Province	Législature	Session	Type de discours	Date du discours	Locuteur	Fonction du locuteur	Parti politique
Nouveau-Brunswick	48e 	2e 	Discours du trône	9 mars 1976	M. Hédard Joseph Robichaud	Lieutenant-Gouverneur	PC


Mr. Speaker and Hon. Members of the Legislative Assembly,
 
On behalf of the Queen of Canada, I greet you today at the opening of the Second Session of the Forty-Eighth Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.

We shall have the honour of welcoming Her Majesty in person next July. 
 
I am sure all our citizens look forward with keen pleasure to Her Majesty's return to New Brunswick, 17 years since her last visit to our province.
 
We meet in difficult times. The economy of New Brunswick and of all of Canada has been seriously affected by inflation. Rising costs and prices have eroded the real value of incomes, stalled economic growth in Canada as a whole and swelled the ranks of the unemployed. In each of the past two years, the economy of New Brunswick has grown at a faster rate than the national economy. Personal income, including labour income, increased more rapidly in New Brunswick than in Canada as a whole. But there is no doubt that a continuation of recent inflationary conditions in Canada would quickly wipe out these and other gains made by our province. The capacity of the federal government to assist and the ability of our province to support the many new programs and improved services introduced in recent years would be in considerable doubt if such high rates of inflation persisted for long.
 
Ceilings to be placed on federal contributions to hospital and medical care programs and postsecondary education, as well as limitations being effected or planned by the government of Canada in other fields, including the equalization formula and revenue guarantees, would impose upon New Brunswick the necessity to impose strict controls on spending increases in any event.
 
But, convinced as it was that many of the solutions to inflation must be sought through concerted action by all governments of Canada, New Brunswick was an early advocate of, and has given solid support to, a national program designed to curb costs, prices, profits and inflationary income increases across Canada. Acting on the authority granted by the first session of the present Legislative Assembly in 1975, my government has entered into a formal agreement with the government of Canada to apply to the provincial jurisdiction the guidelines for restraint laid down by the federal legislation and the Anti-Inflation Board.
 
My government shares the general confidence in the basic strength of the Canadian economy, and in Canada's ability to surmount the severe inflationary conditions. To that end, the only responsible course for government is one of financial restraint and moderation.
 
Obviously, this policy will not lead to a broad expansion of government programs at this time. Instead, it involves a consolidation of resources, increased efficiency and planned growth, which will stem not from the creation of new assets, but from the better use of the assets we already have.

In this context, there is a great deal which government must do to improve the effectiveness of programs, ensure that all people are equitably treated and provide continually improving structures through which prudent resource management can be carried out.
 
This is the kind of program that my government will lay before you in the Second Session of the Forty-Eighth Legislative Assembly.

The right of the individual to representative government, his right to protection and to a fair hearing and equality before the law and the right of groups in our society to make their views known collectively are of fundamental importance to our society.
 
Legislation will be introduced extending the powers of the Ombudsman to include municipal governments and to deal with grievances where normal channels of appeal have, for one reason or another not been used.

An amendment to the Human Rights Act will be laid before you bringing conditions of physical disability under the Human Rights Code so that those of our citizens who are discriminated against because of physical disability will have recourse to the law.
 
Following recommendations of the Interdepartmental Committee on Women, amendments will be proposed to various Acts removing apparent discrimination on the basis of sex from a number of provincial statutes. In addition, steps will be taken to establish the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, authority for which was given in the first session of the present Legislative Assembly.
 
To protect the rights of children, amendments will be introduced to the Deserted Wives and Children Maintenance Act and the Habeas Corpus Act providing for equal rights for both parents in the case of court-ordered custody.
 
An amendment to the Age of Consent Act will be introduced lowering to 16 years the age at which persons can give consent to medical or dental treatment. 

My government has long been concerned about the plight of thousands of our citizens who live in unincorporated areas of the province with no recourse to a local representative government. The report of the Task Force on Government in non incorporated Areas will be laid before you and legislation will be presented after an appropriate period of public discussion.
 
