The Parti Acadien was last on a provincial election ballot 38 years ago. (Wikipedia, user Makaristos)
With a provincial election call potentially looming, politicians of all stripes were caught by surprise Friday by the news a new-old party may join the fray.
The Parti Acadien, last on a provincial election ballot 38 years ago, announced its revival in a press release on Facebook on Thursday.
But by mid-day Friday its Twitter account had already been deleted, and Elections New Brunswick reported there's been no application to officially register the party.
Spokesperson Nelson Cyr told Radio-Canada Friday morning that the party would run candidates in the next provincial election.
But he refused to say who was involved other than himself, nor what its platform would be.
"No party is representing Acadians at this time," said the Thursday press release. "Acadians have to get organized themselves."
Party revival?
Green Party MLA Kevin Arseneau said he had "serious doubts" whether the supposed return of the party was for real.
Cyr, a former Rogersville village councillor, said in an email it was "impossible" for him to grant an interview to CBC News on Friday. The party's website contains no information about meetings, candidates or policies.
The original Parti Acadian was created in the 1970s, a time when New Brunswick francophones were winning new linguistic rights but some activists felt existing political parties weren't doing enough.
The party advocated the creation of autonomous, decentralized governing institutions in francophone areas, and even discussed the idea of carving out a separate Acadian province.
Disrupting the vote
The Parti Acadien logo is posted on a website that says it is still under construction. (Parti Acadien/Submitted)
It peaked in the 1978 election, winning 12 per cent of the vote in the 23 ridings where it ran candidates. It came within 171 votes of winning a seat in Restigouche West.
But its biggest impact was in disrupting long-standing Liberal voting patterns in francophone areas.
That made it easier for the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Richard Hatfield to attract some of those voters with both concrete policy moves and symbolic gestures. The PCs won nine francophone ridings in 1982 and the Parti Acadian vanished.
Arseneau said he's not concerned about a similar dynamic now that might help the current PC government.
He said if the party has issues to raise, it has the right to campaign. "Democracy is democracy. … The more parties we have, the better for democracy."
But Liberal leader Kevin Vickers said he worries this is another sign of growing political polarization along language lines.
He compared the Parti Acadien to the People's Alliance, which won three seats in 2018 after criticizing many aspects of official bilingualism.
He noted that no elected official from the PC government has addressed New Brunswickers in French at COVID-19 briefings, frustrating some francophones.
"Every effort should be made to resolve this … without taking approaches that are extreme on either side," Vickers said. Otherwise, "it really is a win, I believe, for the People's Alliance in that it divides our province."
Alliance leader Kris Austin could not be reached for comment.
Language concerns
A screenshot from the Parti Acadien website. (Parti Acadien/Screenshot)
The current PC government has no francophone MLAs, and activists frequently complain Premier Blaine Higgs has no interest in advancing language rights.
Higgs, who can only speak French well when reading from a text, said the simultaneous translation provided at COVID-19 briefings meets the requirements of the Official Languages Act.
But Arseneau said it helps explain francophone unease
"I understand that some people might feel left behind by the current government in northern New Brunswick and the Acadian regions of New Brunswick," said Arseneau, a former president of the Acadian Society of New Brunswick.
"I do refute completely the phrase in that press release that says that no party is defending Acadians in New Brunswick. I don't think that's true."
He pointed out he often raises language issues in the legislature and has been criticized for it by Higgs and the Alliance.
Details scarce
The new party's website is short on details and doesn't identify any current supporters.
Cyr told Radio-Canada the party "could" adopt the same positions held in the 1970s, including the call for decentralized francophone government institutions.
He was also vague about election readiness.
"We'll see how far we can go," he said. "We plan to have candidates. I don't know if we'll have candidates in all francophone areas, but we'll have candidates."
Higgs has not ruled out calling an early election by the fall. As of Friday morning, the PCs have scheduled 17 nominating conventions for candidates, more than one-third of a full slate, to be held through mid-August.
