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People's Alliance of New Brunswick

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People's Alliance of New Brunswick
Alliance des gens du Nouveau-Brunswick
LeaderRick DeSaulniers
PresidentSharon Buchanon
FoundedJune 9, 2010 (2010-06-09)[1]
HeadquartersFredericton, New Brunswick
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing[3]
ColoursPurple
Seats in Legislature
0 / 49
Website
www.peoplesalliance.ca

The People's Alliance of New Brunswick (PANB) is a provincial political party in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It was formed in 2010. The party has been described as being right-wing populist.[4][5][6][7][8] In the 2018 election, the party won three seats in the provincial legislature for the first time since its founding. The party advocated for "common sense" government and the abolition of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, with a transfer of that office's responsibilities to the office of the provincial ombudsman.[9] The party's platform has been described as "a mixture of economic conservatism, rural populism and opposition to some aspects of official bilingualism and duality".[10]

History

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The People's Alliance Party of New Brunswick was created in the spring of 2010 amidst opposition to the provincial government's plan to sell NB Power to Hydro-Québec, and was officially registered on June 9, 2010.[1]

In the provincial election held on September 27, 2010, the party aimed to run as many candidates as possible.[11] It nominated 14, none of whom were elected. The party won 4,365 votes in those ridings.

Kris Austin, a former interdenominational minister and candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party nomination in the Grand Lake-Gagetown riding, was leader from 2010 to 2022.[12] He was the Deputy Mayor of Minto from 2012 to 2016.

Relationship with Francophone communities

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Following the 2018 election, representatives of Acadian and Francophone civil society denounced the party and its election platform.[13] The party was deemed infréquentable ("not to be associated with") by 14 Acadian associations and 19 mayors of Francophone municipalities who criticized their "anti-Francophone and anti-equality" positions.[14][15]

2014 election

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The People's Alliance fielded 18 candidates in the 2014 provincial election. In mid-August the governing Progressive Conservatives threatened to pull out of the CBC,[16] Rogers, and CTV leaders debates if People's Alliance leader Kris Austin or Green leader David Coon were allowed into the televised debates. CBC stood its ground, citing the right of all New Brunswickers to see and hear all five leaders debate the issues. PC leader David Alward reversed his decision soon after, when CBC prepared to go ahead with the debate without him.[17] Rogers soon followed suit, reversing its earlier decision to keep Austin and Coon out. In the end, only CTV (Bell Media) kept Austin and Coon out of its roundtable debate, which was aired three days before election night.

The party did not win any seats in the election; however, leader Kris Austin missed being elected by only 26 votes in the riding of Fredericton-Grand Lake. Austin was granted a recount,[18] but the recount upheld the election night results with only one additional vote going to Austin than originally counted.

The party had two third-place finishes with LeRoy Armstrong in Sussex-Fundy-St.Martins and deputy leader Wes Gullison in Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin.

2018 election

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In the 2018 election, the party won three seats in the provincial legislature.[19] Party leader Kris Austin was elected in Fredericton-Grand Lake, Rick DeSaulniers was elected in Fredericton-York, and Michelle Conroy was elected in Miramichi, unseating two-time Liberal Cabinet Minister Bill Fraser. The party won 12.58 percent of the popular vote.[20][21]

2019 legislative developments

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At a December 18, 2018 committee meeting, MLAs of the province increased the budget of the Auditor General by $1 million, something that had long been in the platform of the People's Alliance. The Commissioner of Official Languages also received a 25 percent budget increase, even though the People's Alliance campaigned on abolishing the office. The constituency office budget was also increased by $10,000 to $50,000 for each MLA. This budget had not seen an increase in ten years, and the money went towards office expenses in each constituency. The base budget of each party was changed to $250,000 with an additional $25,000 per MLA in the caucus. Previously, third parties like the People's Alliance received minimal funding on an ad hoc basis.[22] The raise was met with criticism by the Liberal opposition, as cuts were subsequently made to infrastructure projects in sectors including healthcare and education.[23]

2020 election

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In the 2020 provincial election, Austin and Conroy were re-elected while Rick DeSaulniers was defeated. The party won 8.95 percent of the popular vote.

