It’s election season in NB and the province’s politicos are posting signs and knocking on doors. The PCs and Liberals are neck and neck. Pundits are watching closely, wondering what colours will paint NB’s political landscape when the dust settles on Oct 21. 🗳
With the race officially on, we wanted to offer some insight into the biggest issues facing NB.
🏥 Health care: The struggle to manage the healthcare needs of an aging population have spread from Atlantic Canada to the rest of the country. Canada’s 13 beleaguered healthcare systems are still recovering from the pandemic and health professionals are burning out or retiring early. Health workforce recruitment is the new crisis. Healthcare workers are demanding investment and strategies to improve their quality of life.
Under the scope: Voters want better access to care and reduced wait times — both symptoms of the HR shortage. We’ll be watching to see how NB’s political parties respond.
💰 Affordability: The cost of living is climbing in NB. Rising fuel costs are driving up prices for food, clothing, electricity and gasoline throughout North America. Voters are crying out for relief. It’s up to Ottawa to curb inflation, but the province can directly impact out-of-pocket costs.
Under the scope: Big policy moves can have wide-ranging implications in a small province, but a failure to act could be fatal. We’ll be listening closely to solutions offered by each party.
🏠 Housing: Housing prices are up in NB but are still lower than in other provinces. The work-from-home movement gave big city dwellers a chance to realize their home ownership dreams by heading east. This, plus high levels of international immigration, has meant record-setting population growth in NB and a significant housing supply and demand problem. Prices, both for single family homes and rental units, are up dramatically and affordable housing is a concern.
Under the scope: Each day brings a story about housing shortages, renovictions and rising homelessness. Voters are expecting their political leaders to offer solutions that will make housing more affordable for everyone.
👩🎓 Education: Headlines have focused on French immersion and gender identity policies, but NB’s real education challenge is the 360-degree turn the system is making due to the population boom. For decades, school districts managed a decline in student populations. Now, NB schools are bursting at the seams and teachers say they are being spread too thinly to address the challenges facing students.
Under the scope: The sector is calling for greater collaboration and NB is nearing the end of its 10-year education plan. The timing is right for a future-focused conversation. Based on comments during the French immersion debate, we know parents will want to be part of the conversation.
What do you think the core issues of the election will be? Check out this post on Linkedin and let us know in the comments.