Wolastoqey Chiefs – Premier Blaine Higgs cancelled all tax revenue sharing agreements with New Brunswick First Nations that had been in place for over 25 tears. These agreements were established to offset the ongoing significant gap “in the per capita funding federal and provincial governments provide for education and social services for First Nations reserves’ throughout Canada compared to funding levels off-reserve for similar services.

“With the recent court decision siding with the Wolastoqey on the matter of these tax agreements giving us faith that the justice system here isn’t totally broken, this decision by the Premier to find an alternative door out of these agreements shows that this government is, in fact totally broken,” said Chief Bernard. “This settler government has little interest in a meaningful relationship with the original peoples of this territory beyond how much more money it can leech from our resources, be it natural or financial.”

Background on Higgs’ history on tax-sharing agreements:

• In 2014, without consulting Premier David Alward or his cabinet colleagues, he issued a notice to cancel tax sharing agreements with First Nations days before a provincial election call citing his view that helping minorities was unfair to the majority he represents.
• In 2020, he engineered his carbon tax in such a way that several million was taken away from First Nations despite designing special measures so that the provincial government lost no revenue and that the natural gas distributor lost no revenue from the carbon tax.
• In 2020, he overruled his own minister of Aboriginal affairs to block an inquiry into systemic racism and in response dumped that minister from cabinet and relegated the portfolio to a part-time job.
• In 2021, despite an ongoing court proceeding he proactively telephoned several reporters to speak against the tax-sharing agreements and issued a statement trying to defend his position.
• In 2021, the courts ruled his plan to use the carbon tax as an excuse to take money from First Nation initiatives to boost their economies, reduce poverty and fund social services was against the law. Government has refused to comment on this decision until now.

“The fact that the Premier made a point to suggest that First Nations don’t pay taxes but access the same programs as the rest of the province and perpetuate this racist stereotype is frightening,” Bernard said. “It is well documented that First Nations aren’t able to access health, education or other social support on a level equal to non- Indigenous Canadians.”

To add insult to injury, Chief Bernard said she and other Chiefs received an invitation from the finance minister with only two-hours’ notice to be briefed after the fact on today’s announcement