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Letter From Hon. Cathy Rogers Minister of finance

Growing the Economy

Our Premier presented our plan to get things done for New Brunswick in the closing of the debate on the Speech from the Throne last week. In it, he discussed the strategic investments we have made to grow the economy and to help New Brunswickers.

Your government recently released the New Brunswick Economic Growth Plan. The plan was developed by listening to and working with stakeholders. We were able to engage with youth, entrepreneurs, experts, academia, businesses, community leaders, First Nations, innovators and workers. They shared their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities before us.

New Brunswick’s economic growth plan is ambitious and workable. The plan will help us to create conditions for growing a solid, thriving economy here in New Brunswick.
One of the complaints made by businesses in Canada and in New Brunswick is the shortage of labour.

That is why the most important pillar in the economic growth plan is that of investing in our people through education and training in order to continue building a strong, skilled labour force in the province. We understand that this is the best way to strengthen our economy and help New Brunswick businesses compete in the global economy.

The Youth Employment Fund will help our young people get their foot in the door and will help our businesses find workers.

Our partnership with NBCC and CCNB to provide second language training to unemployed New Brunswickers will also target the skills gap.

One of the best ways for us to fill the skills gap is more affordable and accessible post-secondary education. The free tuition program that we created will help those who need the most support access university and college education free of charge.

Education is also the best way to have a proactive healthcare system. Offering more educational and training opportunities to New Brunswickers will lift so many out of the cycle of poverty.

The best social program is a job.

We believe that investing in our youth, investing in our education system, investing in training opportunities, and investing in our people is the best strategy to get our economy on the right track and the best investments to make sure that we have the best quality of life for all New Brunswickers.

We are going to continue to work with the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation on reducing poverty.

We have made strategic investments in infrastructure, such as:
• the affordable housing to help seniors, those in poverty, women and children to have a place to call home
• the Perth Andover hospital
• the revitalization of downtown Moncton
• the $4-million water and sewer project in Grand Falls
• the amphitheatre in Edmundston
• the centre of excellence for youth mental health
• the Chaleur Regional Hospital
• the Bathurst Regional Airport
• the co-location project between the Université de Moncton and the CCNB in Shippagan valued at more than $11 million
• the $12.2 million for a new 30-bed nursing home in Grand Manan;
• all the educational investments in Miramichi
• the Miramichi Airport
• the innovation in environment research centre at Mount A
• upgrades to Route 11
• the $13 million for Chris Saunders Memorial Elementary School in Quispamsis
• Two Nations crossing in Fredericton
• $4.8 million for a permanent location for the Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre;
• the Healthy Living Research Centre at UNB
• The Port of SJ
• a new trades school for the NBCC-SJ
• the SJ City Market
• the Imperial Theatre
• and the first new school to be built in Saint John since 1984
Just to name a few.

Over the last two years, by working together we have cut the budget deficit by almost half all while growing the New Brunswick economy at its fastest rate since 2004, and have invested more in education and more in healthcare.

These are the facts. But we won’t stop now. We must continue to work together to get things done. To continue this momentum we have created together, we will have to work that much harder. And that is what we intend to do.

Thank you.

Hon. Cathy Rogers
MLA for Moncton South

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Cathy Rogers Public Pre-budget consultations Schedule

Public invited to participate in pre-budget consultations

Hon. Cathy Rogers
MLA for Moncton South

New Brunswickers are invited to attend upcoming public meetings focused on priorities for the 2017-18 budget.

The nine meetings will be held throughout the province from Nov. 16 to Dec. 5.

Your government is committed to listening and taking the time to consult on what matters most to New Brunswickers. We understand how important creating jobs, growing the economy and securing health care and education are to New Brunswickers and their families. We have made those our priorities, too.

We were grateful for the significant public feedback during the Strategic Program Review process, as well as the recent economic summits, and is committed to continuing that dialogue. This year’s pre-budget consultation process will again focus on listening to New Brunswickers and identifying future government priorities.

Your government has a plan in place to balance the books by 2020-21 and we are seeing positive results. We are witnessing positive trends that will position New Brunswick for further economic growth. With these consultations, I am looking forward to hearing New Brunswickers’ feedback on our fiscal plan and gathering insight on what they see as priority areas for the 2017-18 budget.

Following is a full schedule of public meetings:

Fredericton – Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Fredericton Convention Centre – 670 Queen St.

Florenceville-Bristol – Thursday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Carleton North High School, 30 School St.

Moncton – Monday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Delta Beausejour, 750 Main St.

Neguac – Tuesday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Centre scolaire communautaire La fontaine, 700 Principale St.

Bathurst – Wednesday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

1. C. Irving Regional Centre, Paul Ouellette Rm., 850 St. Anne St.

Edmundston – Tuesday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Centre de congrès, 74 Canada Rd.

