58th New Brunswick Legislature

Rendition of party representation in the 58th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, if it sat immediately after the 2014 election.

  Liberals (27)

  Progressive Conservatives (21)

  Green (1)

The 58th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly was created following a general election in 2014.

Leadership

Lieutenant Governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau was installed October 23, 2014

Speaker Chris Collins was elected October 24, 2014

Premier of New Brunswick Brian Gallant (Liberal) leads the Government.

Leader of the Opposition Bruce Fitch (Progressive Conservative) leads the Official Opposition.

History

On 1 December 2015, the Gallant government opened the legislature's second session with a promise to "get tough" on the province's tattered finances. The speech from the throne documented how the province had accumulated a debt of $12.4 billion by failing to produce a balanced budget since 2007. The province spent more on interest payments than it did on post-secondary education, and the consultation of citizens called the "Strategic Program Review" had all but concluded. The province said its credit rating was at risk, and the costs to service the debt if the rating were downgraded would then rise. The projected deficit for the 2015-16 budget was at the time $453 million. A report issued the previous Friday had calculated at $300 million the benefit to the government of a two-percent rise of the harmonized sales tax (HST) from 13% to 15%.

On 2 December 2015, it was brought to light that the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eilish Cleary had been obliged by her Deputy Minister to go "on leave". She said she was not allowed to discuss the reasons for the leave. "I was surprised and upset when it happened. The whole situation has caused me significant stress and anxiety. And not being able to talk about it makes it worse." Her office had been "developing a plan to further explore" the carcinogenic effects glyphosate, a substance which was found earlier in 2015 to be "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, and which is utilized in New Brunswick by forestry company J.D. Irving Ltd. and by NB Power, a provincial Crown corporation. Victor Boudreau, the Minister of Health at the time, told reporters Cleary's leave was "a personnel matter. It's not something we can comment about. It has nothing to do with the office per se, or the independence of the office. It's an HR issue and I won't comment anymore." The next day, the Deputy Minister of Health, Tom Maston, rejected suggestions that Cleary was being silenced, and the Minister of Environment was questioned on the matter in the legislature. The leader of the opposition said that there was a "disturbing" trend of the Gallant Liberals trying to silence independent watchdogs, and pointed to the ruling party's recent feud with the Auditor-General and failure to appoint a new conflict of interest commissioner for six months. On 7 December, Cleary--who had been removed from her office on 2 November--stated in an e-mail that she had been fired by the provincial government without cause: "I can confirm that my employment as Chief Medical Officer has been terminated without cause effective immediately." The government did not respond to requests for information, while various opposition politicians made hay and a public protest ensued in support of Cleary. The next day, the Liberal government was grilled in question period. The Minister of Health maintained that the termination without cause was due to a personnel matter, while Cleary maintained that she was never told what the personnel issues were. On 15 January 2016, Cleary and her employer of nine years reached a settlement, which was not disclosed to the public. A statement was released, that "Dr. Cleary and the Department of Health have concluded a satisfactory agreement consistent with common law termination without cause principles."

In their 2016 budget, presented by Finance Minister Roger Melanson on 2 February 2016, the Liberal party increased, as forecast the previous December, the HST from 13% to 15%, effective 1 July 2016.

Cathy Rogers became the first female finance minister of the province in a cabinet shuffle that occurred on 6 June 2016. As well, Lisa Harris was appointed minister of Celtic affairs, a newly established cabinet post. A Francophone questioned the need for the Celtic affairs post, and it was sensationalised by an editor at the CBC. Francine Landry continued as Minister for La Francophonie, while Victor Boudreau continued as Minister of Health. Brian Kenny replaced Serge Rousselle as the education minister, while the latter takes over at Environment and Local Government. Rousselle, who remains in post as Attorney-General, is the only lawyer in cabinet, apart from Gallant.

Rogers was only in her second week in post when the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) file exploded into acrimony. On 20 June 2016, Federal Minister of Finance Bill Morneau and eight of his provincial colleagues announced jointly that the CPP would become more expensive. The announcement was hailed as Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne's victory, since it would allow her to cancel the new provincial plan on which she had campaigned. The increase by one percentage point to 5.95 per cent of wages shall take place from 2019 to 2025. Rogers was pilloried in the provincial press and earned the ire of the Coalition of New Brunswick Employers, an alliance of 25 industry associations employing about two-thirds of the province's private-sector workforce.

Members

Most of the current members were elected at the general election on September 22, 2014, Progressive Conservative Glen Savoie was elected at a November 17, 2014 by-election.

