Brian Gallant talks education, wood in Miramichi

Gallant has detailed ideas about education, but gropes for answers on forestry because of lack of available details on forestry plan.

At the invitation of the Miramichi Chamber of Commerce, Liberal Leader Brian Gallant spoke at a luncheon at the Kin Centre in Miramichi yesterday afternoon. About a 100 people payed $30 each for lunch and a chance to listen to Gallant talk about the future of New Brunswick, and ask him questions.

[caption id="attachment_28231" align="alignleft" width="252"] Liberal leader Brian Gallant speaks at luncheon in Miramichi, May 5th, 2014[/caption]

Chamber president kicked off the meeting saying that his organization planned to facilitate more events like this so Miramichi voters can make an informed decision in September.

Gallant started his speech by taking a page out of Jack Layton's speech book. Gallant said in order for New Brunswick to move ahead, its citizens had to put "hope over fear".

"Fear makes people make bad decisions," he told the crowd.

Gallant rattled off some stats that support what most people already know, is that New Brunswick has an unemployment problem. In July 2013 New Brunswick had the highest unemployment rate in Canada, at 11.6%. In northern New Brunswick it is much higher, and youth unemployment is also very high at 23%.

He said New Brunswickers haven't lost hope, and working together they could turn things around. "But there is no magic pill," he said.

Gallant used some numbers to demonstrate how one sector or focus of the government will not alone turn the tides in New Brunswick. The only sectors that employ more than 10% of the population are Trade and Social Services. The majority of other sectors only employ about 2% of the population.

It's not an overnight answer. "The closest thing to a magic pill," Gallant says, "is Education, Training and Literacy."

Gallant used more statistics to support his theory of stronger economies coming from smarter populations. He said 4 of the 5 richest states in North America have the highest rate of post-secondary graduates. Conversely, the 5 poorest states have the lowest rate of graduates.

Gallant pointed to the skills gap that employers complain about, and the huge upside potential in ICT (information and communication technology). He said two of the largest venture capital deals in the ICT sector were done in New Brunswick, and the sector has the potential to add $250 million a year to the economy, going a long way to erasing a $400 million deficit.

Gallant went on to talk about improving literacy rates in the province, and how that will have a snowball effect on productivity in all economic sectors. He used the example of Finland (not a popular example in Miramichi), how it focused on education, and how its more educating population went on to revolutionize the forest products industry.

Gallant on Education

Much of Gallant's vision of a revitalized New Brunswick centers around education. In his speech he said he believed improved literacy rates would have exponential benefits in the economy. Early in the year, his party released a plan for education in the province. In our January interview, Gallant talked at length about the skills gap in the province. "Filling the gap with trained workers from New Brunswick helps companies, workers and the province," he said.

"We also want to be able to help emerging industries in the province," he said. "In the ICT sector, we have a proven track record of doing quite well, in certain projects, but overall we are under the Canadian average in exports in the ICT sector."

"If we work together and just get up the the Canadian average, we could inject $250 million a year into our economy."

When asked what is holding the province back in that sector, Gallant said it was education and training, and investments in technology.

"We want to have literacy mentors for students in K-3. After grade 3 kids are reading to learn. If we don't get them reading before grade three, they may be lost in the system forever."

"We need to find incentives to get people, maybe students and seniors, to play a role in mentoring younger children in literacy."

Gallant also touched on an idea his party has to begin to teach coding in schools. "We have a generation that is very comfortable in using technology, and we want them to become comfortable creating technology and prepare for the new age economy."

"Having a base in ICT will make people in every profession more productive and innovative."

Gallant also said it is time to bring the trades back into schools to support traditional industries in new Brunswick. Skills upgrading for adults, and affordable post-secondary education is also important he said.

City Councillor Peggy McLean asked Gallant about the debt loads of college graduates and the cost of attending university.

Gallant quoted a 2004 study that ranked New Brunswick 57th out of 60 sates and provinces with regards to affordable post-secondary education. He said the study looked at three areas, the cost of school, debt load after graduation (NB is above average), and salaries after graduation (NB is below average).

Gallant said that graduates can't afford to stay in New Brunswick because there are fewer opportunities to pay back loans. He said his party would remove the parental contribution component for grants and student loans, enabling more people access to scholarships and loans.

He would also like to create education contracts where graduates commit to working in the province in return for financing. He likes this idea because students would be guaranteed some experience when they graduate.

"There is no doubt the financing is a big part of going to college, but we also have to get the trades back in schools, to introduce younger people to the trades so they consider going on and being trained in those fields at college."

Gallant was asked some questions about forestry in New Brunswick by Jean-Guy Comeau and Danny Anderson. His responses are below.

Gallant said the second "magic pill" is diversification. He said tourism needed a better strategy. He said the province needs an infrastructure renewal plan to address deteriorating ports, railways and highways. And he said the province needed proactive economic development agencies in each of the regions.

Gallant "pressing pause" on fracking

Gallant touched on natural resources, saying his party supports the Energy East Pipeline, mining, potash, and forestry. He touched on the recent report by scientists that said there is not enough data to determine if new methods of extracting shale gas is safe for people and the environment, supporting their stance for a moratorium.

In January, Gallant predicted that the reports that have recently come out, would support his "wait and see" stance.

In an interview with Gallant in January, he told MO))) that Premier Alward is telling people that shale gas development has a limited window of opportunity, and that the they have to take advantage of it now and that it is the only ticket to prosperity.

Gallant disagrees. He pointed to Nova Scotia where natural gas plays a big role in the economy there, but that province, too, has a moratorium on fracking.

Gallant said that "pressing pause" on fracking until more information comes in is a very reasonable position. The process of hydrolic fracturing in New Brunswick is rather new, and he believes more time is needed to assess the risks.

The Forestry Plan

In the absence of detail, Brian Gallant calls the provinces new forestry plan a "Forestry Pamphlet". he said his party has been asking for details, but haven;t received many. He said his party would favour a plan that is fair to all stakeholders, and sustainable both for businesses, the environment and the resource.

Gallant was asked by Jean-Guy Comeau what his government would do differently with regards to the forestry plan, and what would he do if elected to level the playing field for private woodlot owners. Jean-Guy Comeau is Chairman of the New Brunswick Woodlot Owners Association, and in March he said he is very nervous about the details that are yet to be known about the plan.

"It would be irresponsible for me to comment, because I have no list of allocations, no indication of their silvaculture plan our where their protected areas are, and no indication on how they pan to help private woodlot owners."

"All I can tell you is what I said in my speech is that we would ensure that everyone gets a fair shake. Forestry is very important industry in our province, and so many rural communities can benefit fro a fair forestry plan. What I have seen so far of the plan we are not very happy with."

"The only part of the deal that we saw, we can't support it in isolation, because we haven't seen the rest of the plan."

Comeau wanted to know if Gallant knows what legislation needs to be in place or changed to ensure a fair bargaining process for woodlot owners. Gallant said he was familiar with it, but didn't know it by heart.

Danny Anderson, owner of Miramichi Lumber, asked Gallant about no increased allocations for small businesses like MLI. Gallant said without information they can't compare who got what. "That transparency is crucial," he said.

"I got the impression that hours after the plan came out, some people got first crack at things, and others were in the dark, and that in itself is concerning. But we can't offer many comments because we don't know the details of the plan. We are hoping that in the coming weeks as the legislature winds down that the government feels more compelled to give the public some information about their forestry pamphlet. It's what the public deserves."