Only registered parties can have their names appear on ballots alongside their candidates. But to become registered, a new party must set up at least 10 riding associations and hold a convention to elect a leader.
That hasn't happened, and Elections New Brunswick spokesperson Paul Harpelle said the agency has no record of any application to register the Parti Acadien.
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.
124 Comments Commenting is now closed for this story. Now the tally is 109
David Amos Content disabled Methinks somebody should welcome Parti Acadien back to the circus N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Content disabled Reply to @David Amos: Maybe the premier of quebec?
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks you enjoy the circus as much as I do and the more clowns the merrier N'esy Pas?
Guy Richard Go Higgs go, big majority coming for the PC party.
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Guy Richard: Methinks it would not be wise to bet the farm on your opinion N'esy Pas?
David Amos Methinks the former President of SANB is nervous about whats up in his backyard N'esy Pas?
"Green Party MLA Kevin Arseneau said he had "serious doubts" whether the supposed return of the party was for real."
David Amos
Reply to @David Amos: Deja Vu Anyone?
Kevin Arseneau quitte la SANB et se lance en politique Radio-Canada Publié le 25 septembre 2017
Kevin Arseneau veut devenir le prochain député provincial de la circonscription de Kent-Nord, sous la bannière libérale. C'est pour ça qu'il a annoncé dimanche soir sa démission à titre de président de la Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick.
En entrevue à l'émission Le Réveil Nouveau-Brunswick, Kevin Arseneau admet qu'il n'a pas été approché par le Parti libéral.
« Je me suis fait approcher par des citoyens de mon comté. Je crois que le Parti libéral est la meilleure place pour faire avancer ma communauté en ce moment », explique-t-il.
Kevin Arseneau est un militant environnementaliste de longue date. Il avait évoqué la possibilité de se présenter pour le Parti vert aux dernières élections provinciales, avant de se retirer de l'investiture. Il a eu, au fil des années, plusieurs pommes de discorde avec le gouvernement libéral, notamment dans le dossier de la commissaire aux langues officielles, de l'achat d'aliments locaux et de la privatisation en santé.
« J'ai l'intention de rester moi-même. Il y a des décisions des libéraux avec lesquelles je ne suis pas d'accord. Je ne vais pas aller dire que le glyphosate est une bonne chose. Et il y a d'autres façons de développer l'économie qu'Énergie est », indique-t-il.
S'il est élu, sera-t-il prêt à suivre la ligne de parti?
Je ne suis pas prêt à dire que je suis prêt à suivre une ligne de parti. Kevin Arseneau
Le député actuel de la circonscription Bertrand LeBlanc a indiqué qu'il ne serait pas candidat aux prochaines élections provinciales, qui auront lieu le 24 septembre 2018.
David Amos
Reply to @David Amos: Google translation
Kevin Arseneau leaves SANB and goes into politics Radio-Canada Posted on September 25, 2017
Kevin Arseneau wants to become the next MPP for the riding of Kent-Nord, under the Liberal banner. That is why he announced his resignation on Sunday evening as president of the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick.
In an interview with Le Réveil Nouveau-Brunswick, Kevin Arseneau admits that he was not approached by the Liberal Party. “I was approached by citizens of my riding. I believe that the Liberal Party is the best place to move my community forward right now, ”he explains.
Kevin Arseneau is a longtime environmental activist. He had raised the possibility of running for the Green Party in the last provincial election, before withdrawing from the nomination. Over the years, it has had several bones of contention with the Liberal government, particularly in the matter of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the purchase of local food and health privatization.
“I intend to be myself. There are Liberal decisions with which I do not agree. I'm not going to say glyphosate is a good thing. And there are other ways of developing the economy than Energy is, ”he says.
If elected, will he be ready to follow the party line?
