Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 1 June 18, 2020 CONTENTS HOSPITALS Mr. G. Arseneault Hon. Mr. Flemming Mr. G. Arseneault Hon. Mr. Flemming Mr. LePage Hon. Mr. Flemming LANDFILL SITES Mr. D. Landry Hon. Mr. Carr MENTAL HEALTH Mr. McKee Hon. Mrs. Shephard Mr. McKee Hon. Mrs. Shephard COURTHOUSES Ms. Thériault Hon. Mrs. Anderson-Mason HOUSING Ms. Rogers Hon. Mrs. Shephard

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 2 HIRING Mr. Austin Hon. Mr. Steeves Mr. Austin Hon. Mr. Holder INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Mr. K. Arseneau Hon. Mr. Stewart COMMUNICATIONS Mr. K. Arseneau Hon. Mr. Higgs Hon. Mr. Higgs OUTFITTERS Mr. Harvey Hon. Mr. Holland NORTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK Mr. Kenny Hon. Mrs. Anderson-Mason HIRING Mr. Bourque Hon. Mr. Holder Mr. Bourque Hon. Mr. Holder DAY CARE Mr. C. Chiasson Hon. Mr. Cardy

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 3 [Translation] HOSPITALS Mr. G. Arseneault (Campbellton-Dalhousie, Opposition House Leader, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to begin by thanking all health-care workers in the province for the work they have done during this pandemic. I also want to especially thank health-care workers in Zone 5. [Original] Mr.

Speaker, we all know that there is a pandemic in place, and the major goal of a pandemic is to manage the health-care system and ensure that it does not get overwhelmed and that it is there for our citizens in New Brunswick. I would ask all members to think deeply here and to do some soul-searching. The emergency care room at the Campbellton Regional Hospital is closed. Think of it as yours. Think of it as yours.

Right now, we are having some major challenges there, and I am asking the Premier whether he will step up and commit to a full reopening of the emergency room with the resources of his government in place to back him up on that. Thank you. Hon. Mr. Flemming (Rothesay, Minister of Health, PC): Mr. Speaker, thank you for the question. As the member opposite well knows, there is a COVID-19 outbreak in that area. It is being dealt with to the full ability of the staff, medical and otherwise.

The member opposite was quite correct and appropriate in his congratulating of those people for the fine work that they are doing. But this pandemic is an exceptional circumstance. It is requiring and getting the full resources of government to deal with it and to deal with the patients. I am confident that the Vitalité Health Network and the people there are doing that to the best of their ability. The member also knows full well that there were staffing shortages there even before this, which resulted in that emergency room being temporarily closed from time to time, and this only exacerbates that.

We are going to do everything we can to get things back… Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time, minister. Mr. G. Arseneault (Campbellton-Dalhousie, Opposition House Leader, L): Mr. Speaker, regardless of what the minister says, it only makes sense. Listen, there is a pandemic in place. Your hospital does not have an emergency room. It was closed up. Would you not think that the health system should make sure that it is open? That is what it is all about. People are relying on that health-care system. There, right now, workers are working under severe conditions. Extra protective equipment is being refused.

The N95 masks are

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 4 not being made available to them. There is a lack of screening when going into the hospital for these workers. Earlier this week, if you were here for question period, the Premier stated that he wants “to represent everyone in this province, in fairness and equality around the province”. He also said that there is talk and there is action. Will the Premier live up to his words and personally take action on behalf of the people of Zone 5, who would have full access to their hospital?

Will he stand up for the citizens of Restigouche? They are part of his mandate. Will he stand up and open… Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time, member. Hon. Mr. Flemming (Rothesay, Minister of Health, PC): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I fully understand the member opposite’s concern. But he also has to understand that the fighting of a pandemic, as his party leader has said, is a matter for physicians and doctors and experts to deal with.

If those physicians and if those experts believe that it is in the best interest of the safety of the citizens of Campbellton who are going to an emergency room for whatever reason... If that would be in jeopardy or heightened or complicated, then we need to follow that advice. The other comment that the member opposite made in his question was that there is some denial of personal protective equipment or things like that. I can assure you, as far as this government is concerned, that Vitalité Health Network and everyone in it are being provided with the full resources of government.

