A hunger for change
As New Brunswick politicians scramble to make sense of Monday’s election results and seek to break a looming legislative deadlock, other Atlantic provinces are watching with heightened interest — trying to assess what it might mean for them. The rising power of third parties can no longer be viewed as a temporary phenomenon. It’s the new reality.
Political manoeuvring was in high gear Thursday in Fredericton as Progressive Conservative leader Blaine Higgs visited the lieutenant-governor to discuss his options. He feels he won the election with 22 seats, one more than Premier Brian Gallant’s Liberals.
Higgs is demanding that Gallant either immediately recall the legislature or resign. Gallant was at the lieutenant-governor’s residence Tuesday and won her support to remain as premier until he meets the legislature and wins the confidence of the house. It’s how the Westminister system of parliamentary government works, especially with the balance of power in N.B. resting with the surging Green and People’s Alliance parties — each with three seats.
Higgs believes that any delay is simply prolonging the inevitable. He’s likely correct. Gallant’s Liberals need Green coalition help to stay in power in the 49seat legislature. The math is obvious. Higgs would be wise to seek support from the People’s Alliance and bring down the government at the earliest opportunity.
Third parties are flexing their balance-of-power muscles in N.B. today. Maybe that’s why all four Atlantic Liberal premiers met in Moncton last Sunday in a sign of solidarity. They pushed the message that joint co-operation resulted in significant benefits for the region. And it would make sense for N.B. voters to support Gallant.
The meeting — a day before Monday’s vote — suggested the premiers knew Gallant was in trouble, and it was to their benefit to try and prevent any cracks in the united Atlantic Liberal front. It might be Premier Gallant today, but it well could be P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan or Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball tomorrow. And then Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil in the near future.
An election is expected in P.E.I. next spring, and recent polls show the surging Greens with a slight lead over the Liberals. It might come down to the bizarre scenario of Liberals and Tories forming a coalition to keep the Greens from power. Newfoundland and Labrador goes to the polls in just over a year’s time. A comfortable Liberal majority could easily switch to the NDP and PCs. Nova Scotia already has a deep connection with a third party since the NDP had recently formed government. While the Greens have yet to gain much traction in N.S. and N.L., their emergence elsewhere in the region suggests it’s a safe bet they could see similar impressive gains in those provinces as well.
There is a hunger for change and many voters feel their concerns are not and cannot be met within the Liberal and PC parties. Voters want to see politics done differently. Well, that’s certainly the case today in New Brunswick.