Shawn Graham
Encyclopedia
Shawn Michael Graham, MLA
(born February 22, 1968) is a New Brunswick
politician, who served as the 31st Premier of New Brunswick
. He received a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree in 1991 and a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1993, he worked for New Brunswick's civil service before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
in 1998. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captured a majority of seats in the 2006 election
. After being elected, Graham initiated a number of sometimes controversial changes to provincial policy especially in the areas of health care, education and energy. His party was defeated in the New Brunswick provincial election held September 27, 2010, and Graham resigned as Liberal leader on November 9, 2010.
, New Brunswick
, Canada
and raised in a political family, with his father Alan R. Graham being the longest serving member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
. The family has ancestral homes in the communities of Kouchibouguac
, Rexton and Main River
with roots going back to the early 19th century. Shawn Graham was born the year after his father's first election as MLA for Kent County, New Brunswick.
Graham graduated from the University of New Brunswick
, as an alumnus of both Harrison House and Neill House, after which he completed an education degree at St Thomas University
in Fredericton. Graham spent much of his career before entering elected politics working for the province's civil service
and when his father resigned from the legislature in 1998, Shawn Graham was elected to replace him in a by-election
as a member of the Liberal Party
. Following the general election of 1999
, the Liberals were reduced to 10 seats from 45, and by early 2001 they were down to 7 seats following the resignation of several former cabinet ministers. This gave the young politician the chance to rise to prominence.
resigned in March 2001, and a leadership convention
was set from May 2002. Few candidates emerged for this campaign and it appeared that former cabinet minister Paul Duffie
would win virtually unopposed. Graham was urged to run, and eventually entered the race with the support of Greg Byrne, a previous leadership contender, and many of the supporters of Bernard Richard
, also a former leadership contender and the interim leader
following the resignation of Theriault.
Surprising many pundits, Graham was successful in taking a solid lead during delegate selection meetings in February and March 2002, and, as a result, Duffie dropped out of the race. This left only fringe candidate Jack MacDougall
in the race who Graham defeated by a 3 to 1 margin at the May convention.
, and few gave him a chance in the coming election. Although Graham's Liberal Party of New Brunswick and the PCs were near each other in the polls, Graham was a relative unknown and trailed Premier
Bernard Lord
by significant margins when people were asked "who would you rather as premier?".
Graham surprised pundits again during the 2003 election
, running an energetic campaign and winning 26 of 55 seats, just two short of the Conservatives, and coming within 1% of the Conservatives in the popular vote. Pundits said Graham and Lord had fought the English language debate to a draw, while they viewed Graham as the winner of the French debate; this was despite the fact that Lord was a francophone and that Graham's less than stellar command of French was viewed as one of his largest liabilities. Moreover, it was universally agreed by the punditry that the Liberals had controlled the agenda of the campaign, always keeping their three key issues: public automobile insurance, public health care and public power in the forefront of the agenda.
Graham often cited the fact that had 10 votes swung from the Conservatives to the Liberals in the riding of Kennebecasis there would have been a 27-27 tie which may have led to a Liberal minority government
supported by the New Democrats
whose one member would have held the balance of power. Graham was quoted on election night saying "until five minutes ago, I thought I was going to be premier".
and the media continued to view Graham as weak. Rumours suggested that Graham was being pressured to step aside in favour of either Mike Murphy, Kelly Lamrock
or Andy Savoy
.
Following a by-election
victory by the Liberals on October 4, 2004 in Shediac-Cap-Pelé, Graham took a more aggressive stance to dispel this belief. He named a new chief of staff and replaced a third of his staff on October 28, 2004 while pledging to defeat the government and force an election in the next session of the legislature. Graham's upward momentum continued when, in an opinion poll
released on December 9, 2004, the Liberals expanded their lead over the Conservatives to 46% to 36%, but also, for the first time since Graham became leader, he was the preferred choice of New Brunswickers for premier
beating the incumbent Bernard Lord 34% to 27%. A further poll some months later showed that Graham continued to hold a lead over Lord but by a smaller margin.
In the spring session of the legislature, Graham attempted to pass a snap motion of no confidence
on during his speech on the budget. There was brief excitement on Liberal benches as less than half of the government caucus was present for Graham's speech, however the speaker ruled that the vote would be held along with the main budget motion at the end of the following week. Graham was criticised because when the vote was held two of his members were absent. Graham defended their absence arguing that, because New Democratic Party
leader Elizabeth Weir
was also absent, it was impossible to defeat the government, and he did not see the need to whip
his members.
Graham's victory in a subsequent by-election on November 14, 2005 in Saint John Harbour
with candidate Ed Doherty, as well as his continued lead in opinion polls, led most to end their criticism of his leadership for a time. In 2006, however, following the brief minority government
when Michael Malley
left the government caucus for 6 weeks, Graham took a very aggressive stance towards forcing an election. A prolonged dispute over the functioning of legislature was undertaken, crippling most of the business of the House. The media and, seemingly the public, largely blamed Graham and the Liberals for this and, for the first time in over 2 years, in June 2006 the PCs regained the lead in opinion polls and Lord took a double-digit lead in preference for Premier. These disappointing poll results for Liberals renewed questions in Graham's leadership.
His strategy was to focus heavily on policy, and his party introduced a record number of pieces of legislation for an opposition party. This is particularly remarkable because New Brunswick members of the legislature received no professional drafting staff to assist them in writing private members' bills at the time.
In addition to his legislative agenda, Graham and the Liberals launched a series of regional policy meetings culminating in a policy convention in the fall of 2005. Graham also convened a meeting of all of the Liberal leaders of the Maritime provinces to discuss common policy objectives, engaged in several tours of the province on particular policy issues and took several trips to Ottawa
to meet with federal ministers on various issues.
In early 2006, Graham set out on a tour of the northeast United States, Washington, D.C.
and the Maritimes
to promote New Brunswick as an "energy hub" and his idea of building a second reactor at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
.
On February 17, 2006, Bernard Lord's government was reduced to a minority
when Michael Malley
crossed the floor to sit as an independent
. Graham said, if Malley would support the Liberals, he would have brought down the government on an April 7, 2006 budget vote forcing an early election. Malley was subsequently elected speaker however, creating an equality of government and opposition members; the April 7 vote came to a tie which was broken in favour of the government by Malley in accordance with tradition.
Following this, Malley rejoined the Conservative caucus from the speaker's chair. This created some controversy and Graham's Liberals held up some business in the House as a procedural stalement ensued for some weeks. Finally the Conservative and Liberal House Leaders signed an agreement on May 31, 2006 which laid out a detailed plan for the conduct of the business of the House and which seemingly guaranteed that the next election would be held on Lord's preferred date of October 15, 2007. This protracted procedural battle did not seem to go well for the Liberals when, in an opinion poll released on June 12, 2006 but conducted largely during the height of the procedural infighting, the Tories took the lead over the Liberals for the first time in any poll since August 2003 with a margin of 45% to 39% for Lord's Conservatives.
would be held on September 18, 2006 due to the pending resignation of Peter Mesheau
from the legislature that would have created another minority government.
Graham was somewhat caught off guard by the announcement and received notice while golf
ing at his party's annual fundraising golf tournament. Notwithstanding this, Graham had already started a campaign in earnest, having announced his energy platform on August 8 and having nominated several candidates already. With the election call, the party gave him the authority to appoint the 25 MLAs seeking re-election as candidates bringing the total number of nominated Liberal candidates to 30 of 55. Graham said he would pursue education, economic development and energy as three key issues during the campaign.
