QUISPAMSIS, N.B. — Voters in New Brunswick delivered a majority win to Premier Blaine Higgs on Monday, effectively endorsing his decision to call a snap election in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — a move described as unsafe and unneeded by his political rivals.
The closely watched campaign was the first in the country since COVID-19 hit, and though it looked much different than previous electoral races, elections officials reported few problems during the past four weeks or on voting day.
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“I want to thank every New Brunswicker who showed the country how democratic elections can be held safely during this pandemic,” Higgs said Monday night in front of about 50 supporters who were wearing masks and standing two metres apart in a Quispamsis, N.B., bingo hall.
He said a majority government would provide stability “through these challenging times.”
With all polls reporting, the Tories won 27 seats in the 49-seat legislature. The Liberals dropped to 17, the Green party held the three seats they won in 2018 and the People’s Alliance won two seats.
As Higgs walked to the stage with his wife and two daughters, all four were wearing full face shields. And as the premier looked at the sparse crowd, he said with a smile: “There’s nothing like coming to a packed hall. This is life in COVID.”
Soon after Higgs delivered his victory speech, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers announced he would be stepping down.
“Obviously with the results of this evening, it’s time for another leader to step up and take this party forward,” said the rookie politician, who lost his seat.
It’s the first time a government in New Brunswick has won two consecutive terms since Bernard Lord led the Tories to re-election in 2003.
When Higgs called for the election last month, he insisted that his 21-month-old minority government lacked stability at a difficult time for the province.
The three other party leaders immediately accused him of political opportunism. But Higgs gambled that the electorate would see things differently.
Having won widespread praise for his leadership on the COVID-19 file, the 66-year-old former Irving Oil executive told voters he needed a majority to help his government focus on keeping people safe.
The premier reminded voters that New Brunswick still has one of the lowest levels of infection in Canada — bested only by P.E.I. and the territories. He also cited forecasts suggesting the province was leading the country in terms of an economic recovery.
At dissolution, there had been 20 Tories, 20 Liberals, three Greens, three People’s Alliance members, one Independent and two vacancies.
During the 28-day race, few candidates campaigned door-to-door, and those who did were careful to wear a mask and stand well back when speaking to voters. There were no handshakes, no kissing of babies, no big rallies.
As the Tories secured their majority win Monday, Green party Leader David Coon said the electoral system had to be changed.
“It speaks to the need for electoral reform, so we don’t have these majority governments where premiers can have their way,” he said.
People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin said he, too, was disappointed with the Tories’ majority win, but he insisted his party would continue to press for change in the legislature.
“We still have our foot in the door,” he said.
The NDP, led by 23-year-old Mackenzie Thomason, failed to win any seats, continuing a shutout that started in 2006.
While the Tories managed to secure a majority, they largely failed to make gains within the province’s French-speaking regions. As a result, the province remains divided along linguistic lines — a perennial problem that resurfaced in 2018.
Higgs said partisan politics are so entrenched in northern New Brunswick it is almost impossible to get a Tory elected.
“It wouldn’t matter what you did,” he said. “You could run a lampshade there and get a Liberal candidate (to win).”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2020.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
