N.B. People's Alliance party folds, MLAs Austin and Conroy join PC government

In its beginning, the People’s Alliance Party of New Brunswick had five people show up to its first meeting.

It grew, and in its third election, gained enough support to elect three members to the New Brunswick legislature, and even hold the balance of power from 2018 to 2020.

However, on Wednesday, its leader said he and fellow MLA Michelle Conroy will be crossing the floor to become Progressive Conservatives as his party is deregistered - a move Kris Austin says he’s been considering for about a year.

“I had to make a choice whether I continue on with this thing that I helped birth as a provincial party or represent the people that elected me and put the faith in me in Fredericton-Grand Lake," said Austin, during a make-shift press conference in the basement of the legislature Wednesday.

"So, I realize at this point, I have got to put the people first."

It was July of 2010, when a young-Austin stood at the Elections New Brunswick reception desk, asking to register the People’s Alliance party.

He told reporters he was tired of traditional politics.

“Things are coming to a climax. The people of this province are fed up with the political system,” he said 12 years ago.

The party failed to win a seat in 2010 and 2014 – although missed out by only 26 votes.

In 2018, the party won three seats, including Austin’s. The Blaine Higgs Progressive Conservatives won a minority, and needed the Alliance to get legislation passed.

However, that wasn't the case in 2020 when the Alliance won two seats and the PC's formed a majority government.

Austin admits since then, making a difference has been difficult.

“The resounding message I’m receiving from my own constituents is, is just that you have to make a move to allow their voice to be heard more effectively,” he said.

Higgs accepted Austin and Conroy to the party “with humility.”

“I want to reassure any of our members and New Brunswickers that they’re joining us by accepting the rules and by-laws that govern our party,” he said.  

That comes with some scrutiny. Austin has pushed to dissolve the office of the Official Languages Commissioner, and eliminate bilingual requirements for public sector jobs. He’s also questioned the need for two health networks – English and French.

Liberal MLA Robert Gauvin – who once sat in Higgs’ caucus as a PC – called it a “sad day for politics in New Brunswick.”

“I know people want to make this about language – it’s going to be more than language,” he said.

Gauvin and New Brunswick Liberal Leader Roger Melanson say they’re concerned about Austin and Conroy’s ideology in government.

“(Higgs) wants to reunite the right-wing ideology, so there’s no splitting of the vote potentially. It’s a very short-term vision of what the decision they’ve made today,” Melanson said.