Liberals promise another community care clinic in Woodstock
CBC
Liberal Leader Susan Holt has promised another community-care clinic, this time in Woodstock.
She had previously announced she would open 30 such clinics, before 2028, if elected as premier.
"We have been hearing about issues New Brunswickers had with access to primary care, it's the number one issue that we hear at the door," Holt said.
She said that after she announced the locations for 10 new clinics, Marisa Pelkey, the Liberal candidate for Woodstock-Hartland, approached her about the possibility of adding one in her community.
"I've heard stories of people being on the doctor waitlist for four years, people are telling me that they have to drive long distances to access care and that's just such a challenge for them," Pelkey said.
Holt said that Pelkey met with community members, municipal officials and doctors to find a potential location, and also met with health-care professionals who agreed to work in the clinic if it were to open.
The cost would fall under the $115.2 million over four years for the 30 clinics already promised, Holt said.
Liberals previously said the centres would bring together doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists and others.
Holt called out the PC government for not acting fast enough on health care, and said the idea for the clinics is not new and is not hers.
"Collaborative care has been on the table for over a decade, and we are the ones that are prepared to actually act on it and put in place what the nurse practitioners, doctors and other health-care professionals are asking for."
At a campaign stop in Rogersville, Green Leader David Coon said he wants two changes made to the tax system for small businesses.
He said he would reduce the small-business tax rate from 2.5 per cent to one per cent, as already exists in Prince Edward Island. This would cost the province about $35 million annually in lost tax revenue, Coon said.
"We all know small-business owners," Coon said. "They're our neighbours. They're the barbers and hairdressers who cut our hair. They're the farmers who grow our food.
"They aren't some CEO in New York or an investment trust in Bermuda."