N.B. NDP leader resigns

New Brunswick NDP Leader Roger Duguay is resigning as party leader after failing to win a seat in the Sept. 27 election.

Under Duguay's leadership, the New Democratic Partywon more than 10 per cent of the vote, more than double the party's showing in the 2006 election.

"Across New Brunswick, even in the face of a Conservative tide,the NDP showed the biggest gains of all the political parties," Duguay told a Monday news conference.

But Duguay was unable to win personally in the northeastern riding of Tracadie-Sheila. The NDP leader spent nearly the entire 32-day election period campaigning in the riding but still only placed second to Conservative Claude Landry, who held the seat in the last legislature.

The NDP attracted roughly 40,000 votes in the Sept. 27 election but didn't manage to win a seat. The party has been shut out of the provincial legislature since its former leader, Elizabeth Weir, resigned in 2005.

Duguay issued a parting challenge to Premier David Alward. The outgoing NDP Leader said he wants the Progressive Conservative government to bring forward a system of proportional representation.

The former Bernard Lord government struck a Commission on Legislative Democracy that recommended a system of proportional representation.

Lord had promised to hold a referendum on the issue, but he was defeated before having a chance to hold a public vote on the issue.

Alward's Tories did not talk about electoral reform in the recent election.

Duguay won the party's leadership in October 2007. Before entering politics, Duguay was a school teacher and a priest.

Now that his political career is over, Duguay said he will teach school in the Acadian peninsula.

2011 leadership convention

The NDP will hold a leadership convention that will take place in the next six months, according to Dominic Cardy, a party spokesman.

Cardy said the party wants to take advantage of the momentum created for the party.

"We have a lot of strengths going forward," Cardy said.

"It is sad that Mr. Duguay will not be leading us in the next four years, but he left the party in good shape."

The Conservatives trounced the ruling Liberals in the September election. Under Duguay's leadership, the NDP repeatedly attacked the spending promises made by the more traditional parties.

He said New Brunswick could not afford the promises, and in the party's television ad, he accused the two parties of driving the province over a debt cliff.

Alward praised Duguay in a news release on Monday.

"On behalf of the government of New Brunswick, I wish to pay tribute to Roger Duguay for his proven commitment to public service in our province," he said.

"Mr. Duguay did a great deal to ensure more people had their views heard in our society and, ultimately, to strengthen democracy in New Brunswick. He can be very proud of his legacy as a member, as a candidate and, for the past three years, as the leader of the NDP."

Party members react

Jason Purdy, a defeated NDP candidate in the Fredericton-Lincoln riding, said the departing leader would be missed inside the party.

"Roger will definitely be missed by the NDP, he is a very dedicated, honest and caring individual," Purdy said in a post on Twitter.

Matt Doherty, a defeated NDP candidate in theQuispamsisriding, said Duguay's leadership should be celebrated considering the challenges he faced.

"I don't think people will be critical of the fact he didn't win his seat or any others. What I focus on is the actual success there," Doherty said.

"We got the second-highest percentage of the popular vote in the history of the party in New Brunswick. That speaks volumes to the type of leader that he was."

Doherty said the outgoing leader will be remembered for the civility he demonstrated even under the intense glare of an election campaign.

"Roger had an aura of graciousness about him, and you could see it in the leaders' debates both the English and the French ones," Doherty said.

"He is above petty politics. I think we need more of that."

The party will select an interim leader when the executive meets in late November.