* TBD = To Be Determined
Today was election day in New Brunswick. The polls have nearly all been counted, and despite a couple of likely recounts in ridings with close results, the two parties who have dominated control of the province since colonization are locked in a tie. The governing Liberals had hoped to be the first party in over a decade to win two elections in a row, but alas the Progressive Conservatives have finished with the same number of seats.
As CBC reports, “The Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals are in a dead heat at 21 seats, as the final votes are counted in the 39th provincial general election… Twenty-five seats are needed for a majority.”
NB chapters were active during the election campaign, sharing questions for candidates, organizing all-candidate debates, and helping to get out the vote.
The new twist in New Brunswick politics will be that the balance of power can now come from another party: the People’s Alliance are on track to have 4 seats and the Greens will end the night with 3 seats.
As CTV reports, “Voters in New Brunswick turned their backs on the province’s entrenched two-party system for the first time on Monday… The province has had virtually no experience with minority governments. The last time a third party held the balance of power in the legislature was October 1920 when two farmers’ parties managed to win 11 seats between them.”
We’ll be watching closely as both Liberal leader Brian Gallant and PC leader Blaine Higgs meet with the Lieutenant-Governor tomorrow to propose how they would move forward to form government. There is no shortage of speculation in the twitterverse.
Fracking (or shale gas) was an important issue again this election, with the governing Liberals maintaining their support for a moratorium while the PCs said they would lift the moratorium to allow the practice in NB.
Check out CBC’s interactive map showing election results.
Check out the issues and candidate questions the Council of Canadians – Fredericton chapter released during the campaign.
