Higgs doubles down on asylum seekers rhetoric in meeting with Fredericton council

Fredericton council's meeting with provincial party leaders was supposed to focus on municipal issues, but comments by the premier about asylum seekers lit fireworks at city hall Monday night.

While leaders from all three political parties represented in the legislature spoke at the special event, Progressive Conservative leader Blaine Higgs' comments about asylum seekers and their purported impact on the province's health care system drew a sharp rebuke from Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers.

In a question and answer session after Higgs's speech, Rogers said the percentage of Fredericton residents without a primary care provider had jumped from 14 per cent to 33 per cent in four years and she asked Higgs what the government was doing to attract more doctors.

"The increase in population would've had a huge impact on the number of patients that don't have family physicians. That's why with additional asylum seekers that would've added to your list if they moved here," said Higgs.

Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers called Higgs's comments about asylum seekers 'offensive.' (Aidan Cox/CBC)

"I wish you would not deflect and constantly refer to asylum seekers. I find that offensive, personally," said Rogers.

"Well you may, your worship. However, the issue is real," said Higgs.

Last week in Moncton, Higgs told an audience that Ottawa was "considering a plan" to send 4,600 asylum seekers to the province.

Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller later called those comments "largely fictitious."

Higgs has also said asylum seekers are linked to the lack of housing in the province.

Higgs also said asylum seekers were linked to a lack of housing in the province. (Mike Crawley/CBC)

He said that while more housing was being built, the city would not be able to deal with a further influx of asylum seekers.

"You think that Fredericton could handle potentially 1,000 more people with no federal supports in place, no provincial supports in place?" said Higgs.

He did not address the impact on housing availability of people arriving through other immigration processes, or from Canadian residents moving to New Brunswick from other parts of the country.