It is providing unlimited PPE, it is providing training for that, and things like that. If that is not the case, you let me know, and I will look into it. I certainly will. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time, minister. [Translation] Mr. LePage (Restigouche West, L): Unbelievable. The government must protect our health- care workers, particularly those on COVID-19 units. These are the people who can provide patients with care and protect our communities. For now, Campbellton health-care workers need to be reassured and to get the equipment they need.

Our doctors and health- care workers are asking for one N95 respirator per person for every 12-hour shift. The Vitalité Health Network will not listen. The network prefers to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guide stating that—listen carefully, Mr. Minister—in a shortage situation

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 5 [Original] —in a shortage situation— [Translation] only health-care staff who are working in a sterile field or may be exposed to rapidly spreading disease can have these masks. Since the Minister of Health, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the CEO of Vitalité have stated publicly that there was no shortage of equipment in New Brunswick, are the Premier and the minister going to provide the equipment that is needed? [Original] Hon. Mr.

Flemming (Rothesay, Minister of Health, PC): Let me tell you, there is no question that the government will do that. There is no question that the government has been doing that. We have ordered tremendous amounts of PPE. When the pandemic first broke out, there was worry of a burn rate, of going through it too quickly, and extensive amounts were ordered. There is a 24-week supply now ahead for all hospitals for things like that. I will certainly look into this for you. The suggestion or allegation that such is the case is something that needs to be taken seriously and one that I will, in fact, take seriously.

I will, in fact, look into it. I can assure you that the direction of this government to the Vitalité Health Network, to extra-mural, to doctors, and to everyone else is to provide them with the unlimited resources of government and to provide everything that they need on a timely basis. Nothing has changed in that regard. I will, in fact, look into it. Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time. [Translation] LANDFILL SITES Mr. D. Landry (Bathurst East—Nepisiguit—Saint-Isidore, Interim Opposition Leader, L): Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Environment and Local Government.

As we all know, in the Allardville area, there is the Red Pine landfill. Local people are starting to be very, very worried about what is happening there. I would like to know whether the minister could give us an update on what is going on at the site, since there is a conflict between employees from Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4193 and the Chaleur Regional Service Commission. People do not know

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 6 what is going on. They do not know whether the river or our air is at risk, since methane is being released from this landfill, after all. Could the minister give us an update on what is happening at this landfill? [Original] Hon. Mr. Carr (New Maryland-Sunbury, Minister of Environment and Local Government, PC): Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the question from the member opposite and Leader of the Opposition. It does show that he has concerns for the people and that landfill in his area.

He wants to make sure that those concerns are brought here. He had some questions for the Minister of Labour on the labour side of things last week. They have been speaking about that, of course, and the Minister of Labour detailed the issue that was taking place. I also went back and asked my staff whether we could get a magnifying glass put on the environmental issues there to make sure that everything is being looked after appropriately, as the member brought forward. I will have an update for you on that, sir. I appreciate your question. Continue to raise those all-important issues here in the Legislature.

MENTAL HEALTH Mr. McKee (Moncton Centre, L): Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that has been raised in the wake of the tragic deaths of two Indigenous persons in New Brunswick is whether our first responders are properly equipped to deal with people with mental health issues. It has been suggested that we may be asking too much of our individual police officers. Even social workers spoke out earlier this week and said that they would be willing to help. I know we have some mobile crisis units in New Brunswick.

My question for the Minister of Health is whether these units are available for crisis interventions around the clock and not simply the posted hours of 12 noon to 8 p.m. Are they in all parts of New Brunswick, including Edmundston and Sunny Corner, and are they integrated with our policing services? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hon. Mrs. Shephard (Saint John Lancaster, Minister of Social Development, Minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, PC): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very appreciative of the question by the member opposite.

