David Coon, MLA/Député

Mr. Speaker, management of New Brunswick’s Arts Board is being taken into the public service at the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, ostensibly because this will save money.  That’s the same rationale this government has been using to justify taking away management responsibilities from the public service for Extra-Mural Nursing, hospital food and cleaning services, pension administration, the motor vehicle registry, to name a few, and turn their management over to the corporate sector.  They can’t have it both ways.  Could contracting out really just be an effort to bust wages?   Could absorbing the Arts Board management really be an effort to control artistic freedom Mr. Speaker to avoid political embarrassment over controversial works of art? It’s time for straight talk on the budget Mr. Speaker.