Earlier today, the Liberal Opposition delivered its official reply to 2021-22 provincial budget at the Legislative Assembly.

“The damage to our economy risks being permanent if the Higgs government does not take immediate action to minimize the impacts on New Brunswick businesses, jobs and our provincial economy. There is no economic recovery plan in this budget” says Liberal Finance critic, Rob McKee. “There is no targeted aid for hard hit sectors like tourism or hospitality, there is no acknowledgment of the disproportional plight of women and newcomers during the pandemic, and the investments in mental health are far from sufficient.”

Other than economic recovery, business aid and mental health, the Official Opposition also raised concerns about healthcare, long-term care, arts and culture, as well as climate change and the environment.

“Premier Higgs is showing his true colours with the budget that was tabled last week. While he touts that he is a sound fiscal manager, he gives little importance to generating revenue” says Roger Melanson, interim Liberal Leader. “Most of the additional investments are focused on the operations of government instead of bold ideas or projects that could grow the economy. We can all agree that Government needs to spend money in the fight against Covid-19, but there is more to supporting a population through a pandemic than that. How many businesses will close and how many jobs will be lost due to a lack assistance from the Higgs government?”