The tragedies of late have had a huge impact on our Indigenous communities and the province. In addressing that, we understand how mental health is quite a factor in how we are trying to deal with our public. Mr. Speaker, we have taken on to begin pairing up police officers and mental health professionals as a way to try to contribute to better outcomes. I believe that it is going to

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 7 happen, and I believe that we are going to see it over the province. It is going to take some adjustments and some training, but I believe that this teamwork will enhance the abilities of, not only social workers and mental health professionals, but also our police officers. Mr. Speaker, we do see this being expanded. We need to see the numbers. UNB is following the data that will come out of Saint John, and we will continue on this fight. Mr. McKee (Moncton Centre, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A report from 2009, Together Into the Future, was big on integrated services. On page 7 of that report, the author, whom I am quite familiar with, referred to a comprehensive system of services that include the expansion of mobile crisis response services to Edmundston, Campbellton, and Miramichi. We have been talking about old reports and recommendations this week. It was only in January 2020—this year, 11 years later—that it was announced that a unit had opened in Miramichi. This is progress at much too slow a pace, Mr. Speaker.

Toward the end of the previous government’s term, a $230-million agreement was signed to improve access to mental health services, senior care, and integrated health services, but we know that the current government likes to leave important federal dollars on the table or not use them for their intended purposes. My question for the minister is with respect to the mobile crisis units that we have. Are they open around the clock to deal with these issues, not the posted hours of 12 noon to 8 p.m.? Are they available in every corner of this province and integrated with policing services? Hon. Mrs.

Shephard (Saint John Lancaster, Minister of Social Development, Minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, PC): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question, and I also appreciate the work of the member opposite’s father. I thank him for bringing forward this question. Integrated services with the police are not available all over the province at this time, and we are working very hard to correct that, Mr. Speaker. There is some due diligence that needs to happen with regard to proper training. But I will say what is working.

The Codiac RCMP has been working in very close conjunction with the mobile mental health unit for the past couple of years. Its statistical numbers show us the impact that it has had. It is so promising, and that is why we want to go forward with the unit in Saint John. And we do now see that we have an opportunity with our Indigenous communities to try to bring those units to our communities. We also need to expand the hours. They are not 24-7. The fact of the matter is that, realistically, they probably cannot be 24-7.

But we are going to do everything that we can to measure when they are needed and ensure that we have those things in place at the right times. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 8 [Translation] COURTHOUSES Ms. Thériault (Caraquet, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Justice. Since this Conservative government was elected, we have been experiencing what I would call an insidious loss of our assets in rural areas. I am thinking of the health care reform, the attempt to close our emergency rooms, the social development reform, the restructuring of administrative zones, and the Service New Brunswick offices that are not all open yet.

Nobody on the other side can tell us whether those offices will actually open. In our region, people are worried about the courthouses in Tracadie and Caraquet. According to some sources in the sector, the possible closure of courthouses in Tracadie and Caraquet is apparently under discussion. So, I would like the minister to confirm that the courthouses in Tracadie and Caraquet are going to remain open. [Original] Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Can we stop the clock? Hon. Mrs.

Anderson-Mason (Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation, PC): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. It is a very important question. What we have learned throughout this pandemic is that there are the various changes that we can make to our justice system to actually improve it. I usually cringe when I hear government saying this, but it is, in fact, the case with our justice system in the province that we actually are leading Canada in how we are moving forward.

I am incredibly proud to say that the justice system never actually stopped during this pandemic. We actually carried on. What we are seeing is an implementation of technology across the entire province that will actually improve access to our system. I am also incredibly proud to say that we are going to be the first jurisdiction to actually have a jury trial. But I also want to get specifically to your question as well because I understand and appreciate your concerns for your riding. It is also my concern as well.

My concern is that we have justice in all corners of the province, and I can tell you that any decisions that we make will be fact-based and ensure that justice is available across the province.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 9 Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time, Minister. HOUSING Ms. Rogers (Moncton South, L): Mr. Speaker, the Moncton city council is talking about supportive housing needs again, but its provincial partner is nowhere to be seen. The federal government has made money available, but the province has not. Again on this week’s council agenda was the problem of homelessness and the unavailability of affordable housing.

