Daniel Allain is the Minister for Local Government and Local Governance Reform. (Staff Photo)
The new minister of Local Government believes his role will be to renew the partnership between municipalities and the provincial government.
The portfolio now includes a secondary title – Local Governance Reform.
Moncton East MLA Daniel Allain says communities have been asking for changes for some time now.
“We’re going to talk to government stakeholders, i.e. the municipalities, and we’re going to ask them what their definition of reform is all about.”
Allain says it’s important that the objectives and goals of government are aligned with municipalities.
He adds some people might say that New Brunswick is over-governed.
A report commissioned in 2008 from Jean-Guy Finn, the former commissioner of local governance, called for a huge reduction in the number of municipalities and local service districts province-wide.
Cities across the province have also expressed concern in recent years about the increasing costs of police and fire services.
