Lt.-Gov. OK’d premier’s bid to stay in office

Brian Gallant promises to seek confidence of the house, call the legislature back ‘sooner than later’ before Christmas

FREDERICTON — Brian Gallant says the lieutenant-governor has given him permission to continue on as New Brunswick’s premier for now, signalling the province’s high-stakes political drama won’t be over any time soon.

Gallant met Tuesday with Lt.-Gov. Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau to discuss Monday night’s election, which left his Liberals in second place with 21 seats to the Tories’ 22 seats, and two smaller parties winning three seats each.

She gave him the go-ahead to stay on as premier and attempt to seek the confidence of the house, he said, and he is promising to convene the legislature “before Christmas.”

“Indeed, we’re still the government and I’m still the premier until we lose the confidence of the house. She has granted us the opportunity to face the legislature to see if we can maintain the confidence of the house,” Gallant said after meeting Roy-Vienneau for less than an hour.

Tory Leader Blaine Higgs, who will meet with Roy-Vienneau Thursday, said her office has given him a different impression.

“That isn’t the message that we’ve received from the lieutenant governor’s office,” said

Higgs.

Asked about what was said during Roy-Vienneau’s meeting with Gallant, a spokesman for the lieutenant-governor said she “inquired as to whether he believes he has the confidence of the House.”

“He indicated he thinks so, however more discussions are necessary. Her Honour awaits his final decision,” said Tim Richardson, her principal secretary.

Gallant told reporters he will call the legislature back “sooner than later.”

“I made this clear to the lieutenant-governor — if I face the legislature and I do not maintain the confidence of the house, there will be a new government governing this province ... whether there’s some type of other arrangement or whether it would mean that we would have to go into another general election,” he said.

Gallant likened the situation to Stephen Harper’s former federal government — the Conservatives managed to govern several years in a minority government without a formal coalition.

Gallant made it clear, though, he might seek some kind of arrangement with another party.

“If there’s a formal agreement between us and somebody else, and that demonstrates that we would be in a position to maintain the confidence of the house, we would still have to call the house at one point to ensure that confidence would be practically possible and we would be able to govern.”