I'm not ready to say I'm ready to follow a party line. Kevin arseneau
Current MP for Bertrand LeBlanc has indicated that he will not be a candidate in the next provincial election, which will take place on September 24, 2018.
Jos Allaire
Reply to @David Amos: At least, he stated that he would not tow the party line when he disagreed with the policies of the Liberal party. This is why Liberal would have nothing to do with him. He sure showed them, eh?
David Amos
Reply to @Jos Allaire: Methinks I should seriously consider running against your favourite clown At least we agree on one thing N'esy Pas?
"Arseneau said he's not concerned about a similar dynamic now that might help the current PC government.
He said if the party has issues to raise, it has the right to campaign. "Democracy is democracy. … The more parties we have, the better for democracy."
Rick Firth Eddie St. Pierre, The 3rd world cesspool has come to this country and already taken over.
JJ Carrier
Reply to @Rick Firth: When I was a young reporter people from Richardsville thought Tide Head was the Third World, claiming the Anglo rights hard-hitters in TH were hurting the region, especially before the CoR convention in Campbellton, by fully supporting the event being there...
JJ Carrier
Reply to @Rick Firth: As the creator of the Restigouche Rhino Party Ricky, our convention in Murchie Settlement is coming up and you're invited...
David Amos
Reply to @Rick Firth: Don't trust the Irving spindoctor
David Amos
Reply to @JJ Carrier: Methinks before the writ is dropped you dudes should consider a party merger N'esy Pas?
"Cyr told Radio-Canada the party "could" adopt the same positions held in the 1970s, including the call for decentralized francophone government institutions.
He was also vague about election readiness.
"We'll see how far we can go," he said. "We plan to have candidates. I don't know if we'll have candidates in all francophone areas, but we'll have candidates."
Wendy Staples Our Prime Minister can only speak English well when reading from a text so let's cut Blaine Higgs some slack when he speaks French or is this a typical do as we say, not as we do??
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Wendy Staples: Bad example. Our prime minister is fully scripted in either official language. The reason for this is he can't help but mess up when using his own words in either language (probably because he speaks his mind). Who cares what language Mr Higgs speaks in this age of instant translation? He too is more than capable of messing up and does so regularly.
JJ Carrier
Reply to @Wendy Staples: Once CoR always CoR...
David Amos
Reply to @JJ Carrier: Once an Irving spindoctor always an Irving spindoctor
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: I Wholeheartedly Agree Sir
David Amos
Reply to @Wendy Staples: Too Too Funny Indeed
"Liberal leader Kevin Vickers said he worries this is another sign of growing political polarization along language lines.
He compared the Parti Acadien to the People's Alliance, which won three seats in 2018 after criticizing many aspects of official bilingualism.
He noted that no elected official from the PC government has addressed New Brunswickers in French at COVID-19 briefings, frustrating some francophones.
"Every effort should be made to resolve this … without taking approaches that are extreme on either side," Vickers said. Otherwise, "it really is a win, I believe, for the People's Alliance in that it divides our province."
Alliance leader Kris Austin could not be reached for comment."
James Vander It's no wonder the Parti Acadien wants to resurface. Higgs has barely acknowledged them since he was elected. Most of his activity (if not all) has been in primarily English areas and hasn't made much of an effort to hear their concerns. It wouldn't hurt Higgs to spend a few days in the Acadien locales and at least listen to what they have to say. All NB'ers need to have a voice, or at least think they're getting one....
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @James Vander: I *think* Mr Higgs hasn't discriminated one bit between English and french, he has messed everyone about. Everyone in NB has the same concerns, regardless the language they speak.
Greg Windsor
Reply to @James Vander: ...you are so wrong on all accounts ....such rubbish. May I remind you of the Premier of New Brunswick attending the tax payer funded Acadian celebrations in Dieppe last year, and being mocked and ridiculed by acadian "entertainers"....did he stomp off or start complaining....no because he is a gentleman and so much more polished than those who attacked him..
