Liberals warn of school closures
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The opposition Liberals are questioning the government about some of the comments that were made when the budget was released in March.
Finance Minister Blaine Higgs said then that tougher decisions were still to come.
At the time he pointed out that New Brunswick has a lot more classrooms than it needs with declining student numbers and some schools forty per cent empty.
"We also have to make sure we utilize our resources more effectively" Higgs said two weeks ago.
On Tuesday Education Minister Jody Carr took questions about what Higgs meant by those comments.
He said any school closures would have to follow a policy that was put in place by the Liberals.
"When a school district considers studying the utilization of their schools, they must follow the provisions of provincial policy 409, which has multi-year school planning," said Carr. "That policy was instituted by the previous government in December 2009. In fact it was the previous government that closed sixteen schools in the last four years."
Carr said the province has to use buildings more efficiently and the empty space in schools could be used for other government or community functions.
Liberal leader Victor Boudreau interpreted that as code.
"We're going to close several schools in rural New Brunswick. That's what that tells me," said Boudreau.
Carr pointed out that the process was already underway in some rural areas when the Liberals were still in office and brushed off suggestions that the Progressive Conservative government might close schools in Liberal ridings.
"In fact I have a small school in my own constituency that's under review, Mr. Speaker, so this isn't about politics," Carr said.