N.B. Tories prepare to take power

Liberal government led by Brian Gallant falls on confidence vote

FREDERICTON — Five weeks after New Brunswickers went to the polls, Tory Leader Blaine Higgs has become the premier-designate — and is promising to move quickly.

“People of the province should feel comfortable that the system worked. It just took a little longer,” Higgs said after meeting with Lt.-Gov. Jocelyne Roy Vienneau late Friday, hours after Brian Gallant’s Liberals fell on a confidence vote.

She asked if the Progressive Conservative leader had the confidence to form government, and Higgs said he told her that he did.

Afterward, Higgs struck an optimistic tone as he spoke to reporters. “I guess the next step begins,” Higgs said. “I believe our province can be in first place in all categories. And I believe that opportunity is right before us today.”

Gallant, whose government fell when the legislature voted against the throne speech, said he was unsure about his own political future.

Higgs said he wants the transition to occur as quickly as possible, with a cabinet by late next week and a throne speech before the end of the month.

“The throne speech won’t be a shopping list. It will be a priority list and it will be focused on some big items we can agree on,” Higgs said.

“We will set lofty goals and achieve them. We don’t need more taxes. We need results.”

The Tories won 22 seats in the September election — one more than the Liberals — while the Greens and People’s Alliance each won three seats.

Gallant sought to survive with a minority government by adding many of the opposition’s campaign promises to his party’s throne speech earlier this week, but his party’s fate was sealed Thursday when both the Tories and People’s Alliance said they’d vote to defeat it.

Higgs said he believes his minority government can survive four years by producing results.