Susan Holt’s Liberals won a convincing 31-seat majority government in Monday night’s provincial election. The win will make her the first female premier of New Brunswick.
At the end of the night, the Progressive Conservatives won 16 seats and the Green Party won two.
Holt and Green Party Leader David Coon won their home ridings while PC Leader Blaine Higgs lost his Quispamsis riding to Liberal Aaron Kennedy.
The Liberal’s 31-seat win is an increase from the 14 seats they won in the 2020 election.
After watching the results roll in from home, Holt joined her team in celebration at the Crowne Plaza across the street from the Legislative Assembly building in downtown Fredericton.
Surrounded by her family and supporters, the premier-designate delivered a speech to around 150 enthused supporters.
“With government Holt, you’re going to have a leadership that loves you, that you can put your trust in,” said Holt. “We are going to work our butts off on day one, a new day and a brighter future is coming to New Brunswick tomorrow.”
She thanked former Premier Blaine Higgs for his service after leading the province for six years. Holt also congratulated Coon for being re-elected in the newly drawn Fredericton-Lincoln riding. She said that she is “looking forward to work with him.”
Holt also decided to give some commitments to the people of New Brunswick during her speech.
“We are going to lead with balance. We’re going to watch the bottom line and deliver fiscal responsibility while we invest in the services you need, like healthcare, education and an affordable place to call home.”
“Big win for the Liberals”
Among the hues of red in the Crowne Plaza Ballroom, UNB Student Union President Drashtant Varma celebrated the win.
Varma called it a “big win for the Liberals,” and he was glad to see it as student union president.
“I think it’s a great thing for students especially when it comes to things like affordable housing,” said Varma.
He mentioned Liberal campaign promises such as a 3 per cent rent cap and the removal of double taxation on rental properties.
Varma added that in his role he looks forward to working on student issues with Premier-Designate Holt.
Promises to look out for
Last week, Holt sat down with The Aquinian to discuss what the Liberal Party can do for students.
Related: Election Feature: Susan Holt shares how Liberals can help students
Her main points were affordability and health care. One of Holt’s campaign promises was to instate a 3 per cent rent cap.
The morning after the election Holt told Heather Hiscox of CBC News that a rent cap was an immediate priority. Holt said the cap will give people “stability in one of their biggest expenses every month.”
During her campaign, Holt said that a Liberal government would like to take the provincial tax off power bills. She also told Hiscox that she would make this move “immediately.”
“That’s going to give 10 per cent savings to families in New Brunswick each month,” said Holt.
She added that these two moves will provide relief for New Brunswickers “quite quickly.”
Healthcare was a staple issue for the Liberal Party’s campaign, especially mental health.
Holt told The Aquinian last week that “New Brunswickers should have easy access to mental health services because mental health is health care. [Mental health care] should be as normal as any other form of health care and not stigmatized.”
When it comes to tuition, Holt mentioned that she would like post-secondary institutions to lock in a set tuition amount for students at the beginning of their studies so that they have more certainty going into their program.
Higgs’ return is “extremely unlikely”
Former Premier Blaine Higgs was unseated in his Quispamsis home riding by Aaron Kennedy of the Liberal Party. Kennedy won by just 193 votes.
Higgs, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, told CBC News that it is “extremely unlikely” that he would remain in that position moving forward. He also said that the election result was the “worst-case” scenario for the party.
“I say thanks to each and every one of you,” said Higgs following his defeat. “We stand for what we believe in, maybe we fall for what we believe in, but we don’t lose out conviction in the process.”
Related: Higgs speaks to how his government could help students
The 16 PC candidates elected Monday night was 12 less than their victorious 2020 election This marks the lowest seat count for the party since the 1995 election.
With a win, Higgs would’ve become the first three-term premier since Frank McKenna.
Coon wins, Green Party drops a seat
The Green Party may have lost one of its three seats in the Legislature on Monday, but Leader David Coon was elected as the new MLA in the Fredericton-Lincoln riding. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly since 2014.
In his re-election speech at Dolan’s Pub in Fredericton, a crowd of over 40 people erupted in cheer and began chanting “Na na na na, hey hey, goodbye” after Coon announced that “Blaine Higgs is no longer the premier of this province.”
Despite being excited about the change of leadership, Coon said that he wants to try to work with the new Liberal government to ensure that they “actually act” on some of the challenges facing residents of N.B.
“We’ll be there as a strong opposition in the legislature to push the government, to hold their feet to the fire and to make positive proposals, put forward solutions, that we think are going to make a difference,” said Coon.
“Whether you’re a student or a senior everyone’s looking for improvements to the situation that they find themselves in.”
Related: Election Feature: David Coon responds to student concerns
He noted fixing healthcare, the education system, the housing crisis, as well as ensuring that people are “better protected” from the climate crisis. Coon noted these as the most significant challenges for the new Liberal government.
Coon added that this is the Green Party’s fifth election in New Brunswick and despite losing a seat in the Legislature on Monday, he is hopeful for the continued growth of the Party.
With files from Wilfred Fraser
