New Brunswick’s Official opposition is expressing concern over yet another example of the Higgs government undertaking fake consultation or review processes.

“Less than a week after announcing a review of the housing crisis in New Brunswick, Premier Higgs has been in the media saying he is against the highly requested implementation of rent control in the province” says Liberal Leader Roger Melanson. “No matter the outcome of the review, there will be no rent control in New Brunswick because Premier Higgs doesn’t want it.”

Melanson says this type of behaviour is what erodes public trust in government and that lawmakers should put their own pre-conceived notions aside when reviewing an issue.

“Proposing a 90-day review on the Housing crisis in New Brunswick while simultaneously taking the most obvious solution off the table is simply a fake review process. This is how people lose faith in public consultations. It is not a real review or a proper consultation if your decisions are already made” says the Liberal Leader. “Similarly, their consultations on the healthcare reform are being done in a very short time frame, with little transparency, in the midst of a healthcare crisis!”

Melanson also points out the irony that the Premier can say rent control is vetoed before the review of the housing crisis, yet nothing is off the table for changes to the healthcare system even though public demonstrations shut down their initial plan to close emergency rooms at six hospitals overnight. “The public has rightfully made it very clear that they will not accept losing their overnight emergency services, yet the Premier can’t make that promise. The public is also calling for rent control, but the Premier can confidently say that’s not going to happen. This is a flagrant double standard that seriously puts into question the validity of any of the Higgs Government’s consultations. How can this man be trusted?”