New BrunswickThe Liberal government laid out a vague agenda for a new session of the New Brunswick legislature on Tuesday, after the premier addressed protesters from the Tantramar area who are angry about a proposed natural gas power plant.Liberal government delivers throne speech while premier promises scrutiny of controversial N.B. Power proposalJacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Oct 21, 2025 12:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoPremier Susan Holt and Environment Minister Gilles LePage listen to people protesting outside the New Brunswick legislature against a proposed natural gas plant in the Tantramar area. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)Premier Susan Holt’s government laid out a vague agenda for the new session of the New Brunswick legislature on Tuesday — while the premier also nodded to anger in the Tantramar area over a proposed natural gas power plant.Two hours before the speech from the throne, Holt addressed about 60 protesters who want her to stop N.B. Power’s plan to build the plant.“We also have a number of questions about this project the same as you do,” Holt told the group assembled at the legislature under a grey, drizzly sky.“We’re looking at the information submitted, we’re looking at the case, we’re asking questions about locations.”The premier made no commitments, including on whether her government will order a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the project, which opponents are demanding.Describing internal discussions, Holt asked rhetorically: “Is this eligible for that process? Can we put it through that kind of rigour as per our policies and processes? Are we getting the answers that we need from the proponents and the partners at all?”N.B. Power is seeking approval for a 500-megawatt, 10-turbine natural gas plant that it says would provide backup power to allow an expansion of renewable energy.The plant would allow an overall net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the utility says.Michael Miller and Marilee Reimer were among the roughly 60 gas plant protesters in front of the legislature on Tuesday. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)But opponents aren’t convinced, pointing to misleading claims of an Indigenous investment stake in the project and other environmental concerns.Holt congratulated the protesters for speaking up and being part of the democratic process.Her comments left some of them disappointed.“I heard a lot of — just things about democracy and hyping up things that are aside from the fact,” said Joel Miller, who grew up in Tantramar. “I’m not convinced they won’t just go ahead and build this gas plant.” On Monday, Holt promised “an acceleration of the changes” that her government needs to make in the new session of the legislature.Tuesday’s throne speech delivered by Lt.-Gov. Louise Imbeault was mostly a recap of initiatives the government has already launched and work now underway, from the creation of collaborative care clinics to the development of a new 10-year education plan.“We must continue to challenge the status quo, be bold and think big as we workcollaboratively to achieve our goals,” Imbeault said, reading from the speech prepared by the Holt government.“This isn’t always easy, as the world continues to shift and change around us, but with determination and persistence, change is possible.”Among the few clear commitments in the speech:The government will introduce legislation to streamline the administrative process and paperwork for child-care operators as the province works to create 3,600 new designated spaces by the end of March 2026.The long-awaited overhaul of the property tax system will see “meaningful solutions that will begin to be implemented” in the 2027 tax year, later than the government’s previous timeline of early 2026.The Liberals will introduce a “New Brunswick Free Trade Within Canada Act” that will continue the removal of internal trade barriers, but there were scant details on how it would work.
Holt lays out legislative agenda, has questions about gas plant
