People's Alliance leader loses bid for seat

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin has lost in his bid to gain a seat inside the legislative assembly.

Austin, who formed his party earlier in 2010, placed third behind the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals in Grand Lake-Gagetown.

Austin finished with 20 per cent of the vote compared to PC Ross Wetmore's 48 per cent and Liberal Barry Armstrong's 25 per cent.

The People's Alliance joined the Green Party of New Brunswick as new parties on the ballot in the 2010 election.

While the three main parties are running a full slate of candidates, the People's Alliance only mustered 14 candidates in the province's 55 ridings.

The party was borne largely out of anger after the Liberal government announced the planned sale of NB Power to Hydro-Québec.

Austin, who failed in his attempted to win the Progressive Conservative nomination in the riding of Grand Lake-Gagetown, started the party. He then won the leadership and had the party registered with Elections New Brunswick in the summer.

Austin had a strong showing in the Sept. 14 televised leaders debate, hitting both Liberal Leader Shawn Graham and Progressive Conservative Leader David Alward hard over their decisions to vote themselves major increases in their pension plans.

The party's main pledge is to give citizens more power in politics, primarily through a platform promise to allow MLAs to have a free vote on any piece of legislation.

Potential footholds

The People's Alliance was looking at two specific ridings for potential footholds.

Austin worked hard to win his riding of Grand Lake-Gagetown, which did not have an incumbent running in this election.

The party was also hoping John Craig, who is also the mayor of St. Andrews, could win the southwestern riding of Charlotte-Campobello. Craig failed to win the Tory nomination to run in the riding.

Craig finished fifth in a tough race.

PC Curtis Malloch won the riding with 52 per cent of the vote. Craig finished with five per cent of the vote.