The New Brunswick government announced plans in last week’s Speech from the Throne to phase in pay equity in the private and health-care sectors and to simplify foreign credential recognition to address workforce challenges.
Newly elected Premier Susan Holt said the government is “hitting the ground running on the key priorities” identified by New Brunswickers. “We have laid out our path toward building a brighter future for New Brunswickers—both the long-term approach we are taking to face the province’s challenges, and short-term measurable commitments for the year ahead,” she said.
The pay equity initiative, modelled after systems in Quebec and Ontario, will require employers to assess and adjust compensation structures to ensure equal pay for work of equal value, potentially impacting payroll and human resources strategies.
Simplifying the foreign credential recognition process aims to help internationally trained professionals enter the workforce more quickly, providing employers with access to a larger pool of qualified candidates amid ongoing labour shortages.
The government also plans to provide grants to New Brunswick students pursuing careers in high-priority fields such as health care, building trades and education, which may help alleviate future talent shortages in these sectors.
In the health-care sector, the government intends to overhaul the compensation model for doctors and primary care providers to align with team-based collaborative care clinics. It will also invest in technology for centralized wait-lists and connected digital records, enhancing efficiency and patient care.
Other initiatives include introducing a rent cap of three per cent and updating the Residential Tenancies Act, measures that could improve housing affordability for employees.
Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy delivered the speech from the throne, highlighting significant challenges such as access to health care and affordable housing. “Our province is full of resilient, creative and compassionate people who are ready to tackle those challenges head-on,” she said.
The government’s six priority areas are health care, affordability and housing, education, economic development, environment and trusted leadership.
Environmental measures include increasing support for home energy retrofits, introducing a provincial program for solar retrofits and ensuring all government buildings are net zero with an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2035.
The government also aims to reform right-to-information legislation to enhance transparency and to ban out-of-province political donations.
The speech marks the opening of the first session of the 61st legislature, setting the government’s legislative and policy agenda.
