Greens prepare list of conditions to support minority government
Leader David Coon says if no party wins a majority, he’ll be ready with demands
Green Leader David Coon says his party is preparing a list of conditions that would have to be met for it to support a minority government after next month's provincial election.
Coon refused to reveal those conditions at a news conference Thursday, where he unveiled his first platform commitment ahead of next week's official start of the campaign.
"Should we hold the balance of power after the election, there is a list of measures that we would insist on seeing implemented but I'm not going to share that list with you," he said.
"We're working on a list, should we not form the government."
Coon made the comments after promising a Green government would give households with income less than $70,000 a $25-per-month payment to help them cope with higher N.B. Power bills.
He said he would also cancel a subsidy program that lets pulp mills generate electricity, sell it to the utility and then buy it back at a reduced price.
But Coon didn't say whether those two promises would be on his list of conditions.
The election is scheduled for Oct. 21.
If no party wins a majority and Coon's Greens retain their toehold in the legislature, the party would hold the balance of power, determining whether a government can pass its budget and legislation.
Last year Coon ruled out propping up the Progressive Conservatives as long as Premier Blaine Higgs remains leader.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt hasn't been willing to discuss relying on the Greens to stay in power but Coon said Thursday she would not have much choice if she falls short of a majority.
"There will be negotiations, whatever she says, if she has the greatest number of seats. In a minority situation, she's going to have to have some support to stay in power to form a government," he said.
In 2018 no party won a majority, and then-Liberal Premier Brian Gallant courted the three Green MLAs to strike a deal that would keep him in power.
But even with a deal, the People's Alliance decision to back the Progressive Conservatives meant the combined Liberal-Green numbers weren't enough for Gallant to win a confidence vote on his government's throne speech.
After that defeat, Gallant's government resigned and the Blaine Higgs PC government was sworn in a week later.
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58 Comments
Methinks the Greens must win a few seats before they can rule the roost like the PANB once did N'esy Pas?
"We're working on a list, should we not form the government."
How to I get the coffee out of my nose?
Bob Smith
irrelevant party
Reply to Jake Newman
I call them controlled opposition
This guy has demands .
Oh boy . . .
David Amos
Reply to Conrad Tanker
My thoughts exactly
The Greens ARE the smartest bunch in the legislature.
Reply to MR Cain
Reply to MR Cain
Nope but one is very good at yelling.
MR Cain
Reply to Graham McCormack
Yup, the smartest in the legislature. Who does the yelling?
Reply to Graham McCormack
Yup
Reply to MR Cain
Kevin Arseneau offer nothing of much value.
Reply to Graham McCormack
Obviously those who support him think otherwise.
Reply to Lou Bell
Oh Lou, it is something to live in your world.
so a very minor party who really doesn't represent anyone in NB wants to demand things (but on behalf of who?)
MR Cain
Reply to Jake Newman
Actually, they represent a large number; they have 3 MLAs.
Reply to MR Cain
wow a whole 3 MLAs, so again they don't represent very many folks.
Reply to Jake Newman
Enough to support a minority.
Reply to MR Cain
not enough to make demands. they represent a very very very small percentage of the population. If voters cared for what they are offering more would vote for them. Same Federally. Federally greens (and bloc) shouldn't even be invite to the debates.
Reply to Jake Newman
Tired of having to explain everything; check out how Higgs got in to begin with.
Content Deactivated
Their constituents. Called democracy; do we have to explain that too? sheesh
Reply to Jake Newman
I bet Mr Outhouse loved this news
Reply to MR Cain
Content Deactivated
up soon isn't it ??
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Not soon enough for Higgy
Content Deactivated
Then who'd be their " news manufacturer " ?
you want to disrupt the current corporate over individual priority by stopping the "pulp mills generate electricity, sell it to the utility and then buy it back at a reduced price."
that goes against all conservative policy
Laura Smith
"should we not form the government" Right!!!!
David Peters
Uni-party theater.
Greg Miller
This is a joke , right?
Lou Bell
Irrelevance dictates sellout . Like the NDP and the Liberals did . Greens have their eyes on the liberals , thinking 2 wrongs make a right !
