{"id":50708,"date":"2024-08-21T07:07:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T10:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=50708"},"modified":"2024-08-22T09:36:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T12:36:20","slug":"phinney-agrees-to-run-for-pcs-in-tantramar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/phinney-agrees-to-run-for-pcs-in-tantramar\/","title":{"rendered":"Phinney agrees to run for PCs in Tantramar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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PC party volunteer Marc LeBlanc and prospective Tantramar PC candidate Bruce Phinney. Photo: Erica Butler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tantramar councillor Bruce Phinney says he\u2019s decided to run for the PC party in the upcoming provincial election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel I really do have something to offer the municipality here,\u201d Phinney told reporters last week. \u201cI\u2019m open minded. I can be fair with anybody. I’m willing to discuss or talk to anybody about anything.\u201d Phinney said he\u2019s often thought of running federally, and so when the provincial PC party approached him, he decided to jump at the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phinney was recommended to the party by former local government minister Daniel Allain, who has said he won\u2019t be running in this year\u2019s election<\/a>. After ushering in municipal amalgamations across the province including Tantramar, Allain was demoted to backbencher last June over his support for an opposition motion calling for more study of changes to Policy 713 on gender identity in schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Allain\u2019s recommendation, Phinney made the trip to Fredericton on New Brunswick Day to meet with Premier Blaine Higgs. \u201cI enjoyed meeting with the premier,\u201d said Phinney. \u201cWhen you see someone on TV or you don’t know them, you’re not sure exactly what to think of them\u2026 But when you meet someone in person, it can be a whole different ball game. And I found we had a lot of common things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phinney was the fourth candidate to throw his hat into the ring for the newly redrawn riding of Tantramar. Green Party MLA Megan Mitton, Liberal John Higham, and NDP prospective candidate Evelyn Godfrey are also running in the election that\u2019s slated for October 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phinney was at the Sackville Legion last Wednesday for the founding meeting of the Tantramar PC riding association. Regional PC volunteer Marc LeBlanc explained the sparsely attended meeting was a formality, and that a nominating convention to formally select Phinney as candidate would be held later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHMA and local reporter Bruce Wark spoke with Phinney outside the Legion on Lorne Street, and started off asking about his meeting with the premier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n