Despite his folksy charm, Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs has shown scant sympathy for New Brunswick’s workers in a simmering labour dispute he inherited.

Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs sits atop a political fissure in New Brunswick — one he helped open, back in another life.

When Blaine Higgs worked for Irving Oil, he was a loyal company man. Now, he leads New Brunswick. In the first of a three-part series, National Observer delves into the close relationships between the premier's office and the Irvings.