After being rejected as a candidate by the PCs and the Liberals in the last provincial election, Chris Duffie will run for the Liberals in the riding now held by Education Minister Dominic Cardy. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
New Brunswick Liberals are turning to a candidate they rejected less than three years ago to take on Education Minister Dominic Cardy in his Fredericton-area riding.
Chris Duffie was nominated by acclamation to run for the Liberals in Fredericton West-Hanwell, the third time he has tried to get on the ballot.
"There's lots of good work to be done out in the riding," he said. "It's exciting and I'm looking forward to doing it."
Premier Blaine Higgs has been dropping hints that he may call an early election by this fall.
In 2017 Duffie, a Progressive Conservative supporter at the time, took the party to court, arguing it tried to prevent him from challenging incumbent PC MLA Carl Urquhart for the party nomination in the riding of Carleton-York.
Duffie had missed the deadline to file his paperwork but argued it was because the party didn't properly publicize that the nomination was coming up.
After a judge ruled that the PC party hadn't broken any of its rules, Duffie decided to run for the Liberals.
But the Liberals also rejected him, refusing to let him seek their nomination.
New leader helped
This year Duffie got the green light to run from the party's vetting process, but in a different riding.
"What has changed? They understand where I'm coming from and what I'm working towards and what I'm working for," Duffie said. "I'm working for the people."
He also said a new Liberal leader, Kevin Vickers, "goes a long way" toward him being able to run.
In 2017 the Liberals said they disqualified Duffie because, as a PC member, he had criticized then-Premier Brian Gallant and his government only months before.
On Monday, former Liberal MLA Roly MacIntyre, a member of the committee vetting candidates, offered a different reason for that decision.
He said it was because it would "generally not be appropriate for someone who runs for another party's nomination to run for the Liberal nomination in the same election."
Because Duffie has remained involved with the Liberals since 2018, "we have no further concerns in this regard," he said.
Duffie doesn't live in Fredericton West-Hanwell but says he did in the past, for about 15 years, and has "a great footprint" in the area.
Chances are 'pretty good'
Chris Duffie said he isn't nervous about taking on Education Minister Dominic Cardy in the next provincial election. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
He isn't nervous about taking on Cardy, one of the most high-profile ministers in the government of Premier Blaine Higgs. "I think my chances are pretty good or I wouldn't be doing this."
In 2018, Cardy won the riding with 31.8 percent of the vote, with Liberal Cindy Miles close behind with 27.9 percent.
"I believe my record will speak for itself, as will Mr. Duffie's," Cardy said in an emailed statement.
"Whenever the election is called, I hope we can have a conversation based on our parties' contrasting visions for the future of the people of Fredericton West-Hanwell, and for our province."
The Cardy-Duffie race won't be the first time they have crossed paths. During his 2017 court challenge, Duffie presented evidence that Higgs and Cardy had promised him a job if he stayed out of the PC nomination race.
Both the PCs and Liberals have started nominating candidates, or scheduling nominations, ahead of a possible campaign this year.
The PCs have 13 nominating conventions scheduled so far in the coming weeks, 12 for ridings they hold and one in Tracadie-Sheila, held by the Liberals.
The Liberals have already nominated four candidates, including three sitting MLAs. Duffie is the first candidate nominated in a riding held by another party.
Jacques Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. Raised in Moncton, he also produces the CBC political podcast Spin Reduxit.
46 Comments Commenting is now closed for this story.
David Amos
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Methinks Roly MacIntyre,must have studied the documents I gave him when we met in person with Higgy's buddy Rob Moore and many others in Quispamsis in 2015 Perhaps he will explain them to Mr Duffie N'esy Pas?
David Amos "I believe my record will speak for itself, as will Mr. Duffie's," Cardy said in an emailed statement.
Heres hoping that is true
Ray Oliver You could run a fire hydrant against Cardy. Itll win. Heck. Vote Amos!!
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Ray Oliver: Wow. A knock out drag down battle between 2 men who have jumped both parties and addresses just to grab a small pension. I'm intrigued....
David Amos
Reply to @Ray Oliver: "Heck. Vote Amos!!"
How So???
Jos Allaire The other three opposition parties do not ant election. New Brunswickers do not want elections. But Higgs wants an election. It is sure to blow up in his ugly face.
David Amos
Reply to @Jos Allaire: Methinks they don't want one for the same reason Higgy does N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell Liberals sure diggin at the bottom of the barrel looking for cndidates outside their SANB controlled ridings. First Vickers, and now Duffie . Add to that Arsenault and Gauvin, who never really were committed to the parties they supposedly represented until their true colours showed , an election looks bleak for the Liberlas . Melanson is scrambling to prevent one happening , grasping at any straws he can get his fingers on .
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Lou Bell: Higgs will never get a majority! If he does not want to work with the other parties, which is a mark of the CONservatives, he will never get better. This is the best he can hope for. He can thank the other COR party that he is able to call himself the Premier.
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Jos Allaire: Methinks you write a lot like Marguerite of old because you are like a moth to a flame N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell Perhaps the Anglophone Liberal MLA's should disclose to their constituents what they knew about the UNDISCLOSED " Phonie Games " giveaway ! Were they also involved or were they OUT OF THE LOOP ??? Doesn't look good either way !!
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Lou Bell: You sure know something about "Phonie", Phonie!
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Lou Bell: Methinks you should be able to get the same info from your MLA No doubt you voted for the dude who sent me butter tarts as Higgy's chief of staff before the last election N'esy Pas?
David Peters
The establishment is hoping no one cares and doesn't want to get involved.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Peters: Looks like the fine folks of Fredericton West-Hanwell are expected to hold their noses and vote.
David Amos
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Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks Cardy seat is relatively safe for a Conservative If he ever loses I have no doubt that it will because he did not know enough to clam up and do nothing N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos: You do realize who you are talking about? Clam up? Right.
David Amos Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks they just did it to me N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs Reply to @David Amos: I saw that earlier..............
David Amos
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Methinks everybody knows who I am gonna call today N'esy Pas?
Eric Fowler
Content disabled Reply to @David Amos: Nobody cares who you call.. You a a legend in your mind only.
David Amos
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Reply to @Eric Fowler: Methinks Higgy et al very much care as to whom I talk to about what In fact no doubt so will you when I mention your name to certain people N'esy Pas?
Ben Haroldson
Content disabled Reply to @Eric Fowler: You think? Dave makes a great effort to keep us unformed on all the bee ess going on " in this place ", and he also runs in almost every election. If he was in my riding he would get my vote. I wish him the very best in all his political endeavors.
David Amos
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Reply to @Ben Haroldson: Thanks BTW there is no need for me to talk to Chris Duffie I talked to him years ago and sent him my documents before he sued then backed away from politicking FYI It is one of Cardy's well known constituents and a former party leader whom I wish to speak to about this circus
Ben Haroldson
Content disabled Reply to @David Amos: So much krap going on, it's hard to keep all the important stuff on the front burner. Good luck in the next election, if you throw your hat in.
Michel Forgeron
Content disabled Reply to @Ben Haroldson: "unformed" - did you mean informed or uninformed?
Ben Haroldson
Content disabled Reply to @Michel Forgeron: What letter is beside the u? Figure it out.
Eric Fowler
Content disabled Reply to @David Amos: I don't care if you mention my name as long as you don't say that I am your friend.
David Amos
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Reply to @Eric Fowler: Methinks you think a lot of yourself I doubt that you have any friends you can trust N'esy Pas?
