Camille Thériault
Encyclopedia
Camille Henri Thériault (born February 25, 1955) served as the 29th Premier
of the Canadian
province
of New Brunswick
.
The son of Joséphine Martin and Norbert Thériault
, a former provincial cabinet minister
and Canadian Senator, Camille Thériault was born in Baie-Ste-Anne, New Brunswick, and graduated from Baie-Sainte-Anne High School. He then obtained a bachelor of social science degree with a major in political science from the Université de Moncton
.
Thériault was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
in the 1987 provincial election
that saw the Liberal Party
, of which he was a member, win every seat in the province.
Due to the unusual situation of leading a government with no parliamentary opposition, Premier
Frank McKenna
named backbench
members of his caucus
to form a shadow cabinet
. Thériault was the leader of this "unofficial opposition", which met daily when the house was in session to prepare questions of Question Period
of which the ministers would be given no notice.
Following the 1991 election
, some balance was restored to the legislature with the opposition parties holding 12 of 58 seats and the "unofficial opposition" was not continued. Thériault was named to cabinet as Minister of Fisheries
. In 1994, he was appointed Minister of Advanced Education and Labour
Thériault was re-elected in 1995
and became Minister of Economic Development—a key role in the McKenna government.
When McKenna announced his resignation in 1997, Thériault, who had long expected to be the favourite, saw the early position of frontrunner
fall to charismatic Finance Minister
Edmond Blanchard
. Blanchard soon dropped out of the race.
Thériault left cabinet to campaign, as did his two opponents, Education Minister Bernard Richard
and junior cabinet minister Greg Byrne. Byrne, a relative unknown before the race, caught momentum during the race but Thériault managed to win on the first ballot. As leader of the governing Liberals, he soon became premier.
He rejigged the cabinet upon being sworn-in, changing some departments and decreasing its overall size. He pledged to bring in many new programs, focussing on social services following the fiscal conservatism of McKenna, but felt he should win a mandate of his own before instituting any major changes.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives
had themselves just chosen a leader, the young Bernard Lord
, an unknown with no political experience. As has always been Canadian tradition, Thériault waited for Lord to contest a seat for the legislature and get some experience in the House before calling a vote. Despite that, Thériault gave up one of the key advantages of the incumbency, letting it be widely known months in advance that the election would be held in June 1999
.
Thériault and his Liberals widely underestimated Lord's Conservatives over whom they enjoyed a double-digit lead in opinion polls. Early in the campaign, Lord reversed his earlier position, shared with the government, supporting highway tolls on the new divided route from Fredericton
to Moncton. Lord used his new pledge to remove the tolls as the centrepiece of his campaign, he effectively used the issue as the prime example for the arrogance of the government and also incorporated his pledge into his "200 Days of Change" promise—20 key commitments Lord said he would implement within his first 200 days in office.
Thériault largely ignored Lord's surging campaign as he felt the Liberals would easily cruise to victory—a feeling mirrored in polls right up until the last week. On June 7, election, the Tories
won their largest victory ever taking 44 of 55 seats. Thériault's concession speech was very gracious and probably his best of the campaign, he said "the people have spoken, and the people are never wrong" in seeing the party's seats reduced from 45 to 10.
Thériault stayed on as leader of the opposition
and was very effective in the role. Despite this, the Liberals lost two by-election
s in early 2001 that had been vacated by former Liberal cabinet ministers moving on to federal government. In March, Thériault resigned his seat and his leadership—both effective immediately.
Following his resignation, Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
appointed him to the federal Transportation Safety Board
, within the year he was named its chairman. In 2004, he was named president of the Mouvement des Caisses Populaires Acadiennes
.
Thériault mused briefly about running in the 2004 federal election
and is considered a likely candidate for federal office in the future.
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
of the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
The son of Joséphine Martin and Norbert Thériault
Norbert Thériault
L. Norbert Thériault is a Canadian politician.He was born in Eel River Bridge, New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Northumberland and Baie-du-Vin in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, and was a provincial cabinet minister in New Brunswick in the 1960s.He was appointed to the Senate of...
, a former provincial cabinet minister
Executive Council of New Brunswick
The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
and Canadian Senator, Camille Thériault was born in Baie-Ste-Anne, New Brunswick, and graduated from Baie-Sainte-Anne High School. He then obtained a bachelor of social science degree with a major in political science from the Université de Moncton
Université de Moncton
The Université de Moncton is a French language university located in Moncton, New Brunswick serving the Acadian community of Atlantic Canada...
.
Thériault was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
in the 1987 provincial election
New Brunswick general election, 1987
The 31st New Brunswick general election was held on October 13, 1987, to elect 58 members to the 51st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
that saw the Liberal Party
New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
, of which he was a member, win every seat in the province.
