Editing New Brunswick (section)

==Government and politics==
===Government===
{{Main|Government of New Brunswick}}
[[File:New Brunswick Legislature.png|thumb|The [[New Brunswick Legislative Building]] serves as the meeting place for the [[Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick|provincial legislative assembly]].]]
Under [[Canadian federalism]], power is divided between federal and provincial governments. Among areas under federal jurisdiction are citizenship, foreign affairs, national defence, fisheries, criminal law, Indigenous policies, and many others. Provincial jurisdiction covers public lands, health, education, and local government, among other things. Jurisdiction is shared for immigration, pensions, agriculture, and welfare.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canada's Legal System – Sharing of Legislative Powers in Canada |url=https://slmc.uottawa.ca/?q=laws_canada_legal |publisher=University of Ottawa |access-date=17 November 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000216/https://slmc.uottawa.ca/?q=laws_canada_legal |archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref>

The parliamentary system of government is modelled on the British [[Westminster system]]. Forty-nine representatives, nearly always members of political parties, are elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick]]. The [[head of government]] is the [[Premier of New Brunswick]], normally the leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the legislative assembly. Governance is handled by the [[Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)|executive council]] (cabinet), with about 32 ministries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Members of the Executive Council |date=20 October 2014 |url=http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/contacts/minister_list.html |publisher=Government of New Brunswick |access-date=17 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005144515/http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/contacts/minister_list.html |archive-date=5 October 2017}}</ref> Ceremonial duties of the [[Monarchy in New Brunswick]] are mostly carried out by the [[Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick]].

Under amendments to the province's Legislative Assembly Act in 2007, a provincial election is held every four years. The two largest political parties are the [[New Brunswick Liberal Association]] and the [[Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick]]. Since the [[2018 New Brunswick general election|2018 election]], minor parties are the [[Green Party of New Brunswick]] and the [[People's Alliance of New Brunswick]].

====Judiciary====
[[File:Provincial Court of New Brunswick.jpg|thumb|The [[Provincial Court of New Brunswick]] in Saint John]]
The [[Appellate court|Court of Appeal]] of New Brunswick is the highest provincial court. It hears appeals from:
* The [[Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick]]: has jurisdiction over family law and major criminal and civil cases and is divided accordingly into two divisions: Family and Trial. It also hears administrative tribunals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gnb.ca/Cour/overview-e.asp |title=New Brunswick Courts |access-date=29 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805214225/https://www.gnb.ca/Cour/overview-e.asp |archive-date=5 August 2016}}</ref>
* The [[Probate Court]] of New Brunswick: has jurisdiction over estates of deceased persons.
* The [[Provincial Court of New Brunswick]]: nearly all cases involving the ''[[Criminal Code (Canada)|Criminal Code]]'' start here.

The system consists of eight Judicial Districts, loosely based on the counties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gnb.ca/cour/04CQB/locations-e.asp |title=COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH OF NEW BRUNSWICK |access-date=29 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713181343/http://www.gnb.ca/cour/04CQB/locations-e.asp |archive-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> The [[Chief Justice of New Brunswick]] serves at the apex of this court structure.

====Administrative divisions====
[[File:Administrative areas of New Brunswick with First Nations lands map-blank.svg|thumb|Administrative areas of New Brunswick (historic county borders also shown):
{{Legend|#FEFEE4|[[List of local service districts in New Brunswick|Local service district]]|css=border:1px solid #AA8753}}
{{Legend|#F6E1B9|[[List of rural communities in New Brunswick|Rural community]]|css=border:1px solid #AA8753}}
{{Legend|#F1C872|[[List of municipalities in New Brunswick|Municipality]]|css=border:1px solid #AA8753}}
{{Legend|#D75D00|[[Indian reserve]]|css=border:1px solid #AA8753}}]]

The province has fifteen [[List of counties of New Brunswick|counties]], which served as upper-tier municipalities until the municipal reforms of 1966. While county governments have been abolished in New Brunswick, counties continue to be used as [[census division]]s by [[Statistics Canada]], and as an organizational unit, along with parishes, for registration of real-estate and its taxation. Counties continue to figure into the sense of identity of many New Brunwickers. Counties are further subdivided into [[List of parishes in New Brunswick|152 parishes]], which also lost their political significance in 1966 but are still used as [[census subdivision]]s by [[Statistics Canada]].

Ninety-two per cent of the land in the province, inhabited by about 35% of the population, is under provincial administration and has no local, elected representation. The 51% of the province that is [[Crown land]] is administered by the [[Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development (New Brunswick)|Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development]].

Most of the province is administrated as a [[Local service district (New Brunswick)|local service district (LSD)]], an unincorporated unit of local governance. As of 2017, there are 237 LSDs. Services, paid for by property taxes, include a variety of services such as fire protection, solid waste management, street lighting, and dog regulation. LSDs may elect advisory committees<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Service Districts (LSDs) |date=20 January 2006 |url=http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer.9495.html |publisher=Government of New Brunswick |access-date=17 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033139/http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer.9495.html |archive-date=1 December 2017}}</ref> and work with the [[Department of Local Government (New Brunswick)|Department of Local Government]] to recommend how to spend locally collected taxes.

In 2006 there were three rural communities. This is a relatively new type of entity; to be created, it requires a population of 3,000 and a tax base of $200&nbsp;million.<ref name="sorc">{{cite web |last1=Beckley |first1=Thomas M. |title=New Brunswick |url=http://sorc.crrf.ca/nb/ |website=State of Rural Canada |access-date=17 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044041/http://sorc.crrf.ca/nb/ |archive-date=1 December 2017}}</ref> In 2006 there were 101 municipalities.

