Self-sufficiency task force not allowing sufficient input: coalition

A coalition of New Brunswick groups says a government task force is taking an undemocratic approachto findways to improve the province's future.

Michel Boudreau, spokesman for the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, says he's hoping to bring up the topics of labour, minimum wage, pay equity and safety in the workplace at a series of meetings with the self-sufficiency task force this weekend in Fredericton.

The Federation of Labour is one of the more than 20 groups that have joined to call for more public input into the self-sufficiency study.

He says he's happy to have the 30-minute slot becausethey are already full, but many won't have a chance to have their say, so Boudreau wants Premier Shawn Graham to change that.

"That's for the next 25 years, [Graham] said," Boudreau said, referring to the premier's long-term plan to achieve self-sufficiency for the province, a plan the task force will make recommendations to.

"So it's really important and we really believe he should ask that task force to go public everywhere in this region, and ask the public for their own opinions."

Those who can't attend the private meetings between groups and the task force can take part in an online survey, but Graham Cox of Citizen's Press says that option is also not available for many New Brunswickers.

"Not everybody has access to the internet, not everybody has the ability to deal with some of the forms that are available on the internet," Cox said.

"The way that they've put forward to deal with this is the wrong way to go about it."