Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers is calling on Premier Blaine Higgs to publicly release details regarding how much taxpayer money has been wasted pursuing fruitless court challenges to the Federal Government’s price on pollution.

“I’m so pleased that the Premier has finally realized that he’s spent enough taxpayer money and has decided to abandon this seven-month long court battle,” said Kevin Vickers. “However, the public deserves to know how much these frivolous legal pursuits have cost to date.”

Blaine Higgs first announced his plans to pursue a court challenge to the Federal Government’s flagship environmental initiative in December 2018.

“New Brunswick needs a leader that will advocate for a made-in-New Brunswick climate plan that will force large polluters to pay their fair share while ensuring our children and grandchildren have a clean environment to call their own,” continued Vickers. “When will he release a detailed plan? Having lived through two consecutive years of devastating flooding, New Brunswickers deserve a Premier that will put partisanship aside and act to address Climate Change in a real and meaningful way.”

Beyond the lengthy legal fight, Premier Higgs has made a routine of being reckless when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars to advocate against the Federal Government’s price on pollution, obscuring the facts at each step along the way.

“It seems to me that Premier Higgs is spending an awful lot of his time and taxpayer money consorting with his Conservative colleagues across the country without addressing many of the pressing challenges here at home,” said Vickers. “Whether it’s this court case he’s now abandoned, or any number of his trips to Conservative Party strategy sessions out west, or the misleading, Doug Ford inspired stickers on our gas pumps, it’s time for New Brunswickers to demand: enough is enough.”