Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 1 June 9, 2022 CONTENTS FUEL PRICES Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Holland Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Higgs Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Holland Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Holland Mr. Melanson Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Holland Hon. Mr. Holland Mr. Melanson Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Higgs Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Flemming, Q.C. Hon. Mr. Flemming, Q.C. Mr. Melanson Mr. Melanson

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 2 Mr. Melanson Hon. Mr. Flemming, Q.C. HEALTH CARE Mr. Melanson Hon. Mrs. Shephard Mr. Melanson Hon. Mrs. Shephard Hon. Mrs. Shephard AGRICULTURE Mr. K. Arseneau Hon. Mrs. Johnson Mr. K. Arseneau Hon. Mrs. Johnson ENERGY Mr. Legacy Hon. Mr. Holland Mr. Legacy Hon. Mr. Holland Mr. Legacy Mr. Legacy Hon. Mr. Holland

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 3 [Original] FUEL PRICES Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): You know, Mr. Speaker, these may be exciting times for that side of the House, but outside this Legislature, they are not exciting times. The price at the pump this morning is $2.19 per litre. We hear nothing from this government as to trying to help the hardworking working New Brunswickers who want to go to work but who have a hard time going to work every morning—no help.

Yesterday, we heard that the Premier is blaming the EUB. He has blamed everybody else and now the EUB. Premier, on January 5, you forced your minister to send a letter to the EUB to increase the tax on fuel, putting $60 million on the shoulders of New Brunswickers. Why do you not ask your minister to send, or why do you not send, a letter asking to reduce the gas tax by $60 million? Hon. Mr. Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr.

Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand here and to have a conversation on the subject of fuel prices and what we, as a government, can do to alleviate the pain of consumers in New Brunswick. Unfortunately, the opposition member is a dollar short and a day late because we have already instructed the department to put together some sort of a request to the EUB to analyze and to come back with recommendations that we, as a government, can have.

Rather than stand in the Legislature and huff and puff, rather than talk about solutions and then back away from joining the government in going after the federal government, where the real issues are, where we had something that we campaigned on in 2018… There should be no surprise from the members opposite that we are facing this situation, because we predicted it. We predicted the high price of fuel. We predicted the high price as a result of the supply chain having such a high cost for fuel.

We campaigned on no carbon tax, and yet you on the other side do not want to join us in going to Ottawa to find some real solutions. But we will, and we will put something together where the EUB can advise us accordingly. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Premier, you should get up. You should stand this morning, as you did in January, when you were defending and trying to help your former employer. Now that we have consumers paying $2.19, the minister gets up and says: We are trying to do something.

This is after all these New Brunswickers, hardworking people, have been struggling for at least six months—and it is even worse now—with no help from this government. Now that we are getting to the end of the legislative session, the government members say: We predicted this. Really? Really? You really predicted this? Premier, why were you defending help for your former employer and not defending help for the consumers of New Brunswick? Send a letter. Tell us what you will be doing.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 4 Hon. Mr. Higgs (Quispamsis, Premier, Minister responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs, PC): Well, Mr. Speaker, it is rich. You know, the fact is that I did not defend my former employer. We asked the EUB to do an analysis, and it never ended up doing one because the information was not provided for it to do so. There is clearly a leak in the system.

Now, I talked about the EUB yesterday in a scrum, but I expect that there is someone over there who got a report today that said that the minister was actually putting a letter together to ask the EUB, in an urgent fashion, to look at the price of gas and why energy is going up at the rate that it is. However, to the minister’s point, there is a bigger issue. The bigger issue is that we have an energy crisis not only in Canada and not only in New Brunswick but in the world.

And much of it in Canada and North America is self-made because we have shut down our ability to energize our very population, and that is just wrong. There is a process here to transition to a cleaner economy. We have said it, and yes, we did predict it four years ago. It has been expedited by this crisis in Europe, but this is exactly what the Liberals wanted: to put the pricing of energy out of the market. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time. [Translation] Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Mr.

