"Minister Higgs is wrong: Citizens should demand more from their government," says New Brunswick New Democrat leader Dominic Cardy

FREDERICTON - This week’s public dispute over election promises between the Premier and the Finance Minister revealed confusion at the heart of Premier Alward’s government.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs has argued that election promises, such as the pledge to permanently freeze property assessments for seniors that “would cost the province $173 million over 10 years,” were unrealistic. Premier Alward has previously claimed the entire Tory platform, including 80 spending commitments, would cost just over $140 million.

Premier Alward and Minister Higgs both claim their 2010 platform was fully costed, but this is not the case: late in the campaign Mr. Alward refused to cost more than a handful of his spending commitments. It was left to New Democrat finance critic Professor Tony Myatt to work out the cost of the Alward platform: over one billion dollars.

“Minister Higgs is no hero for saying his government deceived voters in 2010. He had a choice, he could have done the honourable thing and refused to run on a platform he knew would damage the economy if it was implemented, or damage democracy when it became clear the Conservatives were using cynical tricks to get elected,” said New Democrat leader Dominic Cardy. “Instead Minister Higgs is telling the voters they should want less from their government while handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars for aquariums and arenas in Conservative constituencies.”

“New Democrats ran on a clear and honest platform in 2010. The Conservatives, including Mr. Alward and Mr. Higgs, had a choice. They could have been honest, and allowed voters to make an honest choice. They made the wrong decision and now Minister Higgs is blaming his party’s lies on ‘democracy’,” said Cardy.

“It’s not democracy that’s the problem, Mr. Higgs, the problem is politicians like you who do the wrong thing to get ahead,” said Cardy, who noted this was not a uniquely Conservative problem.

“If the Conservative’s 2010 platform was fiction the Liberal platform was science fiction. The New Democrats have a simple message: stop lying to people! This is not rocket science. Just behave honourably, tell the truth, and trust the people.” said Cardy.

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