Some 23 nonprofit agencies along with the city and the federal government are all at the table and working diligently at a problem that is escalating rapidly and bringing with it other social and personal negative outcomes. Crime is increasing, even in the Finance Minister’s riding of Moncton Northwest, as we saw on the news this week. Mr. Speaker, when will the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Social Development finally release some of the $300 million from the federal-provincial housing agreement signed in July 2018?

Our patience is running out and so is the budget to deal with the back- end costs of not being at the table. Hon. Mrs. Shephard (Saint John Lancaster, Minister of Social Development, Minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, PC): Mr. Speaker, I so appreciate this question. You know, the housing strategy may have been signed in 2018, but I think that the former minister understands that there had to be a three-year action plan that was then developed and presented to the federal government.

New Brunswick was the very first province in Canada to sign the three-year deal with the federal government. The housing project that the member opposite is trying to promote is absolutely a great idea. I saw the proposal in late February. That proposal did not come to the department on an official basis until just before budget. It came to budget, it is being vetted, and they will keep in discussions with the city of Moncton, with the proponents of this project, which I think has extreme potential. I am so happy that they mirrored it to the NB Housing projects in Saint John.

I believe that we can make work happen here, but we have due diligence to follow. We need to work with our members to get that done, and I am happy to do that. HIRING Mr. Austin (Fredericton-Grand Lake, Leader, PA): Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to get reports of bilingual requirements in job postings where the job itself and the demographic makeup of the region simply do not support the need for it. Can the Minister of Finance tell

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 10 me what proportion of job postings still have bilingualism required as part of the hiring process? Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Could you stop the clock, please? Hon. Mr. Steeves (Moncton Northwest, Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, PC): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member for the question. We value every New Brunswicker. We value the language rights of every New Brunswicker. We value that people need to work and need to communicate in the language of their choice.

As for the question of the member, I will take it under advisement, and I will absolutely get back to him with the exact number. Mr. Austin (Fredericton-Grand Lake, Leader, PA): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister. However, this is not about language rights. This is about demographics and a little bit of common sense. The second question that I will ask is related to the community of Minto, which represents approximately 2 400 people. There is a library that has been a staple in that community for decades.

It is my understanding that there has never been a requirement for a library assistant to be bilingual, yet the most recent job posting for a library assistant has bilingualism required as part of its mandate, which has already excluded several local people wanting to apply. Can the Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour tell me why this unnecessary requirement has been inserted into that job posting? Hon. Mr. Holder (Portland-Simonds, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, PC): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for the question.

Obviously, as he knows, there are certainly regulatory and legal requirements that government has to follow. The criteria are set out by the department of human resources, and I will work with the member opposite and the department of human resources to understand those criteria. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Mr. K. Arseneau (Kent North, G): Mr.

Speaker, in its throne speech last November, the government committed to creating an All Nations and Parties Working Group on Truth and Reconciliation to keep government accountable and give departments a greater understanding of the priorities of First Nations in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. Now more than ever, the work of this committee will be very important. We did not hear about this again until the Minister of Public Safety seemed to reference in question period last week that it has already met.

This was an idea that I suggested to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs here in the Legislature over a year ago. The Premier says that now is the

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 11 time for action. Well, let’s see action. Can the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs update the Legislative Assembly on the status of the All Nations and Parties Working Group on Truth and Reconciliation? Hon. Mr. Stewart (Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, PC): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I could not agree more with the member opposite. It is a very unique all-parties and all-Nations working group.

My belief is that if COVID-19 had not happened, we would probably have met by now. There was some time taken because both the province and the Indigenous leaders had to pick and choose elders and chiefs and individuals who would sit on this committee. As you know, once it sits, it will be reporting to the Standing Committee on Social Policy. Within the next two weeks, maybe even much quicker, we are going to make a public press release of all the members of the committee, and my feeling is that it is going to be meeting this summer—absolutely—and probably sooner than later.