In municipal affairs generally, my government will place before you various bills to improve municipal administration over a variety of local matters and will propose certain amendments to the Community Planning Act for more effective land use policies throughout the province.
 
Based on recommendations of the Disaster Relief Study carried out in 1975, legislation will be introduced to control construction and land-use in flood plain areas. Amendments will also be proposed to the Emergency Measures Act.
 
Changes will be proposed in the procedure for assessing forest land in or near municipalities and to provide an adequate system of appeal for land owners affected by such assessment.
 
A Uniform Building Code Act will be placed before you, providing for standard provisions based largely on the National Building Code. This legislation will complement similar measures introduced in Prince Edward Island and is intended as a step toward obtaining uniform building standards throughout the Maritime Provinces.
 
My government is aware of the need for fundamental changes in the system of unconditional grants to municipalities. The report of the Task Force on Municipal Structure and Finance recommended in 1973 that the unconditional grant formula be in operation for at least three years. It is the intention of my government this year to undertake a thorough review of all aspects of community service financing with a view to introduction of a new formula.
 
Amendments will also be introduced to the Municipalities Act changing the date for triennial municipal and school board elections, and changes will be proposed in the Residential Property Tax Relief Act concerning the eligibility of members of the Armed Forces to collect tenants' grants.
 
In an atmosphere of fiscal restraint, high inflation and increasing unemployment, policies of economic development must continue to be of the highest priority.
 
Economic missions seeking to promote use of New Brunswick ports, attract investment and increase markets for New Brunswick products have been sent in recent months to Japan, Bermuda, Central America, and the Caribbean. Efforts to attract new industry to the province remain unabated.
 
Special attention is being devoted to encouraging local citizens to start small business enterprises or to expand small companies that are already in business.
 
In this regard, my government is encouraged by the results of the joint federal-provincial program to assist small business in the northeast. Thirty-seven companies were assisted, involving a projected total of 275 jobs. Because of the success of this program in development of the region the program has been extended to the Kent County area.
 
Organization of the new Department of Commerce and Development and rationalization of the various agencies that will comprise it are now fully under way. Proclamation of the legislation creating this department will take place in the near future.
 
Negotiations are in process with the government of Canada concerning the replacement of the FRED Agreement for the northeast which expires this year. It is expected that new development provisions will be incorporated into a sub agreement under the General Development Agreement with the federal Department of Regional Economic Expansion. Three other sub agreements are also under negotiation. Eleven sub agreements to realize opportunities for development in primary and secondary sectors have been signed at a value of over $190 million.

Despite recent softness in international markets or prices for some products and a nationwide labour dispute in the forest industry, prospects for New Brunswick's resource sector are excellent. New investments of $5.5 million have been announced by Consolidated Bathurst and $91.5 million by Fraser Companies of Edmundston. Other major expansions are under study. The expansion and modernization programs planned by these companies will promote stability of employment and reinforce the economic security of the communities where they are located.

My government remains committed to the principles contained in the report of the Forest Resources Study. The experience gained and the problems met in applying these principles on a pilot project basis in the northern part of the province are under continuing review. In this connection, your committee on renewable resources was given a particular mandate with regard to the condition of the forest resource and the activities of the New Brunswick Forest Authority, and you will receive its report during the present session.
 
Due to the refusal of other federal departments to make an appropriation to assist New Brunswick with spraying measures against the spruce budworm, special provision had to be made with DREE to divert funds from the GDA sub agreement on forestry to this purpose. My government will intensify its efforts to convince the government of Canada to enter into a longer term program to defeat this deadly menace to our forest resource.
 
Meanwhile, the Department of Natural Resources is accelerating its reforestation program, having planted 8,000 acres in 1975 and planning 12,000 acres in 1976. Greenhouse facilities have been expanded and the long-range tree improvement program is continuing, in line with the recommendations of the Forest Resources Study. At least two large wood using companies are in an advanced stage of planning private reforestation projects.
 
