The new ideas PC members didn't get to hear

“I understand, and it’s an interpretation, that there were about 80 registrations (for the AGM) … I understand there was a substantial number of those that were identified as progressives, which became embarrassing to that (leadership) gang,” Léger said.

He added that the “early bird” prices for the AGM, which he said started at $150 per person, were “undemocratic” and “outrageous for New Brunswick standards.” The regular rate for a ticket was $195, Léger said. 

Later, via email, he said that what happened on Friday “will be remembered as the day the Higgs PC party died.”

“What more can we expect from an undemocratic premier, premier’s office, premier’s executive and premier’s council? In a healthy party democracy, the premiership reports to the party.”

Higgs didn’t speak to reporters in the legislature on Tuesday, and Health Minister Bruce Fitch deferred to the party’s decisionmakers when asked about the AGM’s postponement.

He did, however, quip that not having to attend the AGM on May 24-25 will allow him to open his trailer, and that “you’ve got to take advantage of the time that’s given to you.”

The ideas

Bilingualism:

• “Commencing May 26, 2024, all meetings of the Provincial Council, Provincial Executive, or Annual General Meeting offer all attendees simultaneous translation services in both Official Languages;
• “No later than May 26, 2024 PCNB prepare a job posting seeking a fully bilingual administrator to assist the current executive in fulfilling their obligations to promote and protect official bilingualism (the ‘Bilingual Assistant’);
• “No later than June 26, 2024, PCNB will  prepare a report to be presented to Provincial Council evidencing their efforts to fill the Bilingual Assistant Role and presenting the candidates to Provincial Council for approval;
• “Commencing immediately and continuing in perpetuity bilingualism (French and English) as defined by section 16(1) of the Official Languages Act, RSC 1985, c 31 (4th Supp shall be a mandatory requirement for any individual occupying the role of Executive Director of PCNB, notwithstanding that any non-bilingual individual holding the role of Executive Director as of May 24, 2024 shall not be prevented on account of this resolution from continuing to occupy the Executive Director position.”

Policy development:

• “Commencing May 26, 2024, each Regional Vice President outlined under Article 7 subsection 3 Schedule A of the Constitution of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick shall hold an annual Policy Town Hall Meeting (hereinafter “Policy Town Halls”);
• “Policy Town Halls shall be held for the purpose of soliciting feedback from all New Brunswick Residents living within each of the regions set out under Schedule A set out under Article 7 subsection 3 of the Constitution of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick (hereinafter the “Regions”);
• “The Policy Town Halls shall be held in person at a location within the respective Regions and shall be open to attendance to all New Brunswick Residents living within each respective Region;
• “The Policy Town Halls shall be conducted in person, led by the Regional Vice President
  and shall be held annually prior to the holding of the Annual General Meeting of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick;
• “The Policy Town Halls shall allow New Brunswick Residents to voice their concerns to the Regional Vice Presidents as to those policy and other issues most affecting them and/or their communities;
• “Each Regional Vice President shall be responsible for preparing a report to be presented during the Annual General Meeting of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick based on the feedback solicited from New Brunswickers during their respective Policy Town Halls, and;
• “The Policy Reports shall be used to inform and base the policy convention(s) held at the Annual General Meeting of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick and shall be used in drafting report of the Policy Advisory Committee.”

Party event prices: 

• “No later than May 27, 2024, the Party shall refund all amounts paid by PCNB Members with respect to AGM admission fees in excess of $85.00 to the respective members;
• “No later than May 27, 2024, the Party shall form an AGM Committee whose mandate shall be to ensure that all Annual General Meetings of the Party remain open and accessible to the entirety of the membership;
• “Commencing no later than May 27, 2024, the registration fee paid by members to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Party and/or the registration fee paid by members to attend any Leadership Convention of the Party shall not exceed the amount of $85.00 as prescribed by section 2(1)(e) of the Political Process Financing Act, SNB 1978, c P-9.3 and as amended from time to time, and;
• “Commencing immediately and continuing in perpetuity the Party move to ensure that the Annual General Meeting of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick be a break even event and that no revenue shall be generated by the Party based on AGM registration or admission fees charged to party members.”

