Tuesday 24 September 2024

Another former PC minister backs Liberals

 
 

Another former PC minister backs Liberals

Brenda Fowlie supporting Liberal candidate Aaron Kennedy in Quispamsis

Another former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister is getting behind the Liberals in the provincial election.

Brenda Fowlie, who represented the riding of Kennebecasis from 1999 to 2006 and served in the cabinet of PC Premier Bernard Lord, is endorsing Quispamsis Liberal candidate Aaron Kennedy against his PC opponent, party leader Blaine Higgs.

"I made this decision basically because I'm very disappointed in Blaine Higgs," Fowlie said.

"I thought he was doing a very good job until he got a majority" in 2020, she added, citing issues including the cost of living and Policy 713.

Aaron Kennedy and Brenda Fowlie Aaron Kennedy, Liberal candidate for Quispamsis, poses with Brenda Fowlie, a former PC cabinet minister. (Photo submitted by Aaron Kennedy)

Fowlie's backing means there are three former PC ministers supporting or running as Liberal candidates in three contiguous ridings along Route 1 in the Kennebecasis Valley.

Former Higgs cabinet minister Gary Crossman has endorsed Liberal John Herron in Hampton-Fundy-St. Martins. 

And next door in Sussex-Three Rivers, Bruce Northrup, who was a minister in the David Alward PC government, is running as a Liberal against incumbent Tammy Scott-Wallace.

Fowlie was part of Lord's 1999 landslide victory.

On election night in 2003, she was declared the winner by 16 votes, a margin that increased to 18 after an official recount.

That gave Lord's PCs 28 seats compared to 26 for the Liberals and one for the NDP — giving him a narrow majority in the legislature instead of a minority government.

"Every vote counts," Fowlie said. "I'll make mine count."

Professor warns of online disinformation

With campaigning for the Oct. 21 election in full swing, a sociology professor is warning about online disinformation.

Erin Steuter, a Mount Allison University professor and the author of We Get Fooled Again: A Graphic Guide to Fake News, said that around election time, people are especially "hungry for news," so it's a prime opportunity for disrupters to spread misinformation.

"There's a lot more eyeballs out there looking for information," she said.

Steuter said there is also a difference between misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation, she said, tends to be spread when people don't have all the information yet. Disinformation is more intentional and is purposefully spread to mislead others.

A woman smiles.           Erin Steuter, Mount Allison University sociology professor, said it's important that people don't shut down and stop consuming news out of fear of disinformation. (Jeremy Boorne/Submitted)

For example, Steuter said, some people might spread disinformation about the location of a polling station to try to stop people from having the information they need to be able to vote.

The most widespread disinformation, she said, typically is spread by automated bots on sites such as X, formerly Twitter. She said these bots can put out hundreds to thousands of pieces of information, while also being highly trained to mimic human conversations and interactions.

But people often will be more skeptical when faced with interactions such as these, she said.

Her real concern is about fake profiles intercepting community groups, such as those on Facebook.

Upon further inspection, Steuter said, people might realize that the person is not a member of their community — their profile picture may be a stock image or their social media handle may be in use elsewhere or another reason — but because they were posing as a community member, it may have lent more credibility or leeway to their views. 

What really worries Steuter is that, out of fear of being fooled, people may "go on a news-free diet at the exact moment that they need to be…bulking up on news." 

"You need people to be informed, you need people to be, you know, up on what the policy positions are of the different candidates," Steuter said. "And so this is the time when you really need to be consuming the news and talking with other people about the news and not shutting down.

"An election in which no one is informed is the worst possible outcome."

Standings at dissolution: PCs 25, Liberals 16, Greens 3, Independent 1, vacant 4

Where the leaders are today

Green Leader David Coon is in Memramcook for an announcement about heritage buildings.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt is in St. Stephen for an announcement about supporting doctors.

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs has no campaign events scheduled today.

For complete coverage: Links to ll New Brunswick Votes 2024 stories

With files from Jacques Poitras, Information Morning Fredericton

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 

246 Comments

 
 
David Amos
Oh My My isn't this special? Perhaps I will run against Higgy as well 
 
Don Corey 
Reply to David Amos
Go for it David! 
 
 
 
David Amos 
"Erin Steuter, Mount Allison University sociology professor, said it's important that people don't shut down and stop consuming news out of fear of disinformation."

Yea Right

I got this news today

'Grave news for freedom of the press: the Federal Court of Canada just upheld an atrocious ruling by Justin Trudeau’s hand-picked censorship committee, denying Rebel News a QCJO news licence.

(But a minor miracle happened that I want to tell you about, too.)

QCJO stands for Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization. In free countries, readers get to decide which journalists to trust. But in Trudeau’s Canada, that’s now a government decision and Trudeau hand-picks the censorship panel making the decision."

Pat McGregor 
Reply to David Amos
The QCJO had its reasons for not granting RN Canadian tax credits. For instance, less than 1% of RN content is original.

People can still read it and decide for themselves if they trust it. There is no restriction on your access.

The QCJO panel is an independent group made up of a broad range of well-educated people from across the country. They represent diverse thinking.

Alison Jackson
Reply to David Amos
'Rebel News' is not a credible news organization, pretty simple. Anti-vaccine, anti-health care, anti-climate change, anti-heath & welfare of Canadian citizens. But hoo-boy, pretty much pro-corporate rule, pro-oil exploitation, pro-religion in government. Now if you think those stances are something you admire, then well be prepared to always be on the outer fringe of what the majority of Canadians believe.  
 
Don Corey 
Reply to Pat McGregor 
They're picked by Trudeau. That alone means they are not a diverse group because their "educated thinking" is all left leaning.
 
Don Corey 
Reply to Alison Jackson
Regardless of what you think about them, or I think, freedom of speech and of the press is no longer tolerated by our federal government. It's called censorship, and is another attack on our democracy.
 
Don Corey 
Reply to David Amos
We are, as a country, heading down a very dangerous road when political leaders decide what is, and is not, acceptable journalism. There is one word that describes it. Sad indeed......
 
David Amos
Reply to Pat McGregor   
Surely you jest
 
David Amos
Reply to Alison Jackson  
FYI I am honoured that the 'Rebel News' people hate me as much you clearly do 
 
Alison Jackson

Reply to David Amos
I wonder how many of these pro-Higgy posters here back the woman who speaks in tongues in Hampton?
 
 
 
Joe Zilch
Alberta and New Brunswick always seem to get the negative stories here.
  
David Amos
Reply to Joe Zilch 
Go Figure 
 
MR Cain 
Reply to Joe Zilch 
Probably because our premier has adopted Smith's former campaign manager. 
 
Don Corey
Reply to Joe Zilch
Gee, I wonder why. 
 
 
 
ralph jacobs 
This would bother me much more if it was Federally related.
 
David Amos 
Reply to ralph jacobs
How so?
 
ralph jacobs 
Reply to David Amos
That the Feds were falling apart. 
 
 
 
Bobby Richards
Whether one agrees or disagrees with 12 former Higgs MLAs jumping ship and former PCs supporting Liberal this provincial election......it is unprecedented.
 
William Peters 
Reply to Bobby Richards
The world has seen this sort of attempted power grab before. What is troubling is that it tends to not go unopposed until things very serious indeed. This reminds me of Ceausescu in Romania who thought he had a firm grip for having the petroleum industry backing him.
 
David Amos
Reply to Bobby Richards
I doubt anyone will forget the words you posted on June 6th 
 
 
 

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