Thank you. [Translation] COMMUNICATIONS Mr. K. Arseneau (Kent North, G): Mr. Speaker, I was appalled yesterday by the Premier’s answer to the question from the member for Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou. The Premier showed a total lack of understanding of New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act. He simply told us that he could do what he wanted, as if he were an ordinary citizen. However, in the same answer, he told us that he is the Premier and represents all New Brunswickers. Well, Mr. Speaker, there is a sizeable group of us who are not feeling represented. Who is this man, Mr. Speaker?

Is he the Premier, or is he Blaine from Quispamsis? The Official Languages Act is clear: It entitles the people of this province to government services in the official language of their choice. Furthermore, the 2018 report from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick concluded that simultaneous

interpretation is an accommodation and not equal treatment. Since the Minister responsible for La Francophonie will not answer it, my question is for the Premier: Will he make sure that a standing committee on official languages is created by the fall? [Original] Hon. Mr. Higgs (Quispamsis, Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, PC): Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, we did a polling across the province—the entire province— about communication during the COVID-19 crisis. Interestingly enough, the numbers came

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 12 out at 92% satisfied out of the entire province. The only people who would not be satisfied would be here in front of me because that is their job, to oppose and to find problems. We also did a polling about how satisfied people were with how the government was handling it—working with my colleagues, I must add, with the other leaders in the COVID- 19 crisis. That, too, was a really high category, with high, high marks. I know that the member opposite wants to make an issue where none exists.

I know that the member opposite has been kind of on this sort of thing to divide the province over the years in his career. He has done that for a long time, and he continues to do it here in the House, which is extremely unfortunate because we have a crisis where we have seen our ability to work together. (Interjections.) Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Order. Hon. Mr. Higgs (Quispamsis, Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, PC): This is not a time to be finding fault with one another, Mr. Speaker. OUTFITTERS Mr. Harvey (Carleton-Victoria, L): Mr.

Speaker, the New Brunswick outfitting sector is facing very challenging financial times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-five percent of their hunting and fishing customers are from outside New Brunswick, and with the travel restrictions in place, their customers cannot travel to New Brunswick. New Brunswick outfitters are long-time, family-based businesses that hire local and buy local. They are an integral part of our heritage and our cultural fabric throughout the province.

They have incurred many direct and overhead expenses in preparation for the 2020 hunting and fishing seasons, and outfitters cannot make up this loss of revenue by moving their hunt and fish packages to another time of the year. New Brunswick outfitters deserve fair treatment by the provincial government and a financial assistance package that reflects the unique set of business circumstances that they face. When will the provincial government step up for our New Brunswick outfitters and do the right thing for this very important economic sector in our province? [Translation] Hon. Mr.

Holland (Albert, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, thank you for this question, and I am pleased to answer it in the House.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 13 [Original] The member opposite and I have had many conversations about this subject. I very much appreciate the history that he has. We have members all throughout this House whom this issue affects. It is a very important part of our outdoor fabric and our economic viability here in the province. We have a situation where, for the last year and a half, we have been working to show that community that, despite their being ignored for a long time, we are here to promote these people and we are here to see that they can have this important

section of the economy grow. Unfortunately, COVID-19 created devastating, devastating circumstances. The member opposite is correct. This is a unique sector that is facing significant strain. That is why I have reached out to associated departments—to RDC, to Tourism, and to Opportunities New Brunswick. I have spoken with the member opposite, and we want to come together to find everything that is there. I have even spoken about creative solutions, where we can find... Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time, minister. NORTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK Mr. Kenny (Bathurst West-Beresford, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Partnerships and communication are so important for prosperity here in the province, and it seems to me that those two things have disappeared in the last number of months. There are no new municipal projects. RDC funding has been stopped, and there are no transportation projects. To make things worse, the cancelling of the northern development fund is totally unacceptable. We have no one in the caucus from the government representing the north, and people are very concerned. We know that COVID-19 has not helped the issue. I am with you also about balancing the budget, but we must be realistic.