Due to the unusual situation of leading a government with no parliamentary opposition, Premier
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Frank McKenna
Frank McKenna
Francis Joseph "Frank" McKenna, PC, OC, ONB, QC is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006...
named backbench
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
members of his caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
to form a shadow cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
. Thériault was the leader of this "unofficial opposition", which met daily when the house was in session to prepare questions of Question Period
Question Period
Question Period, known officially as Oral Questions occurs each sitting day in the Canadian House of Commons. According to the House of Commons Compendium, “The primary purpose of Question Period is to seek information from the Government and to call it to account for its actions.”-History:The...
of which the ministers would be given no notice.
Following the 1991 election
New Brunswick general election, 1991
The 32nd New Brunswick general election was held on September 23, 1991, to elect 58 members to the 52nd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada....
, some balance was restored to the legislature with the opposition parties holding 12 of 58 seats and the "unofficial opposition" was not continued. Thériault was named to cabinet as Minister of Fisheries
Department of Fisheries (New Brunswick)
The Department of Fisheries is a department in the Government of New Brunswick, Canada. It is responsible for management of the Province's fisheries....
. In 1994, he was appointed Minister of Advanced Education and Labour
Thériault was re-elected in 1995
New Brunswick general election, 1995
The 33rd New Brunswick general election was held on September 11, 1995, to elect 55 members to the 53rd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The election marked the debut of Bernard Valcourt as a provincial politician, and as leader of a...
and became Minister of Economic Development—a key role in the McKenna government.
When McKenna announced his resignation in 1997, Thériault, who had long expected to be the favourite, saw the early position of frontrunner
Frontrunner
Front-runner is a term to describe the leader in a race, whether in politics or in sports.It may also refer to:* Frontrunner, a leadership development course run by Common Purpose for people over the age of 18 who have demonstrated their capacity to lead...
fall to charismatic Finance Minister
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
Edmond Blanchard
Edmond Blanchard
Edmond P. Blanchard, QC is a Canadian jurist and former politician.Blanchard studied at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1975 and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1978...
. Blanchard soon dropped out of the race.
Thériault left cabinet to campaign, as did his two opponents, Education Minister Bernard Richard
Bernard Richard
Bernard Richard is a Canadian social worker, lawyer, and politician in the Province of New Brunswick....
and junior cabinet minister Greg Byrne. Byrne, a relative unknown before the race, caught momentum during the race but Thériault managed to win on the first ballot. As leader of the governing Liberals, he soon became premier.
He rejigged the cabinet upon being sworn-in, changing some departments and decreasing its overall size. He pledged to bring in many new programs, focussing on social services following the fiscal conservatism of McKenna, but felt he should win a mandate of his own before instituting any major changes.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...
had themselves just chosen a leader, the young Bernard Lord
Bernard Lord
Bernard Lord, ONB, QC, is a Canadian politician and lobbyist. Lord served as the 30th Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
, an unknown with no political experience. As has always been Canadian tradition, Thériault waited for Lord to contest a seat for the legislature and get some experience in the House before calling a vote. Despite that, Thériault gave up one of the key advantages of the incumbency, letting it be widely known months in advance that the election would be held in June 1999
New Brunswick general election, 1999
The 34th New Brunswick general election was held on June 7, 1999, to elect 55 members to the 54th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It marked the debut of both Camille Thériault and Bernard Lord as leaders of the Liberals and...
.
Thériault and his Liberals widely underestimated Lord's Conservatives over whom they enjoyed a double-digit lead in opinion polls. Early in the campaign, Lord reversed his earlier position, shared with the government, supporting highway tolls on the new divided route from Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
to Moncton. Lord used his new pledge to remove the tolls as the centrepiece of his campaign, he effectively used the issue as the prime example for the arrogance of the government and also incorporated his pledge into his "200 Days of Change" promise—20 key commitments Lord said he would implement within his first 200 days in office.
Thériault largely ignored Lord's surging campaign as he felt the Liberals would easily cruise to victory—a feeling mirrored in polls right up until the last week. On June 7, election, the Tories
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
won their largest victory ever taking 44 of 55 seats. Thériault's concession speech was very gracious and probably his best of the campaign, he said "the people have spoken, and the people are never wrong" in seeing the party's seats reduced from 45 to 10.
Thériault stayed on as leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (New Brunswick)
The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government....
and was very effective in the role. Despite this, the Liberals lost two by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s in early 2001 that had been vacated by former Liberal cabinet ministers moving on to federal government. In March, Thériault resigned his seat and his leadership—both effective immediately.
Following his resignation, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
appointed him to the federal Transportation Safety Board
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada , officially the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board is the agency of the Government of Canada responsible for maintaining...
, within the year he was named its chairman. In 2004, he was named president of the Mouvement des Caisses Populaires Acadiennes
Mouvement des caisses populaires acadiennes
The Mouvement des caisses populaires acadiennes is a credit union operating in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It has approximately $2 billion in assets. It is a largely francophone organization but in recent years has been expanding into anglophone parts of the province...
.
Thériault mused briefly about running in the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
and is considered a likely candidate for federal office in the future.