Two weeks ago, New Brunswick’s Commission on Electoral Reform released its recommendations for increasing both voter participation, and the participation of underrepresented groups in our elections. Voter participation has been in freefall since the 1987 election, with only 64 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot in 2014, down from 82 percent 30 years ago. Democracy is the means by […]
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Participating in last week’s citizenship ceremony in Fredericton was the highlight of my year thus far. It was a privilege to play a role in such an important moment in the lives of 61 women, men, youth and children from 21 different countries, as they became Canadian citizens. The auditorium at the Wu Centre overflowed with pride and excitement. It […]
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With a simple tweak to the legislative mandate of the Child and Youth Advocate, the 148,000 seniors in our province now have their own champion, and those responsibilities will include adults in care as well. The Child, Youth and Seniors Advocate is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly, just like the Auditor General. The position is currently held by […]
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Last week the government tabled its budget. Next week, I will have the chance to ask questions about the details, department by department at the Estimates and Fiscal Policy Committee. However, comparing this budget with last year’s, many of the choices made by the Premier and cabinet are clear. We heard in the budget speech that funding to the Department […]
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