N.B. Liberals mix boldness, caution at weekend policy convention

New Brunswick Liberals mixed a dash of boldness on voting reform with some caution on other issues as they adopted 74 policy resolutions that will help form the basis of their campaign platform in this year's provincial election.

Almost 200 delegates to a Saturday convention endorsed resolutions calling for lowering the voting age to 16 and for convening a citizens' assembly on reforming the electoral system.

They also voted, without any debate, for ending a restriction on the public funding of surgical abortions performed in clinics outside hospitals.

But they also watered down a motion to have a Liberal government "take immediate steps to end the use" of the controversial herbicide glyphosate.

That would have moved the party's position closer to that of the Green Party, which has three MLAs in the legislature and steady third-place support in most polls on voting intentions.

Instead, delegates approved an amendment calling for a government to "address" the use of pesticides in the province. 

"We had an open process that puts ideas forward, we had people debate, amend, vote for, vote against, and what we get better reflects the consensus of the whole and the position of more New Brunswickers and more perspectives," Liberal Leader Susan Holt said.

"We had people challenging respectfully, we had people modifying, bringing new information to the table, and I think that's exactly how democracy is supposed to work." 

The resolutions are not binding on Holt and party officials as they draft a campaign platform for a provincial election scheduled for Oct. 21.

But Holt said Saturday's resolution will "inspire" what goes into the platform.

Several delegates opposed the proposal to lower the voting age, with Selma Kilisli of Saint John arguing people that young make many mistakes and aren't ready for the responsibility.

"It's a bad idea," she said.

But former deputy premier Aldéa Landry, now 78, was among several older party members who supported the idea.

She argued young people aren't the only ones who would be voting while ill-informed.