Santis Health is pleased to announce that our Election Tracker has returned, and includes timely updates of the New Brunswick election. 

The Santis Election Tracker will provide regular updates on the latest developments in the province, as well as an expert and detailed health-focused analysis of major party platforms, announcements, and commitments.  

Ahead of the election day on October 21, 2024, New Brunswick voters will have the choice to vote between the Liberal party, represented by first-time leader Susan Holt, the Green Party’s David Coon, and the incumbent Conservative Party premier Blaine Higgs. The NDP, led by Alex White, is planning to rebuild and recruit more members, after failing to win a seat in the 2020 provincial election and earning just 1.6% of the vote. 

The PCs are favoured in 21 seats, whereas the Liberals are favoured in 15 seats, and as the election approaches, campaigning is expected to target central New Brunswick, where the remaining 13 seats will be significant to the outcome. N.B. has experienced close elections in the past decade, and recent polls have been indicating a toss-up - especially because of the number of undecided voters/. Some show Holt’s Liberals leading the popular vote, whereas the PCs are projected to hold a geographical advantage that could secure them a majority without winning the popular vote. The Liberal Party are dominant among the francophone regions of New Brunswick, which are expected to be secure seats for the party. 

One of the most contentious policy issues underpinning this election will be Higg’s controversial school gender-identity policy decisions, following which a brief caucus revolt and a series of resignations took place. Higgs shuffled out two of his cabinet ministers who voted for the Liberal motion of calling for more consultations on Policy 713, which sets out protections for LGBTQ students. Changes to self-identification within classrooms have been drawing attention province-wide as it faces courtroom battles, and district education councils defy the provincial directive to implement the rule which restricts youth under sixteen from choosing their pronouns. This has been the primary cause for the revolt against HIgg’s leadership, causing many former and current PC members to speak out against his leadership, and urging members not to support the premier. 

The top issue of concern for New Brunswick, however, is health care, while issues like housing and cost of living are on the rise. These are all issues at the centre of the Liberal Party’s campaign, which officially launched on September 8th, which also includes balancing the budget, which was indicated to be a surplus of over $500 million under the current government. The debates around health care policy will be very important to the N.B. election after the largest union representing nurses recently voted against a new tentative collective agreement. Both parties have signalled they don’t plan on resuming negotiations until after a new government is formed.

For all of these reasons and more, the New Brunswick election will be very interesting to follow as campaigning efforts increase for what could be a very close race.