Thursday, August 10, 2006

Election date set?

I just got this in my inbox:

Please be advised that the Leader of the Official Opposition, Shawn Graham, will be available to the media today, August 10 at 2:00p.m. in the Petitcodiac Room of the Delta Hotel in Moncton to respond to the fixed election date set by the Premier earlier today.
I can't find any news source on this yet but will keep you posted.

UPDATE: CTV is reporting that Lord has announced an election will be held on September 18 but he will not visit the LG to formally call it until next weekend.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope Shawn Graham is not putting too much on the table giving opportunity to Bernie Lord to jump at him. However, this is nothing to do with current election rumours? Does it?

Anonymous said...

I was listening to Rogers News Radio and they said CTV has confirmed that the date will be Sept 18.

Spinks said...

Here's the story. The rumours are true.


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.

Anonymous said...

I have three words for Bernie "Bye bye Bernie". May be I will come up with a poem for that.

Bernie has screwed the province long enough, time to get even folks. In 2003 people did not know the full extend of his incompetence. Now we do. He can make a trip to Lt. Governor House and then a good bye to the People's House. Anyone wants to bet?

Anonymous said...

This was done in a hurry so lyrics may a little off but it conveys the feelings, I hope.

Bye, Bye, Bernie

Bye, Bye, Bernie

Bye, Bye...

You're probably gonna start a fight.

I know this can't be right.

Hey Bernie come on,

I know that I can't take no more

It ain't no lie

I wanna see you out that door

Benie, bye, bye, bye...
Bye Bye

Don't wanna be a fool for you

Just another player in your games to fool

You may hate me but it ain't no lie,

Bernie, bye, bye, bye...

Bye Bye

Don't really wanna make it tough,

I just wanna tell you that I had enough.

It might sound crazy,

But it ain't no lie,

Bernie , bye, bye, bye
Hmm, just hit me with the truth,
So give me one good reason,

Come on
That life would be much better once you're gone.
I know that I can't take no more

It ain't no lie,

I wanna see you out that door

Bernie, bye, bye, bye...
Bye Bye

Don't wanna be a fool for you

Just another player in your games to fool

You may hate me but it ain't no lie,

Bernie Bye, bye, bye...

Bye Bye

Don't really wanna make it tough,

I just wanna tell you that I had enough

It might sound crazy,

But it ain't no lie,

Bernie, bye, bye, bye

By a Joe Citizen to Bernie

Spinks said...

Okay, anyone who is a fan of Nsync, I get nervous about. LOL.

Anonymous said...

Predictions anyone?

I predict the same results as 2003 with the lowest voter turnout in history for NB.

Spinks said...

Lord will either win it by 4 seats or less or lose it by 4 seats or less. At least half a dozen risings will be decided by about 100 votes. It's going to be close unless someone majorly screws up which I'd put my money on either a) one of the Tory candidates and/or b) Shawn Graham. Allison Brewer will too but who cares?

Anonymous said...

Bernie will lose miserably. Good ones gone. Mesheau, Elvy Robichaud - very strong caucus and Cabinet members. Bernie is headed for collision course. Could not manage his own caucus. Ann-Margaret did not want to be Minister anymore. Another strong caucus member. There must be a reason. Bernie is done, cooked, overdone.burned.

Anonymous said...

I just found this cool site...

http://www.nodice.ca/elections/newbrunswick/

Anonymous said...

Cooker Boy:
Interesting site
They had COR in 1867. Amazing.

Anonymous said...

From what I can grasp it's a work in progress... But cool nonetheless. Are there any other site like it that are indeed factual?

Anonymous said...

Ijust checked it again, they must have made the change..

nbpolitico said...

spinks - I agree someone will win by 4 to 6 seats but it could be either party.