The value of mineral production in 1975 reached a record high of $251 million. Even more significant for future growth was a substantial increase of some 25 per cent in exploration activity during the year and an increase of more than 100 per cent recorded exploration expenditure in the Bathurst area. Mining and petroleum companies were active throughout the province and several new discoveries, including deposits of coal and base metals, were made. New Brunswick's first offshore exploratory well for oil and gas was drilled during the year by Gulf Oil and Mobil Limited. Exploration for potash and salt is in progress at both Sussex and Salt Springs, and it is hoped that evaluation of the deposits will result in the development of a major potash extraction industry and chemical industries based on salt. The companies conducting the exploration -- Potash Company of America and International Minerals and Chemical Corporation-are doing so under agreements with my government. The companies will be required to obtain government approval for development plans involving this resource.

Legislation will be placed before you for a Bituminous Shale Act and an Oil and Natural Gas Act to ensure that the public interest is paramount in the exploration and development of these resources. Legislation dealing with quarriable substances will also be introduced.
 
The process selection and design phases for a zinc smelter feasibility study have now been completed. A group of recognized engineering firms have been chosen by Brunswick Mining and Smelting to establish capital costs of such a project. This will be completed by June. My government will explore with the company all alternatives, including financial participation by other companies, to meet the capital requirements involved. Studies have confirmed that Belledune would be the best site in eastern Canada for the smelter. Meanwhile Brunswick Mining and Smelting is committed to spending some $80 million in northeastern New Brunswick over the next five years to increase productivity and improve environmental conditions.
 
In agriculture, special emphasis will be placed on marketing policies. You will be asked to consider amendments to the Natural Products Control Act, for the purpose of enabling farmers to stabilize incomes through more efficient marketing plans and systems. The Agricultural Resources Study is expected to make an interim report and recommendations during the present calendar year. The federal-provincial subagreement on agriculture has been in effect during the past two years, and plans are going forward for the improvement and expansion of its programs.
 
Amendments to the Credit Union Federations Act and a new Credit Unions Act will be placed before you.

The economy of our fisheries actor is improving following a period of depressed prices and slowdown in demand. Tangible signs of confidence in the New Brunswick fishing industry include the opening, during the past year, of a multimillion dollar plant at Black's Harbour, the most modem in eastern Canada; the opening of another multimillion dollar plant at Shippegan, incorporating a new concept of flexibility in design and operation - the plarmed expansion at the tuna plant near St. Andrews, which will create some 75 new jobs and triple the fleet; and plans to place some seasonal processing operations on a year-round basis.
 
Because of the depletion of the fish stock from international overfishing, it is estimated that it will take from five to ten years for the fish stock to replenish and once again be capable of sustaining further growth and development. Meanwhile, my government is actively pursuing policies of diversification, products development, improved technology and productivity, and increased production through aquaculture. The objective is to achieve greater return on labour and capital without increasing the volume of fish caught.
 
Plans are being laid for improvement in the province's fishing fleet and major repairs will be undertaken at the marine slip in Bas Caraquet which serves the offshore fleet operating in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Demand for electric power continues to grow, reflecting both increased residential use and industrial activity. The capital expansion program undertaken by the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission at Coleson Cove, Point Lepreau, Mactaquac and Dalhousie is intended to meet these heavy load growth conditions, and to replace the power purchase contract from Quebec Hydro which ends this year. Termination of this contract for low cost power and growing costs throughout the system generally will undoubtedly bring rate increase. The increases in New Brunswick should be less drastic than in other areas because of interconnection opportunities, and the Power Commission has successfully continued its efforts to narrow the spread in power cost between New Brunswick and larger and richer areas.

Substantial upgrading of connection facilities with Nova Scotia will commence this year, and an underwater cable interconnection will be realized with Prince Edward Island.

An agreement for a federal loan of 50 per cent of the cost of the Point Lepreau generating station has been signed and the first payment received.
 
