NB Broken HealthCare

10/27/2026

10/27/2026

**NB POWER: WHEN NEW BRUNSWICK BUSINESSES PAY MORE, WE ALL FEEL THE IMPACT**

A major dispute is developing between NB Power and some of New Brunswick's largest employers. Although the issue involves industrial electricity rates, the consequences could reach far beyond factory walls.

**Here's what's happening, in plain English.**

NB Power sometimes produces more electricity than it needs to meet its regular commitments. That extra electricity can be sold at lower, variable prices to large industrial customers.

For decades, New Brunswick manufacturers have relied on access to this surplus electricity to help control operating costs.

Now, NB Power has changed how that electricity is priced and made available.

Companies including J.D. Irving, AV Group and Twin Rivers argue that the changes could add millions of dollars to their annual electricity bills.

According to figures reported by the Telegraph-Journal:

- Irving Paper could face at least $10 million in additional costs.
- AV Group's two mills could pay approximately $3 million more.
- Twin Rivers could face another $2 million.

That's roughly **$15 million in additional costs** for these operations alone.

**Why should residential customers care?**

Because electricity costs don't stop at the factory gate.

When manufacturers face substantially higher operating costs, the consequences can include:

- Higher prices for goods and services.
- Reduced investment in New Brunswick.
- Pressure to cut jobs or reduce production.
- Less economic activity in communities that depend on these employers.
- Greater pressure on the province's overall economy.

These are potential consequences, not guaranteed outcomes. But they are serious enough to warrant public attention.

**And here's where the controversy gets interesting.**

The manufacturers argue that NB Power's changes could allow lower-cost surplus electricity to be sold outside New Brunswick while local businesses face higher costs.

NB Power disputes that interpretation.

The utility says the changes better reflect the actual cost of supplying electricity and are intended to prevent one group of customers from unfairly subsidizing another.

That is an important distinction. Lower industrial rates should not automatically mean higher residential bills, and residential customers should not be expected to subsidize private industry.

But neither should New Brunswick businesses be placed at a competitive disadvantage without a clear explanation of the economic consequences.

**This is bigger than an argument between NB Power and J.D. Irving.**

It raises fundamental questions:

1. Is NB Power putting the long-term interests of New Brunswickers first?
2. Are electricity pricing decisions sufficiently transparent?
3. How will these changes affect jobs, investment and household electricity rates?
4. Is the Energy and Utilities Board adequately protecting the public interest?

**New Brunswick Now believes affordable, reliable electricity is essential to our province's economic future.**

We support an independent examination of NB Power's costs, pricing practices and financial management.

New Brunswickers deserve to know whether electricity decisions are being made in their best interests.

We cannot build a stronger provincial economy by making it increasingly expensive to live, work and do business here.

**Electricity affordability is everyone's business.**

*Source: Adam Huras, Telegraph-Journal, October 25, 2026.*

**New Brunswick Now — Fixing What's Broken. Together.**



www.newbrunswicknow.ca

10/25/2026

New Brunswick Deserves Stable Government — Not More Political Theatre

The latest exchanges in the New Brunswick Legislature should give us all something to think about.

As the Progressive Conservatives attempt to reunite following a divisive leadership contest, the governing Liberals are busy introducing political catchphrases and attacking their opponents' records.

Meanwhile, New Brunswickers continue to face serious challenges in healthcare, affordability, public services and government finances.

Political disagreements are inevitable in a democracy. But internal party divisions, personal rivalries and partisan exchanges should never take priority over governing responsibly.

New Brunswick Now believes stability requires more than a change in leadership or another round of government spending.

It requires clear priorities, responsible financial management, transparent decisions and a willingness to address longstanding structural problems.

We cannot assume that spending more money automatically produces better services. Nor can we expect meaningful improvement simply by changing the people at the top.

The machinery of government itself deserves careful examination.

Are public resources being used effectively? Are government departments accountable for measurable results? Are we fixing underlying problems or simply financing temporary solutions?

These are the questions New Brunswick Now believes should guide public administration.

A stable government is not one without disagreements. It is one capable of managing those disagreements while remaining focused on delivering results for the people it serves.

New Brunswick deserves that standard of government.

New Brunswick Now
Real Questions. Honest Answers.

www.newbrunswicknow.ca

10/24/2026

Blackville Health Centre Losing Its Only Doctor — A Familiar Healthcare Challenge in New Brunswick

The Blackville Health Centre, the only medical clinic serving the Miramichi River Valley, will lose its physician on November 10, 2026.

According to reporting by Darcey McLaughlin of Brunswick News, Dr. Tiffany Keenan joined the clinic on July 27, replacing Dr. Arthur Losier. Her original arrangement was to provide care two days per week for one year.

However, Dr. Keenan quickly discovered that the community's healthcare needs required considerably more resources.

In her assessment, the clinic needs two full-time healthcare providers, whether physicians, nurse practitioners, or a combination of both.

This raises an important question: Are we adequately assessing the staffing requirements of rural healthcare facilities before assigning providers?

Horizon Health Network says it is actively recruiting a replacement and has arranged an additional day of nurse practitioner services while connecting priority patients with other providers.

These are necessary interim measures, but they do not resolve the underlying challenge.

For rural communities, losing a physician can mean longer travel distances, reduced continuity of care, and greater pressure on already stretched healthcare services.

New Brunswick needs a sustainable rural primary-care strategy built around actual patient demand, realistic staffing levels, and reliable continuity of care.

Recruiting healthcare professionals is important. Creating working conditions that allow them to remain and provide consistent care is equally important.

Rural New Brunswickers deserve dependable access to primary healthcare, regardless of where they live.

New Brunswick Now

www.newbrunswicknow.ca

10/20/2026

NINE OVERDOSES IN ONE NIGHT — WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS AN AMBULANCE?

The events in St. Stephen should concern every New Brunswicker.

According to the Telegraph-Journal, nine people overdosed at a homeless shelter on Sunday night. Six required transportation to hospital, and one was reportedly transported in a police cruiser because of ambulance delays.

Five ambulances responded to the emergency.

But here's the question we need to ask: What happens when someone across town suffers a heart attack, is involved in a serious accident, or experiences another life-threatening emergency?

Drug overdoses are medical emergencies. Those experiencing them deserve immediate treatment, compassion and access to recovery services.

But so does everyone else.

New Brunswick taxpayers fund an ambulance system that must be available to every citizen, regardless of the circumstances.

We cannot allow repeated overdose emergencies to overwhelm ambulance services and leave entire communities vulnerable.

This is not about denying anyone emergency medical treatment. It is about recognizing that our current approach to addiction is placing enormous pressure on emergency responders and the healthcare system.

We need meaningful investment in mental health services, addiction treatment, detoxification and long-term recovery programs.

Repeated emergency interventions without effective follow-up treatment are not a sustainable solution.

The people struggling with addiction need more than another ambulance ride. They need a genuine opportunity to recover.

And the rest of the community needs confidence that an ambulance will be available when their own emergency happens.

We must be able to protect both.

The situation in St. Stephen should be a wake-up call for the provincial government.

New Brunswick needs solutions, not another crisis.

New Brunswick Now

www.newbrunswicknow.ca

10/16/2026

**ONE YEAR LATER — STILL NO OVERNIGHT EMERGENCY SERVICES AT STELLA-MARIS-DE-KENT HOSPITAL**

On October 14, 2025, overnight emergency services at Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital were temporarily suspended because of staffing shortages.

One year later, the emergency department still operates only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Residents requiring emergency care overnight must travel to Moncton or Miramichi, or call 911.

Local resident Linda Renaud has spent months organizing protests, gathering signatures and meeting with government officials. Yet the community is still waiting for a solution.

There is some encouraging news. Vitalité has reported recruiting additional physicians, and Kent South MLA Benoît Bourque says funding has been provided to restore 24-hour service, with March 31, 2027 identified as the expected deadline.

But that would mean nearly 18 months without overnight emergency coverage.

For seniors, families and patients experiencing medical emergencies, distance and response times matter.

