In the weeks leading up to the beginning of the New Brunswick election campaign, a number of candidates have switched allegiances to run for their former opponents.
Abel LeBlanc has won in the riding of Saint John Lancaster before, as a Liberal, but this time the former MLA is running for the NDP.
“I feel more at ease this time running under an NDP thing, than under a Liberal thing,” says LeBlanc.
Other political veterans have jumped to the NDP as well, including longtime conservative MLA Bev Harrison, who is running in the Hampton area.
Meanwhile, former NDP candidate Wayne Dryer left the New Democrats to run for the Green Party. But Dryer says he didn’t leave the NDP - it left him.
“As you see more of the political parties moving to the centre, it is becoming difficult to distinguish the NDP from the Liberals and the Conservatives,” says Dryer.
Political scientist J.P. Lewis says an unusual number of candidates running in the election won’t be running under the party banner they previously had.
In terms of public response, Lewis says it is better to switch allegiances now, rather than after being elected.
“If you’re switching parties well in advance of an election, you have a lot more time to explain yourself,” says Lewis. “Kelly Lamrock, it’s been a few years since he switched to the NDP, so he has that time.”
Former Liberal cabinet minister Kelly Lamrock remains the highest profile candidate to switch sides. Liberal Leader Brian Gallant downplayed the impact of Lamrock’s decision to cross the floor.
“I think it is very clear that the Liberal Party has undergone a renewal process and sometimes some people won’t like the direction and that’s fine,” says Gallant. “We’ve made it very clear what our direction is. We’re going to focus on creating jobs, growing the economy.”
With candidates switching sides, voters will have to check not only the name on the ballot, but also the party the candidate is representing.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
