3 party leaders share stage for last time before N.B. election

New Brunswickers got a chance to take one last look at all three major party leaders together as they faced off during leaders' forum in Fredericton on Wednesday evening.

The debate, broadcast by CTV Atlantic,offered viewers a roundtable discussion with PC Leader Blaine Higgs, Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Green Leader David Coon.

Higgs presented himself as a steady hand at the wheel through some turbulent times, while highlighting his pledge to cut the HST.

"Even through a flood and a global pandemic, we've balanced six budgets," he said.

"Because of that, we've been able to make record investments in health and education without raising taxes. Because of that, we're able to cut the HST and make life more affordable."

Holt came back to a common theme throughout her campaign:the need to improve health care.

She focused on numbers, saying that "180,000 New Brunswickers are waiting for a family doctor or a nurse practitioner, 80per cent of nurses in New Brunswick are leaving their careers before they're 35, 1108 seniors are waiting for care New Brunswickers have to wait three times longer to access mental health services than the rest of Canada."

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Meanwhile, Coon pitched his party as an alternative to revolving PC and Liberal administrations.

"Our governments have been flipping back and forth between Conservative and Liberal for years, but nothing seems to get better," Coon said. "In fact, things are worse.

"In this election you have threechoices:stick with BlaineHiggswho ispromising to keep on doing what he's been doing for the last six years, go with the Liberal Party, whose leader's promising to put Band-Aids on our problems andour public services, or vote for actual change."

Planning for federal party leader

In a wide-ranging media availability in Fredericton on Wednesday,Higgs appeared to point to a possible federal Conservative government as an out for an uncosted campaign promise.

When the party released costing summaries ofelection commitments, itneglected to note how much a promised carbon tax legal challenge would cost New Brunswickers.

This came after the party hadtaken the Liberals to task for uncosted promises and math irregularities in its platform.

The PC disclosure said the lack of costing is because "it will not have financial implications for the province."

But when asked by a reporter about the carbon tax legal challenge, Higgs said it "hasn't even started," and appeared to point to the possibility of a federal government under Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievremaking the challenge moot.

"Whether it gets anything done before Poilievre and the government falls federally and Poilievre gets elected and the carbon tax is gone, that would be my hope," said Higgs.

Strong showing at advance polls

It appears New Brunswickers are becoming more enamoured with the idea of casting their ballots early.

In two days of advancepollingbefore next Monday's general election, Elections N.B. said 110,364 voters cast their ballots.

While this is fewer than in 2020, when 131,603 people voted at advancepolls, the situations are starkly different.

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In 2020, the province was still at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, without a vaccine, and Elections N.B.was strongly advocating people use alternatives to showing up on election day.

"There is clearly a trend of more New Brunswickers taking advantage of the convenience of voting early at the advance polls and also at the returning offices," said Paul Harpelle, spokesperson for Elections N.B.

When including special ballots, such as those cast at returning offices or at special-care homes, 135,274 New Brunswickers have voted so far.

Harpelle clarifiedthat these numbers are considered "unofficial."

Former PC leader slams Policy 713

A former PC Party leader and federal MPis calling out the provincial government for its actions around Policy 713.

The policy is described by the province as setting "minimum requirements' for creating a welcoming environment for 2SLGBTQ+students.

It has been criticized after it was updated last year mandating that students under the age of 16 need parental permission to use preferred names different from their legal ones, which many seeas an attack on gender-diverse students.

In a discussion about education on Information Morning Moncton, Dennis Cochrane, who led the party from 1991 to 1995, called the controversy over Policy 713 "wedge politics."

"Parents against other people, parents against teachers, parents against the school," he said.

Cochrane, who also served as deputy education minister in Nova Scotia during the John Hamm and Rodney MacDonald PC administrations, said the battle over 713 is taking focus off other important classroom issues and called the province's tactics "reprehensible."

"I just think we see too much pigheadedness on parts of the government to [be able to] try to solve this by negotiation, by discussion, by working together," Cochrane said.

Peter Lagacy, head of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, said changes to the policy have impacted the relationship between parents and teachers.

"In certain cases it's certainly made it more difficult with some parents who are, I guess I would say, in support of certain policies," said Legacy.

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Melissa DockrillGarrett, a University of New Brunswickeducation professor, said Policy 713 may be wedge politics, but it's much more to transgender students and their families.

"We might be talking about a smaller percentage of students, [but] they're already marginalized," said Dockrill Garrett.

"This is making them more vulnerable."

Standings at dissolution: PCs 25, Liberals 16, Greens 3, Independent 1, vacant 4

Where the leaders are today

Liberal Leader Susan Holtplans ahealth-care announcement inSt. George in the morning and a rally in Saint John in the evening.

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgswill hold an availability at theCarleton Mall in Woodstock.

Green Leader David Coonwill hold a news conference on the party's plan for affordabilityand attend an anti-poverty rally at the legislature.

For complete campaign coverage, visit New Brunswick Votes 2024.