New Brunswick's premier says he's willing to have an election over on-going nursing home negotiations.
Blaine Higgs issued a dare to the opposition, the day after the legislature voted 25-21 in favour of a motion calling for binding arbitration to settle the dispute.
It's only symbolic, but the motion had the support of two People's Alliance MLAs. The premier says he's willing to risk his minority government on the issue.
“When people want to hold me to the wall and say, ‘OK, I dare you!’ It isn't about a dare, it's about a fix,” Higgs said. “And going to binding arbitration without the recognition of like-salaries, like-professions, like-benefits and looking at the whole package in our province, is not reasonable.”
People's Alliance members say they've committed to support the Progressive Conservative minority for 18 months -- and will vote that way if a confidence motion is on the table -- but they say they still believe binding arbitration is the best way to settle the nursing home contract dispute.
