Skip to content

CANADA: NDP sees exodus of former N.B. provincial candidates as they move to support federal Greens

The mass defection comes after a failure by the NDP to nominate any federal candidates in New Brunswick or P.E.I as of Thursday
cpt12014722

Fourteen former candidates of the New Brunswick NDP and a member of the federal NDP executive are throwing their support behind the Green Party of Canada ahead of next month’s federal election.

The group issued an eight-point declaration of support Tuesday, encouraging “New Democrats, New Brunswickers and, indeed, all Canadians in voting for the Green Party of Canada this election.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is admonished in the declaration for not visiting New Brunswick since he was chosen as leader. The group contrasts him with Green party Leader Elizabeth May, who they say has “visited New Brunswick a significant amount of times.”

The mass defection comes after a failure by the NDP to nominate any federal candidates in New Brunswick or P.E.I. as of Tuesday.

The declaration goes on to say that the members had hoped to accomplish real change by choosing NDP both federally and provincially, but have seen multiple setbacks — including the party’s failure to elect any MLAs in last year’s New Brunswick election or even recruit a new provincial party leader.

In contrast, the New Brunswick Green Party elected three MLAs in the 2018 New Brunswick election.

The group says their desire for representation from a movement “that respects and encourages the engagement at the community level” has led them to throw their support behind the Green Party of Canada.

Johnathan A. Richardson, a member of the federal NDP executive, has signed the declaration of support along with 14 people who ran as provincial candidates in New Brunswick.

Those signatories are Joyce Richardson, Lise Potvin, Willy Robichaud, Albert Rouselle, Anne Richardson, Justin Young, Jean-Maurice Landry, Jessica Caissie, Lina Chiasson, Cecile Richard-Hebert, Francis Duguay, Hailey Duffy, Madison Duffy and Betty Weir.

None of the signatories are listed as candidates with the Green Party of Canada.

Global News has reached out to the NDP for comment but have yet to receive comment.

- Global News