Groups take different views of Holt budget as health-care takes centre stage
More domestic violence funding appreciated, municipalities want more answers
Susan Holt's first budget as premier has left some groups in New Brunswick happier than others.
The Liberal government is projecting a fiscal shortfall of $549 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year, and it's making health care a key priority.
On the appreciative side is Maureen Levangie, executive director of the Domestic Violence Association of New Brunswick. Her sector received a $9 million increase under the new budget.
"This is historic because we have never gotten this increase in funding at one time," Levangie said in an interview with the CBC's Shift.
She said there have been only two budget increases devoted to this issue in the past 15 years, although more financial support has been sought.
"So the fact that we're receiving $9 million this year is going to have a huge impact."
Violence up since pandemic
She said the funding will go to transition houses, second-stage services, domestic violence outreach and resources.
Transition houses, she said, will now be "able to devote that time and energy to helping people who are experiencing violence in New Brunswick," Levangie said.
Since the pandemic, she said, her group has seen an increase in domestic violence, especially in complex cases involving immigrants, people in the 2SLGBQ+ community and people using substances.
The increased funding will make it possible to hire more workers and increase access to services.
In his budget speech, Finance Minister René Legacy said it's crucial that funding exists to help New Brunswickers looking to leave abusive relationships.
"We hear tragic stories each and every day about victims of domestic violence facing unimaginable abuse and the need for additional supports," he said.
Promises about disabilities
The New Brunswick Coalition of Persons with Disabilities also supported the budget. In a statement, chair Shelley Petit said Legacy's promise to strengthen the province's accessibility legislation and provide funding for accessible housing units are both welcome.
Petit called the budget "monumental" for persons with disabilities and said the group looks forward to working with a government that "has chosen to see our abilities, nor just our disabilities"
While those two groups take a positive view of their new funding, the province's municipalities are feeling more could be done.
More questions than answers for municipalities
Grand-Bay Westfield Mayor Mayor Brittany Merrifield is also president of the Union of New Brunswick Municipalities, which developed a pre-budget submission outlining funding requests.
"We're pleased to see the provincial government take an important first step toward fiscal reform," Merrifield said in an interview with Shift, noting that the budget included about $20 million for the Local Government Department.
"However, we have a lot of questions about how the funds will be allocated."
She said the union identified a gap in funding to municipalities for the start of 2026 that amounted to about $220 million.
The previous government, under Progressive Conservative Blaine Higgs, implemented local governance reforms in 2023, creating or expanding municipalities, and also promising fiscal reform. Municipalities have called for better tax-sharing with the province to generate more revenue.
Merrifield said municipalities are struggling with funding gaps after taking on new responsibilities after 2023 municipal reform, such as housing, homelessness, climate change and now tariffs.
Municipalities are increasingly reliant on property taxes and need more diversified funding, Merrifield said.
"So when we talk about affordability for New Brunswickers, resourcing municipalities with additional and diversified revenue streams is incredibly important."
In his speech, Legacy said health care was the budget's main focus, but other areas such as fiscal reform were also worthy of mention.
"Our government intends to introduce legislation on a fiscal reform funding model that will provide local governments a much-needed diversification of revenues to support sustainability and provide greater predictability," Legacy said.
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With files from Shift