The River Valley Sun sent out questionnaires to each candidate in the three ridings in our coverage area. Here are the responses from candidates in the Woodstock-Hartland riding, in alphabetical order:
Independent candidate Ernest Culberson
RVS: Why are you running as an independent, and what issues motivated you to enter the race?
EC: Because I feel a political association with any party is detrimental and stifling to fulfilling true representation of the women and men of Carleton County vis a vis party. Issues include
1. No constitution of New Brunswick.
2. No public bank of New Brunswick.
3. No written roles and responsibilities for MLAs as part of a constitution with an oath to serve the women and men they represent.
RVS: Healthcare is in crisis. What is the first step to repairing the system?
EC: The first step is training our youth to become doctors and nurse practitioners within New Brunswick asap and expediting the licensing of doctors already living in the area from other countries.
RVS: Education has been in the headlines for the last two years. The system faces multiple challenges – a lack of teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and French immersion teachers, which has resulted in low morale with the Policy 713 controversy. What steps do you take to start repairing the system?
EC: Increase the duration of bus driver’s permits by six months to a year at Service New Brunswick. Provide buses to bus driver permit holders for 365 days a year to use for practice. Replace multiple choice questions with an easier form of testing until the jobs are filled at Service New Brunswick and the ASD West.
RVS: We’ve come through worldwide inflation, NBers are struggling to meet everyday costs. We are facing a housing crisis, cost of living increases, and lack of a rent cap, and all of these things have contributed to homelessness. In an era where we’ve faced multiple crises, how can a government address these while remaining fiscally responsible?
EC: Re food: Grow your own indoors and outdoors, pickle and preserve.
Intuitively, from my accounting and free market training, I fail to envision rent caps working well and fair to all involved. Locally, apartments are being added steadily to both Hartland and Woodstock based on principles of supply and demand. At this point, I would do all I could to promote mutual credit communities as part of the solution to remain fiscally responsible.
RVS: What issue do you think is not being talked about enough?
EC: The lack of transparency surrounding the recipients and beneficiaries of $600 million in debt interest annually who are protected by the Privacy Act.
Progressive Conservative candidate Bill Hogan
Bill Hogan did not complete the River Valley Sun questionnaire. PC campaign official Robert Fowlie responded to our request, stating that Hogan was too busy campaigning to answer our questions. We offered to give him four more days to complete the questionnaire but were told by Mr. Fowlie that he still would not be submitting a response. He was asked the same questions as all other candidates, except on the affordability question. The River Valley Sun asked all PC candidates how their government could justify having a surplus and not spending it when people were suffering.
Liberal candidate Marisa Pelkey
RVS: Why are you running?
MP: I am running as the Liberal Candidate for the Woodstock-Hartland riding because I believe in the value of public service and serving the community.
I have spent my career in public service, helping some of our most vulnerable citizens navigate the criminal justice system. In recent years, I have become increasingly disappointed and frustrated by the current government’s inaction on so many key issues. I chose to put my name forward as a candidate to ‘be the change I wish to see’ in our local representation and provincial governance and offer my service to the larger community.
I value teamwork and collaborative approaches to problem-solving. I believe in listening to and learning from each other’s lived experiences. Despite our differences, I believe in showing empathy, compassion and acceptance of all. I believe in a better New Brunswick for us, for my children, and for the generations to come.
RVS: Healthcare is in crisis. What is the first step to repairing the system?
MP: The first step to repairing the Healthcare System in New Brunswick is to show meaningful respect and appreciation to the professionals who work in the system. We need to take care of those who take care of us. Retaining our healthcare professionals is essential to preventing the healthcare crisis from worsening.
Implementing a collaborative primary care model will improve timely access to care and lessen the burden on other areas of the system. This model has been proven effective in other jurisdictions across Canada and is the practice model many professionals seek to work in. This model will aid the recruitment efforts of professionals and can be implemented in a timely manner, making an immediate impact on the system. I am thrilled that Susan Holt has committed to a Community Care Clinic for our riding to improve access to primary care right here in Woodstock-Harland.
RVS: Education has been in the headlines for the last two years. The system faces multiple challenges – a lack of teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and French immersion teachers, which, with the Policy 713 controversy, has resulted in low morale. What steps do you take to start repairing the system?
MP: Providing stability to New Brunswick’s Education system will give students the best learning environment. A Holt Government will prioritize retaining and recruiting teachers, bus drivers, and school staff by improving working conditions and ensuring that the professionals we trust with our children are treated with the respect and appreciation they deserve.
We know that one in four children go to school hungry. To ensure children’s minds are ready to learn, we know they need food in their tummies. A Holt Government will introduce a universal free breakfast and pay-what-you-can lunch program available to all New Brunswick students. If we want kids to thrive, they need to be fed and feel safe.
RVS: We’ve come through worldwide inflation, NBers are struggling to meet everyday costs. We are facing a housing crisis, cost of living increases, lack of a rent cap, and all of these things have contributed to homelessness. In an era where we face multiple crises, how can a government address these while remaining fiscally responsible?
