The New Brunswick legislature is back in session and the official opposition continues to call for the resignation of Premier Brian Gallant following thousands of property assessment errors.
READ MORE: NB sees record number of property assessment appeals in with more likely to come
New Maryland-Sunbury Conservative MLA Jeff Carr said the premier has been “hiding behind a self-appointed review and self-serving inquiry.”
“It’s all the people are talking about all across New Brunswick – what are they saying can be summed up in six simple words: Property Tax Scandal Premier Must Resign,” Carr said.
Saint John East Progressive Conservative MLA Glen Savoie also rose in the house and said, “the premier is trying to hide behind a judge and an internal inquiry into the property tax scandal.”
Premier Brian Gallant said there have been errors with property tax assessments since 2011, and said the independent inquiry will help the government get to the bottom of things.
READ MORE: Some New Brunswick residents shocked by large property tax assessment hikes
Opposition leader Blaine Higgs said trust in the government has been destroyed.
“We’ve gone well beyond a property tax scandal. We’ve gone absolutely to a credibility scandal where the premier not only won’t take ownership and responsibility, but he’s basically refusing to answer the role he played in it, which has now become more and more evident and he’s continued to have conflicting statements in his role he played in it,” Higgs said.
Higgs said his party is still demanding the premier resign, and challenged the premier to an early election call.
READ MORE: New Brunswick campers may pay more in property tax this year
“We’ll be ready to go as soon as the premier feels inclined to do so and, mind you, you know we have a fixed election term, but if [Gallant] wants to go earlier, then have at it, we’ll be there,” Higgs said.
The province sent out a news release Tuesday afternoon reiterating the six steps the province is taking regarding the assessment errors, and releasing the latest numbers of identified errors.
READ MORE: New Brunswick getting out of property assessment business following controversy: premier
The release states there have been approximately 3,300 errors identified for the 2017 tax year and said Service New Brunswick has corrected 1,018 accounts.
“Property accounts that had an arbitrary formula applied to their assessments are in the process of being reviewed and new bills will be reissued in two mailings in June and July. All other accounts identified as having errors will be reviewed and finalized in July,” the government said in the release.
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