FREDERICTON — New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says he is willing to call a party vote on his leadership but remains vague on whether he’ll call an early provincial election.

Higgs is facing a rising wave of dissent from his caucus over his leadership style and his government’s changes to the province’s policy on sexual orientation in schools.

Dorothy Shephard resigned on Thursday as social development minister after she voted with the Opposition on a motion calling on the province’s youth and child advocate to review the changes to the LGBTQ policy.

One major change requires teachers to obtain parental consent before they can use the preferred pronouns and names of transgender and nonbinary students under the age of 16.

Higgs defended the changes today, saying he is standing up for parents and if doing so necessitates a leadership review then so be it.

The premier, however, is refusing to say if he’ll call an election before his party’s mandate ends in October 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2023.

The Canadian Press