PC MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason is latest Higgs caucus member to leave politics
Former N.B. attorney general one of 6 members who voted against government on Policy 713 changes last year
Progressive Conservative MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason says she won't run again in this year's New Brunswick election, stepping away from politics after six years representing Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West.
The former cabinet minister says she has concluded that members of the legislature don't play a meaningful role in developing policy and legislation in the Higgs government.
"When I practised law, it was really important to me that whatever file I took, that it was a file that I firmly believed in and that I felt that I could make a difference," she told CBC News in an interview at a picnic site in her riding overlooking the Magaguadavic Basin.
"I think what I have found is that the role of the MLA may not exactly be what a lot of people think that it is, and I could probably use my skill set better in other places."
No. 12
Anderson-Mason is the 12th PC MLA elected in 2020 to decide not to run again this year.
She's also the last of the half-dozen Tories, who rebelled against Premier Blaine Higgs last year on Policy 713, to bow out.
She and five colleagues voted against the government in favour of an opposition motion that called for further study of the policy changes by Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock.
That motion passed thanks to the six PC votes, and Lamrock's subsequent report criticized the changes as unconstitutional.
In Friday's interview Anderson-Mason shed new light on the behind-the-scenes caucus discussions that led up to that contentious vote.
At a PC caucus meeting the evening of Tuesday June 6, "we had decided on a path forward" that involved her and Attorney General Ted Flemming meeting with Lamrock to discuss possible changes to the policy, she said.
Anderson-Mason said caucus was never given the report on Policy 713 by child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock. (Radio-Canada)
Lamrock sent his feedback to the Education Department the following night, she said. But the next morning, Education Minister Bill Hogan announced changes that didn't match the caucus position.
"Caucus was not provided with the opinion from Mr. Lamrock, and so it just seemed like the process got interrupted," Anderson-Mason said.
"We had made a path forward. There was a common agreement of how we were going to proceed. But that's not what happened on that Thursday morning."
The changes require that school staff obtain parental consent before letting a student under 16 adopt a new name or pronoun that reflects their gender identity — a violation of the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ students, according to critics.
The new version of Policy 713 is now being challenged in two separate legal actions by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Anglophone East district education council.
The same morning Hogan announced the changes, eight PC ministers and MLAs refused to show up in the legislature.
Then-ministers
Dorothy Shephard, Trevor Holder, Daniel Allain, Arlene Dunn, Jeff Carr,
Jill Green, and backbenchers Ross Wetmore and Andrea Anderson-Mason all
refrained from participating in routine business and question period in
June as a way to express [their] extreme disappointment in a lack of
process and transparency. (CBC)
A week later, six of them broke ranks and voted against the government on the non-binding motion.
Anderson-Mason said she would not change her vote now if given the opportunity.
"No, I wouldn't," she said.
"All that motion ever embodied was exactly what we as a caucus had decided on that Tuesday night," she said.
"We had decided as a group that we would consult, we would proceed with caution, and we would make sure that what we were doing was legal and appropriate."
First elected in 2018, Anderson-Mason was the attorney general for the first two years of the Higgs government but was shuffled out of cabinet after the 2020 election.
She was reluctant to say Friday what she believes the Policy 713 episode reveals about Higgs's leadership approach, which has been criticized openly by many party supporters over the last year as too top-down.
"I don't think that's fair for me to comment on," she said.
"He has a style of leadership that works for him, and in fairness, he has been able to get a great deal across the plate, a lot of great changes for the province of New Brunswick, and there's really not much more I can say about that."
Anderson-Mason
would not speculate on how Policy 713 revealed Higgs's leadership
approach, but pushed back against suggestions from other PC MLAs that
the party has been moving to the right. (Radio-Canada)
She rejected suggestions made by some other PC members, however, that the party has made a sudden turn to the right in the last two years.
She pointed out she pushed back against mandatory vaccination legislation in 2020 — a strongly conservative position, she argued, that predates more recent criticism of the premier's direction as too extreme.
Higgs's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Anderson-Mason's decision or her account of the caucus discussions.
Anderson-Mason said she hadn't told the premier about her decision not to run again, but had been trying to contact him to arrange a meeting.
"I purposely went out of my way last week to communicate with him and I'll make that effort again," she said.
"I have heard on a couple of interviews that he said that he's working through the individual differences in his party and in his caucus. I haven't received that call from him yet, but I will make the effort to make sure we have that conversation."
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Reply to Kramer Vandelay
Well, if a government does the thing, they get told on by the press reporting the thing. Higgs created this mess. The members of his party responded to it, and the CBC reported on that news.
Cardy created the mess
Good. She won't be missed .
Reply to Bennie Pratt
I suspect she won't. The PCs a sliding to the right.
Who?
Reply to Matt Steele
Reply to Jake Newman
Will he?
Voters voted for those in his party ….and now they are not running again.
Reply to Jake Newman
more casulaties of the maga revolution
No statement from his highness/outhouse/matt?
Reply to Al Clark
What is there to say? Everyone knew Anderson-Mason would not be running again for Higgs. There's no story here.
Actually there is quite a story and "Al" is part of it
Wish I had another. It was a tank. Got a great deal when zeke the torch took the subtrans apart and couldn't figure out how to put it back together ;-)
Who had the first G4TR in NB?
Wow 12 people, lol.
I guess this is what happens when you focus on a tiny sliver of the population and try to blow it into a huge issue for the sake of getting re-elected.
