Higgs gets New PC MLA's in New Brunswick as People Alliance folds

Consider it the end of a political movement in New Brunswick.

Early Wednesday Morning New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced that the governing PC in the Atlantic Province was gaining two new MLAs.

Those two MLA's are Kris Austin and Michelle Conroy who make up the Peoples Alliance Caucus in the Legislature.

Austin the leader of the Peoples Alliance said at a press conference that it was time for a change, "I want the people that I represent to know that this decision, in no way, weakens my voice for you. On the contrary, it strengthens it."

Austin made the announcement alongside Higgs who said that the People's Alliance and the governing Progressive Conservative have worked alongside each other since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, "We worked closely commencing in 2018 on various issues and through a minority government situation but most notably during the COVID experience."

This floor-crossing gives the governing PC a 28 seat caucus. The Official Opposiiton has 16 seats, and the Green Party sits with 3 seats. There are currently 2 vacant seats.

The two vacancies were left by PC Jake Stewart, and Liberal Lisa Harris, who both resigned to run in the 2021 federal election. Both ran in the federal riding of Miramichi-Grand Lake, Stewart ended up winning the riding for the Federal Conservatives.