Speaker, the Premier should stop getting on people’s nerves with his abstract speeches—his abstract speeches. Now he wants to ask the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board to carry out further analysis and studies. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has total control over the provincial portion of the gasoline tax. He can reduce it. He should have done so three months ago, or maybe even six months ago. However, he can still do that. When a litre of gas costs $2.19, Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense for the government to propose to send a letter in order to have an analysis carried out.

In the meantime, people are suffering. They can no longer afford the price of gas at the pump. They are no longer able to go to work, as my colleague from Victoria-La Vallée said. Mr. Premier, just wake up. See what is really happening. Stop giving your abstract speeches and take action on the provincial portion of the gasoline tax. [Original] Hon. Mr. Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, I think that the waking up needs to take place by the members on the opposite side. We have been awake.

In fact, we made statements this morning that talked about the several steps that we, as a government, are taking to bring relief to New Brunswickers, whether it be in the form of having a 3.8% rent cap, reducing the interest on student loan debt, or creating energy efficiency programs that are going to put money back into pockets.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 5 And, on top of that, we will ensure that in the work forward, we go to the EUB and ask it not to analyze and not to study but to come back forthwith with some recommendations and an analysis of what can be done. Quite frankly, I think that there are maybe too many former federal Liberal MPs sitting over there on the opposite side.

Maybe they do not want or do not dare to rock the boat, because they certainly did not want to join us when we put forward a nonpartisan initiative to go to Ottawa and say, Help us to help New Brunswickers. If they are not interested in helping New Brunswickers, then they should not make a business of complaining about it over there when we take several steps in a number of different areas and work toward solving the problem. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Well, Mr. Speaker, there is another one added to the list of the blame game.

They are blaming Ottawa, they are blaming the federal MPs, they are blaming us, and they are blaming the EUB. And now they want to do another study. They want to understand the conditions of the market, and they want to ask the EUB. But last year, they were pushing really hard for a $60-million increase in fuel tax and revenues on the shoulders of New Brunswickers. Premier, you can act right now. You can act today. You do not need anybody’s permission. Reduce the provincial gasoline tax of 10.87¢. That will help.

It will not be enough, but it would certainly help by increasing people’s buying power for getting their groceries and going to work. Premier—you have another chance to stop blaming and to start acting. Are you going to reduce the tax? Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, member. Hon. Mr. Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, it is not blaming when you stand in the most public house in the province and say: Join us and work toward reaching out to Ottawa. That is not blaming. That is not blaming at all.

It is not blaming when we talk about the variety of different steps that we are taking in a number of different sectors across a number of departments, working toward bringing relief to New Brunswickers. That is called doing the work of making sure that we do everything that we can. I am glad, though, that we are not inviting the members opposite to help us write a letter to the EUB because it sounds as though they are presupposing the outcome by saying that we want to study this and study that. No.

No, this is an effort in which we want to go forward and say, in a rapid fashion and in immediate terms, Come back to us with an analysis. That information is there and available as to what steps could possibly be taken and what things we, as a government, could possibly do as it relates to fuel prices. In addition to everything else, we can continue to put the best interests of New Brunswickers first, Mr. Speaker.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 6 [Translation] Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Mr. Speaker, we will never join that group. That group recently accepted two more members and has ended up with a mess on its hands. The government has ended up with a mess on its hands. We will never agree to join that group. Mr. Speaker, if the minister says he had anticipated all that… That is impossible, because he is now asking for an analysis. He is asking for an analysis today.

He had anticipated everything, but now he is asking for an analysis. Seriously, the minister is talking out of both sides of his mouth. As for the Premier, he is not saying anything. He is silent. In January, he stood up for his former employer, but today he is not even standing up for workers in New Brunswick who are paying too much at the pump, Mr. Speaker. Are you going to wake up? (Interjections.) Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): No, there you go, I can see you are asleep. Mr. Speaker, this government is asleep at the wheel. It is asking others to pay more, without taking any action.

