An associate professor of Political Science at Mount Allison is condemning Premier Blaine Higgs’ cabinet of 17 as huge, and unwarranted.
Mario Levesque was expecting a cabinet of about 11 or 12 people – which he believes would be sufficient for New Brunswick.
“It was only 22 people elected as Progressive Conservatives, so he named everybody but five people, so what did those five people do,” questioned Levesque. “Did they spit on his shoes not to make cabinet?”
Levesque blasted the 17 member cabinet for being far too large, especially since Higgs spoke often about the need for change, and fiscal restraint.
However, Levesque believes this is a signal the ‘gravy train’ is starting up under Higgs, because each of those positions comes with a $47,000 pay increase on top of their base MLA salary of $85,000.
“It shows a lot of waste, and a lot of fat in his government already,” continues Levesque. “Each position here you get a larger salary, you get a limousine driver, or chauffeur, or whatnot, a car allowance, and a research aide, and all kinds of other things as well.”
Levesque says Higgs promised to do politics differently for New Brunswickers, but so far, all Levesque has seen is the ‘same old, same old stuff’ with the political parties.
