PC health minister says Higgs shouldn't call early election
CBC
A senior provincial cabinet minister who has remained loyal to Premier Blaine Higgs is saying there's no need for the premier to call an early election this fall.
Health Minister Bruce Fitch said he'd prefer to see Higgs work with his caucus, including six Progressive Conservative MLAs unhappy with his leadership, rather than going to the polls a year early.
"I don't think we need an election. There's another year in that mandate," Fitch told Radio-Canada, pointing out that it's up to Higgs to make the decision.
The premier has hinted he may need to call an election because of the six MLAs who voted with the opposition Liberals in June on Policy 713.
Those MLAs have committed to supporting PC legislation this fall but also say they want the caucus to have more input into decision-making.
Fitch says there should be a way to resolve that without an election.
"You know, we talked about needs and wants," he said, borrowing a phrase Higgs coined in 2010 to describe his fiscal philosophy.
"Do we need one? I think we could work in collaboration with our caucus before going into an election. But again, I will leave that up to the premier."
The six rebellious MLAs say Higgs has rebuffed their requests for a meeting of the full PC caucus since June.
Fitch, speaking after a ceremony to mark the naming of a bridge after the late MLA and minister Brenda Robertson, also hinted he won't run in the next election.
He was first elected as MLA for Riverview in 2003 and was a town councillor and mayor before that.
As an MLA he served in the cabinets of three PC premiers and was also interim leader of the party and the leader of the official opposition from 2014 to 2016.
"That's 35 years as an elected official altogether, so if I decide to take a break, I don't think anyone should fault me on that," he said.
Other ministers who attended Thursday's bridge announcement were more enthused about a snap election this fall.