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In a sign of how touchy bilingualism issues can get in New Brunswick, the province’s education minister has vowed to take action after learning French- and English-speaking students have been travelling on the same school bus.

Under a long-standing policy the provincial government claims it is constitutionally mandated to provide separate buses for anglophones and francophones.

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Dominic Cardy, leader of the provincial New Democratic Party, disagrees.

“A local-level compromise — that was apparently entirely agreeable to the parents and the community — is now being ditched because someone is playing politics,” he said.

“I think it’s a really unfortunate way to handle it.”

This month, Mr. Cardy attracted fierce criticism for suggesting New Brunswick look at cutting costs by allowing the students to take the bus together.

On Thursday, the NDP said shared busing was already the norm at a school district in Richibucto.