“I’m not on the all-party Covid-19 committee in support of Premier Higgs or his government, I’m on the committee to work with experts in public health in trying to keep New Brunswickers safe.

We all have Covid fatigue. We have been fighting this virus for over 10 months, but now is not the time to give up. I know we all want an end to this, but a world without Covid-19 is still a little way away, and until we get to that point, we must be united in our fight and trust the experts of public health. Respecting public health guidelines and getting vaccinated are our best hope of containing the outbreaks.

We are currently seeing significant spread of the virus in the province, but we are still far below the national average. We should all be proud of how well we have fared since the pandemic began and use that as motivation to quickly contain the virus by respecting public health guidelines.

More can and should be done to improve the way Government communicates the changing regulations to New Brunswickers, and I will continue to advocate for this in a constructive manner as part of the all-party Covid-19 committee, but we can’t let frustrations impede our work as provincial Leaders or obstruct us from achieving our ultimate goal which is limiting the spread of the virus and see an end to the pandemic.

After being elected interim Leader in September, I wrote a letter to Premier Higgs clarifying the role of the committee before becoming a member. This committee allows us to consult with public health and discuss matters relating to the control of covid-19, but it is not a decision-making body. The Premier and his cabinet have final say on what regulations are put in place and what measures are taken, and not the all-party committee.”

Roger Melanson

Interim Leader of the Official Opposition