NS Liberals look to New Brunswick for winning formula

BY BRENT FOX

NovaNewsNow.com

New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham has given his political brothers and sisters in Nova Scotia what they hope is a recipe for success.

Graham was the guest speaker at the Nova Scotia Liberals’ dinner at Greenwich, Wednesday evening, June 4. Hants West Liberal nominee Paula Lunn and John Pierce of Kings West co-chaired the sold-out event.

Liberal leader Stephen McNeil and his caucus held a number of sessions in the Valley during the mid-week.

Introducing Graham, McNeil noted the premier’s aim to make New Brunswick self-sufficient. McNeil said that part of doing the same in Nova Scotia would include reducing energy costs by developing tidal and wind power through working with the Nova Scotia Community College. Regional cooperation in fields such as tourism is also needed, he said.

Graham told the crowd of nearly 400 that two years ago, he and his party were readying for the campaign trail, telling people more than just what was wrong with the governing Tory administration, but also how Liberals would do better.

To do this, he noted, a grocery list wouldn’t be enough. “We needed a bold vision that would capture the imagination of New Brunswickers.” The result was the Liberals’ “Charter for Change,” an agenda for transforming the province with the aim of making it self-sufficient by 2026. “It’s something that has to be done,” he said.

Have to be different

A 20-year goal meant that things had to be done differently, Graham noted. Usually governments have waited until a second term for real change.

Acknowledging that not all of his government’s decisions are popular because they appear to be trying to do too much, he said, “I’d rather be criticized for doing too much and aiming too high than doing nothing and lowering expectations.”

Not facing the hard issues or making hard decisions may keep the placards and protests away, he said, “but we would have failed in our commitment to New Brunswickers.”

The premier said, “let others believe that the government that governs least governs best. Our Liberal legacy is a legacy of social change and that legacy demanded we be bold and brave.”

Graham pointed out that the province faced a demographic perfect storm – more people were passing away or leaving than being born or arriving. “We were in the midst of a labour shortage that would only get worse.”

The premier noted that the new plan for self-sufficiency emphasizes five fields: education, post-secondary education, health, local governance and taxation. All are involved in making the province competitive.

In taxation, he noted, the two primary objectives are to enable people to keep more of their money and to retain and keep business and investment in the province.

Tax reform a factor

One factor is to reduce and simplify income taxes on individuals and businesses and increase consumption levies.

Now, he said, “growth in New Brunswick is real.” Current and future capital projects show great potential, and there’s great potential for more than 30,000 new jobs, billions of dollars in tax revenues, and up to $44 billion in new investments.

Work had to begin immediately with a well-managed transportation capital budget, formation of the Population Growth Secretariat, and introduction of the Climate Change Action to limit greenhouse gases.

Agreements are in place with large industrial users to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 200,000 tonnes a year.

In thanking Graham, Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison noted some developments in Ottawa, including the recent scandal involving former foreign minister Maxime Bernier and a young woman who is alleged to have had past biker connections.

Brison said when he was vetted to become a cabinet minister in the government of then Prime Minister Paul Martin, the scrutiny was rather intense. He assured the appreciative audience “there were no biker chicks in my background.”

Among the Valley notables in the audience were former Kings-Hants MP John Murphy and former provincial cabinet minister Glenn Ells. Young Hants County singer Emily Rafuse sang ‘O Canada.’