New Brunswick Progressive Conservative party takes 1st step to remove Higgs as leader
CTV
New Brunswick's Progressive Conservative party members who want Premier Blaine Higgs to step down as leader say they've taken the first step to oust him.
New Brunswick's Progressive Conservative party members who want Premier Blaine Higgs to step down as leader say they've taken the first step to oust him.
Marc Savoie, president of the Progressive Conservative riding association in Moncton East, said the dissenting party members, which include 26 riding presidents, have the necessary paperwork to start the process to remove Higgs. The PC constitution says 50 members of the party -- including at least 20 riding presidents -- can trigger a leadership review.
"The party doesn't have to issue an answer at the moment,"
Savoie said in an interview Friday.
"All it's obligated to do is put this on the agenda for next provincial council meeting, which will happen at some point in September."
A two-thirds majority of the council is needed to officially launch the review vote by PC party members. If the vote is defeated, Savoie said, Higgs is free to continue as leader of the New Brunswick Tories and premier of the province. If Higgs loses, however, he's welcome to contest again as party leader, Savoie added.
Dissenting party members have numerous problems with Higgs' leadership, Savoie said. These include Higgs' changes to the policy on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools; his attempted cuts to the French immersion program for anglophone students; his decision to close six rural hospital emergency rooms; and his elimination of elected representatives from regional health authorities and the anglophone education system.
