https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/melanson-won-t-run-for-leadership-1.6318880

 

Melanson says no to N.B. Liberal leadership run

Interim leader says he'll leave position on Aug. 6

Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jan 18, 2022 12:41 PM AT 

 

 

Roger Melanson, shown here the day he officially became the interim leader of the New Brunswick Liberals, is a former finance minister and has been an MLA since 2010. (Jacques Poitras/CBC file photo)

Interim Liberal Leader Roger Melanson says he won't be a candidate in the party's leadership race this year.

In a written statement, Melanson acknowledged he'd been thinking of running but said he had decided against it. 

"After careful consideration and conversations with family and close friends, I have decided that I will not put my name forward in this leadership race," he said. 

In a media scrum at the legislature in December, Melanson would not rule out becoming a candidate.

Traditionally, interim party leaders commit when they're selected to not run for the permanent leadership position, but there's no rule prohibiting it.

Melanson, a former finance minister and an MLA since 2010, became interim leader after the party lost the 2020 provincial election, which saw then-leader Kevin Vickers fail to win a seat in the legislature.

The Liberals will choose a new leader Aug. 6.

There are three declared candidates for the leadership now. Former Tobique-Mactaquac MP T.J. Harvey and former MLA and cabinet minister Donald Arseneault have launched campaigns, and Saint John-area entrepreneur Seamus Byrne has told other media organizations he is running.

• MLAs take oaths, Liberals select interim leader in busy return to legislature

None of them are current MLAs. 

Melanson also said in his statement that he'll no longer be leader of the Official Opposition as of Aug. 6.

That will allow the new leader of the party, if they're not an MLA themselves, to choose a sitting, elected member for the parliamentary role. 

In the email to reporters with Melanson's statement, Liberal director of communications Ashley Beaudin said Melanson would not be granting interviews about his decision.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

 

80 Comments 

Commenting is now closed for this story.

 

 

 

David Amos

Content deactivated 

Surprise Surprise Surprise 

 

David Amos

Wow that was fast  

 

 

 

  

David Amos

My pick of the litter would be Seamus Byrne for rather obvious reasons   

 

 

Harvey York

Reply to @David Amos: my pick would be you for extraordinarily obvious reasons

 

 

Lou Bell

Reply to @David Amos: You're the " ** ahem ** " expert " ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buford Wilson
I hear Shaun Graham may throw his hat into the ring.

 

 

David Amos

Content deactivated

Reply to @Buford Wilson: Methinks any liberal could beat Higgy next time N'esy Pas?

 

 

David Amos

Reply to @David Amos: Higgs’ Approval Rating Continues To Slide: Poll
Saint John, NB, Canada / The Wave
Robert Lothian
Jan 18, 2022 | 7:08 AM

"New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs continues to find himself in the doghouse, at least according to the results of a recent poll.

Findings from an Angus Reid Institute survey published Monday revealed the premier’s approval rating has reached an all-time low of 34 per cent.

This drop places Higgs in the same territory as Ontario Premier Doug Ford (30 per cent) and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (26 per cent)."

 

 

Lou Bell

Reply to @David Amos: Actually , that 34 % is higher than in the poll CBC referred to last week ! So it appears he's already rebounding !!! We knew it was gonna happen , just not how soon ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lou Bell

Perhaps the AG is planning a forensic audit of where the 3 plus million was spent and to whom for their " Phonie Games " !  

 

Marcel Belanger

Reply to @Lou Bell: And perhaps the AG is planning an audit of why Higgs let the big wood products companies get away with $250 plus millions in stumpage fees that they did not have to pay while they were making record profits on our crown forest lands. Why don’t you talk about that and the $70 million gift to the pulp mills that Higgs is forcing NBPower to fork out.