Government review forum held in part behind closed doors

The Gallant government is hoping a two-day forum will yield some suggestions on how it can cut spending and raise revenue to get the provincial budget balanced.

The forum is part of the Strategic Program Review process, which is designed to close a budget gap the Liberals peg at $600 million.

A diverse group of about 75 stakeholder representatives and citizens spent Wednesday discussing ideas at the Wu Centre in Fredericton.

But the most substantive part of the forum — smaller, two-hour break-out sessions — were closed to media coverage, making it impossible to capture the give-and-take of the discussion.

Jean-Claude Basque, provincial co-ordinator of the Common Front for Social Justice, says the small group discussions should not have been closed to coverage.

"They just talked about having more of an open dialogue," he said. "Well that's part of having an open dialogue."

Perhaps they want to give people a little more liberty. Perhaps some people are afraid of all their comments being recorded.-Marc Noel, DEC councillor

But another participant, district education councillor Marc Noel, says keeping the media out might contribute to a better discussion.

"Perhaps they want to give people a little more liberty. Perhaps some people are afraid of all their comments being recorded," he said during the lunch break on Wednesday.

Noel wasn't optimistic that the forum would produce a consensus.

He said similar events in the past have seen stakeholders speaking against cuts that would affect them.

And that means the government won't be able to please everyone.

'Everyone just protecting their turf'

"Some people are going to have to be worked with, and brought in, and some people are going to have to be dragged in kicking and screaming," Noel said.

"It's just very frustrating to have these meetings over and over again, with everyone just protecting their turf."

Campbellton Mayor Bruce MacIntosh, representing the Cities of New Brunswick association, echoed that.

"Everybody wants to maintain what they have," he said. "That's going to be the challenge."

MacIntosh himself warned that cuts to provincial grants to municipalities, or a move to force them to help pay for maintenance on provincial roads within municipal limits, would leave mayors and councils with little flexibility.

"We have only one area to garner revenue, and that's taxation," he said. "If they cut our unconditional grant, our fiscal transfer, we have no resort but to increase our taxes, and that is certainly not going to bode well with New Brunswickers."

Cabinet minister Victor Boudreau, who is overseeing the Strategic Program Review, warned earlier in the week that the forum was unlikely to produce unanimous conclusions.

"To have everybody in a room agree on the general direction might be be wishful thinking," Boudreau had said.

"I would hope that if we can get at least the majority of people thinking we need to move in one direction or the other might be more realistic."

The Liberals say the province is facing a looming demographic crisis that will affect the budget.

The aging population puts the province on track to spend an additional $300 million on senior care 15 years from now.

Already, almost one-quarter of hospital beds are occupied by seniors who don't need hospital care but have nowhere else to go while they wait for nursing home spaces.

Meanwhile, there are fewer young people entering the workforce and paying the income tax that helps cover the cost of services.

Boudreau says the work of the forum will contribute to next year's provincial budget, which he says will be tougher than this year's controversial measures.

Thursday's forum session — a full discussion involving all participants — will be open to media coverage.