Miramichi 2018

Miramichi is likely to be less of a race and more of a coronation for incumbent Bill Fraser. In 2014, Fraser won by more than 1200 votes and has since performed with distinction as a Liberal Cabinet member. His own personal popularity is higher than that of the government and he remains free of much of his government’s baggage. In addition to Fraser’s popularity and performance, the other parties contending for his office have put forward unknown candidates.

The Progressive Conservatives have chosen failed Miramichi Mayoral candidate Peggy McLean. McLean is an avid volunteer and sits on many boards in her community, but after serving as a city councilor for a single term, electors chose not to give her the promotion to mayor. She came in third place, falling 3100 votes short of victory.

The Green Party has put forward Louann Savage; a retired teacher. Of all the candidates in Miramichi, Savage is the one to have put forward the most comprehensive personal platform. Her political passions center on crown lands, healthcare, ending privatization, and community decision making. Savage aims to improve health standards in Miramichi, and New Brunswick, by improving environmental protections and increasing the number of nurses.

Douglas Mullin of the New Democrats has also put forward a few point on a personal platform. He aims to increase the minimum wage to $15; a goal set by the federal NDP a few years ago. Most economists in Canada have suggested that $15 is the base livable wage in Canada. Mullin also suggests that tuition rates in New Brunswick must be lowered. Tuition in New Brunswick is the fourth highest in the country, higher than Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Rounding out Mullin’s platform is the importance of improving transportation in rural New Brunswick.

The People’s Alliance put forward Michelle Conroy. Conroy has repeated the party cry for change but has remained unclear about exactly what change she would like to see. An administrative worker for the Miramichi Regional Health Authority, Conroy is the first PANB candidate to run the still new riding of Miramichi. In 2014, the inaugural race for the new riding, the PANB put forward no candidate to contend.

In 2014 Miramichi was a two way race between Liberal and Progressive Conservative. In fact, an independent candidate scored higher than the Greens and New Democrats.

The Blame Game and the Gravy Train

Election day is still months away but the blame game is under way. New Brunswick politics is a never ending cycle of red and blue shaming. Realistically, both parties often mirror one another’s policies and actually behave very much the same when in power. But that doesn’t deter either faction from trying desperately to drive a wedge between New Brunswickers and potential voters by shifting blame upon each other and give the appearance of political difference.

This year has seen a particular vitriol from the major players. Is the extra venom a result of the new trend in NB politics; to dispose of a government after a single term? Or is this reflective of the American influence to make mud slinging personal? Premier Brian Gallant has attacked PCNB Leader Blaine Higgs over his affiliation with the Irving Corporation. Does Higgs’ 33 year Irving allegiance really put him in a questionable position were he to win the September election?

Higgs made the controversial decision in March to fire party Executive Director Stephen Smith to insert his friend Paul D’Astous. Since then, PCNB has been in full attack mode. Most notably, Higgs has assailed Gallant over allegations of Speaker Chris Collins committing harassment. The attacks cut deep in the age of the #Metoo movement and #Time’s Up, but it was not made clear of who or even the gender of the person allegedly harassed or the nature of the harassment. Many believe the attacks are purely politically motivated as Collins is a very popular politician who has served three terms and is a key factor in preventing the PCNB from a breakthrough in the Moncton area.

Transportation Minister Bill Fraser then volleyed that problems facing New Brunswick highways and bridges are the fault of former finance minister; Blaine Higgs. Road conditions are notoriously poor in New Brunswick with pot holes out numbering citizens in some areas. Conditions on Route 616 and the decision not to replace the Cherryvale Bridge are directly traced back to Higgs and the Alward Government, claims Fraser. Route 616 is in such a state of disrepair that shifting blame to Higgs is to put a major safety issue directly on the shoulders of the PC leader.

An attempt to overcome the attacks levied against him, Gallant has announced a mountain of new spending. The spending will most benefit the healthcare sector and also the Saint John region. The belief is that the influx of revenue the government will gain from the legalization and distribution of marijuana will make this spending boom possible. But Higgs has attacked the spending and ignored the possibility of a cash influx. Gallant has promised to spend $16 million to fill 25 current vacancies immediately.

 

The Miramichi Three

There are three seats to be won in the Miramichi Region; Miramichi, Miramichi Bay-Neguac, and Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin. At the time of this writing, the New Democrats, Greens, and People’s Alliance are having trouble finding contenders for these important ridings. The Liberals and Progressive Conservatives have already dug in their heels.

Miramichi Bay-Neguac was narrowly won by Serge Robichaud for the PCs in 2010 over then-incumbent Liberal Carmel Robichaud. In 2006 however, Robichaud easily defeated the PC candidate Guy Vautour. This time, Robichaud will be defending his seat against Liberal Lisa Harris (deputy mayor of Miramichi) and Green Glenn Copeland (an actor and musician famous for childrens’ programs Shining Time Station and Mister Dress Up).

Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin is a major swing riding having gone back and forth from Liberal to PC many times. It even once elected a member of the now defunct Confederation of Regions Party in 1991! This has been a diastrous riding for the NDP; they consistantly hit a ceiling of only a few hundred votes. In 2010 the NDP collected 200 votes to the Greens 204 (PC Jake Stewart won with 3792). Stewart is up for re-election against Liberal Norma Smith (a former executive assistant to the former minister of human development and the minister responsible for aboriginal affairs) and PANB Wes Gullison (deputy leader of the PANB).

The real drama unfolds in the new amalgamated riding of Miramichi. Part of this larger riding used to be Miramichi-Bay du Vin and the incumbent Liberal Bill Fraser is making a play for it. However, the majority of the riding (formerly Miramichi Centre) belongs to PC incumbent Robert Trevors. Now the two incumbent MLAs will face off for the single riding. They are joined by independent (and former PC) Michael Malley in what could easily become a tight, threeway race. Malley is a former MLA for the shruken riding of Miramichi-Bay du Vin and who served as party whip for Bernard Lord. Neither the NDP, Greens, nor the PANB have yet to name a candidate for the riding.