Holt offers New Brunswickers change and accountability in state of the province address

January 30, 2025

FREDERICTON – Premier Susan Holt delivered her first state of the province address today, where she highlighted key focus areas, such as health care, housing, education, environment and the economy, as well as metrics New Brunswickers can use to hold the government accountable in these areas in the upcoming years.

“With our first state of the province address, we’re turning a new page and making it clear that New Brunswickers have a government that is transparent and ready to be held accountable,” said Holt.

Holt addressed the challenges and struggles New Brunswickers are facing.

“New Brunswickers are facing serious headwinds,” said Holt. “We don’t have unlimited dollars, and we don’t have unlimited people. We have to change if we want different results, in health care, education, housing, the environment and the economy.”

To support this, the government has launched a web page that provides an overview of its priorities, along with status updates.

“New Brunswickers told us that they want to see government done differently, a government that earns trust and prioritizes transparency,” said Holt. “We are going to walk the walk and show you the metrics we’ll be using to track progress. We want New Brunswickers to hold us accountable.”

Holt invited the ministers responsible for key priority areas to join her on the stage to share the specific metrics being used to measure success, including:

• Increasing the number of New Brunswickers with a primary care provider.

• Increasing the number of New Brunswickers able to receive care from their primary care provider within five days.

• Increasing the number of affordable housing starts.

• Decreasing the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness.

• Increasing literacy and numeracy scores.

• Improving indoor and outdoor air quality.

• Increasing the growth rate of average weekly earnings.

Holt emphasized that, through teamwork and a willingness to change, the current challenges facing the province can be overcome.

“All of this work needs to be done in partnership with communities, businesses and New Brunswickers,” said Holt. “By working together, we can create the change and the results we all want, and that New Brunswickers have been waiting for.

Media Contact(s)

Katie Beers, press secretary, Office of the Premier, katie.beers@gnb.ca.

NT4