Holt lays out policy goals but acknowledges tariffs will hit N.B. hard
In state of province speech, Holt sets out 15 performance targets, says Trump threat has ‘changed the game’
Premier Susan Holt set out a list of targets Thursday night that she says she wants her government to be judged on, while acknowledging a new level of uncertainty about New Brunswick because of the U.S. tariff threat.
Holt used the annual state of the province address — her first as premier — to set out 15 measurements in health care, affordability, housing, education and the environment.
"These 15 metrics are the metrics we are going to stick with for the next four years," said Holt, who described herself as a "data nerd" and promised to put the same targets on the screen at next year's speech.
"My team has asked me if I'm crazy that we're sticking our neck out. … We are committed to being the most accountable and transparent government New Brunswick has ever seen."
But that commitment came as part of the same speech in which Holt acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump's possible tariffs on imports from Canada could do major damage to the province's economy.
"The economic winds are blowing pretty hard and cold in our faces right now," she said.
On Wednesday Holt said broad tariffs could cost the province 4,000 to 6,000 jobs. In Thursday's speech, she said they could wipe out between 1.3 and three per cent of the province's gross domestic product.
Trump said this week he'll probably impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1, but Holt said some economic activity is already declining because of the threats.
"I can't sugarcoat it. It's going to hit New Brunswick really hard. … It has changed the game in terms of what we think we'll be able to do in the year ahead."
The bleak message off the top — Holt's most sombre description of the possible impact so far — gave way to a lighter tone when she unveiled the 15 targets in a way that broke from the usual format of the State of the Province speech.
Traditionally, the premier of the day is the sole focus, using the event to outline their leadership and vision directly to New Brunswickers via a local cable television broadcast.
But Holt invited five of her cabinet ministers onstage to help lay out the measurements, often bantering with them during carefully rehearsed presentations.
"Fancy seeing you here," she said to Education Minister Claire Johnson.
"It's almost like we planned it," Johnson joked before listing goals of improving literacy and math assessments across the anglophone and francophone school systems by about five percentage points each.
Some of the metrics were repeats of election promises, such as the promise to increase the number of people with a doctor or nurse practitioner from 79 per cent, the figure last year, to 85 per cent.
Other targets were new, including improving the rate of wage growth from 2.5 per cent between 2014 to 2019 to three per cent between now and 2028.
Holt also promised a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to the province's gross domestic product, from 323 tonnes per $1 million to 253 tonnes.
"We want to make sure we're not growing our emissions at the same rate as our GDP," she said, acknowledging the quantity of climate-warming emissions may still grow overall.
On one target — improving the air quality in government buildings — the premier acknowledged the government doesn't have a measurement of the situation now.
"We didn't have any data. It's a little shocking and frustrating that we don't know the state of the air and its quality in schools, hospital and public buildings in New Brunswick," Holt said.
But, she added, after debating whether to remove the goal, she decided to leave it in with a precise number to be determined later.
"That'll force us to understand where we're at and then get to work improving the air quality that affects our kids, our patients and everyone in New Brunswick."
Speaking to reporters after the speech, Holt said the targets were important even though Trump's threats have injected so much uncertainty.
"Imagine if we didn't have any targets," she said.
"We believe these are the right goals for New Brunswickers and their future, and as the conditions change, we will have to adjust our plans to how we're going to achieve those plans, but the goals aren't going to change."
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