[[Regional Service Commission]]s, which number 12, were introduced in 2013 to regulate regional planning and solid waste disposal, and provide a forum for discussion on a regional level of police and emergency services, [[climate change adaptation]] planning, and regional sport, recreational and cultural facilities. The commissions' administrative councils are populated by the mayors of each municipality or rural community within a region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/elg/local_government/content/promos/action_plan_local_governance/structure.html |title=Structure of the new Regional Service Commissions |first=Government of New Brunswick |last=Canada |website=www2.gnb.ca |date=24 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010203850/http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/elg/local_government/content/promos/action_plan_local_governance/structure.html |archive-date=10 October 2017}}</ref>

====Provincial finances====
{{Update section|date=April 2025}}
In 2015, New Brunswick had the most poorly-performing economy of any Canadian province, with a per capita income of $28,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Brunswick's 'struggling' economy ranks near bottom of report |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-s-struggling-economy-ranks-near-bottom-of-report-1.2642653 |publisher=CBC |access-date=16 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016184411/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-s-struggling-economy-ranks-near-bottom-of-report-1.2642653 |archive-date=16 October 2015}}</ref> The government has historically run at a large deficit. With about half of the population being rural, it is expensive for the government to provide education and health services, which account for 60 per cent of government expenditure. Thirty-six per cent of the provincial budget is covered by federal cash transfers.<ref name="patriquin">{{cite magazine |last1=Patriquin |first1=Martin |title=Can anything save New Brunswick? |url=http://www.macleans.ca/economy/can-anything-save-new-brunswick/ |magazine=Maclean's |access-date=16 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116081810/http://www.macleans.ca/economy/can-anything-save-new-brunswick/ |archive-date=16 November 2017}}</ref>

The government has frequently attempted to create employment through subsidies, which has often failed to generate long-term economic prosperity and has resulted in bad debt,<ref name="patriquin"/> examples of which include [[Bricklin SV-1|Bricklin]], Atcon,<ref>{{cite news |title=Atcon was so badly managed, taxpayers' $63M was never going to save it, AG finds |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/atcon-funding-auditor-general-report-1.4317029 |publisher=CBC |access-date=16 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008193130/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/atcon-funding-auditor-general-report-1.4317029 |archive-date=8 October 2017}}</ref> and the Marriott call centre in Fredericton.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fredericton call centre closure will cost 265 jobs |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fredericton-call-centre-closure-will-cost-265-jobs-1.1165217 |publisher=CBC |access-date=16 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328002830/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fredericton-call-centre-closure-will-cost-265-jobs-1.1165217 |archive-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

According to a 2014 study by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, the large public debt is a very serious problem. Government revenues are shrinking because of a decline in federal transfer payments. Though expenditures are down (through government pension reform and a reduction in the number of public employees), they have increased relative to GDP,<ref name=aims/> necessitating further measures to reduce debt in the future.

In the 2014–15 [[fiscal year]], provincial debt reached $12.2&nbsp;billion or 37.7 per cent of nominal GDP, an increase over the $10.1&nbsp;billion recorded in 2011–12.<ref name=aims>{{cite web |last1=Murrell |first1=David |last2=Fantauzzo |first2=Shawn |title=New Brunswick's Debt and Deficit |url=http://www.aims.ca/site/media/aims/AIMS2014-NB Debt Study, Final %28prepared for publication%29%281%29.pdf |publisher=Atlantic Institute for Market Studies |access-date=17 November 2017 |date=2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010203848/http://www.aims.ca/site/media/aims/AIMS2014-NB |archive-date=10 October 2017}}</ref> The [[debt-to-GDP ratio]] is projected to fall to 36.7% in 2019–20.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rbc.com/economics/economic-reports/pdf/canadian-fiscal/prov_fiscal.pdf |title=Canadian Federal and Provincial Fiscal Tables |date=14 January 2020 |website=Economic Reports |publisher=Royal Bank of Canada |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205160447/http://www.rbc.com/economics/economic-reports/pdf/canadian-fiscal/prov_fiscal.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of New Brunswick}}
Since the mid-20th century, New Brunswick has seen itself sway between being governed under either the [[Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick|Progressive Conservative Party]] or the [[New Brunswick Liberal Association|Liberal Association]], with both having seen several terms in power.<ref name="Forbes-JamesAbra-1">{{cite web |last1=Forbes |first1=Ernest R. |last2=James-Abra |first2=Erin |title=Politics in New Brunswick |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/politics-in-new-brunswick |website=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |access-date=August 4, 2024 |language=en |date=March 24, 2023}}</ref> Since this time period, New Brunswick had also generally elected [[Premier of New Brunswick|Premiers]] who were generally younger, with most Premiers being elected in their thirties;<ref>{{cite news |title=Brian Gallant joins long list of young former New Brunswick premiers |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/brian-gallant-joins-long-list-of-young-former-new-brunswick-premiers-1.4160906 |access-date=August 4, 2024 |work=[[CTV Atlantic]] |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |date=November 2, 2018}}</ref> this trend changed significantly following the [[2018 New Brunswick general election|2018 provincial election]], which saw [[Blaine Higgs]] take provincial office at age 64, the oldest in the province's history.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Poitras |first1=Jacques |author1-link=Jacques Poitras |title=8 things you need to know about New Brunswick's next premier, Blaine Higgs |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eight-things-you-need-to-know-about-blaine-higgs-1.4897225 |access-date=August 4, 2024 |work=[[CBC News]] |date=November 9, 2018}}</ref>