Josef Blow
Reply to @Greg Windsor: Mockery is an unpleasant experience. No one deserves to be mocked, or even to have his comments qualified as "rubbish". Just saying. As for allusions to "tax payers funded celebrations", despite one's urge to remind others of what is on one's mind, you should know that Acadians and francophones are also taxpayers. This "them" and "us" references are not helpful. And, one last comment on mockery, might Acadians and francophones feel as though they are being mocked since the Premier has yet to fulfill his promise to learn and speak French? Mirror, mirror …
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: YUP
Fred Brewer "The [Acadian] party advocated the creation of autonomous, decentralized governing institutions in francophone areas, and even discussed the idea of carving out a separate Acadian province." In all honesty, carving out a separate Acadian province from part of NB is probably the best solution to the divisiveness that we have had in this province for far too long.
Tim Simmons
Reply to @Fred Brewer: We've already carved out two states with Health and Education and we can't afford those. There's only 750,000 of us of here. I suppose Moncton could officially become a city state like the Vatican.
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Tim Simmons: Precisely why this would work so well. Anglos would go back to one Dept of Education, and one Health Dept and the francos would do the same. The end to all that expensive duplication.
Greg Windsor
Reply to @Fred Brewer: yes, but let us do the border carving....not them !
Josef Blow
Reply to @Greg Windsor: "… let US do the carving"?? Who is "US"?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Greg Windsor: turn on zeeeee gas
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Josef Blow: It ain't me Babe
David News Just what NB needs another party that will splinter the vote and allow a party with far less than a majority of the vote to steal the election. Not a great idea
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David News: I think it's a GREAT idea. Almost a guaranteed minority government, exactly what this province needs, a situation where those governing us have to cooperate.
Alison Jackson
Reply to @David News: So fewer choices is just fine with you? Dude, look at what's happening in the USA with lack of choices, 40% voter turnout and Trump wins. Two party systems are horrible. Pepsi or coke.
David News
Reply to @Alison Jackson: Alison certainly that would be your opinion and I can respect that but, minority government given NB is already for many reasons a basket-case financially, a minority will be left to focus staying in power and not doing the right thing to clean up the economy and the debt. So I would rather have fewer but offering real candidates than more. Don't want to end up like the Israeli Knesset
David News
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Guess we will just have to disagree.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David News: If "the powers that be" will not give us proportional representation the simple solution is for us to force them to
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks minority governments with less incumbents are the only hope we have N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos: It's too bad there are so many who can't see the forest for the trees. What kind of continuous train wreck would be in if Higgs held a majority? Remember that guy, shuffling back and forth from decisions so often he has likely worn out a carpet, or two.
Roland Stewart lol. Bad news for Vickers, he was counting on those votes
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Roland Stewart: Vickers is bad news for Vickers.
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Oh So True
Evelyn Gaudreau Well, we certainly can't agree on this one: "Higgs, who can only speak French well when reading from a text". First, when you read, you don't speak, and more importantly, Mr Higgs cannot read in French, he just enunciates syllables, not words. Facts are facts.
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Evelyn Gaudreau: Are you saying lack of french skills impacts Higg's ability to govern and make important decisions negatively?
Josef Blow
Reply to @Fred Brewer: In my opinion, no one should be the Premier of a bilingual province if he cannot fluently speak both official languages. Not smart enough to be Premier!
Michael Guravich
Reply to @Fred Brewer: He can make important decisions, for sure. That’s his job as Premier. How well he does that is a matter for debate, and another time. But “govern”? That’s another thing altogether. If he cannot personally communicate effectively with a third of the population, which is supposed to have equal linguistic rights per the constitution, well, that’s a problem. This has been particularly apparent during the pandemic, when everybody needs to be getting the same information at the same time from the leader. When a reporter asked him a question in French, he replied put that in English, please. So, yeah, his lack of French is a problem. How do you “govern” a people when you can’t talk to a third of them without a translator? This is New Brunswick, not Saskatchewan.
