Positive choices needed for New Brunswick

By Toby Sanger, CUPE Economist

With its Choices document and 2016 Budget, the New Brunswick government appears ready to make the same mistakes that have been made by different governments again and again: cut public services and employment and expect the province’s economy and fiscal situation to improve.

These types of austerity measures have failed again and again in New Brunswick and around the world. They may not call it austerity, and they dress it up in positive language, but the results will be the same.

The Choices strategic program review document claims the government will focus on three priorities; 1) Job creation, 2) Getting our finances in order and 3) Improving services for families. However, of the 32 options presented in the document 75% are focused on spending cuts, contracting-out, privatization or “monetizing” the government’s assets, 25% on tax and increases and not a single one on the government’s supposed two other priorities: job creation and improving services for New Brunswick families. Instead, most
of these options will reduce jobs and services for New Brunswick families.

Toby’s complete document: Real Choices CUPE NB 2016