Number of PC MLAs bowing out before N.B. election will make for interesting race in some ridings
One after the other, Progressive Conservative MLAs and ministers have announced they’re not reoffering in the upcoming New Brunswick provincial election.
The latest is Environment Minister Gary Crossman, who said Friday he will be stepping down as both an MLA and minister in the coming days.
He added in his statement his “personal and political believes no longer align in many ways with the direction of our party and government.”
It’s going to make for a completely different era at the N.B. legislature – once the race is over.
“Right now the plot seems to thicken almost every few days, five days or seven days, and we get another candidate not declaring or saying that they're going to step aside,” said Mount Allison University political science professor Mario Levesque. “We're not talking backbenchers here that are resigning. We're talking people that are huge cabinet ministers.”
In February, Arlene Dunn, Mike Holland, Jeff Carr and Daniel Allain announced they would not be running again, and some – like Dunn – resigned almost immediately.
Trevor Holder and Dorothy Shephard – who have almost 40 years experience as MLAs between them – announced in March, followed by Bruce Fitch and Crossman in April.
After 14 years, Ross Wetmore announced last year he would be leaving politics, too.
Some of them have included the party’s direction as part of the reason they’re choosing not to run.
“This does happen. If you look back in New Brunswick history, there's like a smattering here and there of candidates not wanting to run again because they don't agree with their party. But it's normally a one- or two-off, not a whole gaggle,” said University of New Brunswick political science professor J.P. Lewis.
The PC party has 24 of 49 candidates nominated for the Oct. 21 election.
One of the most interesting regions will likely be Saint John, where Shephard, Holder and Dunn’s ridings are located.
“Suddenly now when you have someone like Holder, who had been the MLA for so many years, what does that mean for the competitiveness of ridings like that?” asked Lewis.
Levesque said it’s likely going to mean a tight race, where a minority government could be the result.
“In Saint John, my goodness, it's wide open now. If even half those seats go Liberal, it'll be really close for the final election result,” he said. “And so for Mr. Higgs, it'll be really, really hard for him to form another majority. That's what it suggests right now.”
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Princess Anne to take part in B.C. ceremony bringing new ship into Pacific fleet
Western Canada's first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will officially be brought into the Pacific fleet today and Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to take part in its commissioning ceremony.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
More than half of Canadians say freedom of speech is under threat, new poll suggests
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians feel their right to freedom of speech is in danger.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Feds giving Toronto more than $104M to host 2026 FIFA World Cup
The federal government will provide Toronto just over $104 million in funding to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Police clear encampments as U.S. campus arrests exceed 2,300 amid pro-Palestinian protests
Police ordered pro-Palestinian protesters to clear out of a tent encampment at New York University early Friday, a move that follows weeks of demonstrations and police confrontations at college campuses nationwide that have resulted in more than 2,300 arrests.
Wally, the emotional support alligator once denied entry to a baseball game, is missing
Emotional support animal registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one: 'Wally Gator.'