Susan Holt

Holt supports examining new or expanded fiscal tools — including possible flexibility on provincial royalty rates — to derisk early mining investment and encourage project advancement, while balancing concessions with other benefits to maximize returns to New Brunswickers; legislation will be introduced to streamline approvals.

Holt is actively seeking to strike new trade deals and increase New Brunswick exports to India, emphasizing the province's minerals, energy products, food and human capacity and pointing to Port Saint John’s 15-day shipping as facilitating export growth.

Susan Holt supports directing capital spending to upgrade and expand school facilities to accommodate growing enrolment, improve accessibility and modernize learning spaces, strengthening public education, supporting families and creating opportunities for the next generation in the province.

Susan Holt says the government will make 'very careful consideration' of the reality on the ground and will prioritize investing in improved health-care access and outcomes, signaling continued healthcare spending even while addressing the province’s $1.3-billion deficit.

Holt advocates continuous investment in the Port of Saint John to secure long-term economic stability and to position New Brunswick as a cornerstone of Canada’s trade network, supporting diversification of exports and access to global markets.

Susan Holt advocated a 'Team Canada' approach—premiers coordinating with the prime minister—heading into upcoming trade negotiations, and agreed that Canada’s relationship with the U.S. has fundamentally changed, reflecting concern about current U.S. actions toward Canadian trading partners.

Holt advocates strengthening New Brunswick’s role in trade by investing in ports, reducing interprovincial trade barriers (she signed an MOU), and actively pushing for a deal on softwood lumber to resolve trade conflicts and expand access to global markets.

Susan Holt supports provincial investment in community infrastructure that promotes well‑being and seniors' activity, arguing such projects are budget‑friendly, improve community health, and build social cohesion by bringing younger and older residents together.

Susan Holt supports the provincial change reducing the maximum retail gasoline price (switching to an E10 basis), saying the cut benefits consumers, that wholesalers and retailers have protected margins so won't be harmed, and that refiners will likely bear the cost.

Susan Holt said cannabis can still be included in the new interprovincial trade agreement and that she is actively discussing aligning measures — such as a single excise stamp and changes to interprovincial barriers — with federal officials to enable that inclusion.

Susan Holt supports advancing the Sisson Mine to supply critical minerals (tungsten and molybdenum), saying New Brunswick is ready to contribute to Canada's economy and job creation and that now is the time for the project while negotiating with First Nations.

Holt seeks compensation for New Brunswick’s lost HST revenue (she previously pegged it at $70 million; the budget assumes $50M), has discussed pursuing the matter in court, and says negotiations with federal officials are nearing resolution by year-end.

Susan Holt said the federal budget’s investments in critical and trade infrastructure are "positive steps for New Brunswick" and stated her government will work with federal partners to ensure the Sisson Mine and the ports of Belledune and Saint John "get the investments they need to power our economy."

Holt says a balanced budget is still a long way off but remains a government commitment. She says achieving it will require difficult, potentially tougher decisions in the coming year, and the government intends to move in that direction.

Susan Holt pledges to introduce pay-equity legislation for the private and care sectors in New Brunswick, aiming to bring a bill before the Legislative Assembly in 2026; she intends to collaborate with the private sector and stakeholders to advance pay equity.

Susan Holt urged the federal government to make U.S. softwood lumber tariffs a top priority, warning that mill curtailments or closures would have immediate, severe consequences for New Brunswick — causing job losses, reduced government revenues and fewer resources for essential services.

Susan Holt is committed to eliminating the carbon adjuster charge on gasoline and diesel, calling it unfair to consumers and saying the cost should be borne by refiners. She pledged to remove the adjuster immediately during her campaign and set December as the deadline.

Susan Holt says the provincial government must have an active voice in promoting and supporting labour in New Brunswick; she welcomed Alyson Townsend as minister of labour and indicated the government will engage to back and represent labour interests.

Holt insists the federal-provincial child-care funding guarantees an average $10-per-day cost province-wide, not a universal $10 rate; she emphasizes implementation will use income-based subsidies, meaning some families will pay more while lower-income families receive larger reductions.

Susan Holt supports developing New Brunswick's mineral resources while insisting development occur under strong environmental standards and in 'meaningful' partnerships with Indigenous communities, saying the province has a responsibility to develop those resources 'the right way'.

Susan Holt says the province should pursue mining investment while ensuring development is conducted in a way that "ensures that we still have a sustainable and healthy environment in New Brunswick," balancing economic growth with environmental protection.

Susan Holt opposes proceeding without community acceptance for the proposed Tantramar 400‑MW natural gas plant, seeks alternate sites, emphasizes listening and consultation, and frames differences with her minister as timing issues while looking for other options if approval fails.

Holt supports lowering consumer gasoline prices and acted to remove/adjust charges and change pricing rules—seeking repeal of the cost-of-carbon adjuster and substituting E10 in the EUB pricing formula to reduce pump prices, while criticizing regulators for missing the option.

Susan Holt supports a federal-provincial agreement to coordinate environmental impact assessments, saying it removes duplication while preserving the assessment process's strength and integrity, protects New Brunswick's landscapes, ensures rigorous, 'many, many eyes' review, First Nations involvement and one-project/one-review.

Susan Holt opposes the carbon cost adjuster and seeks its removal from regulated fuel prices, arguing oil companies should cover environmental costs, consumers shouldn't pay unproven industry charges, and she pledged and acted to eliminate the adjuster to lower fuel prices for New Brunswickers.

Susan Holt opposes any fuel charge that shifts environmental compliance costs from oil companies onto consumers. She pledged to eliminate New Brunswick’s 'cost of carbon adjuster' and said Clean Fuel Regulations should be borne by producers and refineries, calling the loophole a poor decision.

