This month’s headlines:

• Green Party Leader statement on Premier’s State of the Province speech
• Reminder: AGM March 20 and Provincial Council elections
• Reminder: Membership renewal & fee
• More news from Green MLAs
• COVID-19 information

Green Party Leader statement on Premier’s State of the Province speech

Premier Higgs has drawn a line in the sand on environmental action and a transition to a green economy during the State of the Province address, and he is standing against it. The Premier has firmly anchored himself on the wrong side of history in order to maintain the status quo. 

He is ignoring the efforts of local businesses to expand renewable energy development but handing $20 million to foreign nuclear power developers to weigh us down with more costly and dangerous waste-generating nuclear technology. He came out firmly against the application of Canada’s clean fuel standard to the Irving Oil refinery while backing their application to the EUB to increase the price of heating oil, gasoline and diesel. 

The Premier’s revelation that the province will have a deficit of just $13 million this year is a slap in the face to all of those small business people in the hospitality, entertainment, arts and tourism sectors who are struggling to stay afloat, and desperately need targeted support to get through this pandemic.

The same could be said for those New Brunswickers facing unreasonable rent increases forcing them to look for new homes during the pandemic in a very tight rental market.  The Premier should freeze rents and evictions until his three-month review of New Brunswick’s tenancy system is completed to avoid companies from jacking up rents in the interim for fear of future rent controls.

Read the full statement here:

Green Party Leader statement on Premier’s State of the Province speech

Reminder: Annual General Meeting March 20 and Provincial Council elections

The 2021 AGM agenda will be held online on March 20. The AGM will include elections for the Provincial Council, the Party’s governing body. We encourage members interested in taking a more active role in the Party to put their name forward. The positions open in 2021 are: President, VP Francophone, Secretary, and 4 Members-at-large.

The role and purpose of the Provincial Council is described in our Party’s Constitution, available here. To learn about the positions available and how you can be nominated, contact Nomination Committee members (Nicolas Jelic, Sarah Colwell, and John Sabine ) at [email protected] or Tom McLean at [email protected].

Through the pandemic, Green MLAs continue to serve the needs of their constituents. Here is the link to the hours and contact details for the constituency offices of David, Megan and Kevin: https://greencaucusvert.ca/fr/contact-us/

Register here for the AGM

Reminder: membership renewal & fee: renew soon!

We use the membership list to ensure you can participate as a member including notice of member meetings, voting at member meetings, participation in policy development, and many more. As we mentioned in the February newsletter, the Provincial Council determined that implementing an annual membership renewal and membership fee would greatly help in ensuring the accuracy of our ever-lengthening membership list.

Please renew as soon as possible so the membership list will be up-to-date in preparation for the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 20. Renew your membership via our website by going to the membership renewal page.  Prior to your membership  anniversary date, you will automatically receive a reminder to renew again.

We want to ensure that the $10 membership fee is not a barrier to membership. If it is for you, please let us know, and we will waive the fee. Simply send an email to [email protected] specifying your request with the completed membership form (available here) or call the office at 506-447-8499 ( toll free 1-888-662-8683).

More news from Green MLAs

The Legislative Assembly will return on March 16 for the government’s budget. In February, our Green MLAs continued to make public statements on issues of concern in the province. Click on the headline below to read the statements:

Greens Vision for Healthcare Reform Submitted to Health Minister

Green Party Leader says State of the Province must prioritize well-being, healthy communities and the environment

Green agriculture critic calls on provincial government to help farmers amid hay shortage

Green Party leader calls for landfill ban for organic wastes and recyclables

Green Party leader says the political appointment of election officers must end

Through the pandemic, Green MLAs continue to serve the needs of their constituents. Here is the link to the hours and contact details for the constituency offices of David, Megan and Kevin: greencaucusvert.ca/contact-us.

COVID-19 information

For the most up-to-date and accurate information, consult the Government of Canada and Government of New Brunswick's COVID-19 pages.