November 24, 2023
FREDERICTON – Today in the Legislative Assembly, MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar and Green Health Critic Megan Mitton proposed a motion calling on the government to amend the Public Health Act to make the Chief Medical Officer of Health independent of political decision-making.
“The Chief Medical Officer plays a crucial role in safeguarding the public health of New Brunswickers,” said Mitton. “But successive governments have eroded its independence over the past 10 years. It’s time to fix that.”
Mitton, who recently questioned Dr. Jennifer Russell on her work in the COVID-19 pandemic response during a Public Accounts committee meeting, stated that under the Higgs government, the Chief Officer of Health admitted that political preference played a role in public health decision-making during that crisis.
“The lack of independence of the Chief Medical Officer has resulted in delayed or inadequate responses to health crises, miscommunication, and erosion of the public trust,” added Mitton. “We need to make sure the Chief Medical Officer is an advocate for the health of New Brunswickers and not a private advisor to cabinet.”
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