Balmoral – Wednesday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Balmoral Community Centre, 21 du Centre St.

Saint Andrews – Thursday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

NBCC campus, 99 Augustus St.

Saint John – Monday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Delta Brunswick, 39 King St.

Choices To Move New Brunswick Forward

By André Faust December 01, 2015

The future is in your hands

Fredericton – Grand Lake Riding Association held their annual general meeting in Minto NB on December 1 2015, with key note speaker Roger Melanson Minister of Finance, Transportation and infrastructure.

Melanson, said the government is now creating jobs in provinces infrastructure and New Brunswickers are reaping the benefits of the new jobs that have been added. “Every part of the provinces is now seeing work being done to the provinces neglected infrastructure, putting hundreds of New Brunsickers to work..
Melanson went on to talk about Victor Boudreau’s Strategic Program Review. The review sets out the framework that the province will base its decision for the next budget; the focus is on three priorities.

1. Job creation — growing our economy to create opportunities for New Brunswickers to stay here or return home and for new New Brunswickers to move here, all the while generating tax revenue to help pay for important services;
2. Getting our finances in order — if we do not make changes we will not be able to afford to invest in services like health and education to support families, nor programs that create the conditions for job growth; and
3. Improving services for families — making strategic investments in programs such as health, education, child care and senior care; and reducing poverty to make New Brunswick the best place to raise a family.

The Strategy is broken down into two categories Savings and Revenues, the details are found in the report.

Savings

1. Administrative efficiency Estimated saving $10-15 million
2. Reshaping the Civil service Estimated saving $20 – 45 million
3. Consolidated customer contract centres. Estimated saving $3 – $4 million
4. Consolidated non-medical laboratory services. Estimated saving $1.5 – $3 million
5. Reducing visitor information centres, estimated savings $200,000 – $300,000
6. Review of legislative officers, estimated savings $400,000 – $700,000
7. Education (kindergarten to Grade 12). Estimated savings $50 – $70 million
8. Reduce teachers to reflect decline in student enrollment. Estimated saving $10 – 12 million
9. Reducing the number of education assistants. Estimated savings $3-$6 million
10. Privatization custodial services. Estimated savings $5 – $7 million.
11. Post-Secondary education. Estimated savings $15 – $45 million
12. Reforming local governance. Estimated savings $25 – 30 million
13. Motor vehicle registration process improvements. Estimated savings $200,000 – $500,000
14. Outsourcing highway maintenance. Estimated savings $11 – $22 million
15. Reforming transportation and infrastructure. Estimated savings $10 – $14 million
16. Managing government builders more effectively. Estimated savings $1.5 – 3 million
17. Transforming health care. Estimated savings $50 – $80 million
18. Optimizing hospital laboratories and medical imaging. Estimated savings $20 – $23 million
19. Pension Plans: school bus drivers, school custodians and nursing homes. Estimated savings $7.5 – $9 million

Revenues

1. Monetizing name privileges. Estimated revenues $1 – $2 million
2. Monetizing da registries. Estimated revenue $8 – $10 million
3. Monetization of NB Liquor. Estimated revenue $15 = $20 million
4. Monetizing parks and attractions. Estimated revenue $3 – $5 million
5. Targeting the illegal trade of tobacco. Estimated Revenue $2 – $4.5 million
6. Increase Tobacco tax. Estimated revenue $7 – $25 million
7. Increase the HST. Estimated revenue $175 – $295 million
8. Increase the corporate income tax. Estimated revenue $12 – $25 million
9. Highway toll to recover highway maintenance costs. Estimated revenue $60 million
10. Increased diesel tax. Estimated revenue $40 – $45 million
11. Increase the Real Property Transfer Tax. Estimated revenue $4 – $10 million
12. Increase Insurance Premium Tax. Estimated revenue $15 – $20 million

Each Saving and Revenue will have an serious impact on all New Brunswick, it’s worth to read the review and following your review, let your MLA know what think which will be the last step before government decides to adopt parts of this review.

This story is a work in progress you can expect future stories analyzing each categories, Savings and Revenues.

The complete report is below

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Provincial budget set for March 31

Roger Melanson Minister of Finance Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Chair of the Board of Management

March 13, 2015

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The provincial government will deliver its ordinary budget on Tuesday, March 31. Finance Minister Roger Melanson made the announcement today in the legislative assembly.

“Our province needs decisive action to right its fiscal ship,” Melanson said. “It is with this goal in mind that we are currently hard at work finalizing the details of our upcoming budget.”

The province’s net debt is projected to increase by $377 million in 2014-15. As well, the provincial government continues to face a structural deficit of about $400 million.

“Our current situation is unsustainable,” Melanson said. “I look forward to delivering our government’s budget on March 31 and to setting our province on course toward a brighter, more sustainable economic future.

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