FREDERICTON, N.B. – As party leaders and candidates hit the road across New Brunswick campaigning for the upcoming provincial election, Global News will keep track of where they are and what they’re saying in our election notebook.
Read all 2014 New Brunswick election notebooks
Here’s what happened during the campaign’s first full weekend, Aug. 23-24:
Liberals: Trudeau joins Gallant on campaign trail
Federal Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau arrived in Moncton Saturday afternoon and participated in the campaign kick-off rally for N.B. Liberal leader Brian Gallant in Fredericton.
On Sunday, Gallant participated in the ALS ice bucket challenge before heading to Doaktown, where he announced a Liberal government would increase the number of New Brunswickers who can participate in the annual moose hunt.
Gallant is proposing a return to the traditional three-day season while increasing the pool of licenses awarded by lottery, based on the results of the 2014 hunt.
Conservatives: Seasonal workforce aid
David Alward was in Caraquet Sunday, where he announced plans for a seasonal workforce pilot project. The four-year program would top up workers’ salaries by $2 per hour for up to 14 weeks a year.
The project would target about 2,500 seasonal workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing in the hopes of stabilizing the rural workforce.
NDP: Fairness for pensioners
New Brunswick NDP leader Dominic Cardy was in front of the legislature Saturday morning to unveil the Fairness for Pensioners Act.
Cardy is promising the bill, which would rescind the imposed shared risk deal for existing public pension retirees, will be introduced within the first legislative session.
People’s Alliance: Local service district regulations
The People’s Alliance of New Brunswick launched its entire platform Friday. One of its stated goals is to reform the Local Service District Regulations – Municipalities Act by allowing a local service district to hold plebiscites to pass bylaws governing its area.
Local service districts would also have the opportunity to access loans, and providing minutes of their meetings would be mandatory to improve transparency.
Green Party: Saying no
Green Party leader David Coon said he will introduce a private member’s bill to tear up the contract between the provincial government and J.D. Irving Ltd.
Coon also released a video saying he would index minimum wage immediately to the rate of inflation and build in regular increases to minimum wage so workers can earn a “livable wage”.
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