Sisson mine, Mactaquac dam concern Tobique-Mactaquac candidates

The western riding of Tobique-Mactaquac is a wide open race with four candidates staking out positions on two of the largest economic and environmental question marks in the province.

The potential refurbishment of NB Power's Mactaquac Hydro Dam and the proposed Sisson Brook mine near Stanley are significant issues in the riding in terms of potential impact on the environment and jobs in the area.

For 78 days, federal candidates in other parts of New Brunswick have been campaigning on the need to create more jobs but in many cases the candidates lacked specific details on what could be done.

In Tobique-Mactaquac, those two projects are forcing candidates to take positions.

• AUDIO: Conservative candidate Richard Bragdon
• AUDIO: Liberal candidate T.J. Harvey
• AUDIO: NDP candidate Robert Kitchen
• AUDIO: Green candidate Terry Wishart

Another layer of intrigue has been added to the race because of the retirement of Conservative Mike Allen, meaning the riding has no incumbent.

Liberal candidate T.J. Harvey praised Allen for being a hard-working MP and said he wanted to follow in his footsteps as well as those of Andy Savoy, the Liberal who was defeated by Allen in 2006.

Harvey lives about 40 kilometres from the proposed Sisson mine. When he looks at the proposed mine project, the Liberal candidate said he wants to make sure any resource development projects are given proper scrutiny.

"I think that if we are going to create jobs in natural resource development, then we need to be very inclusive," he said.

"No we can't please everybody all of the time, but it is important that we have a fully inclusive process."

He said that means meeting with the company, the nearby communities, First Nations and other interested groups.

Conservative Richard Bragdon echoed the need to meet with different groups. He said the mine project is important for the western riding because of the direct and indirect jobs that it could create.

"I believe that we can move forward with responsible resource development that has been done in other parts of the world," he said.

The company has said 500 jobs could be created during the mine's construction.

'Bring in everyone'

Both projects have significant environmental questions hanging over them. Green candidate Terry Wishart said there are limited opportunities for federal politicians to get involved because of the provincial nature of the projects.

"I would reiterate that as a federal candidate, I don't have a lot to say in that plan. My opinion is that it is lacking in terms of the fish passage part of the plan," he said.

NDP candidate Robert Kitchen said he has been to town hall meetings about the Sisson mine proposal and has some specific thoughts on improvements that could be done.

When it comes to the Sisson mine project or whatever option NB Power chooses to move forward with regarding the Mactaquac dam, he said citizens in Tobique-Mactaquac must be involved.

"The dam, people do want it refurbished but bring in everyone," he said.

Local issues drive candidates

Each of the four potential MPs identified various local and personal reasons for why they decided to put their names on the Oct. 19 ballot.

For the Green party's Wishart, he said the problems facing Canadians are complex but for too long the country has only been governed by two parties.

"I can provide a new set of lens or a new perspective for trying to solve issues that we have been facing here," he said.

The NDP's Kitchen said he's concerned about issues that have developed throughout the 78-day campaign.

He said farmers in the western riding are also worried about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its potential impact on the quality of the food they produce.

"When it comes to our farming community and the TPP, I really worry that we are not going to uphold our high standards of quality and I'm scared that we are going to lower our standards," he said.

While Kitchen may be concerned about the immediate impact of the trade deal on people working in the riding now, Harvey said he joined the Liberal campaign because he's worried about the future.

"I think fundamentally my reasoning is quite simple. I have four kids and I want those kids to have the same opportunities that I had to grow up, live and work in this riding," he said.

"I don't see that for my children right now. I see a future for them where they have to go elsewhere to live."

As the Conservative candidate, Bragdon has had to defend decisions made in Ottawa even though he was not elected at the time.

But Bragdon said he has no problem defending the Conservative government.

"Our government has done a really good job in navigating some very challenging times," he said.

"No government is perfect, no leader is perfect, but I do believe that in the midst of some real uncertainty this government has provided a steadying influence."

The riding stretches from just outside Fredericton and along the Upper St. John River Valley to St. Andre.

Tobique-Mactaquac was one of the New Brunswick ridings that flipped to the Progressive Conservatives in 1997, but then had a period of tight three-way races between the Liberals, Canadian Alliance and Tories.

Allen won the riding with about 300 votes in 2006, but after that he won the riding with 57 per cent and 62 per cent of the vote in 2008 and 2011.