Graham refuses to rule out early New Brunswick election

Premier Shawn Graham is refusing to completely rule out an early election in New Brunswick despite the province's fixed election date law.

The Liberal government set the next election date for Sept. 27, 2010. But when asked about persistent rumours of an early election, Graham told reporters on Wednesday that there is always a possibility the voting date could change.

"We're planning towards that fixed election date. Sometimes there is an issue of public concern or importance that a premier would have to take to the electorate," Graham said.

"That issue does not exist today. We are moving forward to the fixed election date as it stands for the fall of 2010."

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives are walking a fine line between saying they are ready for an early election and condemning the very idea of heading to the polls this year.

"If they decide to go ahead before September of 2010, it will be not only a broken promise; it will be a government not respecting their own laws or their own rules," said Tory MLA Paul Robichaud.

Robichaud's own federal leader, Stephen Harper, also called an early election in defiance of a fixed election date law, though Harper was able to claim his minority government could no longer govern.

Graham's Liberals have an eleven-seat majority, so he'd need a different rationale.

The Graham government took office in October 2006.

Former premier Bernard Lord also had committed to a fixed election date when he was in office. However, Lord did not wait until Oct. 15, 2007; instead, he triggered an early election in August 2006, which he lost to Graham's Liberals.

The Liberals hold 33 seats in the legislature, the Opposition Progressive Conservatives have 22.