Graham stated that if he did not win the election, he would resign as Liberal leader.
Graham won the 2006 election by taking 29 out of the 55 seats in the legislature despite the Liberals narrowly trailing the Progressive Conservatives in the popular vote.
, by 2026..
Though they won the election with a slight deficit in the popular vote, upon taking office, the Liberals surged in popularity. In December 2006, a poll showed the Liberals had surged to a lead of 65-27 in opinion polls, thereafter polls have showed the Liberals ahead by a minimum of 17%.
Graham's Liberals have maintained the lead in a number of polls despite having to "spend some political capital" on a number of controversial issues such as post-secondary education reform, French second-language education, a bailout of a credit union and the restructuring of the province's public health care administration.
Graham has said that this has been done because to achieve self-sufficiency, the province must undergo transformational change. Outstanding initiatives in this vein include a proposal for a massive overhaul of the province's taxation and a study of its local governance structures.During his term in office, however, equalization payments increased from $1.35 billion to $1.58 billion, a failure that is attributable to global forces and Graham’s economic policy, which relied too heavily on the province’s potential as a regional and international energy hub.
. Graham, as New Brunswick's 31st Premier, and the rest of the cabinet
were sworn-in by Lieutenant-Governor
Herménégilde Chiasson
on October 3, 2006.
On his first day in office, Graham, as promised, acted on five campaign promises. His government cut the excise tax on gasoline
by 3.8 cents per litre, moved nursing home
payments from an assets-based test to an income-based test
, provided students with a reduced tuition of $2000 for their first year in university, provided the City of Saint John
with a memorandum of understanding
to provide a third of required monies for the clean up of Saint John harbour
and established separate ministers for Agriculture & Aquaculture, Fisheries, Housing and Seniors. Additionally, on its first day in office, it pledged $2 million to assist in maintaining ferry service
from Saint John to Digby, Nova Scotia
.
In addition to being Premier and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (a post often held by premiers in Canada), Graham took on the role of Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport. Graham, who has a background in athletics competing in the 1985 Canada Games
for New Brunswick in track and field
, wanted to take the portfolio to ensure it was a priority in large part to fight childhood obesity
in the province, which is the highest in the country.
and the Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs to replace Conservative political appointees who had resigned when Graham took office. He also appointed former cabinet minister Bernard Thériault
as his chief of staff and his former Opposition chief of staff Chris Baker to be secretary of the Policy and Priorities Committee of Cabinet.
Early in its mandate, the government implemented increases to the amount of care received by nursing home and homecare
clients. It also appointed Bernard Richard
as Child and Youth Advocate, a position which had been vacant since its creation in 2005 as a result of a then-opposition Liberal-sponsored bill. In December 2006, the province announced an agreement with private auto insurance companies that would see some restructuring of regulations and an average decrease of 13.5% in insurance rates by March 1, 2007. The province also appointed several commissions to investigate larger issues: a Community Non-Profit Task Force, a Self-Sufficiency Task Force and a Commission on Post-Secondary Education. The Liberals however cancelled a tax rebate on energy costs brought forward by the previous government which they had said they would maintain. The Liberals defended the move saying that the Conservatives had left the province's finances "in a downward spiral" and that the program was bad policy because it didn't encourage energy conservation.
On March 13, 2007, Graham's Finance Minister
Victor Boudreau introduced the government's first budget. While the budget was balanced, despite warnings months earlier from an independent auditor that the province was facing a massive deficit, and increased spending in priority areas, it was criticized for having raised taxes. The opposition noted that this was the first increase to personal income taxes in the province since 1994 and contrasted it with the previous Conservative government which had lowered income taxes every year for their seven years in office. Boudreau defended the increases saying "we all enjoy lower taxes, but when the level of taxation is insufficient to ensure the continued provision of essential public services, it needs to be addressed."
The spring of 2007 saw the Liberal majority grow by three; they added a seat when Chris Collins
won a by-election in Moncton East
, the seat vacated when Bernard Lord stepped down from provincial politics. A short time later, Tory MLAs and spouses Wally Stiles
and Joan MacAlpine-Stiles
crossed the floor to give the Liberals 32 seats to 23 for the opposition.
The report of the Self-Sufficiency Task Force was released in May will 91 recommendations covering 11 themes, 80 of which were to be acted upon within one year.
The spring sitting of the legislature did not conclude until July, sitting a record 79 days and passing 74 pieces of legislation. During that time, Graham's government unveiled an education plan called When Kids Come First the stated aim of which is to build the best education system in Canada. The government began a refurbishment of its Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
, launched a feasibility study into building a second reactor there, and began projects to add 300 megawatts of wind power to the province's electric grid. It also invested $40 million into affordable housing and opened 125 new nursing home beds. Additionally, Graham and his Environment Minister
Roland Haché launched a Climate Change Action Plan, a five-year strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province.
Over the summer, a number of major economic projects were announced by Graham including a $1.7 billion potash mine near Sussex
and a $21.5 million steel fabrication plan and centre of excellence in Miramichi
.
In August, Graham hosted all 13 Canadian premiers and territorial leaders in Moncton as incoming chair of the Council of the Federation
. The meeting focused on issues of energy and climate change.
In September, the report of the Commission on Post-Secondary Education was released. It contained a wide-number of recommendations meant to be considered together as a comprehensive reform package. The authors indicated in their submission to government that:
The day the report was presented to government, Post-Secondary Education Minister
Ed Doherty was quoted at the top of a news release saying, "these are only recommendations from an independent commission and final decisions haven't been made yet by our government" and that government would take time to evaluate them before making any decisions.
The most controversial proposal was to convert the Saint John campus of the University of New Brunswick
, and the Edmundston and Shippagan campuses of the University of Moncton into "polytechnics
." Controversy surrounded the Saint John school in particular. A month later the government said it would set aside the possibility of UNB Saint John losing its status as a 'university' and would refer the report to a working group for further study. The government would go on to announce in January that UNBSJ would retain its liberal arts program and its association with UNB and the working group reported back to government in May, with its findings and government's response being made public in June.
. He added two new ministers: outgoing speaker
Eugene McGinley
and Wally Stiles
, who had crossed the floor to the Liberals several months prior. Five other ministers were affected by the shuffle. Two ministers who had multiple portfolios ceded some of their responsibilities: the premier ceded his responsibility for the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport; and Finance Minister
Victor Boudreau gave up responsibility for the Department of Local Government. Three other ministers, namely Hédard Albert
, Carmel Robichaud
and Mary Schryer
changed portfolios, including a promotion for Schryer who moved from minister of state to full minister. There was another minor adjustment to cabinet in January 2008 when Roly MacIntyre
resigned from cabinet, his portfolios were taken on by other ministers in the cabinet.
In January, Graham unveiled a new brand
called Be... in this place to give a common look and feel to provincial activities. A new brand was the first recommendation of the Self-Sufficiency Task Force. In February, the province unveiled its population growth strategy called Be Our Future setting out the plan to attract 100,000 new people to the province by 2026 as part of achieving self-sufficiency.
In March, the government tabled its second balanced budget which included record increases to the health and education budgets and a tuition freeze
for students at the province's four public universities.
In March and April, the province unveiled its plans for "transformational change" in healthcare. A dramatic change to the administration of the province's public healthcare moved the province from eight regional health authorities to two with a new crown corporation which will handle non-clinical functions on behalf of both authorities. A new provincial health plan, was also launched with plans to invest over $154 million in addition to regular inflationary increases over four years. The plan included plans for new community health centres, broader addiction treatment services, HPV vaccinations
for school children, the introduction of midwifery
to the public health system, enabling pharmacists to write some prescriptions and the hiring of 100 new doctors and 40 nurse practitioner
s.
