Gallant government ideas to cut deficit criticized

The president of the New Brunswick Teachers Association and members of the Common Front for Social Justice say the Gallant government's proposals to cut the provincial deficit are taking aim at the wrong targets.

The strategic program review, which lists $600 million in possible cuts and revenue-raising ideas for the provincial government, was released on Friday.

• Victor Boudreau releases review with proposed cuts, tax hikes

Ideas listed in the report include increasing class sizes and reducing the number of education assistants.

NBTA president Guy Arsenault was shocked by those ideas.

"I was very, very surprised and the teachers of New Brunswick were very dismayed with those proposals," he said on Tuesday in an interview on Information Morning Fredericton.

The report says by increasing maximum class sizes in New Brunswick schools by four students, between $50 million and $70 million dollars would be saved.

Shouldn't we be increasing royalties on forests, on potash? Shouldn't we be looking at a carbon tax which is certainly coming in some of the provinces? And shouldn't we be looking perhaps at reducing the money we give to regional development corporations?- Jean-Claude Basque

"Changes to class size would see a reduction in the number of classroom teachers required across the province and free up more resources to be spent in the classroom," says the report.

Arsenault says the reality is classroom teachers are dealing with an increased number of behaviour issues, more combined classes and more learning disabilities.

He says he's already heard from parents and from teachers who are unhappy with the suggestion of adding four more students to classes where resources are already tapped.

"Parents know and teachers know that the smaller class size allows for more of an opportunity for teachers to provide the necessary attention to these diverse needs," Arsenault said. 

"If you ask parents, they'll tell you — their children perform better in smaller classes."

The government report also proposes a further $3 million to $6 million could be saved by reducing the number of education assistants in New Brunswick classrooms.

"With the declining student population, there is an opportunity to readjust the funding formula for education assistants," says the report.

"This would bring the number of positions more in line with the student population and classroom needs and would be sustainable for the future."

Arsenault says most education assistants are assigned to an individual student with high needs and the support they offer is what allows classrooms to function.

I've spoken to parents … and they're quite upset about that," he said.

"They have felt the cuts in teachers, the 249 cuts that were just cut this year alone ... they have felt those and it will be an impact."

Government taking aim at low income earners

Jean-Claude Basque, who speaks for the Common Front for Social Justice, says the province is looking in the wrong places for cuts and for extra revenue.

The anti-poverty group says it is "confounded" by the strategic program review and many of its suggestions, including the privatization of custodial services at schools, which the province says could save between $5 million and $7 million.

Basque says the provincial government's idea of cutting custodians and education assistants would hurt people who are already living only slightly above the poverty level.

"They gave $25 million to the Moncton event centre that's coming," Basque said.

"Well that's the equivalent of what they're proposing reducing teachers assistants, privatizing custodians in schools and privatizing highway maintenance — that's about $20 million so in one sense they're prepared to give money that doesn't really help people but on the other hand they're prepared to cut jobs which will certainly not help the economy."

Basque says the report is a clear attack on rural New Brunswick, in particular the idea of closing or converting many rural hospitals to community health centres which would save between $50 million and $80 million.

"Of course it will have more of an impact on the working poor, particularly in rural New Brunswick," Basque said.

"They will have to travel more for services and people on fixed incomes or low incomes — they don't have that leeway in the budget to take a day off for a test."

He believes the provincial government should be looking in other areas for increased revenues.

"Shouldn't we be increasing royalties on forests, on potash? Shouldn't we be looking at a carbon tax which is certainly coming in some of the provinces? And shouldn't we be looking perhaps at reducing the money we give to regional development corporations?"

Basque says the strategy is a good starting point and he hopes it will lead to a broader debate.

Minister Victor Boudreau, who led the strategic program review, turned down a request for an interview Tuesday morning from CBC News.