Current N.B. Premier Blaine Higgs visited St. Thomas University on Oct. 16 to participate in a CTV election roundtable. Following the roundtable, Higgs shared how he could help students if re-elected in the Oct. 21 election.
Higgs, the N.B. Progressive Conservative leader, participated in the roundtable alongside Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Green Leader David Coon.
The, at times, heated roundtable discussion covered health care, affordability, Policy 713 and supervised drug injection sites.
Following the roundtable Higgs elaborated on how he has helped and could help students with rent and tuition.
Rent cap
When it comes to rent, Higgs did not say whether he would reinstate a rent cap after his government’s temporary cap expired on Dec. 31, 2022.
The temporary control capped increases at 3.8 per cent and was put in place to protect tenants from substantial increases.
Higgs did say that the province has a rent control system to monitor changes to students rents as well as any other tenants. As far as available housing, he added that he doesn’t know “what the current shortage is and how much it’s increased in comparison with inflation.”
“We know right now that housing is at a premium because of the tremendous population growth, but that hasn’t always been the case and so what we don’t want to do is build something today that really two years from now, it’s no longer an issue.”
Both Coon and Holt have included in their platforms that a rent cap is a priority.
Related: Election Feature: David Coon responds to student concerns
Related: Election Feature: Susan Holt shares how Liberals can help students
Keeping students in N.B.
A Higgs government wants to keep students in New Brunswick after graduation. He mentioned existing programs such as Opportunities NB to help students take the “next step.”
Opportunities NB assists businesses in the province with growth and employment needs.
Higgs said that his government would need help from institutions like STU to understand how to help keep students in the province.
“Students can learn, train here and then stay in New Brunswick and build their career. So, we’d be looking to universities to help guide us in that sense of what is important.”
Tuition burden
According to Statistics Canada, the average cost of full-time undergraduate tuition in Canada is $6,510.
In New Brunswick, the average cost is $8,376.
Higgs mentioned how the removal of student loan interest on the provincial portion has helped students finance their education.
“I guess what we changed a few years ago was we took the interest off student loans so they could afford to certainly go here and be able to finance that.”
Campaign focus
The Progressive Conservatives’ main campaign focus is a two per cent cut to the harmonized sales tax. The HST cut will roll out one per cent a year in 2025 and 2026. Higgs estimates that this cut will save the average New Brunswick family $1000 per year, according to his official platform.
Higgs will also “fight the Trudeau carbon tax legally and politically” if re-elected. He also promises to never implement a consumer carbon tax.
