NB Election - September 18
(From the Canadian Press)
New Brunswick voters will head to the polls Sept. 18, Premier Bernard Lord confirmed Thursday.
Though Lord stopped short of actually calling the election, he told reporters he will visit the province's lieutenant governor next weekend, at which point he will dissolve the legislature.
The premier has long said he would prefer to hold the next provincial election in October 2007.
But Lord recently said he would drop that plan if Peter Mesheau, a former finance minister, left the Tory caucus to take a job in the private sector. The loss of one Tory member would plunge Lord's government into minority status _ something the premier has said he wants to avoid.
Mesheau confirmed his plans to leave public life when he met with the premier Thursday.
Lord's government won a second mandate in 2003 with a slim, one-seat majority.
Current standings in the New Brunswick legislature are 28 Conservatives (including the Speaker), 26 Liberals and one Independent.
If the Tories were to lose a sitting member, they would be reduced to minority status because the Speaker does not vote unless there is a tie.
To be sure, a late-summer election campaign would be dominated by cost-of-living issues.
New Brunswickers, like most other Canadians, are feeling the financial pressure of rising prices at gas pumps and in home heating bills.
Earlier this week, Liberal Leader Shawn Graham released the first instalment of his party's election platform, promising to soften the blow of rising energy costs with direct subsidies to homeowners for conservation upgrades and tax rebates for hybrid cars.
Graham said Lord has failed to control rising electricity rates, which have risen 25.8 per cent since
Lord took office.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick's forestry and mining sectors are facing major challenges, and the province is finding it increasingly hard to compete in the call centre industry.
Lord has said he will defend his government's track record in the energy sector, including its commitment to refurbish the aging Lepreau nuclear reactor and invest more money in wind power.
As well, the Lord government is rebating the eight per cent provincial sales tax on energy bills in the coming year to help people cope with the latest hike in electricity costs.
New Brunswick voters will head to the polls Sept. 18, Premier Bernard Lord confirmed Thursday.
Though Lord stopped short of actually calling the election, he told reporters he will visit the province's lieutenant governor next weekend, at which point he will dissolve the legislature.
The premier has long said he would prefer to hold the next provincial election in October 2007.
But Lord recently said he would drop that plan if Peter Mesheau, a former finance minister, left the Tory caucus to take a job in the private sector. The loss of one Tory member would plunge Lord's government into minority status _ something the premier has said he wants to avoid.
Mesheau confirmed his plans to leave public life when he met with the premier Thursday.
Lord's government won a second mandate in 2003 with a slim, one-seat majority.
Current standings in the New Brunswick legislature are 28 Conservatives (including the Speaker), 26 Liberals and one Independent.
If the Tories were to lose a sitting member, they would be reduced to minority status because the Speaker does not vote unless there is a tie.
To be sure, a late-summer election campaign would be dominated by cost-of-living issues.
New Brunswickers, like most other Canadians, are feeling the financial pressure of rising prices at gas pumps and in home heating bills.
Earlier this week, Liberal Leader Shawn Graham released the first instalment of his party's election platform, promising to soften the blow of rising energy costs with direct subsidies to homeowners for conservation upgrades and tax rebates for hybrid cars.
Graham said Lord has failed to control rising electricity rates, which have risen 25.8 per cent since
Lord took office.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick's forestry and mining sectors are facing major challenges, and the province is finding it increasingly hard to compete in the call centre industry.
Lord has said he will defend his government's track record in the energy sector, including its commitment to refurbish the aging Lepreau nuclear reactor and invest more money in wind power.
As well, the Lord government is rebating the eight per cent provincial sales tax on energy bills in the coming year to help people cope with the latest hike in electricity costs.
