Higgs throne speech avoids provocations, instead calls for unity
Moncton East MLA rejects ‘rebel’ label as address sets out vague agenda
The Higgs government has laid out a mostly vague agenda for the coming year that promises few new initiatives while trying to lower the temperature in the polarized gender-identity debate.
The Speech from the Throne, delivered Tuesday, urges New Brunswickers to reject "misinformation that stokes fear, distrust and division."
It also avoids any provocative new statements or promises about Policy 713, which sets out standards for LGBTQ-positive classrooms in provincial schools.
Changes to that policy in the spring sparked a revolt in the Progressive Conservative caucus, leading Premier Blaine Higgs to threaten a snap election this fall to end the instability in his government.
Six PC MLAs complained publicly that the premier wasn't giving his caucus any role in decisions — but Tuesday one of them, Daniel Allain, said that may be changing.
"I've been to two caucuses in the last three days. A lot more structure. We're seeing a lot more discussion and it's going in the right direction, actually."
Higgs mused during the summer about invoking the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to shield his changes to Policy 713 from a legal challenge.
Those changes, which require parents give consent if their children want to change their names or pronouns, are now the subject of a court action.
Tuesday's speech does not commit the government to using the clause and simply restates Higgs's earlier comments in generic language.
"As we work together, your government is committed to creating a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students, while still respecting the role of parents," said the speech drafted by the government and read by Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy.
Misinformation warning
In another section, the speech notes that the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission has warned of misinformation fuelling polarization.
"We must never condone violence, intimidation or intolerance in any form. In order to move forward, it is important that we keep communicating in a respectful way and that we show acceptance of one another."
The six PC MLAs voted with the Liberal and Green opposition in June to pass a motion calling for further consultations on Policy 713 by New Brunswick's child and youth advocate — who later issued a scathing report calling the changes a human rights violation.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has launched a legal challenge to the move, and any talk of short-circuiting that case might lead some of those six MLAs to break ranks again in a vote on the throne speech Oct. 27.
A defeat on the throne speech vote would trigger an election.
Instead, there were signs Tuesday that Higgs and Allain were patching things up.
"Somebody's got to budge," Allain said, explaining to reporters that he met with Higgs one-on-one recently.
The Moncton East MLA said he made the move to unify the party and, he hopes, give it more time to organize properly for an election that he says should be held next year.
"We've had a great three years. People elected us to do four."
He said that's why the session that opened Tuesday should continue at least until a new budget next March and after that, "if they want to go for an election, go for it."
'There has been progress,' premier says
Allain said he'll run in the newly created riding of Champdoré-Irishtown, which includes parts of Moncton, if an election is called next year.
Higgs said that Allain "sees the bigger picture. He sees the opportunity that we need to be one government and we need to focus on the bigger priorities for the province."
The premier acknowledged, though, that there will still be "nuances and differences" in his caucus but "there has been some progress that's been made."
He also acknowledged that he has been "very close" to calling an election in the last few weeks and said he still could do it if the other five rebellious MLAs don't fall in line.
"I mean if we continue to see the badgering of government on social media, we can't operate like that. So I'm hopeful this is a good start. I'm hopeful we look at this as a greater good, and the bigger prize here is the benefit for the province for us to stay focused."
Anderson-Mason supports throne speech
One of the other five, Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason, said she could support the throne speech.
"It was great like it is every year. Of course I'll vote for it," she said.
But she wouldn't respond to questions about the letter the six MLAs wrote in August demanding a greater say for the PC caucus in the premier's decisions.
The next election is officially scheduled for Oct. 21, 2024, but nothing prevents Higgs from calling one early.
In either scenario, Tuesday's throne speech is the last one of the government's mandate and it mostly recaps initiatives the Tories have already launched.
The two opposition parties said there was little of substance in the speech to address pressing issues like health care and the cost of living.
"It had none of that. It contained none of it," said Green Leader David Coon.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt said the speech "reads like it was written over the weekend, because [Higgs] has held the government hostage for the last many months, worried about his own political future."
There are two nods to new moves to address the high cost of living.
The speech promises a new legislated "spike protection mechanism" to extend a cap on property tax increases at 10 per cent until 2025. The housing strategy released earlier this year included a promise to "explore" making it permanent.
And the speech says the government "will consider additional improvements" to income tax and property tax legislation to ensure the province "remains attractive and competitive."
Finance Minister Ernie Steeves promised on Sept. 27 to deliver new measures "fairly soon" to provide relief from high inflation and said his preference was tax cuts.
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