New Brunswick, in more depth

Before we jump right in comparing PANB to the CoR, I'd like to look at the vote patterns for all 5 parties.

 

I want to, in particular, talk about the vote pattern for PANB.

In short, it can be summed up as "anglo, but outside Cities". this is not perfect, as Miramichi did vote for them, and rural areas outside Saint John, and in the Western part of the province did not; but this is nevertheless a good way to put it. This is very similar to the old CoR vote, but not quite identical.

So lets flat out ask, is PANB the CoR?

The PANB platform goes out of its way to say "the People’s Alliance supports the original ideals of bilingualism" but is otherwise vague as to the plans of the party. Most of the rhetoric from the leader implies less french requirements for employees of the government (paramedics, school bus drivers, civil servants, etc) in areas that are very anglophone.

Meanwhile the 1991 NB CoR Platform, which I have right here (BTW this website is awesome) is quite explicit. "The English Language will be sued as the official internal communication and filing language of the civil service" "English will be the official language of record and work within the civil service" "the Party will repeal the Official Languages Act"

Both parties support the idea of more referendums, a focus on education in the platform, a greater role for nurses, and opposition to a deficit.

Both parties can be seen as right-wing, and, more right-wing than the Tories.

PANB's platform is far less specific than CoR's platform.

However, we do have access to both the 2014 and 1995 platforms for both parties! The 1995 CoR platform is similar in size to the 2018 PANB platform, and vice versa for the 2014 PANB platform and the 1991 CoR platform. This will help to see where each party has true priorities. From this we can further conclude:

Both parties support small business, both parties want more accountability and autonomy for MLAs, and more power for municipalities.

Both parties do have some significant differences. CoR explicitly calls for so-called 'corporate welfare' while PANB calls for ending it. CoR calls for tax cuts as a core part of its platform, while PANB focuses on efficiencies (cuts) to government spending. The CoR platform also simply and bluntly reads as more 'loopy'. It has sections dedicated to Federal issues, and the entire 1995 platform reads like it was written more as a rant rather than a manifesto. PANB meanwhile has comparatively moderate policies that could easily be espoused by the PC Party if it were more right-wing.

Conclusion: PANB is the more moderate, more modern, more sane version of the CoR; but, given the kinds of voters it taps into, the vote patterns of the party, and the issues it chooses to talk about, it is, indeed a version of the CoR, even if more moderate, modern, and sane.