FREDERICTON, N.B. – Opposition Leader Bruce Fitch offered some advice to Premier Brian Gallant Tuesday.
“We think that they should form a panel, maybe Donald Savoie can chair it, with the former Liberal premiers, and Mr. Gallant can get some help,” Fitch said.
Fitch says the panel would include four former Liberal premiers in the province of New Brunswick – Frank McKenna, Camille Theriault, Ray Frenette and Shawn Graham.
Their purpose would be to advise Gallant on what to do, and what not to do.
“Closing down Efficiency NB, Invest NB, and now we have uncertainty with potash mines, looking at a potential moratorium on shale gas, so there could be job losses there and job losses at Corridor and, if SWN doesn’t go forward on their programs, there could be huge job losses there,” Fitch said.
“They came out with 5,000 jobs in the first-year of their mandate. We need to see that plan.”
The New Brunswick Energy Institute could also be facing elimination. The Institute’s CEO David Besner says he hasn’t met with the Liberal government yet to talk about their future.
But independent groups would like to see the Institute stay.
“The energy institute, there’s so much potential in this region for the energy industry in this province, so having the Institute there, taking a look at everything, whether we’re talking about natural gas, hydro, transmission, all of that is extremely important if we’re talking about independent research within the industry,” said Barbara Pike, CEO of the Maritimes Energy Association.
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