New Brunswick Now believes rural communities deserve clear timelines, transparent progress reports and dependable access to emergency healthcare.

A temporary reduction in services should not become an indefinite arrangement.

**The question is simple: What concrete steps will ensure overnight emergency services are restored by March 31, 2027?**

Source: Telegraph-Journal, Barbara Simpson, October 15, 2026.

New Brunswick Now

Practical solutions. Better accountability. A stronger future for New Brunswick.

10/15/2026

**21 COLLABORATIVE CARE CLINICS ANNOUNCED. HOW MANY PATIENTS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING CARE?**

The New Brunswick government announced a $617,442 investment in Clinique Médicale de la Baie in Caraquet on October 14.

The clinic began serving patients in June 2026 and currently cares for approximately 690 people. The province expects the expanded clinic to connect another 1,911 New Brunswickers in the Caraquet and Bertrand areas with primary care over the coming year.

That is welcome news. Patients need access to healthcare, and expanding an existing clinic can be an effective way to provide it.

**But there is an important distinction between announcing clinics and demonstrating results.**

The province identifies Caraquet as its **21st collaborative care clinic announced since April 2025**. That does not establish that 21 new clinics have opened.

The government also reports that 10 clinics have been delivered in communities specifically identified in its original commitments. This is a different measure, not a confirmed count of all operational clinics.

On September 29, New Brunswick's Auditor General released findings concerning the first 14 clinics announced during the period examined.

The audit found that:

- The expansion was not guided by a documented province-wide assessment of community needs.
- Full costs and long-term affordability had not been assessed.
- Reported numbers of newly attached patients could not be reliably demonstrated.
- The Department of Health could not determine whether the clinics had removed patients from the provincial waiting list.

These are significant accountability concerns.

**At New Brunswick Now, we support expanding access to primary healthcare. We also believe announcements must be followed by measurable, publicly verifiable results.**

How many clinics are operating? How many are expansions of existing practices? How many additional patients have actually been attached to permanent primary care? What are the total costs?

New Brunswickers deserve clear answers.

**Healthcare progress should be measured by patients receiving care, not by the number of government announcements.**

Sources: Government of New Brunswick, October 14, 2026; Office of the Auditor General of New Brunswick, September 29, 2026.

**New Brunswick Now — Real Questions. Honest Answers.**

www.newbrunswicknow.ca

10/12/2026

SIX NEW BRUNSWICK POLITICIANS, ONE TRIP TO TAIWAN — AND SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS.

New Brunswick Now believes elected representatives should not accept free international travel and accommodation funded by a foreign government. Such arrangements raise legitimate questions about independence, transparency and political judgment.

The reported trip by six New Brunswick politicians to Taiwan raises four concerns.

First, elected officials must be accountable for the benefits they accept. Who is paying for this trip, what is its purpose, and what tangible benefit will New Brunswickers receive?

Second, diplomatic sensitivity matters. New Brunswick is seeking international trade opportunities, including with China. A politically sensitive visit to Taiwan risks complicating those relationships. Our representatives should understand the potential consequences.

Third, priorities matter. New Brunswick faces serious challenges in healthcare, education, housing, affordability and public finances. Residents deserve to know why this international visit warrants attention when so much work remains at home.

Finally, Premier Susan Holt's reported position that she has no control over members' travel deserves closer examination. There may be limits to her formal authority, but that does not prevent her from expressing expectations about transparency, judgment and accountability.

New Brunswick Now is not opposed to international relationships or legitimate trade missions. We are asking for clear rules, full disclosure and a demonstrable public benefit.

New Brunswickers deserve representatives whose decisions put the interests of this province first.

New Brunswick Now
www.newbrunswicknow.ca

10/11/2026

262,578 NEW BRUNSWICKERS WITHOUT A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER — AND NO REGRETS?

For the thousands of New Brunswickers struggling to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner, the latest comments from the Department of Health may be difficult to understand.

According to an October 8 Telegraph-Journal report, Deputy Health Minister Eric Beaulieu told a legislative committee that the department had no regrets about the rollout of the government's collaborative care clinic plan.

Yet the Auditor General recently identified significant shortcomings in how that plan was developed and implemented.

