Calls for New Brunswick premier to resign grow louder as another minister resigns
CTV
Troubles for New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs worsened Friday as Labour Minister Trevor Holder reportedly resigned from cabinet, and four past Progressive Conservative party presidents joined the chorus calling on the premier to step down.
Troubles for New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs worsened Friday as Labour Minister Trevor Holder reportedly resigned from cabinet, and four past Progressive Conservative party presidents joined the chorus calling on the premier to step down.
In the letter released Friday to several media organizations, Holder said Higgs lacks empathy and cannot work collaboratively with members of the caucus.
"Under the leadership of Premier Higgs, caucus has been less about consensus and more about him getting his own way," Holder said in the letter.
Holder, whose portfolios also included post-secondary education and training, is the second minister to resign this month citing Higgs's leadership style. Dorothy Shephard resigned June 15 as social development minister.
Shephard has accused the premier of not trusting his cabinet and criticized him for the decision to change the sexual orientation policy in schools, known as Policy 713. The main change to the policy is that it will no longer be mandatory for teachers to use the preferred pronouns or names of transgender or nonbinary students under the age of 16, starting July 1.
On Thursday, Higgs repeated in a statement that the vast majority of caucus had supported the changes and added "it is extremely unfortunate that all of this gets lost with the strategically planned political drama that is now unfolding."
Holder, who will remain in office as member for Portland-Simonds, said he tried talking to Higgs about the need to work collaboratively, and offered to help the premier in any way he could.
