The day between the leaders' debates edition
Day 22 of the campaign
Good evening,
Fresh off the debate, the various party leaders spread out across the province Thursday to each make announcements on issues from banning single-use plastic bags, to language requirements for ambulances.
The issue of language and ambulance service arose at the debate last night. If you missed it, we've posted videos of each question and answers from the leaders here.
We've also cut together some of the highlights:
On this week's episode of the Pollcast podcast, the CBC's Jacques Poitras breaks down the leaders' debate.
Thursday saw the Liberals and PCs spending more time talking about what happened four years ago, and whether or not Blaine Higgs was offered a top-post with the new Liberal government.
Programming note: The next debate with the party leaders is Friday. Five party leaders will take part in the Rogers/Brunswick News debate in Fredericton at 5:30 p.m.
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Now on to today's news...
Top headlines
- Gallant says he never offered PC leader a job with the Liberal Party
- The Liberal leader doubled down Thursday morning on his insistence that he never offered Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs a position in the Liberal government in 2014 as the PCs released more details about what happened four years ago.
- ANALYSIS | Will Blaine Higgs's affidavit gambit change the direction of the election campaign?
- CBC's Jacques Poitras examines what happened at the debate and what it could mean for the election.
- Public won't see child protection review until after election
- CBC's Karissa Donkin has been investigating the province's child protection system. A review has been completed, but the public won't get to see it before the vote.
- Election Day 22: A round-up of the day's election announcements
- Liberals propose to ban single-use plastic shopping bags, Green Party releases student loan plan, Tories talk ambulance staffing, People's Alliance outline motor vehicle system changes, and NDP make childcare commitment.
The talking point
There's new data from CBC/Radio-Canada's Vote Compass that looks at how respondents view environmental issues. Earlier data from Vote Compass shows participants ranked environment as the third-most important issue behind the economy and health.
Participants who are CBC.ca users answer a series of questions to help voters determine what political parties their views align with.
Of note, 62 per cent of respondents say they agree environmental regulation should be stricter, even if it leads to consumers paying higher prices.
Twenty-four per cent of respondents disagree with that statement, while 14 per cent say they are neutral.
It's likely not a surprise that the strongest agreement with stricter regulations came from those who say they plan to support the Green Party.
So why does this question matter? Well, one of the hot topics in the campaign so far has been a carbon tax. It's a measure aimed at curbing pollution by placing a price on emissions.
Here's some of our earlier coverage of that issue:
We'll have a few more stories based on responses to other Vote Compass questions, including views on pipelines and hydraulic fracturing. If you haven't already used Vote Compass, click here to take part.
Riding profile: Albert
Today we're featuring Albert, a rural, and reliably Tory, riding that covers a swath of the province from Salisbury to Riverview and south to Alma.
Vanessa Blanch spoke to several of the candidates who told her voters are seeking improved basic services in their area.
Her story can be found by clicking here.
The Progressive Conservatives have won the riding in each election since 1999 by fairly wide margins. This time, one-term Tory incumbent Brian Keirstead lost the party's nomination to Mike Holland.
Holland says he's heard over and over that citizens don't feel their voices are heard in Fredericton.
"I hear constantly, 'Yup — you want my vote and I'm not going to see you again for four years,'" Holland said.
Catherine Black is running for the Liberals, Moranda van Geest for the Green Party, Betty Weir for the NDP, Sharon Buchanan for the People's Alliance of New Brunswick and James Wilson, who is running as an independent.
Where the leaders were
Kris Austin: Fredericton, then campaigning in Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton
David Coon: Announcement in Fredericton, campaigning and a debate.
Brian Gallant: Announcements in Napan and Lamèque, followed by stops in Bathurst and Fredericton.
Blaine Higgs: An announcement in Minto.
Jennifer McKenzie: Announcements in Saint John.
More Coverage
For complete coverage | Links to all New Brunswick Votes 2018 stories
New Brunswick Poll Tracker | Get the latest projections here
Vote Compass | See how your views compare with the parties' platforms
Help CBC track political ads on Facebook | Learn how here