PC Opposition attacks Liberal tariff plan, won't say what they'd do
Tories take a pass on criticizing budget, instead accusing premier of inaction on U.S. trade threat
The day after New Brunswick's Liberal government tabled a budget with a $549 million deficit, the Opposition Progressive Conservatives had virtually nothing to say about it.
The PCs instead devoted most of their time in the legislature Wednesday to criticizing the Liberals for their response to the threat of U.S. tariffs.
But the PCs didn't often any concrete proposals of their own — other than the revival of an oil pipeline and a natural gas industry they've been championing for more than a decade.
"For many New Brunswickers who have been looking for action and looking for leadership, the premier has failed to meet the moment," said PC MLA Bill Oliver, one of several who used their allocated time to criticized Premier Susan Holt.
"It looks like the premier has turned thumbs down to 'elbows up,'" added his colleague Bill Oliver, referring to the popular slogan adopted by Canadians in the trade war.
Holt unveiled a tariff "action plan" on March 4 that includes funds to retrain any laid-off workers and money to help exporters adapt if they are hit with tariffs on products they sell into the U.S. market.
So far, she has avoided more dramatic moves, such as threatening to cut off — or slapping a surcharge on — electricity exports that allow 58,000 residents of northern Maine to turn on their lights and heat their homes.
"It appears that the premier and the deputy premier are more concerned with the power bills of folks in northern Maine who voted for Donald Trump than they are with the New Brunswickers who actually voted for them," said PC MLA Sherry Wilson.
But speaking to reporters later, PC Leader Glen Savoie said his party was not endorsing a surcharge on, or cutting of, power transmission to Maine.
He said Wilson's comment was a tongue-in-cheek way of highlighting Liberal inaction.
The premier said during question period that she had met with Savoie and Green Leader David Coon on the issue and Savoie had not offered any alternative ideas the government could pursue.
"I have yet to hear any suggestions from the opposition on what we should be doing differently, on things we should be adding," Holt said.
"If they think that we haven't budgeted sufficient amounts at $162 million, do they have better estimates for what they think this might cost?"
The PCs had called for the legislature to be called back earlier than its scheduled March 18 date for more debate on the tariff response, something the government turned down.
On Wednesday, all parties agreed to an emergency debate on tariffs that would continue into the evening.
Savoie complained that the legislature will break for a weeks of committee debate on budget estimates on March 28, leaving little time for more discussion of the tariff response.
He also rejected Holt's comment that the PCs should propose something specific if they think her package is lacking.
"They are government," Savoid said. "They are supposed to be leading this. Our job is supposed to be to hold them to account."
Holt's government introduced legislation Wednesday to lower interprovincial trade barriers on alcohol.
Once adopted, the bill will allow New Brunswickers to order alcohol products directly from outside the province and eliminate limits on how much alcohol someone can bring in to the province.
The government has promised other measures to lower interprovincial trade barriers as a way of mitigating the impact of tariffs on trade with the U.S.
The Opposition PCs said trade measures on alcohol are not enough
PC MLA Kris Austin introduced a non-binding motion that, if passed, would call on the government to lift the decade-old moratorium on natural gas development as a way to help Canada have more energy independence from the U.S.
Holt told reporters that because the tariff issue is "still in flux" — with a U.S. decision on broadening the measures expected April 2 — it's early to get into detailed accounting of how her relief package is working or which businesses are using it.
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