Much of the spring and summer of Graham's second year in office was dominated by the debate of French second-language programs. In February, a commission recommended that government should scrap early immersion in favour of a universal curriculum in elementary school
which would see anglophone students learn in their mother tongue from kindergarten
through Grade 4 and then all study French through an intensive program in Grade 5 before choosing between an immersion or non-immersion program. The commission said that this was the best route because under the existing model, over 93% of those students with special learning needs were being streamed
into non-immersion classrooms, though critics maintain the problem is a lack of the type of French-language resources that would enable more students to stay in immersion programmes. In March, Minister of Education Kelly Lamrock
announced that the government would move forward with the recommendations for the reasons stated by the commissioners and because they felt the changes would further promote bilingualism by giving all students access to a quality second-language program arguing that the early immersion model had been implemented in a time when there was resistance to bilingualism and that it only worked well for small groups of students, not the large groups that were now interested in becoming bilingual. There was considerable opposition to this move, including from the province's official languages commissioner and ombudsman. The ombudsman was criticized in some quarters for "overstepping his bounds," while others felt his criticisms of the process were justified. In June, the Court of Queen's Bench ruled on a case brought forward by opponents to the changes, the court ruled with the opponents on one ground that the government had implied that there would be two months of consultation on the commission report, when there had only been two weeks. Though the court ruled in favour of the government on two other grounds, it quashed the decision saying that the government could go forward with the changes as is but first must consult the public. Following an additional six weeks of consultation, on August 5 the government announced a revised model to be implemented in September 2008, which would provide a "universal learning environment" including exposure to French culture from kindergarten through Grade 2 projected to start in 2009, an optional entry to immersion in Grade 3 projected to start in 2010, further French instruction for non-immersion students in grades 3 through 5 with another optional entry to late immersion in Grade 6. The revised program has been generally well received.
In June, the working group that had been appointed to review the Commission on Post-Secondary Education reported back to government. Graham announced that the government would forgo the recommendations about creating polytechnics, but would follow through on recommendations to greater integrate the universities and colleges in the province, and promised at least $90 million in new money. In July, Graham committed $20 million to the restoration of the Petitcodiac River
. The river system had been changed by the construction of a causeway in the 1960s.
From October 17 to 19, Graham attended the 12th Francophonie Summit in Quebec City
to discuss four major issues: democracy and rule of law; economic governance and solidarity; environment (water management and forest management); and the French language. In addition to the official deliberations, New Brunswick helped organize a cultural event called Passion Francophonie which featured artists from Madagascar, France, Vietnam, Quebec, and New Brunswick; New Brunswick also hosted a breakfast for heads of government that featured New Brunswick food products.
Graham participated in a Council of the Federation
trade mission
to China
from November 2 to 7. The mission yielded $75.5 million in new business for New Brunswick companies on its first full day in China. A by-election
was held in the conservative riding of New Maryland-Sunbury West
on November 3, 2008. Although the Liberals increased their share of the vote by nearly 3%, they were unable to capture the riding.
On November 12, Graham announced a second major cabinet shuffle. Two ministers - Eugene McGinley and Carmel Robichaud - were dropped from cabinet, while three new individuals joined the cabinet - Rick Brewer
, Brian Kenny
and Bernard LeBlanc
. Three other ministers changed portfolios, including: Donald Arseneault
, Ed Doherty and Wally Stiles.
The third legislative session of Graham's government began with a throne speech
on November 25, 2008. The speech focussed on "keeping commitments, carefully managing through the current economic downturn, and a renewed focus on and commitment to achieving self-sufficiency."
On the second day of the session, Graham's government introduced a 100-page bill called the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act to change all provincial laws making same-sex common law couples equal to opposite-sex couples, in accordance with the M. v. H.
decision of the Supreme Court of Canada
in 1999. The previous Conservative government, in office from 1999 to 2006, did not introduce such legislation.
On December 3, 2008, Graham's finance minister, Victor Boudreau, gave an economic and fiscal update in light of the economic situation. The statement indicated that the 2008-09 fiscal year would likely see a $285 million deficit, instead of the $19 million surplus that had been projected. In order to stimulate the economy, the government announced it would bring forward a two-year capital spending plan that would total more than $1.2 billion, including the largest capital budget in the province's history for 2009-10 to be tabled on December 9, 2008. Other measures announced to control spending and ensure economic growth in light of the economic situation were: a review of all government programs, providing capital to small, medium and large businesses, renewing a commitment to tax reform that will include "lowering personal and corporate income taxes". Additionally, Boudreau indicated the salaries for members of the legislature would be frozen for one year "to lead by example."
In Graham's 2009 state of the province address, he pledged to make providing strong leadership of the economy his government's top priority and amended the three Es from his campaign platform (formerly education, energy and the economy) to read, "the economy, the economy, and the economy." He also pledged that his promised changes to the tax system would mean more than $100 million in savings to New Brunswickers in the coming year.
In early March, Graham's party won a by-election in Restigouche-La-Vallée
on a swing
of nearly 15 per cent. Since the previous election, this was the third by-election, all held in ridings previously held by the Conservative opposition. Graham's Liberals improved their showing in all three ridings, and won two counting this one.
On March 17, Graham joined his finance minister Victor Boudreau to introduce the budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The budget included $144 million in personal and corporate tax reductions and a pledge to lower taxes by a total of over $380 million over four years, and budget deficit of $741 million. It centred around the so-called Plan for a Stronger Economy which included the tax cuts, a four-year plan to return the province to balanced budgets, the $1.2 billion in infrastructure spending previously announced in December, investments in priority areas with cuts in other areas to ensure "responsible management" of government expenditure. Savings were released by instituting a two-year wage freeze for all government employees, the elimination of 700 civil service positions and the elimination of some services, most controversially the elimination of three ferries in the lower St. John River Valley. Later there was also controversy surrounding some cuts to education services -- despite an increase of funding to the education department, and a dispute with the province's physicians over their payment. The province's tax reforms attracted positive national attention, however, with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
, the National Post
newspaper, and the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies all spoke on it favourably.
On June 22, 2009 Graham undertook another cabinet shuffle. In the most significant shuffle since taking office, Graham moved all of his major ministers. There were new ministers for the three largest departments in government - Health
, Education
and Social Development - as well as the important portfolios of Finance
, Attorney General and Business New Brunswick
.
between the provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec
proposing to sell the New Brunswick Power
electricity generation, transmission and distribution network to the Quebec government-owned Hydro-Québec
electricity corporation. Under this plan Hydro-Québec would pay the $4.8 billion debt of NB Power and provide rate savings valued at $5.6 billion by freezing New Brunswick residential electricity rates for five years and matching industrial rates to Quebec for five years, while rising both at the rate of inflation thereafter. The plan has met with some support and some opposition in New Brunswick with opinion polls showing the Liberals losing support because of the proposed agreement, though some pundits have said the Liberals could have expected polls to be worse and there is room for them to recover. Graham has stated his objective is to finalize the deal before March 31, 2010, when a 3% rate increase is scheduled. The opposition Conservatives have been very critical of the proposal, though some have accused them of hypocrisy for having tried to sell major NB Power assets when they were in power in the early first decade of the 21st century.
The Liberals party themselves were not in complete agreement with this deal.
