New Brunswick election campaign begins

The Liberals are off to an early lead in month-long campaign

The provincial election campaign in New Brunswick officially began yesterday, and the governing Liberals are showing a slim lead over the Conservatives. In November the Conservatives had a ten-point lead over the Liberals as result of the government’s unpopular decision to sell NB Power to Hydro Quebec, but that lead has evaporated. New Brunswickers may be the first Canadians to elect a Green Party MPP, as third parties are making significant inroads in the province for the first time. Twenty-five per cent of decided voters say they’ll vote for the NDP, Green Party, or People’s Alliance on September 27, compared to only five per cent in 2006.