It has been a busy couple of months for the interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.
Glen Savoie was tasked with leading the party after Blaine Higgs resigned following his election defeat in October.
The party went from having a majority government with 25 seats to being the official opposition with just 13 seats.
In a year-end interview, Savoie said he feels like they had a successful first session holding the Liberal government to account.
“It’s a different approach when you’re on the opposition side and in terms of your preparation, so we’re hitting the ground running, making sure that we’re doing our job right from day one,” he said.
“You have to remember, they made over 100 promises in this election and some of their signature promises we held them to account for, raised some issues because we had the background information and the knowledge and certainly held them to account.”
Savoie is no stranger to politics, having first been elected in 2010 and winning several elections since then. He was defeated in the 2014 election but won a byelection weeks later after the winning Liberal candidate resigned.
The Saint John East MLA said that past experience has been a great asset as he learns the ropes of his new role as interim leader.
“Obviously, we’re in a rebuilding mode, so we want to make sure that we’re doing right by not only the party, but the MLAs who are going through this process with me and making sure that we’re doing things in the best interest of New Brunswickers according to the aims and principles of our part,” said Savoie.
Several Progressive Conservative MLAs were reelected but there are also a number of new faces sitting in the legislature this time around.
Savoie said it has been an exciting time being able to help those new MLAs learn and grow as they get used to how the legislature operates.
“Having been a government house leader for six years, I’ve got a lot of experience in that regard, so I remember those days when I walked into that house and I really didn’t know the processes the way I do now and how intimidating that can be,” he added.
While being on the opposition side of the legislature requires a different approach, Savoie said that does not mean the Progressive Conservatives will oppose everything the Liberals bring forward.
“That is certainly something right from the get-go that we made sure that we communicated to the government is that in areas where we feel that there is common ground, we’ll be there to work with the government, and in areas where we feel that there isn’t common ground, that we will find a way to try to find some,” he said.
“I think that’s important to say that we are simply an opposition and that our job is simply to oppose, I think is a gross oversimplification of where I think people expect us to be and where we need to be to make sure that our system of democracy functions well up there in Fredericton.”
The first session of the 61st legislature is adjourned until March 18.
