Latest news with #DonMoore
CBC
29-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
It's been one week: N.B. political panel weighs in on federal election campaign
Some New Brunswick political watchers say the first week of the federal election campaign left them wanting to hear much more substance and vision from those vying to form the next government of Canada. That's the synopsis from a panel convened by Information Morning Moncton for regular check-ins during the campaign. Don Moore is a past president of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, an assistant professor of management at Crandall University and chair of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority. Sarah Lord ran for the Green Party in the last provincial election, has a background in biotech, works in health and wellness, and runs a hiking tour company. Aldéa Landry is a Moncton lawyer, business leader, and former deputy premier of New Brunswick. She co-chaired Mark Carney's federal Liberal leadership campaign in the province. Geoff Martin teaches political science and international relations at Mount Allison University and ran as a candidate for the provincial NDP in Tantramar in 2003. Here's a breakdown of their first discussion, edited for length and clarity. Q: What do you think is the most important issue of the campaign? A: Aldéa Landry. We still have cost of living issues with things like housing and electricity. But with tariffs, we stand to lose 11,000 jobs in the province. And we have a single customer for almost all our exports. That calls for dramatic changes. A: Don Moore. Things like housing and groceries cost way more than they did. How did we get here? What allowed this to happen? How does this get fixed? Combine that with Canada-U.S. relations and its effects locally, provincially and nationally. A: Sarah Lord. For me, it's unity. How do we hold ourselves together as a nation, stop the mudslinging and work together to reach consensus on really serious issues that threaten our existence. A: Geoff Martin. I think it's about the party's platform to deal with the U.S. and provide a vision for the future of Canada that doesn't rely on tax cuts, smaller government, market magic and the old compact theory of French and English. We have a very diverse country and we have to all move along together. Q: What are you hearing from people in your communities? A: Geoff Martin. They're very concerned about the high cost of living, the existential threat we're feeling, the sacrifices they may have to make in the trade war and what things will look like afterwards. The terrain really feels like it's shifting and unstable. A: Sarah Lord. People seem to be upset over the fact that they can't elect a prime minister. They want to vote their values and they want their vote to count. We're often told we have to vote a certain way to get rid of something we don't want, instead of voting for something we really do want. A: Don Moore. People are asking questions, like what is the key to success for dealing with Donald Trump, who is the best leader and what is the best party or government structure. They're getting sick and tired of trying to figure things out because messages from the U.S. are frequently changing. A: Aldéa Landry. People are talking about tariffs and the need to change the way we trade and they're expressing national pride and unity, even in Quebec. I think Canadians are concerned about the disrespect that's been shown to our country and leaders. Q: What's standing out for you in the messaging from party leaders? A: Don Moore. They've mostly been reacting to things that are happening. People want to hear more about their views and plans for our country for the next five years, 10 years, and beyond. A: Geoff Martin. There's no discussion yet about things like public enterprise or the role of government, just standard things that were probably planned back in December or January. I don't think those are appropriate any more. A: Sarah Lord. I like the global perspective of Mark Carney — the fact that he is reaching out to different countries. But I also want to hear more strategies and vision to strengthen the Canadian economy and sustainably move forward with strength and unity. A: Aldéa Landry. Tax cuts are being offered and a vision of less dependence on the United States government. There are opportunities to broaden our reach and to create jobs by building infrastructure, but that will require public support and working with First Nations and provinces.
CBC
26-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Councils want proof that newest Mounties are reducing crime before more are added
Three councils in areas policed by the Codiac Regional RCMP don't want to approve more Mounties unless data shows the latest to be hired have made a difference in local crime. Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview councils have all passed similar motions over the past month calling for a "comprehensive data analysis" to evaluate the impact of adding 17 more Mounties this year. "The municipalities want to be accountable to the taxpayers to show that these investments are having the desired results we want to see in our communities," a report by Riverview town staff about the motion states. The votes would affect a plan presented last fall that proposed adding 15 more officers in 2026 and 14 more in 2027. The plan would have increased the budgeted number of officers to 202, up from 156 in 2024. WATCH | 'How do we know that the investment is having some result?: Cities want to know whether new cops making a difference on crime 1 hour ago Duration 1:58 But the motion would delay the hiring. The Riverview council report says the RCMP will have the 2026 calendar year to assess the effect of the 17 new officers before approving adding more as outlined in the plan. Don Moore, the policing authority board chair, said the effect would turn a three-year plan for staffing increases into a five-year plan. The civilian board oversees Codiac RCMP, drafting a budget that each council is asked to approve. Moore welcomed the motion, saying the board needs to have a good working relationship with the three municipalities. "This includes an understanding on how do we make policing successful, and one of those ways to make policing successful is to have the appropriate measures to make sure that we're reducing crime," Moore said. "The that's the job of the police force, but we need to make sure we have the proper justifications on increasing budget and increasing the number of members for policing in our region." While the motions say "any request for additional staffing increases" would have to wait for the data, Moore said the policing authority may still request an increase for 2026 to keep up with population growth. The Moncton city staff report about the motion notes the motion isn't binding. If there's a disagreement and councils don't approve the budget proposed by the policing authority, the Police Act says the province's local government minister steps in to set the budget. While the 17 new positions were budgeted for 2025, the RCMP has until the end of the year to actually fill the positions. That's in part why 2026 will be used to asses any change. The policing authority is considering several of what it calls "key performance indicators" that will be used to measure the effect of the additional officers. What those indicators measure has yet to be announced or described to municipal councils. That was a source of frustration when the motion was debated at a Moncton committee meeting in February. "How can we possibility evaluate based on data when we haven't decided what the start data is, and we don't have it?" Coun. Susan Edgett said during the Feb. 24 meeting. Moore said the policing authority plans to seek input from the municipalities on potential indicators in the coming weeks. Councils want budget sooner The motions also call for the policing authority to outline its proposed budget earlier in the year, prior to when the municipalities start drafting their own budgets. Moncton city staff noted in a report that the policing authority budget has climbed 65 per cent over four years, compared to a 38.5 per cent increase in the city's operating budget over that time. In 2024, the policing authority sought a $9.3 million budget increase for 2025. "When large budget requests are introduced late in the process, they can disrupt the workflow, hinder comprehensive review, lead to rushed decision-making, impact negatively taxpayers and make it challenging to integrate these requests into the existing financial plan," the Moncton staff report states.