It had anticipated everything, but it is asking for an analysis to find out what the solutions will be. People are paying too much. The price is $2.19 a litre this morning. Wake up and reduce the provincial gasoline tax. [Original] Hon. Mr. Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): As evidenced by a standing ovation for that really, really insignificant question, which speaks more to the fact that the members of the opposition are getting excited over a word salad such as that as opposed to an actual question… Let’s go back.

I cannot wait to go back to Hansard to see the report on that. All that the Leader of the Opposition did was say the word “analysis” 45 times and talk about a former employer. He did not talk about one thing, and that is New Brunswickers—New Brunswickers. He did not mention them once. He was talking about former employers. He was talking about analysis. (Interjections.) Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Order. Hon. Mr.

Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): He was talking about all sorts of things that would help perpetuate the opposition’s perception of being some sort of a white knight. Do you know what was missing in that conversation?

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 7 New Brunswickers. Do you know what is of concern to us over here? New Brunswickers. That is why many departments have been reaching within and doing whatever they can to come up with initiatives to help New Brunswickers. We know that. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Mr. Premier, I think that you have to intervene because the guy who wants to run to replace you is failing today.

Maybe if you ask the member for Moncton East, he will do a better job. Who knows? We are not talking about New Brunswickers? Did you really say that? Did you really say that we are not talking about New Brunswickers, the hardworking New Brunswickers who are paying $2.19 at the pump? (Interjections.) Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Order, minister. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): We are trying to advocate hard and constructively to help them out. We are not talking about New Brunswickers? Did you really say that, minister? Premier, are you going to get up?

You, the mastermind of this government, are the only one because the other ones cannot handle it. Well, a couple can, but not many. Will you get up and defend the hardworking New Brunswickers and help them at the pump? Hon. Mr. Higgs (Quispamsis, Premier, Minister responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs, PC): Well, Mr. Speaker, this is quite a show that the leader is putting on today. I know that his days are numbered, so he is really thinking, wow, I have to make a last-ditch effort to make it a show. Mr. Speaker, they know full well why we are here.

They know that we have a national policy that is only going to see energy prices continue to rise and rise and rise. Mr. Speaker, that is a fundamental issue. We know that it has been created by the issue in Europe, which has added to the complexity and the urgency of this situation. We know that there has to be a long-term solution, and we know that the money that we collect… I said that with any money we make, if there is anything that comes out of this that we can put back, as we did for those that need it the most, we will continue to put it back in strategic areas.

It is not about making more money on fuel prices, Mr. Speaker. It is about ensuring that we can continue to provide quality health care, quality education, and quality services to those who need them the most. While the Liberals would look at one thing at a time because they cannot imagine anything beyond one thing at a time, we have to look at the big picture and the long haul. That is why we are here, for the long…

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 8 Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, Premier. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Numbered days… Your days are numbered, Premier. Your days are numbered. I can tell you one thing. You may want to talk about abstract things, issues, or solutions that are never going to happen, but today, New Brunswickers woke up and tried to fill their vehicles to go to work and they could not afford it. They cannot afford it, Premier. You may accuse us of looking at the short term.

The reality is that if these New Brunswickers do not get help, they will not be there for the long-term solutions because they cannot afford to keep working, as we have heard from our colleague from Grand Falls. Premier, wake up—wake up. If you think that you have the solutions, work on them for the long term. But in the short term, people need help. Reduce the provincial gasoline tax right now. Hon. Mr. Flemming, Q.C. (Rothesay, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, PC): Okay. (Interjections.) Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Order. Order. Hon. Mr.

Flemming, Q.C. (Rothesay, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, PC): It is time to go back to school. Okay? It is time to deal with basic economics. It is time to deal with the facts. The federal government has a policy to restrict and prevent the exploration, production, and distribution of hydrocarbons. The federal government brought in a carbon tax for the express purpose of raising the price so that people will not do those things. The federal government intentionally restricts their production so that the price will go up and people will not use them.