MP: New Brunswickers have told us they want a government that makes sound financial decisions for today and into the future. A Holt Government has committed to delivering balanced budgets every year of its mandate and to continue to pay down the provincial debt.
A Holt Government has committed to implementing a rent cap so renters can have predictable and stable housing costs. We have also committed to removing the 10 per cent PST from residential power bills, saving New Brunswick households money every month on this essential service, and removing the ‘Higgs Gas Tax” at the fuel pump, a savings of $0.04 per litre.
The current property tax system is not working, and New Brunswick homeowners are dealing with the financial shock from skyrocketing increases. A Holt Government will overhaul the current property tax system to ensure transparency, competitiveness, affordability, and fairness. It will also provide municipalities with the flexibility to deliver on their expanded mandates.
We will bring a strong team focused on the bottom line while investing in the services that matter deeply to New Brunswickers and their families.
RVS: What issue do you think is not being talked about enough?
MP: many issues are under-discussed; however, mental health and mental wellness impact every single New Brunswicker in one form or another.
After six years of inaction by the current government, we are left with a lack of access to primary mental care and a shortage of mental health professionals. Too many New Brunswickers are going to ERs to get mental health services, where issues of lack of staff and appropriate resources can lead to tragic outcomes.
New Brunswick schools do not have adequate mental health resources and professionals, and opportunities for intervention are being missed.
While awareness of mental health issues and their impact on our communities is increasing, we need to invest in meaningful support and accessibility of care.
Green candidate Jada Roche
RVS: Why are you running?
JR: I love my home and the people who live here. I’m tired of broken promises rolling from the mouths of those who claim to represent us, only to watch our beautiful province fall further and further behind our neighbours.
The people of Woodstock-Hartland are tired of being told just to take what they’re given because this is the best that’ll ever be available to them. I want to work in a government that will advocate for its people and create opportunities for them. I am tired of misinformation and deflection. I am tired of seeing minority groups being marginalized and treated as second-class citizens or worse. The people of Woodstock-Hartland and I deserve a government that focuses on real issues, not invented surpluses and culture wars while the province collapses.
RVS: Healthcare is in crisis. What is the first step to repairing the system?
JR: Spend the money wisely. Create a legal right to access primary health care by assigning everyone without a family doctor to a permanent primary healthcare team based in their community.
We can accomplish this by investing $100 million annually to fund 70 collaborative family practice teams across the province, including in the Upper River Valley, to cover the incomes of nurse practitioners, nurses and other allied health professionals joining these teams. We would also invest $170 million annually to bring nurses’ salaries and benefits in line with those in Nova Scotia and PEI to attract nurses here.
RVS: Education has been in the headlines for the last two years. The system faces multiple challenges – a lack of teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and French immersion teachers, which, with the Policy 713 controversy, has resulted in low morale. What steps do you take to start repairing the system?
JR: We must listen to our struggling educators and the experts. The first step is to provide adequate funding for all positions, including EAs and school psychologists. We would also focus on collaboration with unions to help implement retention and recruitment plans. Furthermore, we would ensure no child goes hungry at school thanks to a proper provincewide school breakfast and lunch program, allowing teachers to focus teaching and students on learning.
That program would amount to at least $4 million annually and receive funding by ending the “free lunch” for large forestry corporations, including the 20 million-dollar-a-year subsidies for herbicide spraying and tree planting. Our children must be put in the best position possible to succeed in school.
RVS: We’ve come through worldwide inflation, NBers are struggling to meet everyday costs. We are facing a housing crisis, cost of living increases, lack of a rent cap, and all of these things have contributed to homelessness. In an era where we face multiple crises, how can a government address these while remaining fiscally responsible?
JR: The Green Party is committed to ending poverty and ensuring a decent standard of living for everyone by developing and implementing a Guaranteed Livable Income program in collaboration with the federal government. A Green government would immediately raise social assistance rates by 20 per cent to help people make ends meet until the Guaranteed Livable Income is in place. It’s time to help each other up, instead of keeping each other down in favour of corporations.
A Green government would also create a public inquiry into the property tax system to ensure fairness and have heavy industry pay their equitable share.
The Green Party has succeeded in getting the NB Housing Corporation running again. Still, it must now be used to its full potential to drive affordable housing development.
The Green Affordable Housing Plan will:
- Establish a permanent rent cap of a maximum of 2.5 per cent to protect tenants from unaffordable rent increases and keep them housed.
- Drive non-market housing development by non-profits, cooperatives, faith communities, and service clubs by mandating that the NB Housing Corporation be the first funder to provide access to the required capital.
- Invest in supportive housing programs that combine affordable housing with wrap-around support services to address the needs of the homeless population with the most complex needs.
- Incentivize private developers with lower property taxes if they build low-rent apartments. The property assessment for rental units will be based on their rental income rather than the property value. This will significantly reduce the property tax costs for low-rent apartments, making affordable housing a more reasonable investment.