The new Department of Transportation established last year has created a transportation and communications policy unit which will advise the government on general transportation and communication matters as a first step in the development of an overall transportation plan for the province.
 
Apart from its traditional role in highway development, the department now concerns itself with rail, air and other forms of transportation, as well as telecommunications and cable TV.
 
The capital program for the fiscal year 1975-76 was some $67 million.
 
Federal-provincial cost-sharing programs made possible further progress on the Saint John throughway project and the Moncton arterial highway system. An additional subagreement was also signed for Route 11 and various other roads in New Brunswick's northeast, and a new subagreement is presently under negotiation.
 
The regulation and control of advertising signs along highways will be provided for, and changes will be made in the system of issuing permits with respect to access onto controlled access highways. Working in conjunction with the Department of Tourism, the Department of Transportation plans the removal of existing commercial signing and the erection of symbolized information signing for food, fuel, accommodation and recreational services. The program, when completed, will involve the removal of approximately 2,500 signs, making a substantial contribution towards both the safety and visual environment of our provincial highway network.
 
The growth of New Brunswick's tourist industry continues to justify the efforts of government and private enterprise to promote and invest in this important sector of our economy in all parts of our province. In 1975, there was a six per cent increase in the number of visitors and an eight per cent growth in their total expenditures, which reached some $140 million. The commitment of my government to a program of financial incentives for the tourist industry will be realized through the GDA subsidiary agreement on tourism signed in December. Eligibility criteria are now being drawn up and the incentives program will be operational during the present year.
 
New Brunswick has also entered into a consortium with the other three Atlantic Provinces, the government of Canada, and two air carriers to integrate various tourism marketing and promotion programs on a regional basis. The objectives are to extend the tourist season, increase the use of package vacation through common carrier transportation, and extend market areas.
 
Housing starts in New Brunswick increased in 1975 by more than 19 per cent, compared to a four per cent increase for Canada as a whole. My government will continue to attach a high priority to policies that encourage new construction and improvement of the existing housing stock. At the present session you will be asked to amend the New Brunswick Housing Act to increase the number of directors, with a view to improving geographical representation to allow the New Brunswick Housing Corporation to subsidize borrowers who borrow from commercial lenders under the Assisted Home Ownership Program, and to allow housing cooperatives to dissolve on completion of the houses without losing their preferential mortgage financing and assistance.
 
You will be asked to consider amendments to the Schools Act which, together with policy decisions now being implemented, are designed to achieve greater equity and balance within the New Brunswick school system. District school boards will be given greater authority, including responsibility for major repairs. New regulations under the Schools Act will ensure uniformity of tendering practices.
 
The government's hospital construction program continues. The Dr. Georges L. Dumont Hospital, Moncton, was opened in May 1975 and the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, Fredericton, will be ready to receive patients at an early date. Excavation work for the new Saint John Regional Hospital started in August 1975 and foundation concrete work is well advanced. The erection of steel is planned to get under way in May of this year. Satisfactory progress is also being made in the construction of the Sussex Health Centre which represents a new type of composite health facility in New Brunswick. Construction of this project is planned to be completed by the end of 1976 and furnishings and equipment will be installed in the early months of 1977.
 
During the first three months of operation, there has been an expenditure of over $1 million for benefits under the prescription drug program for senior citizens which is administered by the Blue Cross of Atlantic Canada on behalf of the Department of Health. The program is continually under review and there have been a number of revisions and adaptations to ensure that it serves the real needs of our senior citizens.
 
The government's ambulance services program has become well established within the past year. Financial assistance for upgrading ambulances and equipment has been given to ambulance operators selected according to priority of need. A training program for ambulance personnel was begun during 1975 and some 400 drivers and attendants in several areas of the province have had their training upgraded. Antennae and base radios have been bought for the 37 base hospitals together with 90 mobile radios for ambulances, while 19 grants have been made to assist in the purchase of ambulances.
 
