Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long plans to oppose the proposed changes to the constituency he represents, among the most dramatic of the changes recommended for New Brunswick by a federal border commission.
“I’m not happy about it, I don’t like it, and I’m going to fight it,” Long said Friday about plans to split the city of San Juan into two separate constituencies.
According to a report released Thursday on electoral reform in the province, everything east of the St. John would have to join the Kennebecasis Valley, while everything in the west would have to join Charlotte County in a monster that stretches for 8,600 square miles. parts of Queens and Kings counties.
“You know, I’m sitting in my office in the market square, looking out the window, looking at the harbor, looking west at Saint John. To think that this would be part of a ride down to St. Stephen, just it is not acceptable. It will hurt St. John in the long run, “Long said.
He said St. John should have a deputy focused on the needs of the city. Instead, he said, members of the West will become a minority where their position will be diluted in a vast space made up largely of rural communities.
“They’re not two deputies. Let’s be very clear. It’s not that St. John has two deputies. Sure. There are two constituencies named St. John,” Long said.
The New Brunswick Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission is proposing that the province maintain 10 constituencies. It also proposes changes, of varying degrees, to all 10, including new names for some. (New Brunswick Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission)
The recommendation to split Saint John was one of several made in the report released by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for New Brunswick.
According to the report, the province will hold 10 federal seats, but all will look a little different in the next federal election, if the proposals are adopted.
Some of the changes suggested by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for New Brunswick, including the Moncton area, are linguistically based.
For example, in the Northwest, the commission has suggested that several French-speaking communities move from the Miramichi-Grand Lake constituency to Acadie-Bathurst.
The three-member committee includes Lucie A. LaVigne, chair of the commission and judge of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal, Condé Grondin, a retired professor of political science, and Thomas Riordon, a retired judge at the Queen’s Bank Court. of New Brunswick.
Across the country, most provinces will keep the same number of seats under the proposed changes, although Quebec will lose one seat and Ontario will win one. The biggest change is proposed in Alberta, which could see three additional seats.
The report proposes to increase Parliament by four seats in the next federal election, bringing the total to 342.
Full details of the proposed changes in New Brunswick can be found online, but here are some highlights:
Acadie-Bathurst
The commission said it initially did not believe any change was needed in Acadie-Bathurst until Tracadie-Sheila MP Keith Chiasson informed them of the problem. He identified the communities of Rivière-du-Portage, Haut-Rivière-du-Portage and Brantville.
“Chiasson stated that the populations of these communities are predominantly French-speaking and Acadian, and that their linguistic profile and sense of belonging align with the Acadian Peninsula and the Acadie-Bathurst constituency, where they attend for daily services and needs. , such as schools, health services, shops, businesses, financial and legal services, and provincial and federal government offices. “
Beausejour
The commission is proposing to move a small part of the city of Moncton from Beauséjour to the proposed Moncton-Dieppe circus. The change would still leave Beauséjour with a population of 88,490, which would place it at 14% above the provincial electoral quota.
The commission said it was not concerned about the numbers because Beauséjour would be “geographically the smallest rural constituency”.
Fredericton (suggested name: Fredericton-Oromocto)
The new district would consist mainly of the city of Fredericton and its environs, plus the city of Oromocto. The remainder of the old Fredericton riding would be distributed to other constituencies, including Burton Parish which goes to Saint John-St. Cross.
The new district would be smaller due to the increase in population in the capital region.
Fundy Royal (suggested name: Fundy Royal — Riverview)
The commission proposes that Riverview be added to the Fundy Royal constituency. It makes sense, according to the report, because of an “existing community of interest, as well as the historical ties between the city of Riverview and the Mount Fundy Royal assembly.”
“In fact, the Commission received comments from a Riverview City resident who expressed frustration that the city of Riverview was split between two districts and commented that many did not seem to know where the dividing line was between districts, ”the report states.
The town of Quispamsis would move from Fundy Royal to the proposed riding of Saint John-Kennebecasis.
Madawaska-Restigouche
As the population of the region is 22 percent below the provincial quota, the proposal is to move several communities to horseback riding, including the town of Grand Falls, the parishes of Grand Falls and Drummond, as well as the town of Drummond and the rural community. of Saint-André, who are now riding Tobique-Mactaquac.
The commission noted that the areas have historical ties and common interests. From 1966 to 1996, they were on the same circumference as the communities in Madawaska County, when it was known as Madawaska-Victoria.
“Also in this region, the linguistic and cultural specificities of the communities weighed in the balance,” the commission said.
Miramichi-Great Lake
The commission proposes that the Miramichi — Grand Lake constituency include the current territory plus the area south of Sheffield Parish and parts of Maugerville and Canning Parishes, which are now part of Fredericton Electoral District. The proposal would also include moving Waterborough Parish from Fundy Royal.
Part of the regional municipality of Tracadie would move from Miramichi-Grand Lake to Acadie-Bathurst.
The report proposes to separate Riverview from the rest of Moncton and join Fundy Royal. (New Brunswick Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission)
Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe (suggested name: Moncton-Dieppe)
The commission proposes that the city of Riverview be removed from the district and become part of the proposed Fundy Royal-Riverview district.
Officials acknowledged the ties between the three Greater Moncton counties, but due to population growth (nearly 12,000 people in 10 years), it was no longer possible to keep them together, as the area was 31 percent. above the provincial electoral quota.
The commission said it was considering relocating parts of Dieppe and Riverview to other constituencies, but that would have diluted “the French-speaking critical mass and the loss of a French-speaking municipality (Dieppe) would jeopardize the effective representation of the Francophone minority in the new constituency. as it would weaken the political influence of this minority and diminish its ability to express its concerns effectively. “
Southwestern New Brunswick (suggested name: Saint John-St. Croix)
The commission proposes to add the part of the current Saint John-Rothesay constituency west of the St. John River. John and the Port of Saint John, plus the parish of Burton, which is in the present constituency of Fredericton.
The commission proposes to eliminate the villages of Harvey and McAdam, the parishes of Dumfries, Kingsclear, McAdam, Manners Sutton and Prince William, the rural community of Hanwell and the Indian reservation Kingsclear no. 6, and move them to the proposed constituency of Tobique-Mactaquac.
“The current riding covers approximately 11,800 square kilometers and includes voters living on three islands, a situation that presents unique travel and representation challenges. With the proposed new limits, the size of riding will be reduced to about 8,600 square kilometers, which will make it more manageable. “
The commission noted that the cities of Fredericton and Moncton requested that their cities be brought together in a single circus.
“In stark contrast to this, we now propose that the city of San Juan be divided, using the river San Juan and the port of San Juan as a natural topographic division, and transferring the part to the west of this line. in the proposed constituency. Saint John-St. Croix constituency. “
The boundary commission proposes dividing St. John into two constituencies, with the entire east of the St. John River joining the Kennebecasis Valley. (New Brunswick Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission)
Saint John-Rothesay (suggested name: Saint John-Kennebecasis)
The proposed new equestrian center would include the current territory plus the city of Quispamsis, which is now part of the Fundy Royal equestrian center. The proposed assembly would remove the part west of the St. John and the port of Saint John, and this area would be moved to Saint John-St. Cross.
“The commission believes that Quispamsis Village has a close community of interest with the more urban area of St. John’s City and Rothesay Village,” the report states.
“In the past, some have called for the town of Rothesay and the town of Quispamsis, commonly known as the Kennebecasis Valley, to remain in the same constituency, given the obvious community of shared economic interests and geographical proximity.”
Tobique-Mactaquac
The commission proposes that the Tobique-Mactaquac constituency extend its southwest …