N.B. Tories gather in Fredericton to pick new leader

Provincial Tories started to gather in Fredericton Friday for their leadership convention on the weekend.

About 6,100 delegates have registered to vote on Saturday.

Convention organizer Kevin Price said the numbers are encouraging, giving credit to the two leadership candidates, David Alward and Robert MacLeod, for their outreach workwith the grassroots party.

"In 1997, during the leadership convention we had less numbers and four candidates," Price told CBC News on Friday. "So it says something about the quality of the candidates and the hard work that they've done."

Both Alward and MacLeod have said they would pass on collectinga salary from the Progressive Conservative Party if they become leader of the opposition.

It has been thepractice of the PCparty to offer its leaders a top-up on the salary they get fromtaxpayers.

If Alwardwins, he would be eligibleto receive a $55,000yearly salary as the opposition party leader ontop of his $85,000annual MLA salary.

Alward said he doesn't see any reason to collect the top-up salary. "I'm going in, I know what the remuneration is, and I'm certainly satisfied with that," he said.

MacLeod said he'll also pass on thetop-up ifelected as leader, but only after he wins a seat in the provincial legislature. Without a seat, MacLeod wouldhave no income if he wins the leadership and resigns his private sector job.

"If I'm not in the legislature, and the party is agreeable, I would accept a salary from the party so long as I'm not elected," MacLeod said.

Former premier Bernard Lord collected more than $60,000annually from the PC party on top of his six-figure salary as premier.

Watchdog groups criticized that because it meant a part of Lord's income was dependent on party donors, including corporations that dealt with his government.

The leadership convention will get underway Friday eveningwith a tribute toLord.

The voting for a new party leader will begin Saturday afternoon, with resultsexpected around 4 p.m.