On December 1, 2009, Graham's new finance minister Greg Byrne introduced his first budget. It showed the deficit for 2009-10 had come in roughly as expected and that the 2010-11 would be in the same range - about $750 million. The province also revised its target date to return to balanced budgets to 2014-15 from 2012–13, and boosted its two-year stimulus package to $1.6 billion from $1.2 billion.
On January 4, 2010, a minor cabinet shuffle was precipitated by the resignation from cabinet of Justice Minister Mike Murphy for personal reasons. Local Government Minister Bernard LeBlanc replaced Murphy as justice minister, while his other responsibilities - those of attorney general and government house leader - went to Kelly Lamrock and Greg Byrne respectively. Backbencher Chris Collins
joined the cabinet to replace LeBlanc as local government minister.
On September 27, 2010, Shawn Graham lost his re-election bid in a landslide (13 to 42) to provincial PC leader David Alward
. Not since Confederation had a New Brunswick Premier not served a second term. He stepped down as leader of the party on November 9, 2010; Victor Boudreau was selected as the party's interim leader
the following day.
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...
(born February 22, 1968) is a 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...
politician, who served as the 31st Premier of New Brunswick
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....
. He received a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree in 1991 and a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1993, he worked for New Brunswick's civil service before being 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 1998. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captured a majority of seats in the 2006 election
New Brunswick general election, 2006
The 36th New Brunswick general election was held on September 18, 2006, to elect 55 members to the 56th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada....
. After being elected, Graham initiated a number of sometimes controversial changes to provincial policy especially in the areas of health care, education and energy. His party was defeated in the New Brunswick provincial election held September 27, 2010, and Graham resigned as Liberal leader on November 9, 2010.
Early career
Graham was born in RextonRexton, New Brunswick
Rexton is a Canadian village in Kent County, New Brunswick.Situated on the Richibucto River, the village was originally inhabited by Mi'kmaqs, many of whose descendants still reside in the nearby Elsipogtog First Nation, formerly referred to as the Big Cove Band...
, 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...
, Canada
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...
and raised in a political family, with his father Alan R. Graham being the longest serving member of 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...
. The family has ancestral homes in the communities of Kouchibouguac
Kouchibouguac, New Brunswick
Kouchibouguac is a community in the Canadian province of New Brunswick....
, Rexton and Main River
Weldford Parish, New Brunswick
Weldford is a local service district found in Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada that was established in 1835 with a local Agricultural Association and named for John W. Weldon and John P...
with roots going back to the early 19th century. Shawn Graham was born the year after his father's first election as MLA for Kent County, New Brunswick.
Graham graduated from the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
, as an alumnus of both Harrison House and Neill House, after which he completed an education degree at St Thomas University
St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
St. Thomas University is jointly a public and Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It offers degrees exclusively at the undergraduate level for approximately 3,000 students in the liberal arts, humanities, journalism, education, and social work....
in Fredericton. Graham spent much of his career before entering elected politics working for the province's civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
and when his father resigned from the legislature in 1998, Shawn Graham was elected to replace him in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
as a member of 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...
. Following the general election of 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...
, the Liberals were reduced to 10 seats from 45, and by early 2001 they were down to 7 seats following the resignation of several former cabinet ministers. This gave the young politician the chance to rise to prominence.
Leadership campaign
Liberal leader Camille TheriaultCamille Thériault
Camille Henri Thériault 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...
resigned in March 2001, and a leadership convention
Leadership convention
In Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.- Overview :...
was set from May 2002. Few candidates emerged for this campaign and it appeared that former cabinet minister Paul Duffie
Paul Duffie
Paul Duffie is a former politician, lawyer and judge in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Duffie was born in Neguac, New Brunswick. A graduate of Ricker College in Houlton, Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree and the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick with a law...
would win virtually unopposed. Graham was urged to run, and eventually entered the race with the support of Greg Byrne, a previous leadership contender, and many of the supporters of Bernard Richard
Bernard Richard
Bernard Richard is a Canadian social worker, lawyer, and politician in the Province of New Brunswick....
, also a former leadership contender and the interim leader
Interim leader
An interim leader, in Canadian politics, is a party leader appointed by the party's legislative caucus or the party's executive to temporarily act as leader when a gap occurs between the resignation or death of a party leader and the election of a formal successor...
following the resignation of Theriault.
Surprising many pundits, Graham was successful in taking a solid lead during delegate selection meetings in February and March 2002, and, as a result, Duffie dropped out of the race. This left only fringe candidate Jack MacDougall
Jack MacDougall
Jack MacDougall is a politician in New Brunswick, Canada. He worked for the Liberal Party of New Brunswick from 1984 to 1999. In 2002, he was an unsuccessful candidate for leader of the party...
in the race who Graham defeated by a 3 to 1 margin at the May convention.
Toward the 2003 election
As leader, Graham was considered a lightweight by pundits and by the governing Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive 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...
, and few gave him a chance in the coming election. Although Graham's Liberal Party of New Brunswick and the PCs were near each other in the polls, Graham was a relative unknown and trailed Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
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:...
by significant margins when people were asked "who would you rather as premier?".
Graham surprised pundits again during the 2003 election
New Brunswick general election, 2003
The 35th New Brunswick general election was held on June 9, 2003, to elect 55 members to the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
, running an energetic campaign and winning 26 of 55 seats, just two short of the Conservatives, and coming within 1% of the Conservatives in the popular vote. Pundits said Graham and Lord had fought the English language debate to a draw, while they viewed Graham as the winner of the French debate; this was despite the fact that Lord was a francophone and that Graham's less than stellar command of French was viewed as one of his largest liabilities. Moreover, it was universally agreed by the punditry that the Liberals had controlled the agenda of the campaign, always keeping their three key issues: public automobile insurance, public health care and public power in the forefront of the agenda.
Graham often cited the fact that had 10 votes swung from the Conservatives to the Liberals in the riding of Kennebecasis there would have been a 27-27 tie which may have led to a Liberal minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
supported by the New Democrats
New Brunswick New Democratic Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party .-Origins and early history:...
whose one member would have held the balance of power. Graham was quoted on election night saying "until five minutes ago, I thought I was going to be premier".
Graham's leadership questioned
Despite his victories, the governing ToriesTory
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...
and the media continued to view Graham as weak. Rumours suggested that Graham was being pressured to step aside in favour of either Mike Murphy, Kelly Lamrock
Kelly Lamrock
Kelly Lamrock is a Canadian lawyer and politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak, and Minister of Social Development in the New Brunswick cabinet.-Before politics:Kelly Lamrock was born...
or Andy Savoy
Andy Savoy
-Early life:Savoy was raised in the Perth-Andover, New Brunswick area and educated at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton where he earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering as well as a Masters of Business Administration.-Entrance to politics:...
.
Following a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
victory by the Liberals on October 4, 2004 in Shediac-Cap-Pelé, Graham took a more aggressive stance to dispel this belief. He named a new chief of staff and replaced a third of his staff on October 28, 2004 while pledging to defeat the government and force an election in the next session of the legislature. Graham's upward momentum continued when, in an opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
released on December 9, 2004, the Liberals expanded their lead over the Conservatives to 46% to 36%, but also, for the first time since Graham became leader, he was the preferred choice of New Brunswickers for 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....
beating the incumbent Bernard Lord 34% to 27%. A further poll some months later showed that Graham continued to hold a lead over Lord but by a smaller margin.