The fact of the matter is that it is an intentional policy to drive prices up to reduce consumption. Bloomberg is not saying that global markets await the New Brunswick Legislature to solve the problem. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, minister. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Mr. Speaker, do you know what it is time for? It is time for government members to pack their bags and go home. Pack your bags, go home, and allow a political party to work on behalf of New Brunswickers and try to help them every single day. (Interjections.) Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Order.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 9 Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Certainly, on the price at the pump but also on many other issues, such as health care, this government has no understanding of what the solutions are. (Interjections.) Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): We are providing the government members with constructive ideas. They will not listen. They will not listen to New Brunswickers. Mr. Speaker, the Premier, as one columnist said in a newspaper, should pack his bag and retire.

Get on your motorcycle and enjoy it, Premier. While you are Premier, New Brunswickers are suffering big time. Are you going to help them? Hon. Mr. Flemming, Q.C. (Rothesay, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, PC): Speaking of packing bags, I think that the Premier has a lot of work left to do. I think he is energized, and I think that he is working for the best interest of New Brunswick. You, sir, make a lot of noise for a guy whose bags are already packed. Tomorrow is your last day of work.

I think you had better realize that the people on this side of the House are working diligently for the people of New Brunswick. It is a darn good thing that we are in government as opposed to people who are in bed with the federal government to raise taxes and to raise the cost of energy with this harmful, harmful mission to hurt New Brunswickers. You are getting what you bargained for, you are getting what you asked for, and you are inflicting agony and pain on the people of New Brunswick because you will not transition to a green economy in a rational, sensible, and less harmful way. That is what we are doing.

Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, minister. HEALTH CARE Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Thank you, minister, for your intelligent insight on the issue. Mr. Speaker, over the past few days, we have been asking the Minister of Health for the numbers regarding vacancies in our health care system. Maybe the department will send a letter to the EUB to get those numbers. I do not know. We have finally started to get bits and pieces through the media but never on the floor of the House, because the minister and this government probably do not have as much respect for the Legislature.

But through the media, we got some numbers. There are 181.5 vacant physician positions in our province and 783 vacant RN positions. We now know why there are so many big problems in our health care system. Why is she not providing the vacancy numbers that we are asking for

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 10 regarding the other health care professionals? Is it because she does not know? Please tell us. Hon. Mrs. Shephard (Saint John Lancaster, Minister of Health, PC): Mr. Speaker, it seems as though it is a simple question, and I will inform the House that staff are certainly working on this. But as I said yesterday, those members are focused in the wrong area. We know that we need every health care provider that we can get in this province, just like every other province across this country.

But let me say this. I think that it is about time that the member opposite acknowledge the over 10 000 people who are showing up for work in our health care system in this province every single day and who work and care for the people of this province. My job as minister is to empower and lead and to make sure that we fill those vacant positions as soon as we can and that our RHAs are empowered to do the job that they can with helping us to recruit. The Medical Society, the Nurses Association, and the Nurses’ Union—we are all working together to fill those vacant positions throughout the networks.

But today, I want to say thank you to the over 10 000 employees who are showing up for work and caring for the people of this province. Mr. Melanson (Dieppe, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank those over 10 000 employees. Actually, I want to thank all the public servants who go to work every day and try to make a difference and those in the health care system who are trying to provide quality care. The problem is that the minister is not showing up to work every day. That is the problem.

The reason we are asking these questions is that we really want to know whether this minister understands the magnitude of the problem in front of us. We have significant problems in health care. We know that. Under your watch, it is crumbling. There are big challenges, and we know that there are many different vacant positions. She said it was already out there, and she cannot provide us with the numbers. If she does not even know the exact numbers regarding vacant positions, how can she develop a retention and a recruitment plan and how can she know the needs?

Minister, you said it already exists, but you cannot even provide us with the full list. When are you going to do that? Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, member. Hon. Mrs. Shephard (Saint John Lancaster, Minister of Health, PC): Mr. Speaker, you know, yesterday, because I wanted to show the challenges in health care, I spoke to the 2014 and 2018 mandate letters of the former government. I spoke to those for a reason. There were many, many items on those members’ lists that they said they were going to do but never did get done. (Interjections.)

