People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin says he has met with Blaine Higgs and has agreed to “provide stability” for a Progressive Conservative minority government for up to 18 months.
In the release issued Friday afternoon, Austin said he met with Lt.-Gov. Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau Friday morning to “discuss working with other parties in the upcoming legislative assembly to make government work.”
“People’s Alliance MLAs will continue to hold the government to account with the expectation that all parties must work together in the best interest of New Brunswickers,” the release reads.
For his part, PC Leader Blaine Higgs says Austin’s support means he has enough votes to form government.
“That’s a pretty convincing statement, and it says that he wants to be reflective of the people’s wishes that we find a way to work together,” Higgs said in an interview with The West Block. “And that’s what I want to do with him, certainly with the Green Party and with the other members of the Liberal Party, because we’ve got to get on with the issues at hand here.”
“The election’s over. Let’s stop electioneering and move forward.”
WATCH: New Brunswick election: People’s Alliance leader Kris Austin calls win ‘fantastic’
The New Brunswick election produced a near deadlock, with the PCs winning 22 seats to the Liberals 21. Neither was able to reach the 25 seats needed for a majority.
The Green Party and People’s Alliance earned a record three seats apiece, with both party leaders winning in their respective ridings.
Following the win, Austin said he was willing to work with any party to make a minority government work.
“We understand that the people of New Brunswick have given all of us a mandate to work together,” Austin said Wednesday. “That requires negotiation. That requires give and take. I’m willing to do that.”
READ MORE: Kris Austin says he’s open to working with any party to make N.B. minority government work
Austin has also promised that his MLAs will vote freely in the legislature.
Prior to the writ being dropped, Global News asked about that promise. Austin said he would expect his caucus to implement the party platform, but vote their conscience on all other issues.
“We do expect our candidates to go forward with the items in our platform when they come to voting on legislation to be passed,” he said in mid-August. “However, government operates on a four-year period. There’s many policies and legislations that will be brought forward that have nothing to do with the party platform.
“On those items, we want people, our MLAs, to go back to the people and bring their wishes forward to the legislature the way democracy is supposed to work.”
WATCH: 1-on-1 interview with People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin
The People’s Alliance said Austin is not available for media interviews Friday afternoon.