Throne speech highlights

Highlights from the 2014 New Brunswick throne speech:

• Continue ongoing efforts for the responsible exploration and development of shale gas.
• Launch an expression of interest for potash to promote other potential sites for exploration and mining of potash in New Brunswick.
• Issue a call for proposals to create up to six New Brunswick innovation research chairs to engage with industry in key sectors of the New Brunswick economy.
• By summer 2014, the government plans to move forward with a new drug plan to give residents access to many expensive drugs and improve prescription drug coverage for citizens.
• Introduce legislature to make public service pensions more affordable, fair and sustainable for all public service retirees going forward.
• Take steps to require political parties to make the cost of election promises clearer.
• Publicly report on remuneration paid to all medical practitioners, including fee-for-service payments.
• Starting in 2014, establish a tuition increase cap of no more than threeper cent for the next three years for all public universities in the province, except St. Thomas University.
• Introduce a redesigned student financial assistance program.
• Introduce amendments to modernize workers compensation to strike a balance between both workers' interests and employers' interests.
• Expand the original target of 650 post-secondary graduates hired under the One-Job Pledge initiative.
• Provincial departments and agencies will encourage the use of local, healthy food during government-hosted meetings and events.
• Consider a plan to establish a new centralized snowmobile trail grooming base at Mount Carleton ProvincialPark to spur growth in snowmobile tourism.
• Research development of a program to increase tourism through an all-terrain vehicle tourism product.
• Introduce legislation to regulate the mortgage broker industry.
• Amend unproclaimed legislation aimed at regulating payday loans and create an effective regulatory regime for payday lenders.
• Reform legal aid so the maximum resources can be directed to clients.
• Establish a premier's task force on the status of the artist to provide recommendations on improving the socio-economic status of professional artists.
• Require the auditorgeneral to report on the state of the province's finances 60 days in advance of each fixed election date in the future.