Progressive Conservative Party Leader David Alward is criticizing the Liberal government not consulting people on major issues. But two people in Alward's riding of Woodstock say he hasn't always involved them in important issues. (CBC)

Progressive Conservative Leader David Alward is promising to consult New Brunswickers on major decisions as his party girds for battle in the Sept. 27 election, but some of his own constituents say his track record isn't that of a listener.

With the legislature adjourned, politicians are ramping up for the fall provincial election and some of their main campaign slogans are being test-driven.

The theme of Alward's attack on the Liberals is they ignore the will of the people and he points to the contentious and failed plan to sell NB Power to Hydro-Québec.

"They've talked about transformational change. What has happened? They've left the people out," Alward has said.

The Shawn Graham Liberals campaigned in 2006 on a promise not to sell the public utility and then attempted to offload the Crown corporation for $3.2 billion.

That decision sparked a grassroots fight and eventually the Liberals backed down.

Alward has constantly chastised the Liberal government for failing to properly consult the public before pushing ahead with the massive power proposal.

'He didn't come consult with a thousand people that night, so I find it quite interesting to see the about-turn on this whole thing.'— Dale Allen

But some of Alward's constituents in the western New Brunswick riding of Woodstock are having difficulty believing their MLA is making an issue out of consultation.

Dale Allen organized people to fight the 2005 decision to close the town hospital in favour of a new hospital closer to Hartland.

At the time, Alward was a low-profile cabinet minister and he was criticized for allowing the hospital to be moved out of the region's largest town, closer to the riding of then deputy premier Dale Graham's Carleton riding.

Allen recalls at least one huge public meeting to discuss the hospital controversy where Alward refused to attend.

"He didn't come consult with a thousand people that night, so I find it quite interesting to see the about-turn on this whole thing," Allen said.

Record questioned

Jeff Wright, the mayor of Woodstock during the hospital fight, also said the Tory leader's past actions do not match his current rhetoric.

"And it's great that David says, `We're going to listen to the New Brunswick residents and we're going to present our platform based on what we hear,' but the past record shows that's not necessarily the case," Wright said.

Alward denies the assertion that he is not a listener on local matters. The Tory leader, who is preparing to lead his party into the election, said he did listen to his constituents and the proof is in the 2006 election results.

"If the people of Woodstock did not feel engaged in the process, or the people of Carleton County, they would not have re-elected me," Alward said.

Alward was re-elected in 2006 with 3,868 votes, roughly 900 votes ahead of the second-place Liberal candidate Art Slipp.

While Alward was comfortably returned to Fredericton in 2006, that victory was more difficult than his 2003 win. In that campaign, Alward won 4,605 votes compared to 2,400 votes for Liberal Lorne Drake. Alward's margin of victory has actually fallen in every election since 1999, when he received 5,354 votes.

Alward did win the largely rural riding in 2006 but he did lose most of the polls in Woodstock, where the fury over the hospital move was the most intense.

Either way, the Liberals plan to use the hospital saga to hit back at him on his promises to consult.

Wright said Alward's commitment to the riding is not being questioned, just his commitment to consult people.

"People are going to look at David's track record on the past and say, 'Has he worked hard for the community of Woodstock? Absolutely," Wright said.

"But was he truthful on the hospital issue? I would say no. And I think that's going to tell the tale of what happens in the next election."