Ousted MLA attends annual PC caucus meeting

TheNew Brunswick MLA who was booted from the Progressive Conservative government caucus in September after criticizing their health care policies is attending the party's annual general meeting in Fredericton this weekend.

Jim Parrott said he hopes to be welcomed back into caucus. But he doesn't expect an announcement today.

"I'm better placed if I'm in caucus. I mean, I did this because I have a specific job to do in healthcare and certainly, it's better done within caucus than without. So, I think that in the future we'll try to gradually work towards that," said.

Two months ago, Premier David Alward stood on the steps of the legislature and announced Parrot had been kicked out of caucus followinga unanimous vote.

Parrott, a retired heart surgeon, ran for a seat in the 2010 election. He accused the government of failing to consult its own physicians on healthcare policies.

Parrott has also publicly questioned whether the province can afford two separate but equal healthcare systems, in both official languages.