Emery Hyslop-Margison
Reply to @Evelyn Gaudreau: Higgs has actually worked very hard at learning French and done quite well. I think we need to be a little less divisive along language lines lest we end up like the country to our south.
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Michael Guravich: But why pretend that some don't understand what Higgs is saying when 97% of francophones can speak english?
Josef Blow
Reply to @Michael Guravich: Well spoken and measured comment Mr. Guravich. Thank you.
Josef Blow
Reply to @Fred Brewer: I would LOVE for you to provide the data to back up your assertion. It is patently false.
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Josef Blow: It's a difficult number to find, but I have seen it in several reports. It is a number that francophone rights groups would rather not see published. What I did find was the New Brunswick Analysis 2016 Census Topic: Language that stated that 72.1% of all those who reported french as their mother tongue were fully bilingual which would mean fluency in reading, writing and oral communications. If a lower standard is applied you will find that number jumps to 97%.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Evelyn Gaudreau: Mr Trudeau, the elder, a certified french speaker, had a political sign language, would that suit?
Graham McCormack
Reply to @Michael Guravich: You have the right to ask a question in French and he has the right to answer in English. The use of a translator is perfectly acceptable and works both ways. If people would just get past this language issue things would be a lot better in this province.
Graham McCormack
Reply to @Jos Allaire: In today's day and age, the lack of ability to respond in a second language, be it English or French, should have no bearing on being Premier. If you have all the skills needed to actually lead, language should not be an issue.
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks folks should recall Trudeau The Elder's pretty little pirouette behind the Queen's back N'esy Pas?
Simeon Elliott Time to move to Nova Scotia.
Joseph Godin
Reply to @Simeon Elliott: Acadians there too bud.
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Joseph Godin: True but no OLA or forced bilingualism.
Roger Drisdelle
Reply to @Fred Brewer: no one is forcing bilingualism on you
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Simeon Elliott: You could move to Portapique. That's an Acadian name for porcupine.
Joseph Godin
Reply to @Jos Allaire: Nope
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Roger Drisdelle: It is forced if one wants to get a job in NB.
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Fred Brewer: Just like we have to speak English to get a job.
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Jos Allaire: Methinks you have that bassackwards N'esy Pas?
Tim Simmons I good with that. Can we bring back COR to?
Joseph Godin
Reply to @Tim Simmons: The more the merrier. Democracy!
Evelyn Gaudreau
Reply to @Tim Simmons: It never left!
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Evelyn Gaudreau: True, the cor party never left but neither did the Acadian Party; They just renamed themselves Liberals.
David Amos
Reply to @Joseph Godin: I concur
Joseph Godin This is going to be interesting. Vive Les Acadiens!
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Joseph Godin: A very bad idea. However, this is what happens when the two major parties cater only to the wealthy.
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Joseph Godin: Whereas I love the circus I second that emotion
Mac Isaac When one has a party such as this, or the anglo society's Alliance, the rationale is perceived ideas of harm being done to people within that group. Since the Parti Acadien was last on the scene many of the issues of the francophones have been resolved. Is everything "peachy keen"? Not by a long shot but things HAVE improved and are far better than the period before Robichaud and Hatfield when francophones were forced into English only schools and assimilated. One of my best friends of the time was forced to repeat multiple grades because he had such difficulties and eventually quit school and joined the military. He wasn't stupid; he just didn't have the basic English he needed. Today's students, English and French (and soon Indigenous!) have a much better go of it. Too late for my friend but better for today's youth.
David Amos
Content disabled Reply to @Mac Isaac: Methinks its blatantly obvious why you never respond to my replies N'esy Pas?