Out-of-province donations: 

• “No later than May 27, 2024, and notwithstanding section 37(1) of the Political Process Financing Act, SNB 1978, c P-9.3, the Party shall ensure that Out of Province Donations from individuals
  without an economic nexus to New Brunswick constitute no more than five per cent of the total revenue of the Party;
• No later than May 27, 2024, the Party shall put in place measures to prevent the use of
  Party funds from being expended in connection with attempts to solicit or collect Out of Province Donations from individuals without an economic nexus to New Brunswick, and;
• No later than May 27, 2024 the Party shall draft and cause to be sent a letter to the Office of the Premier expressing its desire that the Political Process Financing Act, SNB 1978, c P-9.3 be amended to prohibit Out of Province Donations from individuals without a economic nexus to New
  Brunswick.”

Candidates and nominations:

• “No later than May 27, 2024, the Party shall provide each of the Provincial RDA Executives with a complete list of all individuals who have applied for, or have been vetted by the Party or whom the Party has approached regarding their interest in, seeking to be nominated as a PCNB candidate within the applicable RDA;
• No later than May 27, 2024, the Party shall provide a current and accurate list of all members residing within each of the redrawn Provincial Electoral Districts pursuant to the redistribution of Electoral Boundaries undertaken in accordance with the Electoral Boundaries and
  Representation Act, RSNB 2014, c 1;
• That the recruitment by the Party of any individual for nomination as a PCNB Candidate shall not be undertaken absent the prior written consent of the RDA Executive, and that the President of the
  RDA Executive or such other Director of the RDA as the President may designate be
  in attendance during any meetings, and or included in all conversations, and correspondence of any kind whatsoever occurring between the individual and the Party;
• “That explicit language be added to ensure that the scheduling, including postponement of all Nomination Conventions shall be at the sole discretion of the RDA Executive and that in no event
  shall the Party Executive be permitted to override, overrule or become involved with decisions taken by an RDA Executive with respect to Candidate retention, recruitment and/or the Nomination Convention, and;
• “That any committee, panel, or other group convened for the purpose of vetting a candidate or applicate seeking to be nominated as a PCNB Candidate include at minimum the President of the RDA Executive or such other Director of the RDA as the President may designate and one Director voted on the Board of the RDA for the Riding in which the individual seeks to be nominated.”

Choosing the leader:

• “Each member of the Party will have one vote and voting will be by preferential vote via a single transferable ballot;
• “Every vote cast by a member of the Party will be counted as a vote within the Provincial Electoral District (“RDA”) in which the member resides or is residing in while enrolled in full time studies at an educational institution. (“Eligible Vote”);
• “Leadership Candidates will be allocated a point total using a scale from zero (0) to one-hundred (100) based on the percent share of Eligible Votes they have received within each RDA;
• “The Leadership Candidate who obtains a majority of votes within an RDA, being defined as having been allocated 51 points or more, shall be deemed to have won that RDA, and shall be awarded one (1) Electoral Point;
• “To win the Leadership, a Leadership Candidate must obtain no fewer than twenty-five (25) Electoral Points including at least one (1) Electoral Point from each seven (7) regions of the Province for which a Regional Vice President has been elected pursuant to Article 7, subsection 3
  of the Constitution of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick;
• “Each Leadership Candidate is entitled to have scrutineers present at all stages of the vote count, and;
• “At each count round, both the weighted results and the results by RDA shall be made public.
• “In addition, the rules shall provide for the process where a member casts a postal ballot, the
  minimum membership period established for eligibility to vote in the leadership election, and
  shall ensure sufficient voting period so as to permit adequate time for Leadership Convention
  ballots to be mailed to members and returned by mail. Voting by way of faxed ballot shall not be
  permitted.
• “The Provincial Council shall appoint a Credentials Committee for the resolution of any disputes
  arising from or in connection with the Leadership Convention. The Credentials Committee shall be comprised of nine (9) members as follows:
• “Seven (7) Members shall be elected by Provincial Council with one Member selected from each of the 7 Regions for which a Regional Vice President has been elected pursuant to Article 7, subsection 3 of the Constitution of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick;
• “One (1) Member whom shall be appointed by the President of the NBYPC;
• “One (1) Member whom shall be appointed by the President elected appointed by the President of the Women’s Association;
• “Any decision made by the Credentials Committee with respect to a Leadership Convention Dispute is final and binding and may not be appealed.”