Liberals promise to keep nurses in N.B. with boost in salaries and tuition rebate

There's no rest for the weary this weekend.

New Brunswick political party leaders have a little more than two weeks to make their case before voters cast their ballots Sept. 14.

And Saturday is no exception. The leaders will be campaigning across the province today.

Here's what they have been saying.

Liberals would boost salaries for nursing graduates

Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers promised Friday to make salaries for nursing graduates competitive with other Maritime provinces.

He said about 20 per cent of nursing students are leaving New Brunswick "immediately" after they graduate.

"We have to work together with our nurses to address this," Vickers said during a campaign visit to Fredericton. "We have to listen to what they're saying."

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Last year, New Brunswick hospitals were running 400 nurses short, and 40 per cent of those who are workingnow will be eligible to retire in the next four to five years.

The nurse shortageforced some hospital services to shut down in 2019, and health authorities estimate they will need to hire as many as 520 new nurses each year just to keep up.

"We are looking at a human resources crisis that could bring out health system to its knees."

Vickers said a Liberal government would also pursue a recruitment and retention program through tuition rebates specifically for nursing students. A tuition rebate program for all students working in New Brunswick was cancelled under Brian Gallant's Liberal government in 2015.

Within the first 30 days of taking office, Vickers promised, the Liberals would negotiate a contract with nurses that ensured workplace safety.

Documents released by the New Brunswick Nurses Union have revealed there were more than 2,000 "code-whites" at New Brunswick hospitals in 2018.A code white is the term used when a health-care worker is under attack, and all available security is called to that unit.

"Getting beaten up should not be something they are worried about," Vickers said.

Greens say they would do better job recruiting doctors

Green Party Leader David Coon also addressed New Brunswick's shortage of health-care workers, promising to revamp the province's recruitment strategy to bring in more doctors.

Right now, 37,000 people in the province are without a doctor or nurse practitioner

Coon said the province is in a health-care crisis and called the shortage unacceptable.

More than 15,000 people without doctors live in the greater Fredericton area, wherefour family physicians in the Fredericton area have recently left their practices.

"Clearly, the province's recruitment strategy has been ... a complete and utter failure," Coon said outside the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton.

Under a Green government, recruiters would visit places that have "budding new doctors" and "sell them on New Brunswick."

Doctors would be integrated into primary health-care teams alongside nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, midwives, social workers, mental health providers and dietitians, Coon said.The teams would work at community health centres across the province.

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"You would be a patient of a team, who would work together to provide the best health care services to you," he said.

Coon said he recognized this could be a seismic shift in the way health care is provided in New Brunswick, but it's the kind of practice new doctors want for a "work-life balance."

He said also services such as abortions should available in regions across the province, out of a hospital setting, and fundedby Medicare.

3 francophones run for People's Alliance

The People's Alliance says it has three francophone candidates running in this election:

• Thomas L'HuillierinMiramichi Bay-Neguac
• Lisa GodininKent South
• Andre JobininVictoria-La Valle

The party has received backlash in the past for itsstance on bilingualism in New Brunswick, questioning, for instance, the need for separate school buses for francophone and anglophone students.

The party has also opposed a requirement forbilingual paramedics in areas that are largely unilingual.

Leader Kris Austin said Friday, the day nominations for the election closed, that he is excited by the growth in the number of people who've asked to run for the People's Alliance.

The party will have candidates in 36 ridings this election.

"When I started this party, I knew that once people understood our vision, they would become excited and want to be part of the wave of change that was very badly needed and is happening in New Brunswick," said Austin, who spent the day campaigning inFredericton-Grand Lake, where he is seeking to become the MLA again.

PCs promise to protect the environment

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgsboasted Friday abouthis government's record protecting the natural environment and said he would continue to encourage the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.

"Our government not only delivered on our 2018 conservation platform commitments, we've gone above and beyond, introducing many positive changes to protect our woods and waterways," said Higgs.

"Many of the accomplishments we've made over the last two years are a direct result of the Department of Natural Resources having an open line with stakeholders, listening to them in unprecedent ways to shape policies and respond to ideas for improvement.

Campaigning in Saint-Lonard, Higgs said he would doubleconserved and protected areas in the province by the end of this year, from 4.6 per centto 10 per cent,which he described as the largest conservation gain in the history of New Brunswick.

He said the new area is the equivalent of 19 Fundy National Parks dedicated to conservation. Higgs said this will allowthe province to create a bio diverse and ecologically sustainable forest where it can target very specific areas
of improvement for wildlife habitat, protected waterways, and better tracking and measurement of fish and wildlife populations.

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If re-elected, Higgs also said his government would secure better control over provincial waterways, which willaccelerate the province's ability to develop and implement comprehensive action plans on such critical matters as restocking and invasive species.

Higgssaid his government has also introducedbundled licences and discounted licences, eliminated the fee for minor hunter licences, and opened up over 70 new lakes to ice fishing.

Government also delivered the spring turkey turkey hunt, which was scheduled this year but was postponed because of COVID-19.

"We have something in this province that many, many countries dream about."

Where the leaders are today

LiberalLeader Kevin Vickers will stopon Saturday at 9 a.m. at Ritchie Wharf Park in Miramichi.

Green Party LeaderDavid Coon will make an announcement at 10:15 a.m. He will also make an announcement at 2 p.m. about private woodlots.

PC Leader Blaine Higgs will bemaking an announcement at 11 a.m. in Tracadie-Sheila.

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin will be campaigning in St. Stephen.

NDP Leader Mackenzie Thomason will be campaigning but details were not available.

The leaders are taking Sunday off, according to their campaigns.

Standings at dissolution:PCs 20, Liberals 20, Greens, 3, People's Alliance 3, Independent 1, vacancies 2

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