(Photo: Facebook)
Roger Melanson was first elected in 2010, and his constituents continue to have faith in him.
The MLA elect will serve another term in the Dieppe riding.
Melanson says as a member of the opposition Liberals, they will hold this provincial government accountable, “We will keep their feet to the fire, but at the end of the day, we will obviously have to reflect and see what needs to change moving forward.”
Kevin Vickers stepped down last night from his role as New Brunswick’s Liberal Leader. He lost his seat in Miramichi to Michelle Conroy of the Peoples Alliance party.
Melanson says his party will need to regroup as a Liberal caucus, to reflect, and talk about what’s next, “This includes the people who did not make it. My heart goes out to them because campaigns are tough and even more difficult during a pandemic, but just to put your name forward. Kudos to all of them. It doesn’t matter what party they were trying to represent.”
In Shediac Bay-Dieppe, there is a new face representing the riding, under the same party umbrella.
Robert Gauvin is the Liberal MLA elect for that area.
He says, even as a member of the Official Opposition, they have a job to do, and must watch every move the government makes, “Our job is to protect the people of New Brunswick and try to guide party and power to make the right decisions. We will have some economic challenges coming with COVID-19 and we hear about a second wave. We have seen the minority government that sometimes when you collaborate, you can achieve great things.”
Gauvin is no stranger to provincial politics. He was elected as a Conservative MLA for the riding of Shippagan in 2018, but after proposed changes earlier this year by the Higgs government to close emergency rooms, he left to sit as an Independent.
“I never moved to Shippagan. I was renting there. I have been working at Le Pays de la Sagouine for twenty years. I was a teacher in Grande-Digue for three years which is in the riding of Shediac Bay-Dieppe. So I know the place very well and I know the people very well, and I know the challenges of the riding of Shediac Bay-Dieppe,” Gauvin says.
It was rumoured last night, that Gauvin is one of several being considered for the Liberal leadership, but he says this is isn’t something that has crossed his mind.
He says his focus going into the provincial election was to win as a party.
Follow