In the spring session of the legislature, Graham attempted to pass a snap motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
on during his speech on the budget. There was brief excitement on Liberal benches as less than half of the government caucus was present for Graham's speech, however the speaker ruled that the vote would be held along with the main budget motion at the end of the following week. Graham was criticised because when the vote was held two of his members were absent. Graham defended their absence arguing that, because New Democratic Party
New Brunswick New Democratic Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party .-Origins and early history:...
leader Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Jane Weir is a lawyer and politician in New Brunswick, Canada. She was elected leader of the New Democratic Party of New Brunswick in 1988 and became an opposition voice to the Liberal government, which held all 58 seats in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.Born in Belfast,...
was also absent, it was impossible to defeat the government, and he did not see the need to whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
his members.
Graham's victory in a subsequent by-election on November 14, 2005 in Saint John Harbour
Saint John Harbour
Saint John Harbour is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was represented from its creation for the 1995 election until October 13, 2005 by Elizabeth Weir, the leader of the New Democratic Party of New Brunswick from 1988 to September 25, 2005...
with candidate Ed Doherty, as well as his continued lead in opinion polls, led most to end their criticism of his leadership for a time. In 2006, however, following the brief minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
when Michael Malley
Michael Malley
Michael "Tanker" Malley is a former politician in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. He represented the riding of Miramichi-Bay du Vin in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006 and served as Speaker of the Assembly for part of 2006.Malley, a former Miramichi city...
left the government caucus for 6 weeks, Graham took a very aggressive stance towards forcing an election. A prolonged dispute over the functioning of legislature was undertaken, crippling most of the business of the House. The media and, seemingly the public, largely blamed Graham and the Liberals for this and, for the first time in over 2 years, in June 2006 the PCs regained the lead in opinion polls and Lord took a double-digit lead in preference for Premier. These disappointing poll results for Liberals renewed questions in Graham's leadership.
Towards the 2006 election
Throughout the term that began following the 2003 election, Graham has worked hard to portray himself and his caucus as a "government-in-waiting". From the Lord government's introduction of controversial health reforms in the spring of 2004, Graham said he would force an election at his earliest opportunity.His strategy was to focus heavily on policy, and his party introduced a record number of pieces of legislation for an opposition party. This is particularly remarkable because New Brunswick members of the legislature received no professional drafting staff to assist them in writing private members' bills at the time.
In addition to his legislative agenda, Graham and the Liberals launched a series of regional policy meetings culminating in a policy convention in the fall of 2005. Graham also convened a meeting of all of the Liberal leaders of the Maritime provinces to discuss common policy objectives, engaged in several tours of the province on particular policy issues and took several trips to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to meet with federal ministers on various issues.
In early 2006, Graham set out on a tour of the northeast United States, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
to promote New Brunswick as an "energy hub" and his idea of building a second reactor at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located 2 km northeast of Point Lepreau, New Brunswick. The facility was constructed between 1975-1983 by NB Power, the provincially-owned public utility....
.
On February 17, 2006, Bernard Lord's government was reduced to a minority
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
when Michael Malley
Michael Malley
Michael "Tanker" Malley is a former politician in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. He represented the riding of Miramichi-Bay du Vin in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006 and served as Speaker of the Assembly for part of 2006.Malley, a former Miramichi city...
crossed the floor to sit as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. Graham said, if Malley would support the Liberals, he would have brought down the government on an April 7, 2006 budget vote forcing an early election. Malley was subsequently elected speaker however, creating an equality of government and opposition members; the April 7 vote came to a tie which was broken in favour of the government by Malley in accordance with tradition.
Following this, Malley rejoined the Conservative caucus from the speaker's chair. This created some controversy and Graham's Liberals held up some business in the House as a procedural stalement ensued for some weeks. Finally the Conservative and Liberal House Leaders signed an agreement on May 31, 2006 which laid out a detailed plan for the conduct of the business of the House and which seemingly guaranteed that the next election would be held on Lord's preferred date of October 15, 2007. This protracted procedural battle did not seem to go well for the Liberals when, in an opinion poll released on June 12, 2006 but conducted largely during the height of the procedural infighting, the Tories took the lead over the Liberals for the first time in any poll since August 2003 with a margin of 45% to 39% for Lord's Conservatives.
The election campaign
Bernard Lord announced on August 10, 2006 that an electionNew Brunswick general election, 2006
The 36th New Brunswick general election was held on September 18, 2006, to elect 55 members to the 56th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada....
would be held on September 18, 2006 due to the pending resignation of Peter Mesheau
Peter Mesheau
Peter Mesheau is a politician in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented the electoral district of Tantramar in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1997 to 2006....
from the legislature that would have created another minority government.
Graham was somewhat caught off guard by the announcement and received notice while golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
ing at his party's annual fundraising golf tournament. Notwithstanding this, Graham had already started a campaign in earnest, having announced his energy platform on August 8 and having nominated several candidates already. With the election call, the party gave him the authority to appoint the 25 MLAs seeking re-election as candidates bringing the total number of nominated Liberal candidates to 30 of 55. Graham said he would pursue education, economic development and energy as three key issues during the campaign.
Graham stated that if he did not win the election, he would resign as Liberal leader.
Graham won the 2006 election by taking 29 out of the 55 seats in the legislature despite the Liberals narrowly trailing the Progressive Conservatives in the popular vote.
Premier of New Brunswick
Graham was elected premier under a platform called the Charter for Change, he pledged to focus on "the three Es": energy, education and the economy. He also pledged to make the province self-sufficient, that is to no longer depend on federal equalization paymentsCanadian Transfer Payments
Transfer payments are a collection of fiscal equalization processes used in Canada. Chief among these are the Canada Social Transfer, the Canada Health Transfer and equalization payments...
, by 2026..
Though they won the election with a slight deficit in the popular vote, upon taking office, the Liberals surged in popularity. In December 2006, a poll showed the Liberals had surged to a lead of 65-27 in opinion polls, thereafter polls have showed the Liberals ahead by a minimum of 17%.
Graham's Liberals have maintained the lead in a number of polls despite having to "spend some political capital" on a number of controversial issues such as post-secondary education reform, French second-language education, a bailout of a credit union and the restructuring of the province's public health care administration.
Graham has said that this has been done because to achieve self-sufficiency, the province must undergo transformational change. Outstanding initiatives in this vein include a proposal for a massive overhaul of the province's taxation and a study of its local governance structures.During his term in office, however, equalization payments increased from $1.35 billion to $1.58 billion, a failure that is attributable to global forces and Graham’s economic policy, which relied too heavily on the province’s potential as a regional and international energy hub.
Transition and day-one actions
On September 20, 2006, Graham appointed a transition team to begin to transfer power headed by Doug TylerDoug Tyler
Doug Tyler is a political figure in the province of New Brunswick, Canada.Tyler was a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from the 1987 election until his defeat in the 1999 election...
. Graham, as New Brunswick's 31st Premier, and the rest of the cabinet
Executive Council of New Brunswick
The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
were sworn-in by Lieutenant-Governor
Lieutenant-Governors of New Brunswick
The following is a list of the Lieutenant Governors of New Brunswick. Though the present day office of the lieutenant governor in New Brunswick came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the post is a continuation from the first governorship of New Brunswick...
Herménégilde Chiasson
Herménégilde Chiasson
-External links:* entry in *...
on October 3, 2006.
On his first day in office, Graham, as promised, acted on five campaign promises. His government cut the excise tax on gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
by 3.8 cents per litre, moved nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
payments from an assets-based test to an income-based test
Means test
A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for help from the government.- Canada :In Canada means tests are used for student finance , and "welfare" . They are not generally used for primary education and secondary education which are tax-funded...
