N.B.’S Liberals fall after losing confidence vote
New premier an ex-engineer, Irving executive
The man poised to become New Brunswick’s next premier has a well-earned reputation as a tight-fisted fiscal manager whose resume includes 33 years as a senior executive working for one of Canada’s richest families: the Irving clan.
Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs, a 64-year-old engineer and former finance minister, was hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from the University of New Brunswick. He was eventually promoted to director of distribution, overseeing oil transportation across Eastern Canada and New England.
His extensive business experience has informed his approach to politics. Higgs refers to citizens as customers, and his campaign was replete with references to getting results.
“I came from a company where you had to deliver results in order to survive,” Higgs said when he released the Progressive Conservative platform.
“(New Brunswickers) are paying the bills but they’re not getting the service to reflect the amount of money being spent.”
Higgs will form the next government after the Liberals lost a confidence vote on Friday. His party won 22 seats while the incumbent Liberals held onto just 21. The Greens and People’s Alliance each hold three seats.
He had promised to cut government waste and balance the province’s budget in two years — a year earlier than his outgoing rival, Liberal Premier Brian Gallant.
And like other right-ofcentre politicians, he also promised not to raise taxes, while offering a modest spending plan.
“We will set lofty goals and achieve them. We don’t need more taxes, we need results,” Higgs said Friday.
On the national stage, Higgs isn’t expected to ruffle too many feathers. Unlike Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Higgs is no populist.
“His message isn’t that different from previous premiers,” said J.P. Lewis, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. “He’s more like a traditional Progressive Conservative. He’s like a Harperera cabinet minister.”
Still, Higgs and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are expected to clash over how to deal with climate change.