Susan Holt says she shares protesters' questions and that her government is considering whether to order a comprehensive environmental assessment — examining eligibility, applying rigorous policies and processes, and ensuring proponents and partners provide necessary answers before deciding.

Holt has not committed to approving the proposed natural gas plant; she says her government is reviewing submitted information, asking questions about locations and proponents, and is assessing whether the project is eligible for a rigorous process such as an environmental-impact assessment.

Holt called for a comprehensive, arms-length review of N.B. Power to address rising rates and mounting debt, saying transformative change is required, that "everything is on the table", and the review must be independent and transparent.

Susan Holt says New Brunswick's electricity situation and rate trajectory are unacceptable and must change. She ordered a review of NB Power to examine its future and policy, insisting that rates 'can't keep going' and that the status quo is unsustainable.

Susan Holt directed five ministers to investigate alternatives to pesticide and herbicide use and to re-evaluate glyphosate's safety using new, comprehensive New Brunswick–specific data, indicating she supports a regulatory reassessment and potential action on glyphosate use.

Susan Holt announced reopening Crown land while maintaining restrictions on timber and peat harvesting, reaffirmed a provincewide ban on campfires and open burning, and urged New Brunswickers to remain cautious and safe in the woods to reduce wildfire risk.

Susan Holt says health care will not be exempt from government-wide spending cuts: she has asked all departments to seek 10% savings and directed the Health Department and regional authorities to continue work to maximize efficiency over time.

Susan Holt says expanding collaborative care clinics and funding AI-enabled electronic medical records will reduce physicians' administrative burdens by providing administrative staff support to digitize records, freeing doctors from paperwork and giving them more time for patients.

Susan Holt supports using provincial funding to expand collaborative primary-care clinics so communities can access preventative care close to home, describing such clinics as 'bursting at the seams' and positioning the Fundy Health Centre as a local 'hub of primary care.'

Susan Holt supports investing in local primary-care infrastructure and expanding collaborative clinics. She says upgrades and added staff at the Fundy Health Centre will remove the local waitlist and ensure everyone in eastern Charlotte can have a primary-care home, with follow-up reporting.

Susan Holt supports a digital health strategy that leverages digital innovation to modernize healthcare infrastructure, improve patient care, and create a more rewarding, attractive work environment for healthcare providers by guiding investments and transforming care.

Holt says New Brunswick wants to sign a federal pharmacare deal but Ottawa has failed to recognize the province’s "unique realities," and she expressed frustration that this lack of recognition has stalled negotiations and prevented progress toward an agreement.

Susan Holt says 72.5% of New Brunswickers aren’t attached to a primary care provider (which she said “represents 238,000 New Brunswickers”) and she makes access to primary care her top priority, calling it “the most important metric” and “our top priority.”

Holt says primary-care access is her top priority, is alarmed by the drop in people with a doctor or nurse practitioner, set interim and a 2028 85% target, announced 11 collaborative care clinics, and believes recent measures will improve access with time.

Susan Holt criticized the temporary ambulance-bay care used while patients awaited inpatient beds, calling the situation "terrible" and contacting the affected family, signaling disapproval of how waiting patients were being accommodated.

Holt supports using provincial funds to invest in community recreation centres as investments in community health and well-being that help keep seniors active, reduce hospitalizations, and lower healthcare costs; she announced a $6-million provincial contribution to Rothesay.

Susan Holt said she is monitoring New Brunswickers leaving the country for medical care and wants to ensure the province provides the necessary health services for New Brunswickers, expressing oversight and a commitment to maintain local health-service availability.

Holt says using an ambulance-bay medical transition unit is unacceptable and 'terrible,' but acknowledges Horizon used it as a last resort — otherwise patients would be left in the parking lot — reflecting strain from delayed long-term care placements.

Susan Holt endorses a people-focused Alzheimer strategy that prioritizes public education, timely diagnosis and support for patients, their families and caregivers. She commits provincial action to strengthen supports for those affected, though she does not explicitly mention 'home care' in this article.

Susan Holt says expanding collaborative care clinics fulfills the government's promise and will eliminate primary-care wait lists: she asserts the region's 8,800 people waiting for a provider will be 'wiped out' within 18 months as clinics take new patients.

Susan Holt supports public investment in operating costs for a new 50‑bed substance-use treatment centre, saying New Brunswickers lack timely access to addiction care and the government will address long waitlists by funding annual operations while partners fund construction.

Susan Holt supports expanding collaborative primary-care services in St. Stephen, praising local efforts to build a collaborative care team and stating the government should go further by establishing a dedicated standalone clinic to ensure care is available locally.

Susan Holt supports a plan to ensure New Brunswickers can access primary care within five days by strengthening team-based, collaborative family health care, tracking patient attachment and continuity, and targeting 81% attachment by end of 2026 through incentives.

Susan Holt repealed the provincial rule restricting Medicare funding to hospitals, stating abortion is health care and everyone deserves timely, local access, while acknowledging the regulatory change will not instantly make surgical abortions more accessible.

Susan Holt supports recruiting Quebec physicians amid their labour conflict, saying it's fair for New Brunswick to offer opportunities, that provinces compete for doctors, that it's up to professionals to decide, and that her government is creating conditions where health-care professionals are valued.

Susan Holt supports using a 30-day fast-track and related policy adjustments to move seniors out of hospital into long-term care to free beds. Her government has taken initiatives to “tackle this very thing,” is “having conversations” about extending the fast-track, and acknowledges family concerns.