Participating in New Brunswick’s provincial election

How to contact your candidates

The Sept. 27 New Brunswick election is your chance to raise provincial issues that affect your business with candidates in your riding. There is no better time to approach a future MLA with your issues than when they’re seeking election.

Look up your riding and candidates

To find out information about individual candidates in your riding, please visit the party websites below. Each site allows you to enter your postal code to find out information about your local candidate:

New Brunswick Liberal Party
www.nbliberal.ca

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
www.pcnb.ca

To find out the name of your riding, visit the New Brunswick website and enter your postal code in the form provided. This will identify the name of your riding.

Meeting your candidates

To contact the candidates in your riding, call directory assistance at 506-555-1212 and ask for the campaign office for each candidate.

Call your candidate's campaign office and request a 15-minute meeting.
Explain that you live in the riding and/or employ people in the riding.
If appropriate, invite candidates to meet in your restaurant to see how your business operates.
Familiarize yourself with industry information by reading CRFA’s vision for the foodservice industry in New Brunswick.

At the meeting

Tell the candidate about your business and the number of people you employ. Explain with pride your business accomplishments.
Highlight the size and scope of the foodservice industry in your area and the important role your business plays in the community.
Listen respectfully and thank the candidate for his or her time.

Tips

Don't worry about knowing everything about the industry or the issues. What is most important is that the candidate knows who you are, what you do, and the impact you have on the local economy and employment.
Be respectful but insist on getting a sense of where the candidate stands on the issue(s) that matter most to you and your business.

Follow up

Follow up the meeting with a letter, thanking the candidate for his or her time and reiterating any concerns you may have.
Call CRFA at 1-877-755-1938, ext. 101 or email luc@crfa.ca to let us know how your meeting went.
Send, fax or e-mail CRFA a copy of your letter and/or meeting highlights.

By tracking industry contact with candidates, CRFA can serve you better in the years ahead. Good luck and remember: Your vote matters, so make it count!

All Candidates Meetings

Attend an all candidate forum or debate and ask the politicians about issues facing your business.

CRFA’s vision for New Brunswick’s foodservice industry

The provincial election on Sept. 27, 2010 is an ideal opportunity for you to ensure the New Brunswick government understands the foodservice industry’s enormous contribution to the economy, as well as communities across the province.

The restaurant and foodservice industry brings jobs, investment, innovation and tourism to New Brunswick, while creating a focal point for people to gather. Restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops and bars are gathering spots for people from all walks of life, and operators are proud to serve as a social club for seniors, the sponsor of the local hockey team, the boardroom of small business, and a meeting place for community groups. A business climate that enables this important industry to compete and succeed should be a top public policy priority for the next provincial government. A policy environment that solidifies a partnership between the innovative restaurant industry and government is a recipe for success.

Like many other industries, foodservice has been hit hard by the recent recession – but given the proper conditions, we are uniquely positioned to contribute to economic recovery and growth. Working with CRFA, government must help create an environment where foodservice businesses can prosper and create healthy, vibrant communities.

Foodservice operators and our employees are an integral part of the New Brunswick fabric, both economically and socially. In financial terms, our industry is made up of 1,700 small business operators generating $1.1 billion in sales. On top of this, for every dollar spent in a restaurant, an additional $1.85 is spent in the rest of the economy. With 24,000 employees, we employ more New Brunswickers than the farming, fishing, logging, mining, utilities and agriculture industries combined.

CRFA's New Brunswick Lobbyist