Among the findings:

• The expansion was not fully costed before implementation.

• The Department of Health had not documented evidence of community needs to justify the locations of the first 14 clinics.

• There was insufficient data to demonstrate that clinics were improving access in communities with the greatest needs.

Meanwhile, the government's updated Medicare registration figures paint a troubling picture.

As of September 18, 2026:

• 882,112 New Brunswickers were included in the provincial figures.

• 619,354 were attached to a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

• 262,578 were without a primary care provider.

That means nearly 30% of New Brunswickers were still unattached.

The government wants to increase primary care attachment to 85% over the next two years. That would require connecting approximately 130,000 additional residents with providers.

Collaborative care clinics can be an important part of improving healthcare access. Bringing physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and other professionals together makes sense.

But announcements and clinic openings are not the same as measurable improvements in patient access.

How many previously unattached patients are now receiving continuous primary care?

How long are patients waiting for appointments?

Are the clinics reaching communities with the greatest need?

And what will it cost taxpayers to achieve the government's targets?

The Deputy Minister explained that the government wanted to act quickly because the healthcare system was in crisis.

Urgency is understandable. But urgency should not replace proper planning, financial accountability or measurable results.

For someone living with a chronic illness, waiting for test results or repeatedly turning to an emergency department because they cannot access a family doctor, those results matter far more than another announcement.

New Brunswickers deserve a healthcare system that measures success by the care people actually receive.

Not simply by the number of clinics announced.

NB Broken HealthCare
www.nbbrokenhealthcare.org

Source: Telegraph-Journal, October 8, 2026, reporting on testimony before the Legislative Assembly's Public Accounts Committee and the Auditor General's findings.

10/09/2026

29.4 MILLION FOR EIGHT TREATMENT BEDS. WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING?

New Brunswick is building a specialized Provincial Youth Treatment Centre on Salisbury Road in Moncton.

The facility is designed to provide treatment for young people aged 12 to 18 who are dealing with complex mental health and addiction challenges.

The announced project budget is $29.4 million.

The facility will accommodate just eight treatment beds.

That works out to $3,675,000 in capital investment per bed.

Yes, nearly $3.7 million per treatment bed.

Let's be clear. New Brunswick needs better mental health and addiction services for young people. These children and their families deserve professional treatment, appropriate facilities and compassionate care.

But supporting these services does not mean taxpayers should stop asking questions about how their money is being spent.

We recognize that this is more than a building containing eight bedrooms. Specialized treatment facilities require clinical spaces, security systems, equipment, treatment rooms and supporting infrastructure.

Nevertheless, $29.4 million is a substantial investment, and New Brunswickers deserve to understand how that amount was determined.

There are several questions that need answers.

1. What is the total square footage of this facility, and what is the construction cost per square foot?

2. What was the original construction contract awarded for?

3. How much is being spent on architectural services, engineering, site preparation and specialized equipment?

4. Have there been construction change orders, and what is the latest projected final cost?

5. What will it cost annually to operate this facility, including staffing, maintenance and administration?

6. How many young people are expected to receive treatment annually, beyond the eight who can be accommodated at any one time?

There is another interesting number.

The City of Moncton reported a $19.5 million building-permit investment associated with this treatment centre in 2025.

That figure is not necessarily the final construction cost, but it raises another question about the overall $29.4 million project budget and how the different expenditures are allocated.

New Brunswick Now believes that two principles can and should exist together.

Our young people deserve quality mental health treatment.

Our taxpayers deserve transparency and financial accountability.

These principles are not in conflict.

We intend to examine the publicly available financial and construction records. If the necessary information is not available, we will consider submitting a formal request under New Brunswick's Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The $29.4 million figure is the reported project budget, not a confirmed final expenditure. That distinction matters.

This is not about questioning the need for youth mental health services.

It is about asking whether public money is being managed responsibly and whether taxpayers are receiving a clear accounting of how it is being spent.

Good healthcare and responsible spending should go hand in hand.

New Brunswick Now

Real Questions. Honest Answers.

www.newbrunswicknow.ca