NB debrief: New Brunswick’s ‘snitch line’ under fire from critics [video]

Proposed amendments to New Brunswick’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN) will make it easier for neighbours to file anonymous complaints against other neighbours that can result in evictions. The Government asks New Brunswickers to file SCAN complaints against neighbours whose homes show “frequent late-night activity” and a “neglected property and yard.”

Critics argue that this legislation acts as a “snitch line” that disproportionately impacts people of colour and those living in poverty. It is a violation of the right to housing and is a relic of the 1980s war on drugs, they say.

Similar legislation in the Yukon is the subject of a constitutional challenge.

Join host Tobin Haley for a conversation with three guests: Jael Duarte is the New Brunswick Tenants Advocate, Kevin Arseneau is the MLA for Kent North and Aditya Rao is a human rights lawyer in Fredericton.

Note: This episode was filmed before the cabinet shuffle, which removed Ted Flemming as the Minister of Public Safety.

The NB debrief is a collaboration between the NB Media Co-op and CHCO TV.