- Adopt right of first refusal legislation to enable the New Brunswick Housing Corporation and municipal housing authorities to acquire low-cost housing when available.
RVS: What issue do you think is not being talked about enough?
The Brighton Mountain Wind Farm and Manganese Mine planned within the Woodstock-Hartland riding. They lack public and Indigenous consultation, and people are rightfully concerned when they know the potentially significant impacts on their lives.
The lack of transparency from our government and the private sector is telling. We must diversify our industries, grow renewable energy sources, and ensure that all citizens understand what’s happening in their own community, especially with these projects.
A Green government would advocate for those people and ensure meaningful public and Indigenous consultation is completed.
New Democratic Party candidate Bo Sheaves
RVS: Why are you running?
BS: I’m running because I want to make a difference. Something is missing in the N.B. Legislature, and that is the voice of the NDP.
Today, more than ever, New Brunswick needs the voice of the NDP. The out-of-the-world cost of living is insane and getting worse. The outrageous housing and rental situation needs to be the number one priority of any government.
For 100-plus years, the Conservatives and Liberals ruled this province, taking it to where we are today. I firmly believe N.B. needs a real change and a breath of fresh air.
RVS: Healthcare is in crisis. What is the first step to repairing the system?
BS: By listening to healthcare providers, the real experts in healthcare. Something Blaine Higgs refuses to do. In his mind, he knows best.
We need to tackle the nursing shortage. We need to expand Medicare to cover mental health. We need to opt into pharmacare. We need to broaden the N.B. Drug Plan. Finally, we need to expand healthcare professional training and certification.
RVS: Education has been in the headlines for the last two years. The system faces multiple challenges – lack of teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and French immersion teachers, which has resulted in low morale with the Policy 713 controversy. What steps do you take to start repairing the system?
BS: Again, the number one way to start is by listening to the professionals who work with our children. Listen to teachers, principals, and other education professionals, and stop using Blaine Higgs’ personal views and his Premier-Higgs-knows-all approach. Premier Higgs needs to stop dividing the educational professionals, and we need to protect our children and not play politics with Premier Higgs’s divisive personal views.
RVS: We’ve come through worldwide inflation, and NBers are struggling to meet everyday costs. We are facing a housing crisis, cost of living increases, lack of a rent cap, and all of these things have contributed to homelessness. In an era where we’ve faced multiple crises, how can the next government address these while remaining fiscally responsible?
BS: We need to start to give New Brunswickers a break. Premier Higgs is taking our province in the wrong direction. Rather than focusing on the kitchen table issues that matter to N.B. families, he has been busy dividing us on many issues, and he has been rewarding his rich, connected friends with tax cuts and chasing ideological obsessions.
People need a break in the cost of living. People also need a break from the established political parties who have long governed this province and have continuously failed to solve our problems.
The NDP plan is about making tangible investments to reduce the high cost of living and create economic prosperity. We will pay for our plan by making large corporations and the ultra-rich pay their fair share.
RVS: What issue do you think is not being talked about enough?
BS: A free school lunch program for all K-12 public school students. The NB NDP would immediately establish a universal, free school lunch program for all public school students from kindergarten to Grade 12. We will also strike a deal with the federal government to leverage federal school food funding support. This will reduce grocery bills for families and ensure no child goes hungry at school.
People’s Alliance candidate Charlie Webber
RVS: Why are you running?
CW: I’m running because, in my mind, we haven’t had good representation in this riding for a long time now. I’ve lived here most of my life and worked all over the county as an electrician for over 40 years and have gotten to know many people and what their concerns are. And I would be a strong voice for them in Fredericton.
RVS: Healthcare is in crisis. What is the first step to repairing the system?
CW: We need to recruit more doctors and nurses, and one way would be pay equality with other provinces. And I’d be willing to work with my colleagues to find ways to achieve this.
RVS: Education has been in the headlines for the last two years. The system faces multiple challenges – lack of teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and French immersion teachers, which, with the Policy 713 controversy, has resulted in low morale. What steps do you take to start repairing the system?
CW: We do need more EA’s to help in the classrooms. I have been told that most of the EA’sEAs spend all their time with special needs students, leaving other students without the little extra help they need. I’m not really sure how to fix all the problems in the education system, but if elected, I would work hard to help resolve them.
RVS: We’ve come through worldwide inflation, NBers are struggling to meet everyday costs. We are facing a housing crisis, cost of living increases, lack of a rent cap, and all of these things have contributed to homelessness. In an era where we’ve faced multiple crises, how can a government address these while remaining fiscally responsible?
CW: Rent capping is definitely a good start. Taking the PST off of power and heating bills would help a lot too. Once elected, I would work together with other MLAs to find other solutions.
RVS: What issue do you think is not being talked about enough?
CW: The condition of our roads, which have been in disrepair for many years. They are costing taxpayers lots of money in expensive repairs on their vehicles.
