New Brunswick ag minister headed for opposition bench

New Brunswick’s incumbent agriculture minister and opposition ag critic are bound for a legislature under new management following Monday night’s election.

Incumbent premier Blaine Higgs’ Progressive Conservative government was defeated by Susan Holt’s Liberals, who scored a majority with 31 of 49 seats; the Tories followed with 16 and the Greens with two. Higgs narrowly lost in his own constituency of Quispamsis.

Higgs’ agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries minister, Margaret Johnson, easily held her northwestern riding of Carleton-Victoria by a spread of over 2,600 votes against Liberal challenger Julian Moulton.

The Liberals’ incumbent ag critic, Eric Mallet, also easily held his riding of Shippagan-Les Îles by a spread of over 3,900 votes against the Greens’ Wilfred Roussel.

The Liberals’ previous ag critic, Isabelle Thériault, held her riding of Caraquet by almost 5,300 votes over Tory challenger Jean Paul Lanteigne.

Among other ag-adjacent MLAs, farmer and Green representative Kevin Arseneau narrowly lost in his riding of Kent North against Liberal challenger Pat Finnigan.