Liberals gathered in the riding of Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville last night to nominate their candidate for the next provincial election.

In remarks kicking off the event, Leader Susan Holt stressed that as New Brunswickers are facing challenges like finding a family doctor or a daycare space, it’s clear that the province needs new leadership.

Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville is the second riding where the Liberal Party has held a nominating convention to select their candidate leading up to the next election. Patty Borthwick is a local advocate known for her leadership in the development of Hillary’s Law in honour of her daughter, which enacted a number of changes to the Coroner’s Act, including that which states that any death in a psychiatric facility will be subject to an automatic coroner’s inquest unless the death is determined to be from natural causes.

During the event, Borthwick spoke passionately about why she made the decision to run. “I love where we live, this is the best province in the country. We need affordable housing, but more than that we need affordable and available housing. We need to make sure our friends and neighbours aren’t forced to choose between filling up their vehicles or paying for food to feed their family or for life saving medications because of the soaring cost of living. We need more doctors, more nurses and more support for mental health services and addiction services. I will work hard everyday to be a strong voice for the constituents of Fundy-The Isles-Saint John Lorneville.”

The New Brunswick Liberal Party will continue to hold nominating conventions to choose candidates over the coming weeks. Holt said she was thrilled by the turnout and excited to welcome Borthwick to the Liberal team. “Blaine Higgs needs to be replaced,” she said. “New Brunswick deserves to be governed by a team of people who will listen to them.”