Former health minister Michael Murphy is urging New Brunswick’s Liberal party to reclaim the centre and left of the province’s political spectrum as the party moves closer to electing its next leader.

The three candidates who are vying to become the next leader of the Liberal party sparred on Saturday evening in Fredericton.

In the first public debate between Murphy, Brian Gallant, a Moncton-area lawyer, and Nick Duivenvoorden, a former Belledune mayor, the challengers outlined their views on why they want to take over the party.

The Liberals were kicked out of office after only one term in the 2010 election.

Murphy told the 130 Liberals at the weekend event that he wants to see the Liberals broaden the party's appeal to specific voters.

“I believe anything from the centre to the left is our territory,” Murphy said.

“We need to re-colonize a number of policies that have found homes in other political parties on the left of the spectrum simply because we may have drifted away from it.”

Murphy is championing a series of policies from an environmental bill of rights to eliminating the MLA pension plan for future politicians.

Murphy resigned from cabinet and left politics in January 2010, during the height of the NB Power sale controversy.

Gallant wants to reach out

His main challenger is Gallant, a 30-year-old lawyer who is pitching a catastrophic drug program and improvements to the student loan system.

While Murphy tried to stake out more political territory for the party. Gallant told the Liberals how he wanted to reach out to more people.

“People want politics to be more transparent they want to see people who are honest and are giving information to the public,” Gallant said.

“People want to see politics more accountable, they want us to keep our promises by making promises that we can keep. People want politics to be more inclusive, they want to see young people voting and they want to see women elected to office.”

Gallant ran unsuccessfully in the 2006 election against former premier Bernard Lord in the Moncton East riding.

The Fredericton debate was the first of a series of planned forums, which will be held across New Brunswick.

Gallant and Murphy are considered the two frontrunners in the leadership contest. The two rivals have sparred recently over their competing tuition policies.

As well, a series of emails between Murphy and Liberal MLA Chris Collins were disclosed, which were harshly critical of Gallant.

The party has not said where the next forum will be held.

The leadership convention will be held in Moncton on Oct. 27.