All seven candidates running in the Saint Croix riding in the October 21 provincial general election say Campobello Island needs a year round ferry. They agree that law courts should return to Charlotte County and that the area faces issues with homelessness, drugs, crime and healthcare. They spoke in a debate moderated by Vicki Hogarth of CHCO TV at the Garcelon Civic Center in St. Stephen.
      Progressive Conservative Senior's Minister and former journalist Kathy Bockus wants a second term as MLA. The challengers include Troy Lyons, with work experience in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and the environmental sector, for the Liberal Party; Campobello Island native and musician Krysten Mitchell for the Libertarian Party; Bola Ademolu, who breeds pedigreed European Doberman dogs, for the New Democratic Party; lay minister and wedding officiant Mark Groleau for the Green Party; accountant and entrepreneur Alex Tessman for the People's Alliance; and independent candidate Kris Booth, who runs an autobody shop.
      Travelling through Maine to get to St. Stephen became more difficult for Campobello residents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and worse during the COVID 19 restrictions. The privately run seasonal ferry linking Campobello to Deer Island made its last run for the year on September 30.
      Libertarian candidate Mitchell said the fare for the Campobello Deer Island seasonal ferry costs about the same as going to and from Grand Manan "for a quarter of the trip on a way smaller vessel." People's Alliance candidate Tessman said that islanders "can technically become a prisoner in your own country" if they cannot cross the border. Ademolu, the NDP candidate, would include a year round Campobello ferry as part of an integrated transit system.
      PC candidate Bockus says the ferry project needs "funding and buy in" from federal, provincial and local governments. "There are a lot of moving parts," she said. "Apparently we have an MLA who fully supports a ferry but could not get it done with a majority government," Groleau, the Green candidate, retorted. The revenue lost from Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs' proposal to cut the harmonized sales tax would pay for a ferry, he said. "One doctor's visit a day over on the other side" would save the provincial healthcare system enough to pay for a ferry, according to Booth, an independent candidate. Lyons, the Liberal candidate, criticized Higgs for not using available federal infrastructure money for a Campobello Island ferry.
      Bockus recalled her job as local court reporter until 2015, when the Liberal government shut down the provincial court in St. Stephen and on Grand Manan, forcing people to attend court in Saint John.
      She recalled people begging to keep their names out of the paper, to which Lyons said, "They're more fearful of their teacher seeing them or their grandmother than they were of the justice system." With no local courthouse and no local newspaper, the chances of your grandmother reading your name in print have dropped.
      "I was very upset and so were a lot of other people when the Liberals closed that courtroom [in St. Stephen]," Bockus said. Groleau responded that Bockus served on the government side of the House while her party held a majority of the seats "and we don't see any movement on that at all."
      Candidates contend that trips to court in the city mean fewer RCMP officers on patrol in Charlotte County.
      "Access to justice is a right," Tessman argued. He would put more into mental health services and social services as well as police. "The courthouse, we need it," said Ademolou, stating that many people cannot get to Saint John. A local courthouse would save travel time and money for police and lawyers, said Booth, adding that a provincial police force could take pressure off the RCMP, which could focus more on drug dealers. Groleau said that a "mobile crisis unit" would allow trained workers to defuse mental health issues, taking pressure off police.
      Deer Island residents know not to expect police response after the ferry ties up for the night, and police from St. Stephen face problems getting to Campobello Island, said Lyons. Groleau said the RCMP has only 35 officers to cover between Saint John and the border. Mitchell believes in "localising the police force and having a town sheriff." She favors an elected police force.
      Bockus said St. Stephen will have an out of the cold shelter for homeless people for the third winter in a row. She stated that Higgs has reconfirmed commitments to help people with drug addictions and mental health issues. She said the government will introduce a Compassionate Care Act compelling people into drug treatment and rehabilitation.
      No candidate argued that St. Stephen will not need an out of the cold shelter this winter. Booth proposed to lower sentences for people charged with offences willing to complete rehabilitation programs. Groleau would cap annual rent increases at 2.5% and help municipalities, nonprofit groups and cooperatives to buy and build housing.
