Vox pop: New Brunswick voters speak about the 2025 federal election

By late Monday night, the Liberal Party was projected to form its fourth consecutive government. As polls closed, the NB Media Co-op asked voters in Dieppe for their views on the federal election.

Voters cast their ballots following a campaign focussed largely on the question of who is best suited to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, his trade war and annexation threats.

One voter said she hoped that Canadians would be “smarter in our election than the United States” as she left the polling station.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney “is by far a better choice” than Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, she said, referencing concerns about the Conservative Party’s record on 2SLGBTQ+ and women’s rights.

Another voter, who described himself as a lifelong Conservative, said Carney is “a globalist, and when you’re a globalist, you don’t put Canada first.”

In particular, he attacked the Liberals for their climate change reduction targets. “Until India and China and Russia stop doing what they’re doing, our [share of carbon emissions] means nothing, so focus on us — what’s best for Canada, not what’s best for the world.”

Canada produces about 1.5 per cent of global emissions but also has among the highest CO2 emissions per capita in the world, according to recent figures from the International Energy Agency.

Others who voted Conservative said they wanted change after a decade under the Liberals, citing issues including the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

An NDP voter said he made his choice after using the website iSideWith.com, which offers a political quiz to help people determine how their beliefs match with parties or candidates. “I’ve actually always voted NDP,” he added laughing.

But he said that voting NDP felt like “a wasted vote because it’s going to be Conservatives or Liberals — it’s never someone else.” He suggested that Canada implement a mandatory vote, citing the Australian example. “I think it would make a lot of difference,” he said.

The NDP, traditionally considered the political arm of organized labour in Canada, hasn’t won a seat in New Brunswick since 2011.

In Monday’s election, NDP support collapsed across much of the country. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced his resignation shortly after 1:30 a.m. Atlantic time.

Meanwhile, the Liberals were poised to form government but it remained unclear whether or not they would have a majority. Poilievre said he intended to stay on as Leader of the Opposition.

In New Brunswick, the electoral map was unchanged, with the Liberals projected to win six seats, while the Conservatives took the other four.

One New Brunswick riding, Miramichi–Grand Lake, was considered too close to call until late Monday night, when Liberal candidate Lisa Harris conceded defeat to the Conservative Party’s Mike Dawson.

David Gordon Koch is a staff reporter with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS).