If you’re a candidate for registered political party, it’s only fair to the democratic process that you participate in televised debates.
That’s the view of Liberal MLA for the Charlotte the Isles Rick Doucet, who tells CHSJ News the premier’s opposition to having parties like the People’s Alliance and the Greens participate is undemocratic. Doucet says in 2010 the Premier’s attitude was to bring all parties into the Legislature to give them the opportunity to ask questions of the ministers, and wonders what has changed since then.
Doucet says the Premier obviously is scared if he’s trying to prevent certain candidates from debating, and Doucet believes the people of New Brunswick are interested in all candidates’ viewpoints, not just those of the main three parties.
