N.B. NDP leader suggests talks with Liberals

New Brunswick's Liberals and New Democrats should consider greater co-operation between the parties to push forward policies of common interest, NDP Leader Dominic Cardy said Thursday.

Cardy, who became theprovince's NDP leader in March, said during CBC New Brunswick's weekly political panel that the two parties should consider looking beyond the traditional party structures.

"What I'd like to see is a discussion that could lead to something in the form of a larger meeting among progressive voters in New Brunswick in the next year or so," Cardy said.

"We need to look at the message that voters have sent in... both the provincial and federal elections and talk about what values we have that we want to see turned into laws and whether the current political system that we have makes sense as a vehicle to deliver that."

New Brunswick's Liberals have been battered by voters in the last two elections.

After theSept. 27 election, Shawn Graham's Liberals became the first provincial government to be ousted after one term in New Brunswick history.

The federal Liberals also took a pounding in Monday's election. The party saw itsNew Brunswick caucus reduced to one MP from three. And the party finished third behind the Conservatives and the NDP in seven ridings.

There have been musings at the federal level about whether the NDP and the Liberals shouldconsider a possible merger.

Cardy said it's too early to say whether the two New Brunswick parties should consider an actual merger.

However, the NDP leader said many different models have been used in other countries that allow parties to work together.

Interim Liberal Leader Victor Boudreau was cool to the idea when asked whether he would be open to merger talks.

"I certainly am not prepared to throw in the towel and say the Liberal Party of New Brunswick is no longer relevant," Boudreau said on the political panel.

"We are going to rebuild. We are going to renew. And we will be ready for the next provincial campaign."

The Liberal party's renewal commissionreleased its preliminary report on Thursday that called for the party to define its vision.