Partnerships are important. It is important to partner with municipal governments, the federal government, and our business community. We must be flexible, and we must listen to the people. My plea to the Premier and to the government is that you partner and communicate with the people in northern New Brunswick. Why would you cancel and stop these partnerships? Mr. Speaker, we need your assistance now. Hon. Mrs.

Anderson-Mason (Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation, PC): And Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation. Thank you very much to you, Mr. Speaker, and to the member opposite for that really great question. You know, when I first took this job, I remember the night the Premier called and

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 14 told me that I would be the minister responsible. He told me that I was responsible for this department called RDC, and I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Then it was even more confusing when I got in and saw all the different programs that we had. Sometimes, we would move forward with one project, and I would be told: That does not work; we have to try a different one. There are all these different funds. Let me tell you that we want to help the people of northern New Brunswick.

That is why it is my commitment, absolutely, to make sure that we help them by having programs that meet their needs. The thing that I found the most confusing—and perhaps the member for Carleton-Victoria can affirm this for me—is that, somehow, we could help the people in Perth-Andover, but we could not help the people in Bath. Somehow, the people in Perth-Andover were in the north, but the people in Bath were not. I am looking for a fund that is going to help all of rural New Brunswick and… Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Time, minister. HIRING Mr. Bourque (Kent South, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There has been a call for an independent review of the hiring of Kevin Cormier to head the province’s libraries, so my question is this: Given the controversy surrounding this hiring, why did this government shut down the idea of an independent review? Hon. Mr. Holder (Portland-Simonds, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, PC): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in this House several months ago, I had asked the minister of human resources to review the Talent Management Program. That is exactly what has been underway.

That was obviously put on hold during the COVID-19 crisis, but that is underway now. I am waiting to hear the results of that review. Mr. Bourque (Kent South, L): Well, that is surprising because we saw in the media that they refused to have this independent review. Especially since the job application called for a master’s degree in library studies and nine years of experience that included management and supervision of library operations, we are not sure how government squares this circle and insists that nothing went wrong here. How do we, with that discrepancy alone, justify the hiring of Mr. Cormier?

Thank you. Hon. Mr. Holder (Portland-Simonds, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, PC): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have said many times on this floor, individual human resource issues are not ones that we discuss. There was a certain concern around the Talent Management Program and whether or not it was applied appropriately, so that is why we asked for a review of that. That is happening as we speak, and I await the results.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Oral Questions Original by Hansard Office Translation by Debates Translation 15 DAY CARE Mr. C. Chiasson (Victoria-La-Vallée, Deputy Speaker, L): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. We see our day cares incurring extra expenses that pertain to not being able to get infrared thermometers and to the extra cleaning tasks that they have to do. They are not being reimbursed in any... Well, they are being reimbursed, but not even nearly enough to cover the actual costs. They are actually having to hire full-time people to do this cleaning.

My question, I guess, is for the minister. Will he provide our day cares and our early learning centres with the funding they need to adequately meet the needs of the COVID-19 regulations? Hon. Mr. Cardy (Fredericton-West-Hanwell, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, PC): Mr. Speaker, thank you to the member opposite for the question. I appreciate his concern over early childhood education centres. It has been increasingly clear over the past few months that they are a critical part of our education infrastructure and one we rely on more and more as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic.

When it comes to cleaning, I have been proud to be part of a government that has provided additional funding for each student going forward to make sure that we can handle those extra costs. Absolutely, we are there to help provide that support, to be able to reach out to those early childhood education centres and make sure they have the cleaning supplies they need so that they can protect our most precious resource, which is our young people. We have been there right from the start.

And I really appreciate the support from the members opposite as we work together through the COVID-19 committee and other mechanisms to make sure that we respond to this pandemic with integrated plans that respect the science around issues such as hygiene for the early childhood education centres, as they will do for our schools come the fall. We have been there to help, and we are going to be there to help. I hope that everyone has a great summer. Let’s fight this pandemic and come back in the fall ready to make… Mr. Speaker (Hon. Mr. Guitard): Question period is over.