Green Party hopeful of making inroads in N.B. election

“It is a university community and there has been some support for the left historically, so maybe,” Bateman said.

To make gains Sept. 24, Bateman said he expects the Greens will have to be on the popular side of a particular issue, especially in ridings that feature multi-party races.

“That means they could get in with 35 to 40 per cent of the vote,” Bateman said.

Across the country, the Greens now have eight elected members, having made gains in British Columbia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.

On P.E.I., the Greens now have two MLAs — and polls have suggested they are in second place as the province heads towards an expected provincial election next year.

Greens in New Brunswick have consistently placed third in the polls, but Coon said he believes that will change.

“People are really looking this election for an alternative. They’re tired of the flip-flopping back and forth between Liberals and Tories. They don’t see much difference between them.”

Coon said more than half his candidates are women, three are Indigenous, several are millennials, and there’s an octogenarian.

Bateman said aside from the Liberal, Tory, and Green parties, candidates for the People’s Alliance Party and former Liberal Speaker - now independent Chris Collins in Moncton could play a significant role on election night.

“If we can get two or three alternative MLAs in there, they could very well hold the balance of power and make politics in New Brunswick interesting again,” Bateman said, noting that the governing Liberals don’t currently hold a majority.

At dissolution, the seat count in the legislature was 24 Liberals, 22 Progressive Conservatives, one Green, one independent and one vacancy.