, provided students with a reduced tuition of $2000 for their first year in university, provided the City of Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
with a memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
to provide a third of required monies for the clean up of Saint John harbour
Saint John harbour
Saint John harbour can refer to several things related to this east coast Canadian harbour:* Saint John Harbour, a provincial electoral district* Saint John, New Brunswick harbour cleanup, pollution abatement program...
and established separate ministers for Agriculture & Aquaculture, Fisheries, Housing and Seniors. Additionally, on its first day in office, it pledged $2 million to assist in maintaining ferry service
Bay Ferries
Bay Ferries Limited, referred to simply as Bay Ferries, is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and the United States and is headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island...
from Saint John to Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
.
In addition to being Premier and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (a post often held by premiers in Canada), Graham took on the role of Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport. Graham, who has a background in athletics competing in the 1985 Canada Games
Canada Games
The Canada Games is a high-level multi-sport event with a National Artists Program held every two years in Canada, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. Athletes are strictly amateur only, and represent their province or territory.The Games were first held in 1967...
for New Brunswick in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, wanted to take the portfolio to ensure it was a priority in large part to fight childhood obesity
Childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects...
in the province, which is the highest in the country.
First year (2006-07)
On October 12, 2006, Graham announced several senior appointments. He appointed a president of NB Liquor and deputy ministers for the Department of EnergyDepartment of Energy (New Brunswick)
The Department of Energy is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with the administration of New Brunswick's energy policy including electricity, natural gas and refined petroleum products....
and the Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs to replace Conservative political appointees who had resigned when Graham took office. He also appointed former cabinet minister Bernard Thériault
Bernard Thériault
Bernard Thériault is a political figure in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He became chief of staff to Premier of New Brunswick Shawn Graham on October 30, 2006....
as his chief of staff and his former Opposition chief of staff Chris Baker to be secretary of the Policy and Priorities Committee of Cabinet.
Early in its mandate, the government implemented increases to the amount of care received by nursing home and homecare
Homecare
British Gas HomeCare is the name for British Gas Services which operates in the United Kingdom, which was originally set up to provide maintenance for central heating and other gas appliances....
clients. It also appointed Bernard Richard
Bernard Richard
Bernard Richard is a Canadian social worker, lawyer, and politician in the Province of New Brunswick....
as Child and Youth Advocate, a position which had been vacant since its creation in 2005 as a result of a then-opposition Liberal-sponsored bill. In December 2006, the province announced an agreement with private auto insurance companies that would see some restructuring of regulations and an average decrease of 13.5% in insurance rates by March 1, 2007. The province also appointed several commissions to investigate larger issues: a Community Non-Profit Task Force, a Self-Sufficiency Task Force and a Commission on Post-Secondary Education. The Liberals however cancelled a tax rebate on energy costs brought forward by the previous government which they had said they would maintain. The Liberals defended the move saying that the Conservatives had left the province's finances "in a downward spiral" and that the program was bad policy because it didn't encourage energy conservation.
On March 13, 2007, Graham's Finance Minister
Department of Finance (New Brunswick)
The Department of Finance is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with New Brunswick's budgetary and tax policy and headed by the finance minister....
Victor Boudreau introduced the government's first budget. While the budget was balanced, despite warnings months earlier from an independent auditor that the province was facing a massive deficit, and increased spending in priority areas, it was criticized for having raised taxes. The opposition noted that this was the first increase to personal income taxes in the province since 1994 and contrasted it with the previous Conservative government which had lowered income taxes every year for their seven years in office. Boudreau defended the increases saying "we all enjoy lower taxes, but when the level of taxation is insufficient to ensure the continued provision of essential public services, it needs to be addressed."
The spring of 2007 saw the Liberal majority grow by three; they added a seat when Chris Collins
Chris Collins (politician)
Chris Collins is a politician from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Currently the sitting MLA for the riding of Moncton East, having previously served part of one term on Moncton City Council....
won a by-election in Moncton East
Moncton East
Moncton East is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. Prior to 2007, it has been held by only two individuals both of whom served as Premier of New Brunswick. Ray Frenette, a Liberal who served as premier from 1997 to 1998, represented the district...
, the seat vacated when Bernard Lord stepped down from provincial politics. A short time later, Tory MLAs and spouses Wally Stiles
Wally Stiles
R. Wallis "Wally" Stiles, is a New Brunswick politician. He represented the electoral district of Petitcodiac in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999–2010...
and Joan MacAlpine-Stiles
Joan MacAlpine-Stiles
L. Joan MacAlpine-Stiles is a politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. She served as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Moncton West from 1999 until 2010...
crossed the floor to give the Liberals 32 seats to 23 for the opposition.
The report of the Self-Sufficiency Task Force was released in May will 91 recommendations covering 11 themes, 80 of which were to be acted upon within one year.
The spring sitting of the legislature did not conclude until July, sitting a record 79 days and passing 74 pieces of legislation. During that time, Graham's government unveiled an education plan called When Kids Come First the stated aim of which is to build the best education system in Canada. The government began a refurbishment of its Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located 2 km northeast of Point Lepreau, New Brunswick. The facility was constructed between 1975-1983 by NB Power, the provincially-owned public utility....
, launched a feasibility study into building a second reactor there, and began projects to add 300 megawatts of wind power to the province's electric grid. It also invested $40 million into affordable housing and opened 125 new nursing home beds. Additionally, Graham and his Environment Minister
Department of Environment (New Brunswick)
The Department of Environment is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with planning land use, zoning development and waste management as well as the enforcement of environmental legislation and regulations....
Roland Haché launched a Climate Change Action Plan, a five-year strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province.
Over the summer, a number of major economic projects were announced by Graham including a $1.7 billion potash mine near Sussex
Sussex, New Brunswick
Sussex is a Canadian town in Kings County, New Brunswick.Sussex straddles the Kennebecasis River, 70 km northeast of Saint John, and is a major dairy products producer in the province...
and a $21.5 million steel fabrication plan and centre of excellence in Miramichi
Miramichi, New Brunswick
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...
.
In August, Graham hosted all 13 Canadian premiers and territorial leaders in Moncton as incoming chair of the Council of the Federation
Council of the Federation
The Council of the Federation is a council in Canada made up of the premiers of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories. Its main function is to provide a united front amongst the provincial and territorial governments when interacting with Canada's federal government...
. The meeting focused on issues of energy and climate change.
In September, the report of the Commission on Post-Secondary Education was released. It contained a wide-number of recommendations meant to be considered together as a comprehensive reform package. The authors indicated in their submission to government that:
- Due to the complexities and interrelationships involved, this is a document that cannot be easily scanned. Readers will need to spend time understanding the dynamics and relevance of the issues raised. At the risk of stating the obvious, the recommendations are also highly interrelated and should not be considered discrete advice. Such an approach could result in the essence of the report being misinterpreted.
The day the report was presented to government, Post-Secondary Education Minister
Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (New Brunswick)
The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour is a department in the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with "ensuring the New Brunswick workforce is competitive by making strategic investments in people through innovative programs, services and partnerships." It has...
Ed Doherty was quoted at the top of a news release saying, "these are only recommendations from an independent commission and final decisions haven't been made yet by our government" and that government would take time to evaluate them before making any decisions.
The most controversial proposal was to convert the Saint John campus of the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
, and the Edmundston and Shippagan campuses of the University of Moncton into "polytechnics
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
." Controversy surrounded the Saint John school in particular. A month later the government said it would set aside the possibility of UNB Saint John losing its status as a 'university' and would refer the report to a working group for further study. The government would go on to announce in January that UNBSJ would retain its liberal arts program and its association with UNB and the working group reported back to government in May, with its findings and government's response being made public in June.
Second year (2007-08)
Shortly after the first anniversary of his election, Graham shuffled his cabinetCabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
. He added two new ministers: outgoing speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Eugene McGinley
Eugene McGinley
Eugene McGinley is a politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in a 1972 by-election to represent the electoral district of Bathurst and was re-elected in 1974 following which he retired from politics...
and Wally Stiles
Wally Stiles
R. Wallis "Wally" Stiles, is a New Brunswick politician. He represented the electoral district of Petitcodiac in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999–2010...
, who had crossed the floor to the Liberals several months prior. Five other ministers were affected by the shuffle. Two ministers who had multiple portfolios ceded some of their responsibilities: the premier ceded his responsibility for the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport; and Finance Minister
Department of Finance (New Brunswick)
The Department of Finance is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with New Brunswick's budgetary and tax policy and headed by the finance minister....
Victor Boudreau gave up responsibility for the Department of Local Government. Three other ministers, namely Hédard Albert
Hédard Albert
Hédard Albert, , is a New Brunswick politician.Albert worked for 35 years at the CCNB fisheries school where he taught, conducted research and served as school administrator...
, Carmel Robichaud
Carmel Robichaud
Carmel Robichaud is a politician and retired teacher in New Brunswick, Canada. She is currently a member of Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick representing the electoral district of Miramichi Bay-Neguac.-Early life:...
and Mary Schryer
Mary Schryer
Mary Schryer was a Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly in New Brunswick, Canada, representing the constituency of Quispamsis. Schryer was elected in the September 18, 2006 general election for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick...
changed portfolios, including a promotion for Schryer who moved from minister of state to full minister. There was another minor adjustment to cabinet in January 2008 when Roly MacIntyre
Roly MacIntyre
Roly MacIntyre is a former civil servant and politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1995 and re-elected in 2003 and 2006 after having been defeated in 1999....
resigned from cabinet, his portfolios were taken on by other ministers in the cabinet.
In January, Graham unveiled a new brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
called Be... in this place to give a common look and feel to provincial activities. A new brand was the first recommendation of the Self-Sufficiency Task Force. In February, the province unveiled its population growth strategy called Be Our Future setting out the plan to attract 100,000 new people to the province by 2026 as part of achieving self-sufficiency.
In March, the government tabled its second balanced budget which included record increases to the health and education budgets and a tuition freeze
Tuition freeze
Tuition freeze is a government policy restricting the ability of administrators of post-secondary educational facilities to increase tuition fees for students. Although governments have various reasons for implementing such a policy, the main reason cited is improving accessibility for working-...
for students at the province's four public universities.
In March and April, the province unveiled its plans for "transformational change" in healthcare. A dramatic change to the administration of the province's public healthcare moved the province from eight regional health authorities to two with a new crown corporation which will handle non-clinical functions on behalf of both authorities. A new provincial health plan, was also launched with plans to invest over $154 million in addition to regular inflationary increases over four years. The plan included plans for new community health centres, broader addiction treatment services, HPV vaccinations
HPV vaccine
The human papilloma virus vaccine prevents infection with certain species of human papillomavirus associated with the development of cervical cancer, genital warts, and some less common cancers...
for school children, the introduction of midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
to the public health system, enabling pharmacists to write some prescriptions and the hiring of 100 new doctors and 40 nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioner
A Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
s.
Much of the spring and summer of Graham's second year in office was dominated by the debate of French second-language programs. In February, a commission recommended that government should scrap early immersion in favour of a universal curriculum in elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
which would see anglophone students learn in their mother tongue from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through Grade 4 and then all study French through an intensive program in Grade 5 before choosing between an immersion or non-immersion program. The commission said that this was the best route because under the existing model, over 93% of those students with special learning needs were being streamed
Tracking (education)
Tracking is separating pupils by academic ability into groups for all subjects or certain classes and curriculum within a school. It may be referred as streaming or phasing in certain schools. In a tracking system, the entire school population is assigned to classes according to whether the...
into non-immersion classrooms, though critics maintain the problem is a lack of the type of French-language resources that would enable more students to stay in immersion programmes. In March, Minister of Education Kelly Lamrock
Kelly Lamrock
Kelly Lamrock is a Canadian lawyer and politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak, and Minister of Social Development in the New Brunswick cabinet.-Before politics:Kelly Lamrock was born...
announced that the government would move forward with the recommendations for the reasons stated by the commissioners and because they felt the changes would further promote bilingualism by giving all students access to a quality second-language program arguing that the early immersion model had been implemented in a time when there was resistance to bilingualism and that it only worked well for small groups of students, not the large groups that were now interested in becoming bilingual. There was considerable opposition to this move, including from the province's official languages commissioner and ombudsman. The ombudsman was criticized in some quarters for "overstepping his bounds," while others felt his criticisms of the process were justified. In June, the Court of Queen's Bench ruled on a case brought forward by opponents to the changes, the court ruled with the opponents on one ground that the government had implied that there would be two months of consultation on the commission report, when there had only been two weeks. Though the court ruled in favour of the government on two other grounds, it quashed the decision saying that the government could go forward with the changes as is but first must consult the public. Following an additional six weeks of consultation, on August 5 the government announced a revised model to be implemented in September 2008, which would provide a "universal learning environment" including exposure to French culture from kindergarten through Grade 2 projected to start in 2009, an optional entry to immersion in Grade 3 projected to start in 2010, further French instruction for non-immersion students in grades 3 through 5 with another optional entry to late immersion in Grade 6. The revised program has been generally well received.
In June, the working group that had been appointed to review the Commission on Post-Secondary Education reported back to government. Graham announced that the government would forgo the recommendations about creating polytechnics, but would follow through on recommendations to greater integrate the universities and colleges in the province, and promised at least $90 million in new money. In July, Graham committed $20 million to the restoration of the Petitcodiac River
Petitcodiac River
The Petitcodiac River is a Canadian river in south-eastern New Brunswick. The river runs about through the province's Westmorland, Albert, and Kings counties, draining a watershed area of about . The region around the river features valleys, ridges, and rolling hills, and is home to a diverse...
. The river system had been changed by the construction of a causeway in the 1960s.
Third year (2008-09)
Graham began the third year of his mandate in October 2008.From October 17 to 19, Graham attended the 12th Francophonie Summit in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
to discuss four major issues: democracy and rule of law; economic governance and solidarity; environment (water management and forest management); and the French language. In addition to the official deliberations, New Brunswick helped organize a cultural event called Passion Francophonie which featured artists from Madagascar, France, Vietnam, Quebec, and New Brunswick; New Brunswick also hosted a breakfast for heads of government that featured New Brunswick food products.
Graham participated in a Council of the Federation
Council of the Federation
The Council of the Federation is a council in Canada made up of the premiers of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories. Its main function is to provide a united front amongst the provincial and territorial governments when interacting with Canada's federal government...
trade mission
Trade mission
Trade mission is an international trip by government officials and businesspeople that is organized by agencies of national or provincial governments for purpose of exploring international business opportunities. Business people who attend trade missions are typically introduced both to important...
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
from November 2 to 7. The mission yielded $75.5 million in new business for New Brunswick companies on its first full day in China. A by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held in the conservative riding of New Maryland-Sunbury West
New Maryland-Sunbury West
New Maryland-Sunbury West is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It is currently held by Jack Carr.-History:...
on November 3, 2008. Although the Liberals increased their share of the vote by nearly 3%, they were unable to capture the riding.
On November 12, Graham announced a second major cabinet shuffle. Two ministers - Eugene McGinley and Carmel Robichaud - were dropped from cabinet, while three new individuals joined the cabinet - Rick Brewer
Rick Brewer
-External links:*...
, Brian Kenny
Brian Kenny (politician)
Brian Kenny is a politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2003 election and re-elected in 2006....
and Bernard LeBlanc
Bernard LeBlanc
Bernard LeBlanc is a politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2006 election as the Liberal MLA for the new district of Memramcook-Lakeville-Dieppe....
. Three other ministers changed portfolios, including: Donald Arseneault
Donald Arseneault
Donald Arseneault is a New Brunswick politician. He is the member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for the riding of Dalhousie-Restigouche East....
, Ed Doherty and Wally Stiles.
The third legislative session of Graham's government began with a throne speech
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
on November 25, 2008. The speech focussed on "keeping commitments, carefully managing through the current economic downturn, and a renewed focus on and commitment to achieving self-sufficiency."
On the second day of the session, Graham's government introduced a 100-page bill called the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act to change all provincial laws making same-sex common law couples equal to opposite-sex couples, in accordance with the M. v. H.
M. v. H.
M. v. H. [1999] 2 S.C.R. 3, is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on the rights of same-sex couples to equal treatment under the Constitution of Canada....
decision of the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
in 1999. The previous Conservative government, in office from 1999 to 2006, did not introduce such legislation.
On December 3, 2008, Graham's finance minister, Victor Boudreau, gave an economic and fiscal update in light of the economic situation. The statement indicated that the 2008-09 fiscal year would likely see a $285 million deficit, instead of the $19 million surplus that had been projected. In order to stimulate the economy, the government announced it would bring forward a two-year capital spending plan that would total more than $1.2 billion, including the largest capital budget in the province's history for 2009-10 to be tabled on December 9, 2008. Other measures announced to control spending and ensure economic growth in light of the economic situation were: a review of all government programs, providing capital to small, medium and large businesses, renewing a commitment to tax reform that will include "lowering personal and corporate income taxes". Additionally, Boudreau indicated the salaries for members of the legislature would be frozen for one year "to lead by example."
In Graham's 2009 state of the province address, he pledged to make providing strong leadership of the economy his government's top priority and amended the three Es from his campaign platform (formerly education, energy and the economy) to read, "the economy, the economy, and the economy." He also pledged that his promised changes to the tax system would mean more than $100 million in savings to New Brunswickers in the coming year.
In early March, Graham's party won a by-election in Restigouche-La-Vallée
Restigouche-La-Vallée
Restigouche-La-Vallée is a provincial electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada. It elects one member for the Legislative Assembly .It was created in 2006 as a result of a merger of the old district of Madawaska-la-Vallée with the district of Restigouche West less small portions on the extreme...
on a swing
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
of nearly 15 per cent. Since the previous election, this was the third by-election, all held in ridings previously held by the Conservative opposition. Graham's Liberals improved their showing in all three ridings, and won two counting this one.
On March 17, Graham joined his finance minister Victor Boudreau to introduce the budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The budget included $144 million in personal and corporate tax reductions and a pledge to lower taxes by a total of over $380 million over four years, and budget deficit of $741 million. It centred around the so-called Plan for a Stronger Economy which included the tax cuts, a four-year plan to return the province to balanced budgets, the $1.2 billion in infrastructure spending previously announced in December, investments in priority areas with cuts in other areas to ensure "responsible management" of government expenditure. Savings were released by instituting a two-year wage freeze for all government employees, the elimination of 700 civil service positions and the elimination of some services, most controversially the elimination of three ferries in the lower St. John River Valley. Later there was also controversy surrounding some cuts to education services -- despite an increase of funding to the education department, and a dispute with the province's physicians over their payment. The province's tax reforms attracted positive national attention, however, with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is an alliance of independent small and medium-sized businesses in Canada, formed in 1971. Its current president is Catherine Swift.-External links:*...
, the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
newspaper, and the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies all spoke on it favourably.
On June 22, 2009 Graham undertook another cabinet shuffle. In the most significant shuffle since taking office, Graham moved all of his major ministers. There were new ministers for the three largest departments in government - Health
Department of Health (New Brunswick)
The Department of Health is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with administration and delivery of public healthcare in New Brunswick.- History :...
, Education
Department of Education (New Brunswick)
The Department of Education is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with the administration of the New Brunswick public education system...
and Social Development - as well as the important portfolios of Finance
Department of Finance (New Brunswick)
The Department of Finance is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with New Brunswick's budgetary and tax policy and headed by the finance minister....
, Attorney General and Business New Brunswick
Business New Brunswick
Business New Brunswick is a department in the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with stimulating economic prosperity and global competitiveness in the province....
.
Fourth year (2009-10)
In October 2009 Premier Graham announced a Memorandum of UnderstandingProposed sale of NB Power
The proposed sale of NB Power was an attempted takeover of New Brunswick's government-owned public utility assets by Hydro-Québec, Canada's largest utility...
between the provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
proposing to sell the New Brunswick Power
NB Power
NB Power , formerly known as New Brunswick Power Corporation and New Brunswick Electric Power Commission is the primary and former monopoly electrical utility in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
electricity generation, transmission and distribution network to the Quebec government-owned Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
electricity corporation. Under this plan Hydro-Québec would pay the $4.8 billion debt of NB Power and provide rate savings valued at $5.6 billion by freezing New Brunswick residential electricity rates for five years and matching industrial rates to Quebec for five years, while rising both at the rate of inflation thereafter. The plan has met with some support and some opposition in New Brunswick with opinion polls showing the Liberals losing support because of the proposed agreement, though some pundits have said the Liberals could have expected polls to be worse and there is room for them to recover. Graham has stated his objective is to finalize the deal before March 31, 2010, when a 3% rate increase is scheduled. The opposition Conservatives have been very critical of the proposal, though some have accused them of hypocrisy for having tried to sell major NB Power assets when they were in power in the early first decade of the 21st century.
The Liberals party themselves were not in complete agreement with this deal.
On December 1, 2009, Graham's new finance minister Greg Byrne introduced his first budget. It showed the deficit for 2009-10 had come in roughly as expected and that the 2010-11 would be in the same range - about $750 million. The province also revised its target date to return to balanced budgets to 2014-15 from 2012–13, and boosted its two-year stimulus package to $1.6 billion from $1.2 billion.
On January 4, 2010, a minor cabinet shuffle was precipitated by the resignation from cabinet of Justice Minister Mike Murphy for personal reasons. Local Government Minister Bernard LeBlanc replaced Murphy as justice minister, while his other responsibilities - those of attorney general and government house leader - went to Kelly Lamrock and Greg Byrne respectively. Backbencher Chris Collins
Chris Collins (politician)
Chris Collins is a politician from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Currently the sitting MLA for the riding of Moncton East, having previously served part of one term on Moncton City Council....
joined the cabinet to replace LeBlanc as local government minister.
On September 27, 2010, Shawn Graham lost his re-election bid in a landslide (13 to 42) to provincial PC leader David Alward
David Alward
David Nathan Alward is a Canadian politician, the 32nd and current Premier of New Brunswick.Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick since 2008...
. Not since Confederation had a New Brunswick Premier not served a second term. He stepped down as leader of the party on November 9, 2010; Victor Boudreau was selected as the party's interim leader
Interim leader
An interim leader, in Canadian politics, is a party leader appointed by the party's legislative caucus or the party's executive to temporarily act as leader when a gap occurs between the resignation or death of a party leader and the election of a formal successor...
the following day.