FREDERICTON -- New Democratic Party leader George Little could be the only real winner in New Brunswick's Oct. 12 election.
Conservative Premier Richard Hatfield and Liberal leader Douglas Young were too busy battling each other to be concerned about Little's try at breaking precedent and electing a third-party member to the legislature.
But, the New Democrats, who polled 10 percent of the 1978 vote and nearly 20 percent in the last federal election, is now the only party with momentum, Little said. 'We're doing well in places they don't even know about.'
One swing riding that became evident near the end of the campaign, was the Anglophone constituency of Tantramar, 200 kilometers northeast of Fredericton.
Bounded by Nova Scotia, the sea and Acadian ridings to the northwest, Tantramar was won by Hatfield's Conservatives four years ago by a margin of only 95 votes. The New Democrats intend to claim the seat next Tuesday.
An Atlantic TV network poll of the riding showed the NDP well ahead of both the Tories and Liberals with more than a third of the decided vote.
Little said that while he doesn't normally like polls the ATV survey, he believed the poll could help his NDP win other marginal seats, including his own Kings West riding in the southeastern corner of the province.
'I think most people are going to think generally about the Liberal platform and the Conservative platform and their records,' said the 45-year-old teacher, who models his political philosophy after that of Tommy Douglas.
'And I think they'll consider that the NDP can represent them, and is not a wasted vote, and they'll consider our new approach.'
Born in Scotland, Little, his wife Pearl and their two daughters moved to Canada in 1964 from Saudi Arabia where he was an English teacher.
Little's election platform promised job creation would be a priority, with 17,000 new jobs in the first year.
He promised also several social programs to help those on fixed incomes, provide economical housing and mortgage relief, lower energy costs, improve education and health systems and expand transportation systems.
Other New Democratic promises were restraint programs, a workers' bill of rights and greater environmental protection. Ironically, an environmental issue could cost the party some of its traditional votes.
None of the parties has been willing to step firmly into either the pro- or anti-nuclear camps, even after four heavy water spills in the first six months of operation of the Candu reactor at Point Lepreau.
It was a major compromise for Little, who otherwise stressed the need for environmental controls on just about everything and an accent on renewable resources.
The NDP leader believes nuclear power 'is expensive, it's risky, and it's not even necessary for our own power needs (and that Lepreau) was a mistake, and we're determined that the same mistake should not be made again.'
But, Little cannot make a promise to shut down Lepreau.
'It would seem irresponsible to suggest that we dump $1.4 billion out the window,' he said. 'But, we certainly want to make sure that if we keep Lepreau going that it can be operated safely.'