2022 de-registration and re-registration

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Kris Austin and Michelle Conroy announced their departures from the People's Alliance of New Brunswick to join the Progressive Conservatives on March 30, 2022.[24][25] The People's Alliance of New Brunswick was deregistered as a provincial party on March 31, 2022.[26] In April 2022, interim leader Rick DeSaulniers and party announced plans to re-register as a party.[27] Elections New Brunswick confirmed the party was re-registered in May 2022 and DeSaulniers was chosen to be the party leader.[28]

Election results

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Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
2010 Kris Austin 4,363 1.2
0 / 55
 Steady 0 Increase 5th No seats
2014 7,964 2.1
0 / 49
 Steady 0 Steady 5th No seats
2018 47,709 12.6
3 / 49
 Increase 3 Increase 3rd Support PC minority
2020 33,592 8.9
2 / 49
 Decrease 1 Decrease 4th No status
2024 Rick DeSaulniers 3,078 0.9
0 / 49
 Decrease 2 Decrease 5th No seats

References

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  1. ^ a b "People's Alliance forms new N.B. political party". CBC News. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010.
  2. ^ Weldon, Tori (September 11, 2018). "People's Alliance platform promises tax, language law reform". CBC News. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "All eyes should be on the Atlantic provinces". iPolitics. October 27, 2019. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2020. In New Brunswick and P.E.I., there are Progressive Conservative minority governments. In New Brunswick, the PC government is largely being propped up by the right-wing People's Alliance.
  4. ^ Walkom, Thomas (September 25, 2018). "Right-wing populism on rise in New Brunswick". The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Livesey, Bruce (September 30, 2019). "Political instability roils New Brunswick". National Observer. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  6. ^ Star, Thomas Walkom Contributing Columnist, Toronto (September 26, 2018). "Right-wing populist advance in New Brunswick sends a signal". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved April 13, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Columnist, Thomas Walkom National Affairs (September 25, 2018). "Thomas Walkom: Right-wing populism on rise in New Brunswick". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  8. ^ Poitras, Jacques (December 8, 2023). "Austin's attack on 'leftist agendas' aims to draw sharp contrast with Liberals". CBC News. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Ng, Jessica (October 4, 2019). "Austin threatens to topple government if Higgs accepts language report". CTV News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "After years on the fringe, People's Alliance ready to take next step". CBC News. August 30, 2018. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "People's Alliance opposes 2nd nuclear plant". CBC News. July 11, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010.
  12. ^ "People's Alliance: Kris Austin". CBC News. August 13, 2010. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  13. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Société-. "La communauté acadienne refuse toute coalition politique avec l'Alliance des gens du N.-B. | Élections Nouveau-Brunswick 2018". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Radio Canada International. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  14. ^ Qu’est-ce qui motive les francophones de la People’s Alliance?, Acadie Nouvelle, Simon Delattre, 2 septembre 2020.
  15. ^ "Kris Austin defends himself, as Acadian voices against People's Alliance multiply", CBC New Brunswick, Gabrielle Fahmy, September 27, 2018.
  16. ^ "Progressive Conservatives pull out of CBC election debate". CBC News. August 19, 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  17. ^ "Tories reverse decision, agree to CBC election debate". CBC News. August 22, 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  18. ^ "Kris Austin applies for recount in Fredericton-Grand Lake". CBC News. September 29, 2014. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  19. ^ Donkin, Karissa (September 24, 2018). "People's Alliance wins 3 seats in 'significant breakthrough'". CBC News. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  20. ^ Ibrahim, Hadeel; Sturgeon, Nathalie (September 25, 2018). "People's Alliance avoids spotlight as Austin discusses strategy". Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  21. ^ Poitras, Jacques (September 26, 2018). "People's Alliance more likely to support the PCs, Kris Austin says". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  22. ^ "Parties agree to boost MLA spending on offices, travel during closed-door meetings". CBC News. May 1, 2019. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  23. ^ "Higgs government under fire for budget cuts and loss of federal dollars". CBC News. December 12, 2018. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  24. ^ Awde, Savannah (March 30, 2022). "BREAKING: People's Alliance MLAs join Tory government". Telegraph-Journal. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  25. ^ Poitras, Jacques (March 30, 2022). "People's Alliance MLAs cross floor to join Tory government". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  26. ^ Boudreau, Alexandre (March 30, 2022). "Les deux députés de la People's Alliance joignent les conservateurs". Acadie Nouvelle (in French). Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  27. ^ Poitras, Jacques (April 22, 2022). "People's Alliance supporters push to resurrect party ahead of June byelections". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  28. ^ Poitras, Jacques (May 31, 2022). "People's Alliance lives on, chooses new leader". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
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