Fourteen disgruntled former New Brunswick NDP candidates (plus one on the NDP's national executive) are defecting and throwing their support behind the provincial and federal Greens — a move unlikely to spark confidence in the federal New Democrats on the cusp of an election call.
The 14 former provincial candidates announced their exodus in a media release sent to CBC News today. They also are expected to hold a press conference in Moncton this afternoon to submit their membership applications to New Brunswick Green Party Leader David Coon.
In their declaration of support, the members note that federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has visited New Brunswick, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh hasn't set foot in the province since winning the leadership back in 2017.
The former New Democrats say they support the Green Party of Canada "and encourage all New Democrats, New Brunswickers and, indeed, all Canadians in voting for the Green Party of Canada this election."
The shift means Singh's NDP can't turn to any of those provincial candidates to run in federal ridings in the upcoming election campaign. The federal party doesn't have any candidates nominated in New Brunswick at the moment, according to the party's website.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-greens-nb-1.5268498?__vfz=medium%3D...