	Name	Party	Riding	First elected	Notes	Brian Keirstead	Progressive Conservative	Albert	2014 g.e.	Environment Critic	Denis Landry	Liberal	Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore	1995 g.e.	Natural Resources Minister; Human Resources Minister	Brian Kenny	Liberal	Bathurst West-Beresford	2003 g.e.	Environment and Local Government Minister	Donald Arseneault	Liberal	Campbellton-Dalhousie	2003 g.e.	Energy and Mines Minister	Hédard Albert	Liberal	Caraquet	2003 g.e.	Government House Leader; Chief Government Whip	David Alward	Progressive Conservative	Carleton	1999 g.e.	Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Critic	Stewart Fairgrieve	Progressive Conservative	2015 by-e.	Andrew Harvey	Liberal	Carleton-Victoria	2014 g.e.	Carl Urquhart	Progressive Conservative	Carleton-York	2006 g.e.	Opposition Whip	John Ames	Liberal	Charlotte-Campobello	2014 g.e.	Roger Melanson	Liberal	Dieppe	2010 g.e.	Finance Minister; Transportation and Infrastructure Minister	Madeleine Dubé	Progressive Conservative	Edmundston-Madawaska Centre	1999 g.e.	Opposition House Leader; Health Critic	Pam Lynch	Progressive Conservative	Fredericton-Grand Lake	2010 g.e.	Opposition Caucus Chair	Stephen Horsman	Liberal	Fredericton North	2014 g.e.	Deputy Premier; Public Safety Minister; Justice Minister
	David Coon	Green	Fredericton South	2014 g.e.	Third Party Leader	Brian Macdonald	Progressive Conservative	Fredericton West-Hanwell	2010 g.e.	Government Services Critic	Kirk MacDonald	Progressive Conservative	Fredericton-York	1999 g.e.	Economic Development Critic	Rick Doucet	Liberal	Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West	2003 g.e.	Economic Development Minister; Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister	Ross Wetmore	Progressive Conservative	Gagetown-Petitcodiac	2010 g.e.	Tourism, Heritage and Culture Critic	Gary Crossman	Progressive Conservative	Hampton	2014 g.e.	Education Critic	Bertrand LeBlanc	Liberal		Kent North	2010 g.e.	Benoît Bourque	Liberal	Kent South	2014 g.e.	Bill Oliver	Progressive Conservative	Kings Centre	2014 g.e.	Natural Resources Critic	Francine Landry	Liberal	Madawaska les Lacs-Edmundston	2014 g.e.	Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Critic	Bernard LeBlanc	Liberal	Memramcook-Tantramar	2006 g.e.	Deputy Speaker	Bill Fraser	Liberal	Miramichi	2006 g.e.	Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister	Lisa Harris	Liberal	Miramichi Bay-Neguac	2014 g.e.	Deputy Speaker	Chris Collins	Liberal	Moncton Centre	2007 by-e.	Speaker	Monique LeBlanc	Liberal	Moncton East	2014 g.e.	Government Caucus Chair	Ernie Steeves	Progressive Conservative	Moncton Northwest	2014 g.e.	Social Development Critic	Cathy Rogers	Liberal	Moncton South	2014 g.e.	Social Development Minister; Healthy and Inclusive Communities Minister	Sherry Wilson	Progressive Conservative	Moncton Southwest	2010 g.e.	Local Government Critic; Health and Inclusive Communities Critic	Jeff Carr	Progressive Conservative	New Maryland-Sunbury	2014 g.e.	Transportation and Infrastructure Critic	Jody Carr	Progressive Conservative	Oromocto-Lincoln	1999 g.e.	Trevor Holder	Progressive Conservative	Portland-Simonds	1999 g.e.	Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Critic	Blaine Higgs	Progressive Conservative	Quispamsis	2010 g.e.	Finance Critic	Daniel Guitard	Liberal	Restigouche-Chaleur	2014 g.e.	Government Deputy Whip	Gilles LePage	Liberal	Restigouche West	2014 g.e.	R. Bruce Fitch	Progressive Conservative	Riverview	2003 g.e.	Opposition Leader	Ted Flemming	Progressive Conservative	Rothesay	2012 by-e.	Justice Critic; Shadow Attorney General	Gary Keating	Liberal	Saint John East	2014 g.e.	Resigned October 14, 2014	Glen Savoie	Progressive Conservative	2010 g.e.	Elected in by-election on November 17, 2014.	Ed Doherty	Liberal	Saint John Harbour	2005 by-e.	Government Services Minister	Dorothy Shephard	Progressive Conservative	Saint John Lancaster	2010 g.e.	Human Resources Critic	Brian Gallant	Liberal	Shediac Bay-Dieppe	2013 by-e.	Premier	Victor Boudreau	Liberal	Shediac-Beaubassin-Cap-Pelé	2004 by-e.	Health Minister	Wilfred Roussel	Liberal	Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou	2014 g.e.	Jake Stewart	Progressive Conservative	Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin	2010 g.e.	Energy and Mines Critic	Bruce Northrup	Progressive Conservative	Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins	2006 g.e.	Public Safety Critic	Serge Rousselle	Liberal	Tracadie-Sheila	2014 g.e.	Education and Early Childhood Development Minister; Attorney General	Chuck Chiasson	Liberal	Victoria-la-Vallée	2014 g.e.

Standings changes in the 58th Assembly

Number of members per party by date		2014			2015
		September 22	October 14	November 17	May 22	October 5	Liberal	27	26				Progressive Conservative	21		22	21	22
	Green	1
	Total members	49	48	49	48	49
	Vacant	0	1	0	1	0
	Government Majority	5	4	3	4	3

Membership changes in the 58th Assembly
	Date	Name	District	Party	Reason
	September 22, 2014	See List of Members			Election day of the 2014 New Brunswick general election	October 14, 2014	Gary Keating	Saint John East	Liberal	Resigned for personal reasons.	November 17, 2014	Glen Savoie	Progressive Conservative	By-election	May 22, 2015	David Alward	Carleton	Progressive Conservative	Resigned after being named consul general to Boston	October 5, 2015	Stewart Fairgrieve	Progressive Conservative	By-election

See also

• New Brunswick general election, 2010
• New Brunswick general election, 2014
• Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick