New Brunswick Progressive Conservatives will choose a new leader in October.
Thursday night, the two men vying for the role took the stage in Saint John for the second of two leadership debates.
Daniel Allain and Don Monahan presented their respective visions to get the party back into power after a resounding defeat in 2024.
“This race is about 2028,” Allain said. “It’s not the race of 2024. We need to own our future, not the past.”
Allain said he wants the party to adopt a strategy to compete in all 49 ridings.
“We’ve got to work north, south, east, west, we’ve got to be everywhere,” he said. “If we don’t in a riding, we’re giving a free riding to Susan Holt.”
Allain said the PCs need to show New Brunswickers the party is a strong alternative, ready to govern.
“We have to stop fighting. We have to move forward.”
Monahan expressed similar thoughts in terms of uniting the party.
“We can’t come of this leadership with team Monahan or Team Allain,” he said.
“We need to come out as one party, non-divisive because we need to show New Brunswick that we are ready to govern.”
Monahan also stressed the need to grow the party, and said he would actively recruit candidates for all 49 ridings and getting them out in the community.
“We want candidates ready in each riding going out to community breakfasts, knocking on doors,” he said.
Monahan said the party needs to become one of ideas.
He said he was excited that the party would have a policy convention committee next year, the first time in nearly 20 years.
“That is where all the members get together and we determine what is important to us and what we’re going to vote on and adopt as policy,” he said.
The PCs will choose their new leader Oct. 17.
