"This is so important because, currently what happens to too many people is ... after rehab, their trauma being untreated and mental illness being untreated puts them back in the same position they were [in] before."

Medicare only covers mental health services, including psychotherapy, offered within the public sector, such as in hospitals and via public health, confirmed Mandy McLean, executive director of the College of Psychologists of New Brunswick, in an email.

This accounts for long waitlists as providers choose to work privately, McLean's email stated. "Services by private practitioners are not covered by Medicare."

The Greens also promised to establish two new rehab centres for addiction treatment to boost the overall number of beds across the province.

Coon said there is a "menu" of priorities when talking about providing mental health services and they are equally important for youth, the seniors and those facing homelessness.

Does carbon tax cost New Brunswickers? Yes and no, says new federal report

A new report on the federal carbon tax seems likely to keep the unpopular climate policy front-and-centre in the New Brunswick election campaign.

The study by the parliamentary budget officer, an independent watchdog, says the average household in the province would get $241 more in rebates than it would pay in carbon tax in 2030-31 — bolstering the argument of the policy's supporters.

Only the wealthiest 20 per cent of households would pay more than they get back, and that difference is a mere $22, says the study.

But when the cost to the overall economy is considered — such as lost jobs and investment income — the picture changes.

That calculation shows the cost to the average New Brunswick household would be $457 more than it would receive in rebates in 2030-31.

Thursday's report, by parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux, updates his March 2022 report that mistakenly included the separate industrial carbon price in its calculation of the impact on households.

Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux tabled a new report to parliament about the carbon tax. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

That report was seized on by both sides in the carbon tax debate: by supporters who pointed out most households come out ahead on rebates, and by opponents who noted they lost out when the cost to the overall economy was considered.

The original report also didn't calculate any impacts in New Brunswick because the province still had its own provincial carbon tax at the time. It only looked at provinces where the federal tax and rebates were in place.

Higgs scrapped the provincial model later that year, arguing that allowing the federal price and rebates to apply in New Brunswick would help people cope with inflation.

"What this does right now is provide relief," he said at the time.

But the PC leader has since reverted to his argument that the federal levy is not affordable.

The new report issued Tuesday adds specific New Brunswick estimates.

All three of the province's main political parties campaigning in the Oct. 21 election say they want to eliminate or replace the federal tax.

Higgs said he'll launch a new legal challenge to the carbon price if he's re-elected, though it's unclear what the grounds for that would be, given the Supreme Court of Canada found the tax constitutional in 2021.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt said she will try to convince the federal government to exempt New Brunswick from the federal pricing standard and let the province adopt a different model with a more "robust" price for industry.

And Green Leader David Coon says he would adopt a cap-and-trade system, similar to Quebec's, that shifts the price to industrial emitters.

Another flaw with the original 2022 parliamentary budget office report is that it didn't compare the cost of the carbon tax to other, potentially more expensive climate change policies.

Nor did it compare the tax to the cost of doing nothing, forcing governments to shoulder the costs of increasingly extreme weather attributed to a warming climate.

The new report acknowledges that limitation and says it's not endorsing a "do nothing" approach.

The parliamentary budget office "has not assessed the policy merits of carbon pricing or alternative approaches to reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions," it says.

"Providing comparative policy analysis is outside the scope of the PBO's mandate."

The election is 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 making a women's health announcement in Moncton.

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs has no events scheduled on Friday.

Green Leader David Coon is making a senior-care announcement in Riverview.

For complete coverage, here is a link to CBC's New Brunswick Votes 2024 stories.