Accomplishments

Experience matters, and we are proud in Saint John Lancaster to be represented by Dorothy Shephard. She has shown time and time again that she is a valued member of every caucus she has served with and has not relied on being in government to make things happen.
From challenging the status quo to progressing thoughtful legislation on Child Protection, she has made informed contributions to government policy and we want her to continuing doing so.
These past twenty months, she has shown her leadership qualities in facing the challenges of Social Development head-on and played pivotal roles in guiding our province through the unexpected turn of a pandemic. All the while continuing the work of a constituency MLA, who’s team is always “at the ready” to try to help with everyday challenges.
Minority governments do not generally last long but their productivity will always be based on the ability to compromise and work with other parties. There have been several accomplishments in this short legislature.  These are some of those accomplishments:
Locally:
  • Assisted the Milford Community Centre with the purchase of a new furnace system.
  • Assisted Denis Morris Community Centre with parking lot repairs enhancing accessibility.
  • Assisted Partners for Youth with repairs for Safe Harbour.
Provincially:
  • Took immediate steps to bolster emergency shelters when an early winter hit. Continued long-term investments while new housing strategies are being implemented.
  • Tabled and passed long sought-after Kinship legislation providing stability and earlier permanence planning for children in care.
  • Increased Social Assistance rates for singles (first time since the Alward government) and for those living with disability.
  • Increased salaries for Home Care, Youth Care, Special Care Home and Adapt workers.
Mental Health
  • Invited to the Mental Health file in November; held two round-table discussion with stakeholders to determine immediate actions required for our population.
  • Finalized a five-year plan which will implement walk-in clinics (number 1 priority) and step care model making access to mental health services easier.
  • Funded a joint Mobile Crisis Response Team pilot with Horizon and the Saint John Police Force (and more similar models are planned for other areas of the province).
COVID-19
  • Co-chaired the All-Party COVID-19 Cabinet Committee
  • Took swift action to contain the virus with the closing of schools in March.
  •  Created a task force for the ability to garner decisions and recommendations quickly to address daily concerns and issues.
As a result, New Brunswick is a leader in recovering from the the first wave of COVID-19.  Government could not have accomplished this success in battling the impacts of COVID-19 without the cooperation and assistance form our general population.