N.B. cabinet minister abruptly resigns over 'caucus mismanagement'

A veteran of the Blaine Higgs government in New Brunswick has resigned from her cabinet post, citing what she describes as the premier’s "caucus mismanagement."

A veteran of the Blaine Higgs government in New Brunswick has resigned from her cabinet post, citing what she describes as the premier’s "caucus mismanagement."

Dorothy Shephard made the announcement late Thursday afternoon in the legislature.

The Saint John area MLA joined other caucus members last week in refusing to sit in the Legislature over proposed changes to Policy 713, the province's policy on sexual orientation in schools.

In a letter last week, eight PC MLAs said they sat out out because of an “extreme disappointment” with a lack of transparency through the review process.

Both the old and new policies required that students under 16 get parental consent to officially change their name and pronouns. The old policy said they could choose to be called what they liked at school unofficially. The new policy is unclear on unofficial preferences of names and pronouns for students under 16.

Shephard told reporters, it wasn’t only because of disagreements over Policy 713.

“I resigned because there is no process; cabinet and caucus are routinely dismissed,” she said. “I have been struggling with this since October 2021."