During the coming year the government will continue its program of upgrading ambulances and equipment, and will make appropriate training available wherever it is needed. Installation of all the radio communications equipment for the planned basic system will be completed and will become operational.
 
A new two-year diploma school of nursing will open in Bathurst in September, with an initial enrolment of 150 students. This will be the fifth nursing school of this type to be established in this province. Similar programs are located in Moncton, Edmundston and Saint John with a combined enrolment of 620 nursing students.
 
In recent years the government has made significant advances in the mental health field. Increased emphasis has been given to community care, as is shown by the decrease of patients in the two provincial hospitals from 1,685 at the end of 1969 to 963 at the end of 1975. Recently, my government provided for establishment of boards of trustees for both provincial hospitals with a view to increasing community participation in the operation of these hospitals.
 
Measures will be introduced at this session concerning public and industrial safety. Amendments to the Public Service Labour Relations Act based on a report and recommendations by the New Brunswick Industrial Relations Committee at the University of New Brunswick, will be presented for your consideration. Amendments will also be proposed to the Public Service Superannuation Act and the Teachers' Pension Act to increase the level of funding. (English)
 
Changes will be made in the Electrical Installation and Inspection Act, and amendments will be proposed to the Industrial Safety Act, the Minimum Employment Standards Act, the Industrial Standards Act, the Minimum Wage Act and the Vacation Pay Act.
 
Amendments will be laid before you to the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act preventing the sale, rent and training of attack dogs.
 
You will be asked to approve amendments to the Financial Administration Act, the Government House Trust Fund Act, the Assessment Act, the Civil Service Act and the Anatomy Act.
 
My government will also propose legislation affecting the Auxiliary Classes Act, the Clean Environment Act, the Industrial Relations Act, the Coroners Act and the Salvage Dealers Licensing Act.
 
Following recommendations of a committee of this assembly, an Act governing the operation and administration of the Legislative Library will be proposed. In addition, amendments to the Archives Act, the Historic Sites Protection Act and the New Brunswick Museum Act will be laid before you.

Our citizens, particularly the young, show an increasing concern with the heritage of New Brunswick. The Kings Landing Historical Settlement is becoming known as a permanent and unique expression of historical life styles.
 
Work continues in the development of Village Acadien with a view to its full operation in 1977. An indication of citizen interest is reflected in the success of an afternoon preview held in August last year, when over 12,000 persons attended. The government has also undertaken efforts to elicit federal interest in a marine museum in Shippegan.
 
It is expected that a new wing at the New Brunswick Museum will be officially opened in June at which time major national exhibits will be on view. The facility costing over $1 million has been jointly funded by the province, the national museums of Canada and public subscriptions.
 
Also to be completed in the present year will be the restoration of the old County Court House at Upper Woodstock, a joint project between the Historical Resources Administration and the Carleton County Historical Society. In Fredericton, the Soldiers' Barracks, with a restored exterior and refurnished interior, will serve the Historical Resources Administration, and the John Thurston Clark Building will have been renovated for use as a national exhibit centre with space included for a permanent home for the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.
 
In addition, the Historic Sites Protection Act will be amended to provide for recognition of historic districts and the preparation of a register of historic sites within the province.
 
The public accounts for the period ending March 31, 1975, together with a statement of estimated revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year and estimates for the coming fiscal year, will be placed before you. In addition, there will be an opportunity to consider and debate fully all special warrants approved during the past year.
 
Members of the Legislative Assembly: Acceptance of financial restraint and moderation is the imperative that confronts democratic assemblies throughout the free world as they begin their 1976 deliberations. While there is debate as to methods, the need for restraint requires a broad consensus of support throughout the community. To ensure such a consensus, legislators must adopt the most careful approach to these problems. The people of Canada and New Brunswick must be spared the damage that further inflation and economic dislocation would cause.
 
In the discharge of your duties during this difficult period, I pray Divine Providence will guide you and grant you the high sense of responsibility our province will need from you on these matters.