Minister says Saint John aid package not a pre-election ploy

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Cabinet minister Bill Fraser saysthe Liberal government's$22.8-million assistance package for the City of Saint John is not a ploy to gain votes in the Port City on this week's Political Panel podcast.

Asked about the timing of the funding announcement, the transportation and infrastructure minister said the package had "nothing to do" with winning votes in Saint John, arguing other past provincial governments have offered similar "arrangements" to cities facing economic challenges.

He listed an economic restructuring packageoffered to Moncton when CN Rail closed its locomotive shop in the city in the 1980s and a similar packageoffered to help the Miramichi region after several area mills closed in 2008.

"Saint John is not unique here," he said.

He also arguedSaint John faces unique economic challenges, as its geography is spread outthough its population has shrunk in recent years, comparing its geographic size to Calgary.

According to Calgary Economic Development, the city of Calgary is 848 square kilometres in size. Saint John spans 316 square kilometres, according to the City of Saint John's website.

Fair taxation the solution, Coon and Austin say

Progressive Conservative MLA Bruce Fitch argued the minister should answer why the Liberal government has "[squandered]so many opportunities" that could have helped Saint John's economy grow.

He pointed to the loss of the Energy East project and the Liberal government's moratorium on shale gas drilling in New Brunswick as examples.

Both Green Party Leader David Coon and People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin arguedthe real issue holding Saint John back is the fact that heavy industry isn't taxed enough.

"This is the price we're all having to pay because this government and past governments have refused to address the unjust property tax system that's operating in the province and in saint john in particular where large industry is not paying their fair share of property taxes," Coon said.

"That's got to be fixed. In a single year, you could make up that amount of money."

Last October, City of Saint John asked the provincial government to make major reforms to its property tax system after commissioning a study into over "fairness" of property taxes in Saint John.

Among the changes, the city asked the province to allow municipalities to create their own tax classes, which would allow them to distinguish between things like light and heavy industry.

However, Finance Minister Cathy Rogers said she was not open to immediate reforms.

People's Alliance leader Kris Austin said the funding announcement was a "bunch of nonsense."

"To call it a band-aid solution is giving it way too much credit," he said.