Daniel Allain elected leader of PCNB party

Daniel Allain has been elected the next leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.

He was one of two candidates who sought the position following the resignation of former premier Blaine Higgs. He secured 2,543 votes, or 59 per cent of the total.

“We’re going to provide good opposition and good ideas at the same time,” he said, speaking with reporters after the results.

Allain defeated Arcadia-Butternut Valley-Maple Hills MLA Don Monahan.

He said it was too soon to say whether he would ask another MLA to step down so he could return to the legislature.

“It’s way too early for that,” he said.

Allain cited Bernard Lord and Susan Holt as examples of leaders who have led the party but did not have a seat in the legislature.

“The PC party has some work to do and I don’t need to be in the house,” he said. “We’ll see later on in 2027.”

He was one of eight former PC MLAs who rebelled against former premier Blaine Higgs during his changes to an LGBTQIA+, which required parental consent for students under 16 to use a different name or pronouns at school.”

Allain began his political career as a constituency assistant for Bernard Lord before being elected to the provincial legislature for the first time in 2020

Under Higgs, he served as minister of local government and local governance reform. He undertook municipal reform that reduced the number of municipalities and amalgamating communities across New Brunswick.

He said his first priority is unifying the party.

“I think the first priority right now is the PC party members,” he said. “It’s to make sure we start the policy process, that we do the 49-49 strategy.”

Asked about how he would make members who did not vote for him feel welcome, Allain said the PCNB party is a big tent party.

“There are some people that we are not aligned with at this time, that’s all right,” he said.

He did not say what positions he or the party would take on certain policies until the process had unfolded.

In the last election, the PCNB party lost several major ridings to the Liberals, including Saint John Portland-Simonds, Quispamsis, Rothesay, Saint John Harbour, Fredericton-North, Moncton Centre and Moncton South.

Allain said restoring trust will be about returning to communities to speak directly with New Brunswickers.

“You show up. People want me to show up,” he said. “I will be giving the time to my province because this is my last kick at the can and I’m going to give it 100 per cent.”

Allain said he plans to meet with Monahan on Monday and will speak to members of his caucus in the coming weeks. The legislature begins a new sitting on Tuesday.

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Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Saint Croix Courier.