In advance of the provincial budget, CUPE New Brunswick announced a “Plan for all New Brunswickers,” at a press conference earlier today. The plan provides a vision for a public-focused recovery from COVID-19 through the investment and expansion of public services that have been constantly under-funded by consecutive government.
CUPE NB President Stephen Drost was joined by Daniel Légère, President of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, Sharon Teare, CUPE NB 1st Vice President, Gabrielle Ross-Marquette, CUPE Researcher and Sandy Harding, CUPE Regional Director, Maritimes to announce the plan.
The plan includes recommendations for keeping services public, investing in child care, and a public long-term care system, pursuing affordable housing and affordable energy strategies, as well as an increasing in the minimum wage. It also highlights how the government can shift away from using public money on corporate subsidies and the under valuing of properties to reduce tax assessments and use that money to invest in people.
“We have a historic opportunity to put forward a vision for a government that works for all New Brunswickers, not just a select few,” said Drost. “The Higgs government has announced a budget surplus of $487.8 million. That money represents tax dollars and federal money that is currently not being used to improve and expand public services, create good jobs, and make life more affordable for all New Brunswickers. We have a plan for how that can be achieved.”
Read the full plan.