N.B. election: Higgs went to very dark place with Liberal joke, opponent says [Video]

A joke about a deceased Liberal supporter has landed New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs in hot water — mere hours after the province’s election campaign kicked off.

Higgs shared the anecdote, which he told the crowd was a “true” event, at the end of his campaign launch speech Thursday evening in Quispamsis, N.B.

He relayed the story — to the crowd of party supporters and candidates — that a canvasser working for him during his 2014 campaign in Quispamsis was knocking on doors to speak to constituents.

He said the volunteer spoke to a woman who assured her that she was voting for Higgs. When the volunteer began to make her way to the neighbour’s door, that’s when the joke took a controversial turn.

“And the lady said, ‘Oh, you don’t need to go there. She passed away a few weeks ago,’” Higgs said.

“And this campaigner — …