News from the New Brunswick campaign trail

FREDERICTON — (NB-Election-Liberals)

New Brunswick’s Liberals are promising to expand their Free Tuition program to more students, if re-elected.

Leader Brian Gallant said they will raise the threshold for free tuition to $70,000 from $60,000, and thereafter index it to inflation.

It will mean that students whose family income is $70,00 or less will be eligible for free tuition at any publicly-funded university or college in New Brunswick.

The provincial election is September 24th.  

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(The Canadian Press)

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(NB-Election-Tories)

New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs spent much of Tuesday preparing for next week’s televised leaders’ debates.

However, Tory candidate Dominic Cardy fired back at the Liberals, accusing the premier of making up statements about the Conservative’s position on the Free Tuition program.

Gallant said Higgs and the Tories are against the program and would tear it up if they win the election.

Cardy said Gallant is making things up.

He said the Tories would not cancel the program, but do want to see the results.

(The Canadian Press)

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(NB-Election-Green)

New Brunswick Green Leader David Coon says if elected, he’d end government handouts to wealthy corporations and redirect that money to support start-ups and expansions to existing companies.

Campaigning in Saint John, Coon said the province needs to reduce its imports as a way to boost local production of essential goods and services.

He says a 10 per cent shift in consumer spending on imported goods and services to New Brunswick made products would create 14,000 jobs and add $1.8 billion to the provincial economy each year.

(The Canadian Press)

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(NB-Election-New-Democrats)

NDP Leader Jennifer McKenzie is pledging to add 100 more professionals to New Brunswick schools if her party forms government.

She said the New Democrats would adjust classroom size to meet the specific needs of students, and add more teachers, teaching assistants, psychologists and social workers.

Campaigning in Saint John, McKenzie said her party would impose a moratorium on rural school closures until a thorough review was conducted on how best to support schools in rural New Brunswick.

(The Canadian Press)

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(NB-Election-Candidates)

A total of 241 candidates are running in the New Brunswick election.

The deadline to get on the ballots passed Tuesday afternoon, and Elections NB said there are 93 females and 148 males seeking the 49 seats in the legislature.

The Liberals, Tories and New Democrats are fielding a full slate of candidates while the Greens have 47, the People’s Alliance have 30, KISS (Keep it Simple Solutions) have nine candidates, and there are eight independent candidates seeking election.

(The Canadian Press)

The Canadian Press