      Lyons supports a rent cap, removing the provincial sales tax on new multi unit buildings and better mental health services. Mitchell would "reduce regulations from day one" and allow local authorities to deal with the problem. Tessman would enter government private sector partnerships and use tax policy to spur new affordable housing. Crime rates and homelessness will drop with jobs and programs, Ademolou said.
      Groleau proposes an inquiry into the property tax assessment system. Lyons would remove taxes on essentials, cap rent increases, overhaul property taxes, cut taxes on gasoline and remove the harmonized sales tax from new multi unit buildings. Mitchell would remove regulations on building and lower property taxes for senior citizens. Tessman proposed to limit increases in property taxes to the cost of living and would provide "access to a capital pool or guaranteed loans or something" to spur construction. Ademolou supports social housing and said the government must adopt policies to "create jobs -- high-paying jobs."
      The government reestablished the New Brunswick Housing Corp., plans to spend $500 million over five years to start 6,000 new houses a year and "created market conditions" to hold rent increases to 2.5% a year, Bockus said. She said the government established a "rent bank" for renters facing eviction.
      Booth said that immigrants take housing, which people from the area could otherwise afford. He proposes to give two acres of land to children of Canadian citizens who live here.
      To the question of rising utility rates and cost of living generally, Lyons would cap rent increases and lower property and gasoline taxes. Mitchell would "reduce taxes on day one" and promote competition. Tessman would target tax cuts to things people need. Booth would cut the federal carbon tax and said working people need higher-paying jobs. Ademolou would cut electricity costs and subsidies to business. Groleau would force landlords, not tenants, to justify higher rents.
      They agreed that communities must adapt to changing climate. Tessman said some communities might have to move with water levels rising, and he thinks that nuclear might be a better bet than wind for "green energy." Ademolou supports green facilities, "more green jobs" and public transit. Communities should do assessments to avoid devastation such as that in the southeastern United States, said Bockus. Booth questioned the wisdom of importing oil by sea rather than bring it by pipeline. Groleau would end forestry policies favouring conifer trees that "go up like match sticks" in fires. Lyons would complete climate action planning, clear trees likely to bring down power lines, review and update emergency preparedness plans and implement a coastal erosion plan. "The solution is not allowing people to damage other people's property," said Mitchell.
      Bockus said that healthcare workers want to work in clinics today. She said the government put $3.9 billion into healthcare this year, hired 125 more doctors and 1,000 nurses since 2018 and increased seats at medical schools. Booth would provide housing support to draw healthcare professionals. Groleau held up a collaborative clinic in Tantramar as a model. Lyons also supports collaborative healthcare and would provide more seats at medical and nursing schools. Mitchell proposed individual "medical savings accounts" to bring competition into healthcare. Tessman called for more seats to train healthcare professionals and forgiving student loans. Ademolou said the area needs more doctors and nurses.
      Ademolou supports school breakfast and lunch programs and said that schools need more teachers. Bockus agrees that New Brunswick needs more teachers. She supports new policies that now require parental consent for children to change pronouns and names at school. Booth would teach young people "to think for themselves" and allow parents a greater say in education. Groleau identified hungry children and a lack of teachers as issues facing schools. Lyons supports a universal breakfast program and "pay what you can lunch program," while also reviewing class composition issues. Mitchell supports school choice and grants to allow parents to pick the schools their children attend. Tessman would provide more classroom support, forgive student loans for teachers and allow parents to choose which schools their children attend.

Fundy-The Isles candidates
      In Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville, Progressive Conservative MLA Andrea Anderson Mason is not seeking reelection, leaving the field open to six contenders: teacher Ian Lee, the Progressive Conservative candidate; small business operator and community volunteer Patty Borthwick, the Liberal candidate; former NDP candidate Sharon Greenlaw of Grand Manan, the Consensus New Brunswick candidate; construction worker Keith Tays of St. George, the Libertarian candidate; former addiction therapist, counsellor, radio personality and community newspaper editor Chris Wanamaker from Saint John, the NDP candidate; and Rhonda Connell, the Green candidate, an educator running an academic enrichment program in Fredericton.