Election Day 29: PC leader promises to put lives over language in ambulance controversy
Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon | CBC News | Posted: September 20, 2018 9:30 AM | Last Updated: September 20, 2018
Blaine Higgs suggests he would drop judicial review related to paramedic bilingualism requirements if elected
A Progressive Conservative government would put lives over language, party leader Blaine Higgs said Thursday in response to the controversy involving ambulance staffing that has seen the president of a paramedics union shadow Liberal Leader Brian Gallant on the campaign trail this week.
Last April, a labour arbitrator ordered Ambulance New Brunswick to weaken its requirement for bilingual paramedics in areas of the province where there's less demand for second-language service.
But the provincial government filed for a judicial review of that decision in May because it conflicts with a previous order by a Court of Queen's Bench judge, requiring Ambulance New Brunswick to provide bilingual service across the province.
Higgs accused Gallant on Thursday of using the judicial review as a delay tactic to avoid dealing with the contentious issue before the provincial election and suggested if the Tories are elected as the governing party on Sept. 24, he would drop the matter, due back in court on Dec. 20.
"I would review that court case and does it have merit," he told reporters during a campaign stop at the Fredericton Inn.
"Certainly, we can agree that we need to put life above all other considerations," including language in Canada's only official bilingual province, he said, calling it a "common sense issue."
Higgs pointed to recent "devastating headlines" about lives "literally hanging in the balance" because ambulances were parked because of language-related staffing shortages.
"How many lives do we have to put in jeopardy?" he asked after meeting with Greg McConaghy, president of the paramedics and dispatchers CUPE local 4848.
Hire for skill, train for language
The union has waged a public relations campaign called #systemCRITICAL in recent months to raise awareness about workforce issues and McConaghy has been following Gallant's campaign bus for the past few days in what he has described as a "call for help."
Higgs said the PCs would hire for skill and train for language.
"We will have ambulances staffed to be where they're needed, when they're needed, with every paramedic that is certified to work here in this province."
Ambulance New Brunswick's bilingual dispatch service could assist with translation if required, he said.
"The bottom line is our paramedics can't save lives if they're parked."
Higgs also pledged to work with the union, the New Brunswick Paramedics Association and Ambulance New Brunswick to identify and remedy any other barriers affecting recruitment.
Liberals release full platform with new costs
In the evening, Higgs was scheduled to participate in the CTV roundtable in Fredericton, along with Gallant and Green Party Leader David Coon.
NDP Leader Jennifer McKenzie and People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin were not invited to participate in the televised event.
Gallant released the Liberal Party's full election platform at a farm in Keswick Ridge on Thursday, Day 29 of the election campaign. It comes just days before New Brunswickers head to the polls.
Many of the approximately 123 commitments were announced earlier in the campaign, including a four-year freeze on power rates, raising the minimum wage to $14, expanding and enhancing the free child-care program and the middle class child-care subsidy, boosting literacy program spending by 25 per cent and launch five non-urgent care centres.
But the document includes what appears to be a new, cheaper estimated cost. "Our Liberal platform is costed and will result in a new investment of $49 million per year once fully implemented," Gallant said.
That's well below the $116.3 million in new expenses the party submitted to Elections NB during the campaign and which the agency has logged into its system.
The Liberal Party did not immediately respond to a question about why there are two sets of election promise costing estimates and which of the the two it considers accurate.
Greens pledge revamp of forest management
The Green Party leader, who started his day attending the United Way campaign kickoff in Fredericton, announced plans to revamp forest management to end spraying, preserve habitats and create more jobs.
"The track record of Liberal and PC governments with respect to our Crown forests is not management," Coon said.
"Rather, it's been a painful, long drawn out fire sale — where [New Brunswick] citizens, First Nations, hunters, and woodlot owners have watched clearcuts more than double in size, wood sold to the mills at a loss, glyphosate use expand at public expense, First Nations' rights ignored and woodlot owners sacrificed to enhance corporate profitability."
A Green government would establish an independent forestry commission to administer the province's publicly owned forests, he said.
The commission would be instructed to enter into co-management agreements with First Nations, conduct broad public consultations, develop community-specific forest licences, and put science-based protection in place to preserve the Acadian forest.
Coon also pledged to enact legislation to cancel the 25-year contracts with forestry companies signed by the David Alward Tory government in 2014 and retained by the Gallant Liberals, and ensure fair access to the wood market for private woodlot owners.
NDP vows 'better province for youth'
The NDP leader talked about "building a better province for youth" during a campaign stop at the New Brunswick Community College in Saint John.
McKenzie described youth leaving New Brunswick as the province's greatest challenge.
"Our future is leaving," she said.
She said her party is committed to building a New Brunswick where young people can see themselves in a prosperous future with good jobs and public services they can count on.
The NDP platform includes plans to:
- Eliminate tuition fees for community colleges and cut tuition fees at all public universities by 25 per cent so students will want to study in the province.
- Raise the minimum wage to $15 and create jobs that match skills, so youth will want to stay in the province to work.
- Provide $10 a day child care for children ages three to 12 and universal pharmacare so youth will want to settle in New Brunswick with their families.
Later in the day, McKenzie visited nursing home residents and employees at Rocmaura and canvassed on the city's west side with volunteers.
Austin was scheduled to campaign in his riding of Fredericton-Grand Lake during the day, highlighting the People's Alliance platform.
Subscribe to our election newsletter
Get the latest election updates delivered right to your inbox with The 506er. Subscribe here. And then let us know what you think by emailing us: the506er@cbc.ca
She described youth leaving New Brunswick as the province's greatest challenge. "Our future is leaving," she said.