cars for the cost of gas instead of oil and gas companies," Holt said Tuesday.
The adjustor is part of the federal clean fuel regulations designed to help lower Canada's greenhouse gas emissions.
"We want to see New Brunswickers paying less for gas," Holt said.
She also reiterated several previously made affordability promises on Tuesday, including implementing a three per cent rent cap and removing the 10 per cent provincial sales tax from power bills.
NDP releases full platform
The New Brunswick NDP released the party's full platform on Tuesday and committed to a balanced budget in four years.
Titled "Give people a break," the platform focuses on affordability measures, including a grocery rebate, raising the minimum wage to $20, a two per cent rent cap, and free school lunches.
The party also promises to reduce power bills and tuition fees, and replace the carbon tax with a cap-and-trade model, as the Green Party has also promised.
Health care is another focus, as the NDP promises 40 community care clinics and to expand medicare to cover mental health care.
Alex White, leader of the New Brunswick New Democratic Party, titled the party's platform "give people a break." (Gilles Landry/Radio-Canada)
The NDP also promised to create 1,500 additional child-care spaces, 2,000 more public housing units, and 250 new nursing home beds. The party also promises a free heat pump program and to restore the tax-sharing agreement with First Nations that was cancelled by the Higgs PC government.
In a release, the party said it plans to pay for their promises by increasing taxes on "big corporations, banks, insurance companies and high-income people making more than $150,000 a year."
The platform also included promises to expand abortion access in the province and reverse changes made to Policy 713, the school gender-identity policy.
"It's time to give people a break. A break from the cost of living and a break from the traditional parties who are more focused on helping their rich friends and continuing to starve our public services of funding," said New Brunswick NDP Leader Alex White in the release.
The party hasn't held a seat in the legislature since 2003, and is only running candidates in 23 out of a total 49 ridings this election.
PCs make no announcements
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs held a photo shoot with local candidate Richard Ames in Nackawic at the world's largest axe.
Higgs did not give a speech or make any announcements, but he and Ames held PC campaign signs that said "Axe the tax" and "Safe streets."
The election is on Oct. 21.
Standings at dissolution: PCs 25, Liberals 16, Greens 3, Independent 1, vacant 4.
Where the leaders are today
Liberal Leader Susan Holt will be campaigning in Fredericton.
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs will be campaigning in Edmundston.
Green Leader David Coon is announcing the party's full election platform in Fredericton.
For complete coverage, here is a link to CBC's New Brunswick Votes 2024 stories.
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Reply to Ed Armstrong
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Reply to Steph Roche
There is absolutely no reason to draw swords over politics, or topics of concern.
It appears as thought this sickness has bleed from the Federal level to Provincial.
And I don't think the media focus is helping at all.
Reply to John Charlton
Of course this is not what she meant, but what it does show is how unfit she is to lead. Her puppet masters did not allow her to express much of anything for months going into the election. She has been caught stating falsehoods during the debate, done yet another one of her usual flips on the river name change, and now this.
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"Higgs losing chief of staff Louis Léger
Top adviser to premier played 'a diplomatic role' to francophone community, Acadian leader says"
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Reply to Jos Allaire
“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
That's cute coming from a government back in the day that raised gas taxes and the HST by 2%
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James Risdon
The Liberal leader, Susan Holt, is more than welcome to visit my home here in Bathurst where I have a standing offer of a free steak or hamburger on the barbecue to all visitors.
Perhaps if the Liberal leader took the time to speak to my university-educated Chinese-Canadian wife, two university-educated Metis Eurasian daughters, or to me, a Metis university graduate and award-winning journalist, or our Black Eurasian Metis grand-daughter who loves to read, play the piano and saxophone, and dance and play sports, that she might perhaps realize many Bathurst residents actually are at least somewhat educated and not the bigoted, backwoods bumpkins she seems to think we are.
I'm not going to vote for Ms. Holt. But not because I'm ignorant of politics or the economy.
I simply consider her approach to the economy and governance of this province to be fundamentally unsound, a case of simply throwing taxpayer money at problems rather than really solving them.
I disagree with her. I'd like to think that that, in and of itself, does not make me stupid.
Why is you being Metis or your Chinese Canadian wife matter in an election?
David Amos
Good question
So while Ms. Holt did not clarify her remark, allowing those wishing to to infer a negative connotation, the remark itself makes no implication regarding intelligence.
A final note; I would never have pegged you as a professional writer.
Her comments were at the very least ungracious.
With regards to my career as a journalist and writer, it is a matter of public record and a simple Google search would have revealed some of the many things I have written for the mainstream media across Canada, for trade publications, websites, and newsletters.
Everyone, including liberals and conservatives, should inform themselves before making ridiculous statements.
You seem rather touchy regarding your public record; I
had not searched your user name as I did not see any need (note that
many users rely on pseudonyms as a means of separating their online
presence from their everyday lives). At your urging, I have now done so,
and I suggest you might have been better served by anonymity.
Yeah, that only matter when getting a job.
William James
Why is everybody mad at Holt? The Liberals regard most Canadians as the peasant class born to serve their needs.
David Amos
Reply to William James
Methinks you think they think that but does not follow that I agree or that everybody thinks the same as you or I in a purportedly profound "Just Democracy" N'esy Pas?
I'm sure people living in Bathurst love being called the opposite of "progressive" and "highly educated"
David Webb
Didn't Sue say that she would have balanced budgets with a small surplus? What with all of the spending plans announced it appears that has gone out the window. The Graham and Gallant liberals had hoped that New Brunswickers would buy into the debt doesn't matter shtick, we have lots of free stuff for you. She must think that all of NB is uneducated.
Jerry Dion
Reply to David Webb
She has made announcements that aren't even costed in her platform. We all saw what happen back in 2015 and the Gallant government.
David Amos
Reply to David Webb
Imagine me agreeing with you
valmond landry
what kind representation did we get from higgs ? non, as far as i know the only thing is the old mill clean up which was due a long time ago several liberal mla demanded that, to name at least two mr.Denis landry and mr lagacé didn't succeed, now a coincidence a few weeks prior to the election and the fact that mrs chamberlin in running for pc higgs came out of his hide out and got the taxpayers to pay the bill
what a circus you can be sure that if she's elected that's about the only gift weir going to get .
Les Cooper
Reply to valmond landry
If you don't vote for him in Bathurst, why receive any special treatment.
Don Corey
Hmmm…..
So Holt has now changed her wording to “there’s a real diversity in educational attainment of the folks up there”, and they’re “just differently educated”.
So she’s obviously confirming her original comment about how she prefers the (supposedly) highly educated Fredericton crowd.
She can have them.
I’d take the folks in the Bathurst area any day.
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Reply to Don Corey
Me too
Isn't that rather special?