A political science professor from Mount Allison University is predicting at least three major items in Premier Blaine Higgs’ forthcoming Throne Speech.
Mario Levesque says despite widespread concerns about health and safety, it’s likely the government will move forward on allowing fracking in jurisdictions that want it.
“What’s shortsighted here on the government’s part is the fact that groundwater does not recognize our political boundaries, therefore if it’s okayed in one region, the groundwater aquifers underground connect all the different regions together,” says Levesque. “So the contamination can go well beyond that one region that actually approves of it.”
Levesque expects Ambulance New Brunswick to be a top priority for the Higgs Government, adding the Premier will likely fill “all the Ambulance positions with unilingual Anglophone people, and I think that’s a mistake in policy.”
Levesque continues, theorizing that “if [Higgs] does go forward with that, it will likely end up in court over language rights.”
The professor says there is one area where Higgs should move forward quickly.
“Second language training for anybody and everybody in the province that wants it, whether it’s English or French,” says Levesque. “He did emphasize that in his campaign, and if he were to move forward on that, that would be a really good idea for the province.”
After taking power November 9th, Higgs suggested a Throne Speech would be forthcoming on November 20th.
