Housing, rural services top agenda on first weekend of campaign
CBC
New Brunswick's top candidates are staying busy this weekend after the election was called on Thursday.
On Saturday, Susan Holt announced a large goal for new housing construction at a campaign stop in Moncton with seven Liberal candidates.
The Liberals are promising 30,000 new housing units by 2030 with the elimination of provincial sales tax on new multi-unit housing construction.
"Too many New Brunswickers are struggling to find a place to live, struggling to pay their rents," Holt said.
Holt touted the promise as similar to policies that already exist in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. She said both provinces have more than doubled the rate of housing construction compared to New Brunswick.
"Our population is growing, and we welcome that, but it can't happen without a solid plan to tackle the housing shortage," she said.
The province's vacancy rate is 1.5 per cent, Holt said.
The estimated cost is $90 million over the three years Holt plans to remove the sales tax on new multi-unit housing construction, she said.
Holt said her government would watch the number of new housing starts and the vacancy rate to determine if the initiative is successful.
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs is campaigning in the Miramichi area on Saturday with local candidates.
In separate press releases, PC candidates took issue with Liberal promises made in the first few days of the campaign.
Greg Turner, candidate for Moncton South, took issue with a Liberal health-care promise.
On Friday, Holt said her government would give nurses and some health-care professionals $15,000 in retention bonuses.
In a release, Turner said Liberals promise to fix health care but "just throw money at the problem."
