Next month, we will be holding our 2023 Annual General Meeting on April 29 in Saint John. We hope this year’s AGM will be a moment for Greens across the province to come together (either in person or online) to reconnect and rekindle our vision for a brighter, healthier future for New Brunswick. 

You are invited to get involved by renewing your membership, joining your local RDA (Registered District Association), volunteering in one of the upcoming by-elections, or nominating yourself or someone you know to serve a term on Provincial Council in one of the vacant positions. Joining Provincial Council is a great way to get to know how the party works, meet and work with like-minded Green members, and apply your skills and experience 

We hope this year’s AGM will inspire and motivate you as we work to lift one another up, grow our organization and our membership, and fight for the changes we know are so badly needed in this province. 

 

Enjoy the newsletter,

Ryan Spencer

GPNB Provincial Council - Treasurer

 

In This Issue:

• Staff Appreciation Spotlight: Marie Christine Allard
• Upcoming Events
  • So you want to elect a Green MLA? (with Megan Mitton!) on March 8
  • AGM on April 29
• Get Involved
  • Seeking candidates for Upcoming By-elections
  • Provincial Council Nominations - Last Call!
  • Seeking a Youth Rep
  • Renew your membership to join your local RDA
• MLAs in Action
  • Update on David’s Sick Days Bill
  • Megan Mitton’s Climate Change Committee Work 
  • David Coon’s State of the Province Series

 

Volunteer Spotlight 

Marie-Christine Allard

We want to say a very special thank you to our outgoing staff member Marie Christine for her hard work and dedication as our communications person. Our staff and their many different roles and responsibilities are vital to our party’s day-to-day operations and long-term success. 

Thank you Marie Christine for all your hard work. We wish you all the best!

 

Upcoming Events

“So you want to elect a Green MLA?” Webinar featuring MLA Megan Mitton

March 8th - 7pm

This International Women’s Day, join MLA Megan Mitton and Executive Director, Claire Kelly-Orozco, for a conversation about women in politics and learn about their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments. 

Whether you are looking to get involved in politics, know someone who is, or just want to know more about how to get involved in your local RDA, this is the webinar for you. Be sure to stick around for a Q&A where they will be answering your questions and providing advice based on lessons learned.

Members can register for free here.

 

2023 Annual General Meeting

Saturday, April 29

Our April AGM is just around the corner! It will be held at the Kent Theatre in Saint John and members will have the option of in-person or online attendance. 

In order to participate and vote in the AGM, your membership must be in good standing for at least 14 days prior to the event. The deadline to buy or renew your membership is Saturday, April 15, 2023 for a $10.00 fee. 

To attend, you must also register for either in-person or online attendance by the deadline of April 15, 2023. Register online here. 

There is a $25 fee for those attending in person to cover the cost of lunch. We hope to see you there!

 

RDA Shoutout

Saint John East, Portland-Simonds, Saint John Harbour, and Saint John Lancaster

This month, we want to highlight the Registered District Associations (RDAs) in the four Saint John provincial ridings who have been working together as a team. Volunteers from the ridings of Saint John East, Portland-Simonds, Saint John Harbour, and Saint John Lancaster have been collaborating to plan a joint-AGM for their respective RDAs. This is a great example of how we can work together as a team to help each other accomplish our collective goals. 

If you are a member of one of these four Saint John ridings, be sure to renew your membership so that you can attend the joint RDA AGM on March 21st. 

 

Get Involved

Run for MLA in the Upcoming By-Elections

Are you committed to making change happen in New Brunswick? Do you want to use your skills and experience to influence the political conversation in a meaningful way? If you or someone you know has ever considered running for provincial office and working in the Legislature as an MLA, this is your opportunity!

We are currently seeking nominations for candidates in the upcoming by-elections in the ridings of Dieppe, Restigouche-Chaleur, and Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore. 

For more details, please contact [email protected]

 

Provincial Council Nominations - Last Call!

This is a final call for nominations for Provincial Council. The following positions are open and will close on March 4, 2023. All members in good standing are eligible for nomination and encouraged to apply.

The following positions are up for election at this year’s Annual General Meeting in April: 

• President 
• VP Francophone 
• Secretary 
• 4 Regional Council Members: 
  • Fredericton-Miramichi River-Carleton region (2) 
  • Madawaska-Chaleur-Peninsula region (2)
• Policy working group chair 

Find all the details about the roles and responsibilities of Provincial Council and voting deadlines on the AGM registration page. Or, contact [email protected] for more information. 

Nominees will be announced and voting will open on March 31, 2023.

 

Seeking a Youth Representative

In addition to positions listed above, we are looking for a motivated young New Brunswicker who supports our Green Party principles to be the new Youth Rep on our Provincial Council.

This volunteer opportunity is perfect for a passionate student or young person between the ages of 14 and 25 who wants to get involved in provincial politics, gain valuable experience working in a professional environment, and bring new ideas to the table.

***IMPORTANT*** The deadline to apply closes this Saturday on March 4. Potential candidates are asked to provide two letters of recommendation from Green Party members in good standing. 

We'd love to hear from you! Please email [email protected] for more details.

 

Renew Your Membership

In the Green Party, we know that small actions add up to create meaningful change. We recently started charging a $10.00 fee for memberships to cover our administrative costs.

One of the realities of politics is that fundraising is vital to building our organizational capacity and hiring more staff so that we can prepare to run successful campaigns in the 2024 election. 

By renewing your membership for a $10.00 fee, you will be contributing to our fundraising goals so that we can build and strengthen our party from the ground up. 

Sign up or renew your membership here.

Or, if you are not sure if your membership is up-to-date, please email [email protected] and we would be happy to confirm your membership status.

 

MLAs in Action

Update on David Coon’s Paid Sick Days Bill

We’ve been tracking David Coon’s Sick Days Bill as it progresses through the legislature. This bill would give workers the help they need to allow them to prioritize their health and wellbeing while easing the burden on New Brunswick’s healthcare systems and care providers. It would also ease the financial burden on small to medium sized businesses with a transition fund.

This bill was sent to the Law Amendments Committee and debated on February 23 where expert witnesses and stakeholders reviewed the proposed legislation. Next, it will be studied further by civil servants who will provide recommendations to the Legislative Assembly prior to the third reading of the bill.

Stay tuned for more updates!

 

Megan Mitton’s Climate Change Committee Work

Megan has been actively pushing for climate action on all fronts in the Legislature, including asking what the government’s plan is to improve public transportation, strengthen its emissions targets under the Climate Change Action Plan, and confirming that the heat pump program will include all installers starting on April 1. 

In February the committee held hearings on small nuclear reactors where Megan criticized the role of SMRs to reduce energy emissions as they would not even be operational in time to meet our current emissions targets, and are therefore not an effective or expedient solution to the climate crisis.

Megan also pressed Minister Margaret Johnson what her plan is to feed New Brunswickers and found out that the government plans to increase local fruit and vegetable production from 7% to 10% over 5 years. As Greens we know that number is far too low and that a more ambitious target is needed to secure food sovereignty in New Brunswick. 

 

David Coon’s State of the Province Series 

For the second year in a row, Green Party leader David Coon has released his own State of the Province address. His analysis is broken down into four short videos on healthcare, affordable housing, education, and public transportation. Take a moment to have a listen to David’s take on the state of the province and his solutions to these important issues.

You can watch these videos on the Green Caucus Vert Youtube channel by following the links below:

State of the Province 2023 - Healthcare

State of the Province 2023 - Affordable Housing

State of the Province 2023 - Education

State of the Province 2023 - Public Transportation