No election call coming this week, Higgs says
Opposition parties against general election
Premier Blaine Higgs said he's not prepared to call a general election — at least not this week.
That was about as definitive as he got when asked during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
With three byelections looming — and another three MLAs who haven't announced whether they'll reoffer — Higgs still hasn't decided whether to call a full-scale election or simply have byelections, which would be held no later than Oct. 15, he said.
"So there's no confusion there. As far as whether a general election would overtake those and they'd all be combined, that part still has to be determined and that's the part I'm weighing at this stage," said Higgs.
He acknowledged that some voters — and all three opposition party leaders — don't want a general election.
"I don't want an election either but I don't want to leave the government exposed to three byelections, which we're saying we must have those," he said.
"I have never been one to be pushed into a corner," said Higgs, and the election issue is no different.
"I'll move in the direction that I believe is right for the province. I'm looking at the long picture."
Higgs said he has met with caucus to discuss the issue and will continue to do so. He said an election won't be called "without a clear understanding of how we can manage it safely, and how we can have an election that ensures that democracy continues to work as it needs to in order to govern our province."
Higgs said Elections New Brunswick is working with Public Health officials and those discussions will continue.
On Tuesday, chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth told a standing committee of the legislature that Elections New Brunswick has made several changes to protect the public in a pandemic and has already spent an extra $1 million to do so.
She said she prefers to have byelections before a general election so that her staff can test new COVID-19-related protocols.
Poffenroth said she also prefers not to have the power to cancel or postpone an election mid-stream if a second wave puts the province back into orange or red restrictions.
Higgs said it's Poffenroth's job to ensure Elections New Brunswick is ready for an election whenever the government calls it.
"That is the mandate," he said Wednesday.
"And so to understand what's required in order to achieve that mandate, would be squarely in the chief electoral officer's court … The mandate is: be ready. And for me, my mandate is how do I ensure we protect democracy."
Higgs told reporters that polling results will have no bearing on the timing of an election.
"I'm not basing this on, you know, my current level in the polls. I know how that changes overnight. So I don't put any strength or stock in how volatile that situation is."
He also doesn't put much stock in Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers' promise not to force an election.
"Do I put any stock in that? Absolutely not," said Higgs on Wednesday.
Green Party Leader David Coon has said this isn't the right time for an election, and People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin has said he doesn't think New Brunswickers want an election.
When pressed about when he will make a decision, Higgs wouldn't be pinned down.
"So I'm sure that Elections New Brunswick ... can figure out a way that we can maintain democracy and move it in a direction that allows us to ensure we do it safely. And it would only be under those conditions of being able to do it safely that I would consider calling an election in the future."