David Conner
Minority government is always the best option
Gordon MacFarlane
Party for sale!
Get your political party here.
You can have pur support for a price
No point in even pretending anymore
Christine Martinez
"We're working on a list, should we not form the government."
Reminds me of Jagmeet's "When I am Prime Minister" comment.
Good luck with that. I'll be here, not holding my breath.
Allan Marven
Gotta love that 70k cut off point. Leaves a lot of people completely out of the picture. A graduated system would be more fair , but at least the new company GreenFoot energy must be doing quite well. New trucks everywhere you go. Btw, what is green position on glyphosate spraying, and all the poisons they are dumping on the blueberry grounds? Not a word this time. A lot of issues to be talked about before Higgs last day.
SarahRose Werner
I admire Green Party Leader's pragmatism. There's no chance the Greens will form the next government, but in the case of a minority government, yes, then they might have an opportunity to voice some requests.
Allan Marven
Reply to SarahRose Werner
Why is glyphosate not on their radar anymore , what with the Monsanto class action lawsuit , which NB could very likely become a defendant in, and the documentary "
"Into the Weeds" that CBC Gem is touting?
Tim Trites
Reply to Allan Marven
if that is an allusion to the Justin Bourque documentary i highly recommend viewing it
Allan Marven
Reply to Tim Trites
The Mosanto class action is not an illusion.
https://kmlaw.ca/cases/roundup-class-action/
Tim Trites
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Tim Trites
Reply to Tim Trites
Monsanto
Tim Trites
Reply to Tim Trites
Global News did an excellent documentary on Bourque called "Into the woods"...i initially thought that was what you were referring to
Lou Bell
David Coon has seen Liberal " fiscal management ???? " Both here and in Ottawa . Like a " deer in the headlights " ! He's seen how Higgs answered all those Greens and Liberals who claimed he left millions on the table . Millions were chicken feed , and Higgs turned those millions into billions ! Much like many other provinces , only Higgs did it sooo much better than the others !
Graham McCormack
Wow, a whole $25!
Lou Bell
Reply to Graham McCormack
By the time he'd be finished with the liberals it would be 2500 dollars each . He's seen their " fiscal management " ! And we'd be billions more in debt ! Like a deer in the headlights !
SarahRose Werner
Reply to Graham McCormack
My hydro bill is about $40 a month. I'd be happy to get $25. I'm also happy to live in a building with a natural gas furnace.
Graham McCormack
Reply to Lou Bell
You mean like Higgs did under David Alward?
Graham McCormack
Reply to SarahRose Werner
$40 a month is pretty low.
Lou Bell
Reply to Graham McCormack
Naw , more like what the Liberals tried to do to NB taxpayers with their 130 million dollar Phonie games fund !
Graham McCormack
Reply to Lou Bell
Ah poor Lou, still refused to admit that when Higgs was Finance Minister for Alward, they added more debt than any government, including the Gallant government and their very real games.
Lou Bell
If the liberals gained a minority government , and with the greens support , we can expect there will be 4 more years of no development of our rich Natural Resources . We actually got the message loud and clear when the Federal Liberql MP from Nova Scotia let everyone know NB and all of Atlantic Canada is nothing more than an EI part of Canada , something the liberals themselves have created with minimum hours EI for their fisherman base . Thanks to Justin and Dom , where Quebec is their enabler and Atlantic Canada is irrelevant in their plans .
Lou Bell
Reply to Lou Bell
They've ( the Liberals ) stifled resource development here in Atlantic Canada for years , giving us a low GDP , denied us thousands of well paying jobs , and forced our workers to leave and head west for those jobs , Denied us a pipeline to use CANADIAN oil and gas , and forcing us to import foreign product from untrustworthy , unreliable countries . Meanwhile , the US is filling their pockets , exporting trillions of dollars worth of O & G to Europe to replace the products from Russia and to help close down much dirtier coal plants .
Lou Bell
Definition of a loser - one ( or a party ) who believes they will lose before they even play the contest .
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