November 4, 2024
Dear Chamber Members,
New Brunswick has a new provincial government and as part of your Chamber’s advocacy work, we are pleased to share with you a synopsis of the new provincial cabinet, portfolios and how they touch our collective efforts to grow Greater Moncton’s business community. We will begin work immediately on your behalf to engage with the new government to press your concerns and priorities.
Here is what you need to know about our new government:
Premier Susan Holt – is the first woman elected as premier. During the campaign, she made several platform commitments, including an overall review of our property tax system, removal of the provincial portion of the HST on new multi-residential developments, creating an environment that sees 30,000 new housing units built by 2030, balanced budgets, grants to incent high-priority workforce sectors, immigration pathways specific to critical labour needs, improved productivity through investment tax credits, improved export trade balance, and greater investments in arts and culture.
Rob McKee, (Moncton Centre) Minister of Justice, Attorney General, Minister Responsible for Addictions and Mental Health Services – McKee will be the senior cabinet minister in the Southeast government caucus. His portfolio aligns with the Chamber’s work to have a mental health court established in our region and for greater effort on the underlying reasons for homelessness such as addictions and mental health.
Claire Johnson, (Moncton South) Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development – Development of more schools in our region to accommodate our rapidly growing number of new students will be part of her mandate.
Robert Gauvin, (Shediac Bay-Dieppe) Minister of Public Safety and minister responsible for la Francophonie – Public Safety also has a role in dealing with our homelessness crisis and level of crime.
Lyne Chantal Boudreau (Champdoré-Irishtown) – minister responsible for Seniors and minister responsible for Women’s Equality
Other members of cabinet include:
- René Legacy – Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, Minister responsible for Energy, Minister responsible for the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
- John Dornan – Minister of Health
- Keith Chiasson – Minister of Indigenous Affairs
- Cindy Miles – Minister of Social Development, Minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation
- Chuck Chiasson – Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
- Gilles LePage – Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation
- Aaron Kennedy – Minister of Local Government, Minister responsible for Service New Brunswick
- Isabelle Thériault – Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture
- Alyson Townsend – Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Minister responsible for the Research and Productivity Council, Minister responsible for the Regulatory Accountability and Reporting Act
- John Herron – Minister of Natural Resources
- Pat Finnigan – Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
- Jean-Claude D’Amours – Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Minister responsible for Immigration, Minister responsible for Military Affairs
- David Hickey – Minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation
- Luke Randall – Minister responsible for Opportunities NB, Minister responsible for Economic Development and Small Business, Minister responsible for NB Liquor and Cannabis NB
The Moncton area also saw the following MLAs elected:
Sherry Wilson, Albert-Riverview (Progressive Conservative)
Alexandre Cédric Doucet – Moncton East (Liberal)
Tania Sodhi – Moncton Northwest (Liberal)
Natasha Vautour – Dieppe-Memramcook (Liberal)
Rob Weir, Riverview (Progressive Conservative)