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 11 Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Order. Hon. Mrs. Shephard (Saint John Lancaster, Minister of Health, PC): My reason for pointing that out now, Mr. Speaker, is that all through the COVID-19 pandemic and up until now, we have been working on getting issues in place and solving problems and working together every day. Mr.

Speaker, I know that what I am about to say is extremely arrogant, but I will put my one minister of 21 months up against their two ministers of four years any day of the week. [Translation] AGRICULTURE Mr. K. Arseneau (Kent North, G): Mr. Speaker, the price of gas is not the only thing that is going up; food costs are also going up significantly for New Brunswickers. Farmers want to be part of the solution, Mr. Speaker. I have been mentioning certain subjects for several years now at meetings. I would like to know whether there is any concrete action from the department in the pipeline.

Not very long ago, we read in the Quebec paper La Presse that the Quebec government was going to allow on-farm slaughter of chickens as well as increasing the maximum number of quota-exempt chickens allowed per year from 99 to 500. So, we are talking here about the right to produce eggs and chickens on the farm. The limit here in New Brunswick is 199 chickens. My question is this: Is there any concrete action in the pipeline regarding the number of quota-exempt chickens allowed in New Brunswick and on-farm slaughter? [Original] Hon. Mrs.

Johnson (Carleton-Victoria, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, PC): Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and I have, a few times, sat down together and discussed where he sees the vision, or lack thereof, for the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. As a matter of fact, I took all his concerns. I made copious notes during our meetings, and I took them right back to the department, where we talked about them.

Not only did I take the notes to our department to discuss how we could help in terms of the questions he had, but I also took them to the federal-provincial-territorial ministers to discuss. We had meetings in Halifax where we discussed how we could make it easier for smaller-scale operations and create cooperative insurance opportunities for the heavy equipment that is so expensive for farmers to purchase. And we are trying to find ways that we can create cooperatives so that farmers can pool their resources to purchase such things.

We are looking at ways to create opportunities for farmers of all scale to give food to the people of New Brunswick.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 12 Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, minister. [Translation] Mr. K. Arseneau (Kent North, G): Thank you. The thing is, this has been repeated so often that it is no longer fresh information. The department has been aware of these issues since 2018, as I had an opportunity to talk about it with the former minister. This is One Team One GNB, so people are supposed to be able to talk to each other. In fact, in 2015, my colleague introduced a bill here in the House.

Even before that, in 2014, I was Youth President for the National Farmers Union in New Brunswick. The department has been aware of these issues ever since then. I was not the first person to talk about them. My predecessors also raised this topic. The National Farmers Union in New Brunswick has been advocating for some of these things for the past 40 years, but there has never been any action. It is all very well to address the topic at meetings, but meetings are where all good ideas go to die, Mr. Speaker. In my opinion, what we need is action. My question was: Is there any concrete action in the pipeline?

I was not asking when the next meeting at which you would address the topic would take place. What concrete action is there for farmers regarding quota-exempt production and on-farm slaughter? [Original] Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, member. Hon. Mrs. Johnson (Carleton-Victoria, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, PC): With regard to on-farm slaughter, there are a number of departments that actually weigh in on that. Not only do we have the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, but also Public Health has to be involved in this.

We have talked to people about on-site abattoirs and the fact that there is currently inspection that is done on the slaughtering process versus the end result. We are working with the Maritime union of agriculture ministers to look at how we can facilitate a team approach to getting inspection for proteins and slaughter on-site, but there are a number of different agencies that have to be involved. We are working toward creating a Maritime or an Atlantic initiative to deal with this situation. ENERGY Mr. Legacy (Bathurst West-Beresford, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, the Minister of Natural Resources referenced an important political figure, Donald Arseneault, so I figured that maybe we could talk this morning about one of his great initiatives, the LORESS program. LORESS is a community-based energy development program.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 13 There is now one 20-MW project in the northeast region, the now-infamous Anse-Bleue project, that has been kind of sitting and doing nothing for quite a while. We now know that it has even further problems. Can we get an update on what this minister is going to do with this 20-MW project? Are there new projects? Is there a new proponent? Has it been reallocated? Can we just get an update, because we have not heard anything on this for quite a while? Hon. Mr.

Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether it would be Donald Arseneault or Justin Trudeau. I mean, we could go through a whole list of folks that these folks here would never step out of line with and try to argue for anything different. Rather than do that, I am not going to waste my minute talking about how the Liberals are not very interested in coming to work and taking care of New Brunswickers. As it relates to that particular project, we will take that back to the department.

I can get a very, very detailed and specific answer as it relates to it. But as we discussed as recently as the other day, when we were going through the most recent amendment to the Electricity Act, through Bill 99, it was very evident that we are working to ensure that during difficult times, as we are seeing now, we create every means available for our citizens to take advantage of efficiency so that they can responsibly and environmentally deliver electricity and heat to their homes and also ensure that we save them money as well. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time, minister. Mr.

Legacy (Bathurst West-Beresford, L): Mr. Speaker, is it just me? Every time that the minister comes up with these kinds of answers, I want to go out and buy a Slap Chop or a Ginsu knife. Can we do less of the infomercial and actually get an answer to the question? This is an economic project. It has economic spinoffs for the region. What kinds of economic spinoffs does this region, the northeast, get when the file is sitting on your desk? LORESS has been around since 2016. Now I know that we are going to be kind of reckless. We are going to talk about maybe moving stuff forward. Six years is really, really fast.

I mean, to hear the minister, he would get an anxiety attack by watching paint dry. That is how fast he thinks fast is. Just get it going. It is on your desk. Just get the file going. Get those spinoffs, and get the operation going. It is 20 MW that could help the community. Hon. Mr. Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, I hear an absence of any form of a question there. I understand that my future in the late-night TV infomercial world is where the member is directing me to go.

In terms of talking about advice on economic development, maybe that is a question that he would have directed somewhere else. But there was no question in that portion of question period.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 14 That being the case, I feel at liberty to be able to stand up and talk about the fact that we are moving forward with significant initiatives. We are moving forward across the whole scope of government as it relates to moving economic development forward. We can talk about the efficiency bill that we just put forward. That is something, despite the chiding from members opposite, that was not done before.

We took it forward and emblazoned it into legislation to make sure that those targets had to be mandated. That is another file that sat around since 2016, and the members opposite did nothing with that one. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Time. Mr. Legacy (Bathurst West-Beresford, L): My apologies, Mr. Speaker. I did not ask a question the second time. Because the minister did not answer the first question, I figured he would use another minute to maybe find an answer. I will give him another chance: LORESS, 20 MW, in the northeastern part of the province, and 39 applications for projects.

There was plenty of opportunity. Six applications were accepted. There are plenty of other projects that could be generating this electricity and generating some economic spinoffs in the development and in the operation of the projects. They are just sitting there, and we have not heard for about… This actual government has been around for two years… (Interjections.) Mr. Legacy (Bathurst West-Beresford, L): For two years, we have not heard anything on this project. It is just stalled, and there are some economic development opportunities there—in a region that certainly needs them.

It is not as though we have been shy about talking about it. This is an easy one: Are you going to do anything on this file and start moving on the 20 MW? Hon. Mr. Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite, has the member opposite, as he reviews files of that nature, gone through his caucus? I mean, there might have been some discussion between members of his own caucus as it relates to moving forward with projects up in the northern part of the province.

But I will digress and let him go and do his own research as it relates to MLAs who might have been affected by or not in favour of those economic development or energy projects up in that very same area. We will leave that for another day. We will have another question period tomorrow, and maybe we can come back and have that chat. The LORESS project, as it relates to anything specific to a project to that degree… No, I am not going to stand here, as we have heard all day through question period, and have the Liberals throw out conjecture and throw around loose ideas.

If the member opposite would like, I will get him a detailed description of that project. I will give him exactly what we have as it is available. I do not possess that information right now. I do not go forward with talking about something if I cannot speak solidly and explain it to the best of my ability. The

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 15 member opposite will get that information forthwith, and we look forward to sharing it with him. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Oliver): Question period has ended.