Green Party keeps its 3 seats in New Brunswick Legislature

Green Party Leader David Coon will be returning to his seat in the New Brunswick Legislature, along with the two members who sat with him in the last house, Megan Mitton and Kevin Arseneau.

Coon won the riding for the third time, finishing about 1,400 votes ahead of Progressive Conservative Brian MacKinnon,about 54 per cent, said he was grateful voters in Fredericton South had confidence in him.

"Now, I'm ready to get back to work for them,"Coon saidatGreen Party headquarters in downtown Fredericton.

WATCH| Green Party Leader David Coon says his party is ready to work alongside Premier Blaine Higgs

David Coon says his party is ready to work with Premier Blaine Higgs

4 years ago

Duration 6:55

Green Party Leader David Coon says he's proud that the party has kept three seats in the legislature and he's looking forward to sitting down with Premier Blaine Higgs after the election.

Althoughthe Green Party had hoped for breakthrough elsewhere and for another minority government, Coon was still pleased with the outcome. The party's share of the popular vote grew to 15.2 per cent from 11.2 in 2018.

Coon said he's looking forward to continuing workwith Premier Blaine Higgs, who won a majority government, on the all-party cabinetcommittee that has been dealing with the pandemic response.

"As we go intofall with kids in school we've got to be really on the mark," he said.

Although he's lost leverage he had when Higgs led a minority governnent, Coon said he will also keep pressing forfood security, improved health care and access to mental health care.

Arseneau won again for the Greens in Kent North, with about 47 per cent of the vote,and Mitton won again in Memramcook-Tantramar, with more than 40 per cent of the vote. Last election, she won by only 11 votes.

WATCH| Green Party Leader David Coon re-elected in Fredericton South

David Coon re-elected in Fredericton South

4 years ago

Duration 4:37

This is what Green Party Leader David Coon had to say when it was announced he was re-elected in Fredericton South for the third time in a row.

Initially, Coon had said he was looking to more than double the Green seats in the legislature. The party had high hopes of winning Restigouche West, but it was taken by Liberal candidate Gilles LePage with 4,232votes. Green Party candidate Charles Thriault came in second with1,276 votes.

Still, Coon was happy with progress the party made, pointing in particular to the Moncton area and northern New Brunswick.

"That's a huge breakthrough for Greens in this province," he said.

In Coon'sFredericton South riding, Liberal candidateNicole Picotwas third with 674 votes,followed by the People's Alliance Wendell Betts with195, andNDP candidate Geoffrey Noseworthy88.

The Greens were the only party to promise a gender-balanced slate, with 25female candidates.

Will continue push for racism inquiry

Green Fredericton MP Jenica Atwin whowas also at the party's headquarters, was optimistic about theparty's future and representing them at a federal level.

Atwin said she is also disappointed in Higgs's stance on an inquiry into systemic racism following the deaths ofChantel Moore, 26, and Rodney Levi, 48, whowere shot and killed by police in New Brunswick eight days apart.

Coon saidhe will continue to push for a provincial inquiry, but Higgs has resisted one.

Green party promises

During his campaign, Coon promisedeverything from action on climate change, to increases in minimum wage, and sweeping tax, education and municipal reform.

The party's plan covered a range of traditionalGreenissues, including a call to ban all new sources of climate-changing fossil fuels, including shale gas.

But he wanted to let schools manage their own budgets and to abolish government funding to companies that use tax havens to avoid paying taxes in New Brunswick.

During the campaign, Coon said his party would "spend money where it matters, not where it doesn't."