In 2015, the federal election saw a red wave sweep across Atlantic Canada as the Liberals took all 32 seats in the region’s four provinces.
But there was no repeat in Canada’s 43rd general election on Monday with the Conservatives and Greens picking up seats in New Brunswick.
Richard Bragdon is projected to defeat Liberal incumbent Kelsey MacDonald in the riding of Tobique-Mactaquac.
It’s a similar story in the riding of New Brunswick Southwest as John Williamson is projected to defeat Liberal incumbent Karen Ludwig.
Rob Moore has recaptured the riding of Fundy Royal for the Tories, defeating Liberal incumbent Alaina Lockhart.
“It was to do with the liberal policies that were coming down whether it was the carbon tax or increased taxes that families were paying or the cancellation of the energy east pipeline those were issues that mattered to people here” said Moore who defeated Lockhart by more than 9000 votes.
Voters like Chris Mitton were not at all surprised that conservative Rob Moore was able to win back his seat. Mitton said the results where more of a reflection of people feelings about the federal leaders rather than the local candidates.
“With all the SC-Lavalin scandal there is a lot of people disappointed about that. Trudeau has taken Canada from a very respectable place on the world stage to kind of a world laughing stock” said Mitton.
On Monday, Lockhart visited the Conservative headquarters for Fundy Royal to congratulate Moore. She fought back tears having lost after only one term, yet said she felt a sense of pride “I was the first woman every elected for Fundy Royal I will always carry that with me.”
READ MORE: Conservative Rob Moore retakes Fundy Royal
The Liberals retained six seats out the 10 ridings in the province.
Many of New Brunswick’s high-profile Liberal candidates retained their seats on Monday with incumbent Dominic LeBlanc leading the charge.
He’s projected to retain his seat in the riding of Beauséjour.
LeBlanc won his seat but is unlikely to address supporters this evening as he recovers from a battle with cancer at a hospital in Montreal.
LeBlanc’s campaign manager, Victor Boudreau, said that LeBlanc would want to thank all of the volunteers, many of whom had volunteered on his first campaign in 1997.
“He’s been MP for about 19 years, people know him, they know what he stands for, they know what he’s able to do as MP and whatnot, so I think he had an impressive track record behind him, and he had that good team of volunteers,” said Boudreau.
Liberal incumbent Ginette Petitpas Taylor retained her seat in Moncton Riverview Dieppe while Wayne Long retained his seat in Saint John-Rothesay for the Grits.
READ MORE: Outspoken New Brunswick Liberal re-elected in Saint John nail-biter
Robocalls attempt to misdirect voters
Results are set to come in amid reports of robocalls in Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick trying to misdirect voters by telling them to head to the polls at a future date.
Voters are being urged to report any such robocalls to officials at Elections Canada, which is reminding electors that Monday remains the last day they can vote in the federal election campaign.
“We have received reports about some electors receiving robocalls indicating that election day is on a date other than today (from Quebec, N.S. and N.B.),” said Ghislain Desjardins, a spokesperson for Elections Canada.
“We have no indication these calls are widespread. Today is election day, and the only day to vote.”
— With files from Amanda Connolly and Shelley Steeves
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