Our year end panel - a look back at the past year in New Brunswick politics, and ahead at how the new one might unfold.
All tagged Brian Gallant
Political Observer's Panel - Nov. 16/18
“We have excess capacity. No one needs to live on the street…we just have to decide and communicate to the politicans that it matters to us.”
Political Observer's Panel - Nov. 2/18
“Higgs can’t be seen as making concessions to the Alliance on their language disposition or this province is going to shatter, and become even more divided than it is right now.”
It's time for a serious discussion on Proportional Representation
Just two points to wrap this up. First, we are one of only five countries in the world that is still using the first-past-the–post system, and one of the other ones is the United States. We can see how that’s working out for them. Second, consider New Zealand. They switched from first-past-the-post in 1996. Then in 2011 as part of that year’s election, they had a referendum asking if citizens would like to switch back. The response – no way.
Life of Brian. It's not going to be much longer as Premier, so why is he hanging on?
While Higgs only scored one more seat than Gallant did, that one could make all the difference. Not that he couldn’t be defeated on his own confidence vote, but he won’t be, because no one wants an election.
Some final election campaign thoughts
It is almost a sense of resignation that it doesn’t matter, that nothing is going to change. I can certainly understand the cynicism.
Political Observer's Panel - Sept. 21/18
“That’s the party that has the most vision going forward. They are noticing and proposing things that the other parties aren’t”
The race is on and it looks like heartaches
The Liberals are spending like crazy, especially in Saint John, based on the tried and true strategy that you can buy people’s votes with their own money. The Tories, on the other hand, are hoping that for the first time in history, that strategy won’t work, and voters will see that Higgs offers the more responsible approach given our precarious economic reality.
Chris Collins - We Really Should Know More
There’s no need of the continued secrecy over what Chris Collins did. There’s good reason for disclosure of the facts.
AG budget increase would be sound investment for NB taxpayers
It was one more chapter in the uneasy relationship between the Auditor-General and the government. And that’s great. The AG should make the government uncomfortable.
Flood aftermath - some thoughts on cleanup, the army, and compensation.
we have to wonder - with the combination of climate change and clear-cutting making flooding worse, is this the new normal? Do we even have any idea where the flood plain is anymore?