Make no mistake about it; the redrawing of the electoral map was nothing short of gerrymandering. This was done to the full benefit of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick. It would be callous to point a finger at Premier David Alward as any party would likely attempt to position the ridings in their own favour. That fact considered, the new riding of Hampton may be one of the most conservative ridings on the new electoral map. Hampton is made up of the town of Hampton, part of the town of Quispamsis, part of Saint-John Fundy, part of Saint John East, and part of the town of Rothesay.
Of the five nominees running in this new super-riding, two have served under the big blue banner of the PC Party. Gary Crossman is running as the current PC candidate, however he is running against a PC legend; Bev Harrison. Harrison swept a large component of this riding in 2006. Now running as the New Democratic nominee, Harrison will try to recapture the vote against a standing member of his former party.
Harrison served under three PC Premiers; Richard Hatfield, Bernard Lord, and David Alward.
The battle for Hampton will like be between these two names; Harrison and Crossman. Other players on the scene include Liberal candidate John Cairns, Green candidate John Sabine, and People’s Alliance candidate Joan K. Seeley.
John Cairns, like Harrison, is a former school principal. Cairns has also acted as a fundraiser for Saint John Inside Ride which raises money for children with cancer. Harrison had served as a Royal Canadian Air Force reserve and set up an award for Air Cadets and started training the first female cadets prior to a life in politics. Crossman volunteers for the Dr V.A. Snow Centre and the Hampton Food Basket. John Sabine is a former Saint John police officer. Still, credentials likely won’t change this super-riding from voting out of habit. But who will win? Alward’s new American-style conservative or the traditional Tory who found a home in Dominic Cardy’s New NDP?
Cardy overturned the riding’s first choice, one Mr Chris Rendell to make way for Harrison. The decision upset some within the riding association and led to the resignation of riding association president Pat Hanratty. Whether or not that decision was worth it will be determined on September 22nd.
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