FREDERICTON — The opposition People's Alliance of New Brunswick party has folded and its two elected members announced Wednesday they will join the governing Progressive Conservatives.

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin made the surprising announcement that the party will be deregistered, and he and Michelle Conroy will sit with the Tory caucus led by Premier Blaine Higgs.

The party was formed in 2010 and elected its first three members to the provincial legislature in 2018, although only Austin and Conroy were re-elected in 2020.

"Being the leader of a small party is extremely challenging. It certainly takes a lot out of an individual," Austin said in an interview Wednesday. He said he needed to make a decision on how best to represent his constituents.  

Austin said the Higgs government has moved on a number of issues that his party had put forward dealing with ambulances and double-taxation on apartment buildings, and the party's views have been more aligned in recent years, so it makes sense to work together.  

"At that point you do have to ask yourself, do you continue on with the same mindset in two different boats, or do you jump in the same boat and row in the same direction? That was the most reasonable approach to take," he said.  

Austin said while there have been ongoing talks with the government, he reached out to Higgs with his plans three weeks ago. He said there have been no promises of a cabinet position, just a chance to work with cabinet on certain files.

The People's Alliance has raised the ire of francophones in the province in the past by calling for the elimination of separate English and French health authorities and the office of the official languages commissioner.

However, in a news conference Wednesday, Higgs said his party won't adopt the newcomers' position on those files. "No one, I think, should be concerned about us as a party and the direction," Higgs said.

Conroy, who represents the riding of Miramichi, said she agrees with Austin that joining the government is the best option to represent their constituents.

"I hope they know that I am still their voice. At the end of the day, that's what I'm elected to do and will continue to do," she said in an interview.

Chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth issued a statement to say the registration of the People's Alliance party will be cancelled as of March 31.

With the move by Austin and Conroy, the Progressive Conservatives now have 28 members in the legislature, the Liberals 16 and the Greens three. There are two vacancies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2022.

Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press