Every single person who quit states the same reason: "Can't work with Blaine"
Reply to Matt Steele
Hey Matt, you're from SJ. Are you in the Hampton riding? Are you going to be a Faytene voter? Do you support her 'speaking in tongues'?
This a different Mr Steele
Man! This issue causes so much trouble and yet the solution should be very easy.
next.........................
Reply to Don Corey
I don't think that Conservatives who can't work with social-conservatives should have to abandon their party. They should get it back. The foolish ones should be told to go re-form "CoR" and stop interfering in real governance.
NB wouldn't benefit from every sane person being in the Liberal/any other party. The province needs good Conservatives.
I have been saying basically that for a year However good politicians are myth
No reason for panic... there are plenty of sleezy uncaring candidates to fill her shoes. Our political system of ALL levels have become so disfunctional, poisened and selfserving it has becvome a complete disgrace.
Twelve?? Wow
I didn't know you were still kicking
Doesn't really say a whole lot for those who have chosen to stay on board does it? What kind of representation do they think they are offering their constituents. Just going through the motions I guess. Beats working for a living.
When she mentioned that Higgs has got a lot done for our province, I just wish she'd been asked to name just one thing. Just one. And no, not that he's paying back the debt.
Reply to Benoit Boudreau
This is what the PCs put out today
6 straight balanced budgets
One of the best credit ratings in Canada
Managing your hard earned money wisely
Let’s keep building
Time will tell if that is enough for voters to give Higgs a majority government next election.
Reply to Benoit Boudreau
Oh and he says he fulfilled his 2018 promise of restraint. Whatever that means.
Reply to Le Wier
Reply to Allan Marven
Reply to Don Corey
Reply to Don Corey
Reply to Dan Lee
Reply to David Amos
Reply to David Amos
I thought you said you have a Harley? I thought Harley was better than Honda.
Now I know you are teasing me
FYI I own more Hondas than Higgy does
Reply to David Amos
No I don’t think I do.
I am using my real name Are you?
Go Figure
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fundy-royal-riding-profile-1.3274276
Do you know about Higgy et al sending me butter tarts in 2017?
Are those eel fishermen in the background? Maybe she can go to work for DFO.
And another one bites the dust. Good for her. It takes courage and conviction to take a stand. She knows what she stands for, and it isn't the new extreme Christian right wing element, and the remnants the COR party of which our beloved premier was a founding member.
That element should investigate the goings on at the Fundy High School assembly yesterday. Incredibly unbelievable.
Reply to Christopher Logan
Had enough of the circus no doubt. Didn't last long.
Reply to Allan Marven
The entire party is falling apart around him. Much like our province
Reply to Christopher Logan
Vindication for us this fall.
Reply to Allan Marven
Our province has issues that must be dealt with; no doubt about it. But look no further than Ottawa for confirmation that everything would be much worse under the libs.
Reply to Don Corey
This is not about the Feds, or Ottawa.
Reply to John Darling
Who sent Higgy the money he did not spend?
Another bad Friday night for Higgs
Reply to Bobby Richards
So you say
Reply to Bobby Richards
And yet, the unpopular King still rules! (Hopefully, for not much longer.)
Reply to Douglas James
She was honestly the most competent MLA on team Higgs. Too bad she had to ride the back benches. Huge missed opportunity dure to Higgs' ego. Another failure by Blaine Higgs,
Reply to Kyle Woodman
Eugene Peabody
I can not remember a previous time in the last 50 years when so many members of the governing party have refused to run in a upcoming election. Between Higgs management style and the far right swing he has taken the party most of the middle of the road members have left.
Reply to Eugene Peabody
"refused to run" or Nobody wants them and they are afraid to run as Independents?
Reply to David Amos
Nobody wins as an independent. You should know that.
Reply to Bobby Richards
Its not about winning Its about democracy
Reply to Bobby Richards
Furthermore how do you explain the victories of Chuck Cadman, Andre Arthur and Jody Wilson-Raybould?
Reply to Bobby Richards
Of all people.
Reply to Eugene Peabody
Have they really left the party? I'm of the opinion that lack of support for Higgs does not necessarily equate to holding one's nose and voting Liberal.
Reply to Don Corey
Reply to Don Corey
Heck I can't stand him and I just JOINED the party.
Reply to Don Corey
Well if they work for the campaign this fall I would be surprised. Also not donating money and perhaps not voting would be a big signal they are not happy with the direction Higgs is moving to.
Reply to Al Clark
Same here, except I joined last year, hoping to have my say in the leadership vote that didn't happen.
Reply to Eugene Peabody
I agree. I'm certainly not donating to his campaign.
Reply to Bobby Richards
CBC News · Posted: May 24, 2024 4:00 PM ADT
Whatever the on-going problems we have had in the Province's Legislature (some of which "pre-date" Higgs) wouldn't it be nice to see our politicians effectively move New Brunswick forward in a positive fashion.
I see the upcoming election as a type of "Gallows Humour" resulting in little desire to vote. We lack quality leadership on both sides of the House.
Reply to Greg Miller
Now is the time to vote if only to destroy your ballot in disgust
Reply to Greg Miller
Basically - the exact thing he vowed would not happen happened. He's just in there to cling to power, not make any big changes
Reply to Greg Miller
True.
I know Higgs has his fans on the extreme right...but 12 elected not running again IS NOT a coincidence...If he thinks that all is well within the party, there is a bigger issue at play....
Reply to jack steeve
Everybody knows that They are not telling all tis all
Reply to jack steeve
I think he knows exactly what's going on. If Higgs doesn't, Outhouse sure does.
Reply to David Amos
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