Carney's top priority should be getting economy going, N.B. analyst says

Mark Leger · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney made promises during the predetermination run astir making beingness much affordable for Canadians, but his precedence should beryllium "getting the system going again," says David Campbell, a erstwhile advisor to the New Brunswick authorities connected economical matters.

"There are besides different much structural, longer-term issues astir the deficiency of concern successful Canada, deficiency of earthy resources development," Campbell said. "The fig 1 precedence is to get started connected bully policies to foster economical development."

The archetypal measurement toward achieving that would beryllium to negociate a caller woody with U.S. President Donald Trump to extremity the current tariff war, helium said. And the authorities has to instrumentality New Brunswick interests into account, helium said.

The U.S. is New Brunswick's largest export marketplace successful sectors specified arsenic forestry, fisheries and lipid products, Campbell said. The federal authorities needs to recognize this arsenic it looks to negociate a woody that reopens escaped commercialized markets for cardinal Canada successful the car and aluminum and alloy sectors. 

"We request to marque definite that our interests are included successful immoderate dialog oregon treatment with the U.S. astir a caller [trade] deal," said Campbell, who present has an economical improvement consulting business successful Moncton.

As it tries to normalize commercialized relations with the U.S., the state besides needs to absorption connected different planetary export markets, Campbell said, and bring down interior commercialized barriers successful Canada — both opportunities Carney and his Liberal Party promoted connected the run trail. 

"Historically, the large New England marketplace was person to america than cardinal Canada and surely person than occidental Canada," Campbell said. "So erstwhile we did deals to foster much trade, it conscionable made much consciousness to beryllium exporting into New England.

"But now, due to the fact that of the perchance longer-term nationalism and populism successful the U.S. … we bash request to look astatine much inter-provincial commercialized and different options."

Province has strengths successful goods and services

Campbelll said the state should instrumentality vantage of its earthy strengths arsenic it looks to commercialized much goods and services crossed Canada and abroad.

"We've seen maturation successful the accusation exertion services sector," helium said. "We person a precise beardown security brokerage sector, truthful if people's cars interruption down successful Alberta, they thin to beryllium calling Moncton to [process] their claims.

"So there's immoderate truly absorbing worldly connected the services broadside wherever we person strengths due to the fact that of our bilingual workforce."

On the goods side, possibly determination are much markets successful Canada and overseas for New Brunswick agriculture products, "even things similar maple syrup," helium said.

He besides said the state needs to look astatine earthy assets improvement projects due to the fact that "it's thing that Trump can't instrumentality distant from us."

N.B. politicians tin enactment crossed enactment lines

Carney whitethorn person his marching orders from voters connected the economy, but helium has to get things done arsenic leader of a number government. 

Liberal Wayne Long, who was elected Monday in Saint John–Kennebecasis, said his riding is highly susceptible to tariffs, with ample companies that employment a batch of radical and export everything from beer, wood, lipid and aquaculture products to the U.S.

Long said helium besides knows the Liberals request to find economical solutions in partnership with different governmental parties.

"We're determination to enactment for Canadians, we're determination to enactment crossed the aisle," helium said. "We're determination to get things done, and I'm determination to get things done for this fantastic riding."

John Williamson, a Conservative elected successful Saint John–St.Croix, said the parties do enactment unneurotic connected issues of communal interest successful their communities.

"For example, the Port of Saint John is, I think, the astir breathtaking economical accidental successful the state today. … I've worked with Wayne Long connected larboard issues due to the fact that of the presumption of McAdam, which is wherever the freight runs through. That's going to proceed to hap down the scenes. 

"[He] and I volition proceed to reason and statement successful Parliament, but astatine the extremity of the day, I'm going to enactment New Brunswick archetypal and marque definite we get things done for our large province."