The Progressive Conservatives took a gamble banking on shale gas in September’s election – and that gamble failed.
Their defeat left them a one term government and prompted the resignation of former leader David Alward.
In a year end interview, the provincial interim Conservative Leader Bruce Fitch says New Brunswickers weren’t quite ready to move ahead with a full scale shale gas industry.
“It was almost like death by a thousand cuts in some areas, says Fitch. “But overall even when you get down to counting the first past the post it was a very very close election and now there’s a thin majority in the House.”
Fitch says as party members travelled across the province they found themselves getting blamed for things like EI cuts which is not within the provincial jurisdiction.
He adds the election was so close all it would have taken was a couple hundred votes in a handful of ridings and the Conservatives would have won.
