Liberal leader won't rule out further changes to Policy 713
Greens announce more midwifery clinics in province if elected
Liberal Leader Susan Holt has opened the door to future changes to Policy 713, if she decides that what she is promising in the election needs more tweaking.
Last year Holt said she would, if elected, implement recommendations by Kelly Lamrock, the child and youth advocate, a position she reiterated when she released her campaign platform on Oct. 3.
"That is still a commitment," she said.
In recent statements, however, Holt has suggested that additional "future changes" to the policy might happen if she becomes premier.
"Like other policies, there is always potential for things that need to be improved," Holt's campaign told CBC News in a statement Tuesday.
Holt says if the policy isn't working the way it's intended, 'there would need to be changes.' (Election Pool)
"If the policy isn't working the way it is intended to, then there would need to be changes. We also have to be cognizant of external factors, such as court cases from other jurisdictions."
Lamrock's August 2023 report warned that the Higgs government's changes to Policy 713 may violate the constitutional rights of children.
The policy says parents must be asked for their consent before educators can respect the choice by a student under the age of 16 to adopt a new name or pronoun reflecting their gender identity.
Lamrock recommended that starting in Grade 6 — around the age of 12 — children should be presumed to be capable of making the decision themselves with no need for parental consent.
School principals could decide whether someone younger has the "capacity" to choose, he proposed.
The principal could then develop a plan that "may include" an assessment of how to consult parents "consistent with the child's best interests and rights to educational services," he said.
Bill
Hogan, PC candidate and education minister, says he wants to know how
far the Liberal leader would go in making changes to Polcy 713. (Jacques Poitras / CBC)
The Progressive Conservatives oppose Lamrock's proposal because, they say, it allows parents to be excluded from decisions about their children.
"We believe that parents are the experts when it comes to raising kids," Bill Hogan, a PC candidate and education minister, said in a statement.
Hogan called on Holt to be more transparent about what other changes she might make.
"How far is Susan Holt planning to go?" he said.
More midwives needed, Greens say
A Green government would expand midwifery services in New Brunswick, the party's deputy leader announced in Saint John on Tuesday.
Megan Mitton said a Green administration would focus on expanding the service across the province's seven health regions, building on a commitment from the Progressive Conservatives.
"The 2024 budget provided funding to launch two new midwifery clinics," said Mitton.
"A Green government is committed to getting those open, to provide coverage in other regions. We would also open four additional midwifery clinics over the next four years."
Mitton pegged the cost of the new clinics at $13.2 million over four years.
The province only has one midwifery clinic, in Fredericton, which is often at capacity, as Mitton can attest.
"I am one of the people who signed up to try to access midwifery here in New Brunswick but couldn't because there was not room on their list," said Mitton.
New midwifery clinics are just part of the party's plan to expand health-care services for women and transgender New Brunswickers.
The Greens also promised to expand access to abortion by repealing the section of the Medical Services Payment Act that only allows Medicare to cover abortions performed in hospitals.
The party said it would also extend family-planning access and transgender health care.
Helping across the aisle
In the Fredericton area, three opposing candidates have supported each other to fix blown over and — in some cases — broken campaign signs.
Judy Wilson-Shee, Progressive Conservative candidate for Hanwell-New Maryland, said she first noticed a few campaign signs were blown down by heavy winds Saturday evening.
She said she messaged her Green Party opponent, Susan Jonah, to let her know about the signs and they decided they would set out the next morning to fix them.
Wilson-Shee said Carleton-York Green Party candidate Burt Folkins also joined in on the seven-hour trek throughout New Maryland and Hanwell.
Hanwell-New
Maryland candidates Susan Jonah (Green, left) and Judy Wilson-Shee
(Progressive Conservative, right) helped each other fix their damaged
signs. (Submtted by Judy Wilson-Shee)
"There was one of mine that was down in the ditch and it took all three of us to get it out," said Wilson-Shee."Some of mine the two-by-fours broke, so they helped me fix those."
She said it's important to collaborate with others, even if you're against each other on the ballot.
"We should all learn to get along, forget the criticism, lend a hand when you have to. If it had been any other party and their signs were down, I would have absolutely offered to help," she said.
Jonah said she didn't think twice about helping after receiving a message from Wilson-Shee. She cancelled her Thanksgiving dinner plans and set out the next morning at 8.
She said the group picked up some People's Alliance signs along the way too.
"We had a lot of fun … you know, we've known each other and there was not reason not to do it [together]," said Jonah.
"We are friends before, we will be friends after, and just because her party and my party are pretty far apart doesn't mean you're not going to be nice to people."
A 'sedate campaign'
Earlier this year U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders remarked on national television that "politics should be kind of boring."
It appears New Brunswick's political leaders have taken the outspoken New Englander's words to heart, at least according to two political scientists.
When looking back on the past three weeks of the campaign, St. Thomas University political scientist Jamie Gillies said that so far, the campaign "is definitely on the ho-hum side."
"It's been a pretty sedate campaign," said Gillies.
So
far this campaign has not seen a whole lot of fireworks between the
three main leaders, say two political scientists. From the left: PC
Leader Blaine Higgs, Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Green Leader David
Coon. (Stephen MacGillivray, Ron Ward/The Canadian Press)
This comes after a term for Higgs that was anything but pastoral, with the COVID-19 pandemic, protests over his revised Policy 713 and the resignations of several cabinet ministers.
Erin Crandall, an Acadia University political scientist, said a quieter campaign can allow people to dig more into the policy options, but there is a concern about what it could mean for turnout.
"Is it so quiet that it's not going to motivate people to get out to the polls, which we would see as a problem or a challenge," said Crandall.
Standings at dissolution: PCs 25, Liberals 16, Greens 3, Independent 1, vacant 4
Where the leaders are today
Liberal Leader Susan Holt has no public events scheduled on Wednesday.
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs will be in Fredericton for a roundtable.
Green Leader David Coon will be in Fredericton for canvassing and events, including a student seminar and a roundtable event.
For complete campaign coverage, visit New Brunswick Votes 2024.
With files from Jacques Poitras, Isabelle Leger and Information Morning Fredericton