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NDP denies reports of New Brunswick defections

Sep 5, 2019 | 10:01 AM

OTTAWA — The federal New Democrats say it’s not true that 14 former provincial NDP candidates in New Brunswick switched their political allegiance to the Green party this week.

A party spokeswoman says some of the 14 have indicated they still support the federal NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh.

She says their complaints are more with the provincial party in New Brunswick.

All 14 candidates ran for the provincial NDP in 2018.

Earlier this week the federal NDP’s executive member for Atlantic Canada, Jonathan Richardson, announced he was leaving the party to join the Greens and the provincial candidates were coming with him.

Richardson said he had heard from some potential NDP candidates who were hesitant to run federally because they thought New Brunswick voters wouldn’t vote for a party whose leader wore a turban.

The Canadian Press