The federal New Democrats say it’s not true that 14 former provincial NDP candidates in New Brunswick switched their political allegiance to the Green Party this week.
A party spokeswoman says some of the 14 have indicated they still support the federal NDP and its leader, Jagmeet Singh.
READ MORE: NDP exodus, former N.B. provincial candidates move to support federal Green Party
The spokesperson says their complaints are more with the provincial party in New Brunswick.
All 14 candidates ran for the provincial NDP in 2018.
WATCH BELOW: 14 former New Brunswick NDP candidates move to support Green Party
Earlier this week the federal NDP’s executive member for Atlantic Canada, Jonathan Richardson, announced he was leaving the party to join the Greens and the provincial candidates were coming with him.
Richardson said he had heard from some potential NDP candidates who were hesitant to run federally because they thought New Brunswick voters wouldn’t vote for a party whose leader wore a turban.
READ MORE: Race a factor in NDP’s poor outlook in N.B. ahead of election: ex-party executive
Richardson and the 14 members issued a declaration earlier this week that encouraged “New Democrats, New Brunswickers and, indeed, all Canadians in voting for the Green Party of Canada this election.”
That statement also criticized Singh for not visiting New Brunswick and compared him to Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who they wrote has “visited New Brunswick a significant amount of times.”