New Brunswick’s legislative assembly has returned for its fall sitting, marking the halfway point for Premier Susan Holt’s mandate. “Your government is motivated to continue delivering on its priorities. Your government knows that leadership is measured not only by the goals it sets, but by the results it delivers,” Lt.-Gov. Louise Imbeault said in the throne speech, read on behalf of the government, on Tuesday. The throne speech lays out the government’s priorities for the upcoming year. In a press release, the province said it’s committing to establish 30 collaborative care clinics by the end of next year, install a mental health advocate this session, and introduce legislation aimed at making digital services safer for youth under 16 years old. It will also launch a strategy focused on the health and long-term care workforce, create a market diversification plan to expand exports beyond the United States market, and revamp the Residential Tenancies Act. It’s an important year for Holt and her government, St. Thomas University political scientist Jamie Gillies said. “It’s kind of the make-or-break year in terms of her government,” he told CTV News. “I think the third year really has to be about what the government’s agenda is really going to be, establishing some priorities about the things they promised in the election and trying to deliver on them, and the concern about controlling spending.” And the sitting comes amidst a lot of change for the two other parties. Daniel Allain was voted in as the new Progressive Conservative leader on Saturday – the first permanent leader since Blaine Higgs resigned in 2024. Allain does not have a seat in the legislature. Gillies is watching what happens next for the party closely. “I think the first thing I’m looking for is seeing who’s willing to give up their seat for Daniel Allain to become official opposition leader and serve as an MLA,” he said. “The other thing is now that the Progressive Conservatives no longer have an interim leader, they are going to develop their platform and ideas for the upcoming election. So we’re going to see there what their priorities are going to be,” he added. Meanwhile, the Green Party is expected to acclaim MLA Megan Mitton as leader in December, after longtime party leader and MLA David Coon announced in the spring that he would be stepping away from the position. Gillies said the shift will mean the party has to consider its identity without Coon as leader. “It’s been David Coon’s Green Party for the better part of a decade. Does Megan Mitton want to shift the direction of the Green Party in different ways? Is it more focused on social impact issues as opposed to environmental issues?” For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