Edward St-Peter Here we go again, the French will never integrate into Canadian society. Just look at Quebec the French will never accept Canada as it's country. They actually hate Canada like never before. Trudeau senior started this multicultural stuff and bilingualism . Where all of Canada was accepting it and even sending their kids to French schools but in Quebec their goal was to end the use of English anyway possible. They then decided to impose language laws .even today after all of these years the English are still alive plus we are not called Canadian but the English. We are also the most hated of all minorites of Canada. And now the Acadians are crying . Boo, hoo.
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Edward St-pierre: Well said. I usually add sarcasm but nope, not this time!
Mac Isaac
Reply to @Edward St-pierre: Sorry Monsieur St-pierre but blanket statements such as yours (that "They actually hate Canada...") is patently ridiculous. The latter part of that quote ("...like never before.") sounds just a tad like something Trump might say in his overly exaggerated way. That Quebec is now mandated as a French first province kinda reminds me of other provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador!!! ...and let's not forget the Territories! In fact, despite the Quebecois unilingual French legislation the French language in Quebec and all other areas of Canada is still very much at risk, despite assertions such as ours and others. For an Anglophone (unilingual) senior citizen such as myself I have never been able to understand the paranoia of each linguistic group. It's incredibly sad for each group because each is missing so much. It WILL continue thus, as it has since the Norman Conquest in 1066. I doubt there are two other nations on earth who have waged war on each other more than the English and French...it's just carried on across the Atlantic!
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Edward St-Peter: You are lumping federalist Quebecers and separatist Quebecers together. It's fake news like these that foment division among Canadians. Further to Mr Mac Isaac's comment, we are now all here in this together. Let's leave this old hatred dating back to the Norman conquest on the other side of the pond including their kings and queens who were responsible for fueling these senseless wars. Dictators is what they were, of the worst kind!
Ray Oliver hey are on the ballot. They're calling the NB Liberals!!!
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Ray Oliver: Who's calling?
Brian Robertson
That would certainly take a bite out of the Liberal votes.
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Brian Robertson: You could have ZERO experience education or standing.. if your name is Gallant LeBlanc Cormier or the like.. you in baby!!
Paul Theriault
This is just Poitras, the official voice of the PC party, trying to promote division of the non-PC vote
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Paul Theriault: I hope this is some kind of poorly timed joke
JJ Carrier
Reply to @Paul Theriault: Where I come from, Jacques is assumed to be just riding on Robert Jones' coattails, not a PC mouthpiece lol...
Michael Collins
Sounds like the French version of COR.
Jos Allaire
Reply to @Michael Collins: Dumb and Dumber!
JJ Carrier
Reply to @Michael Collins: CoR stole their idea from the PA...Go check the history of both before you comment next time...the PANB got formed because of the failed NB Power deal with Quenec, and they have former CoR in their party, so the PA created the PANB twice removed..
Matt Steele
I suspect that the Parti Acadien has seen how easy it was for the WE charity to get millions of dollars from Trudeau ; so now they want to set up some type of group so they can get some taxpayer cash as well . The Parti Acadien lost their place at the trough when Brian Gallant went down to defeat after only one term , and the $130 MILLION Francophonie games ended up being canceled . The Parti Acadien probably only has about 5 members anyway .
Josef Blow
Reply to @Matt Steele: Two more that the People's Alliance, I think …
.
JJ Carrier
The old PA of 38 years ago went over to the NDP and the Libs...However, I would love to see Austin The First get crowned by someone named Serge in his riding vote...It would, be...wait for it...glorious (cue Bobby Roode music...)
Fred Brewer
Reply to @JJ Carrier: Cue California Dreamin'
Tim Simmons We already have 19 government departments working to Acadian interests. How much more do we have to do?
Josef Blow
Reply to @Tim Simmons: A tough stance you have. Substantiate, or evaporate.
Edward St-Peter
Reply to @Tim Simmons: it seems that the more we have political parties the happier people are but I know from first hand knowledge that the French will never be happy. This fight between the French and the English will never end. Multicultural use to be about the French and the English . but move over people , the people of the third world countries are here and they are going to take over.
