NDP close to finalizing last 2 candidates in New Brunswick

The NDP is gaining traction nationally in the polls but two weeks into the federal election, the party has been unable to assemble a full slate of 10 candidates in New Brunswick.

The Liberals have already nominated candidates in each of the province's 10 ridings, while the Conservatives and Greens are both missing one candidate.

The NDP still needs two more candidates for the Oct. 19 federal election, but said Wednesday it's getting closer.

A contested nomination meeting is scheduled forAug.27in Woodstock, where Greg Crouse and Robert Kitchen are seeking to represent the riding of Tobique-Mactaquac.

The meeting is scheduled for7:30 pmat the Ayr Motor Centre.

The party also confirms that Patrick Colford, the only declared candidate in Miramichi-Grand Lake, could be acclaimed within a couple of weeks, if his bid goes uncontested.

Colford is the president of the NewBrunswick Federation of Labour and he ran in 2011 as the NDP candidate in Miramichi, where he was defeated by Conservative candidate Tilly O'Neill-Gordon.

Colford came second place with 23 per cent of the popular vote, edging out third place Liberal candidate Keith Vickers, who got 22 per cent of the popular vote.

After Labour Day, I'm sure the real election will start and we'll have our candidates in place.- YvonGodin, retiring NDP MP

Retiring NDP MP Yvon Godin, who is not reoffering in Acadie-Bathurst, said he is not concerned by the missing candidates.

He said the NDP will have a full slate of candidates in New Brunswick when voters go to the polls inOctober.

"I am sure that this election after Labour Day, the real election will start. Before that, people are on vacation. They're having fun with their kids before the kids go to school," Godin said.

"They're not interested to hear politics. But then after Labour Day, I'm sure the real election will start and we'll have our candidates in place."

While Godin is unfazed by the need for more NDP candidates, other party members are hopeful the party can fill out the slate soon.

Judith Meinert, a long-time New Democrat, has yet to meet her party's candidate in Saint John-Rothesay.

The NDP placed second in the riding in the 2011 federal election and polls suggest New Democrats have a fighting chance this October.

"The Liberal candidate has been on the go, since about April he's been campaigning for a long time. And [Conservative candidate] Rodney [Weston]'s face is up on billboards and so on," she said.

"So we've got a way to go. But I know we can make it up."

Meinert said she would have liked to have a candidate "early, early, early."

AJ Griffin, who ran for the provincial NDP last year in the riding of Quispamsis, was acclaimed by the NDP in Saint John-Rothesay this week.

On Tuesday, Griffin had no signs, no flyers and was not available for an interview to discuss the party's fortunes in the province.

Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Wayne Long, Griffin's main competitor for the non-Conservative vote, has already knocked on 5,000 doors.

"Well, if you want to be honest, I've been somewhat campaigning for more than a year now," Long said.

When the election was called, the NDP held one seat in New Brunswick, the Liberals had another, while the Conservatives had eight seats.

The NDP is hoping to make inroads in the province in this election.

NDP Leader TomMulcair was in New Brunswick already stumping for two well-known northern candidates.

In other parts of the province, the NDP are hoping for a breakthrough.

Luc LeBlanc is running for the NDP in Moncton-Riverview-Dieppeandhas been on the campaign trail since January.

The NDP finished in second place in Moncton in 2011, so LeBlanc said he is confident the party can build on that performance.

"Our objective nationally is to go after Conservative seats that were won by a slight margin, And there are quite a few of those in New Brunswick, actually. My own in Moncton is one of them. So we see great potential in New Brunswick," he said.

"We think people in Atlantic Canada are tired of Conservative rule and we're going to go after them as hard as we can."