New Brunswick has had, since the Legislative Council was abolished by an act passed on 16 April 1891,
/ref>
a unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
legislature called the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country or city. They are often contrasted with the Executive (government), executive and Judiciary, ...
with 49 seats. The legislature functions according to the Westminster system of government. Elections are now held at least every five years but may be called at any time by the lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
(the vice-regal representative) on consultation with the premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
.
There are two dominant political parties in New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, the Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
and the Progressive Conservative Party. While consistently polling approximately 10% of the electoral vote since the early 1980s, the New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
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has elected few members to the Legislative Assembly. From time to time, other parties such as the Confederation of Regions Party
The Confederation of Regions Party (CoR) was a right-wing politics, right-wing federal list of political parties in Canada, political party in Canada founded in 1984 by Elmer Knutson. It was founded as a successor to the Western Canada Federation ...
and more recently Green Party of New Brunswick
The Green Party of New Brunswick (french: Parti vert du Nouveau-Brunswick) was formed in November 2008 to run in provincial elections. It is a registered Green political party in New Brunswick, Canada. A founding convention was held on November 1 ...
and People's Alliance of New Brunswick have held seats in the legislature.
Institutions
* Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country or city. They are often contrasted with the Executive (government), executive and Judiciary, ...
Political parties
The two major political parties in New Brunswick are the New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association (french: Association libérale du Nouveau-Brunswick), more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal ''Party'' or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major provincial political parties in New ...
and the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right, conservative political party in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The party has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granti ...
.
The United Farmers earned 6 seats during the 1920 election. The Confederation of Regions Party
The Confederation of Regions Party (CoR) was a right-wing politics, right-wing federal list of political parties in Canada, political party in Canada founded in 1984 by Elmer Knutson. It was founded as a successor to the Western Canada Federation ...
is the only minor party to have been official opposition at the legislative assembly. It won 8 seats in the 1991 elections and 3 seats in 1995.
The registered political parties during the 2020 elections were:
* New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association (french: Association libérale du Nouveau-Brunswick), more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal ''Party'' or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major provincial political parties in New ...
* Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right, conservative political party in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The party has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granti ...
* New Brunswick New Democratic Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique du Nouveau-Brunswick) is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party (NDP).
History ...
* Green Party of New Brunswick
The Green Party of New Brunswick (french: Parti vert du Nouveau-Brunswick) was formed in November 2008 to run in provincial elections. It is a registered Green political party in New Brunswick, Canada. A founding convention was held on November 1 ...
* People's Alliance of New Brunswick
* KISS NB
Electoral system
During the 1861 provincial elections, New Brunswick was the first in North America to use the secret ballot.
In 1785, women were banned from voting by the Legislative Council of New Brunswick
The Legislative Council of New Brunswick was the upper house of the government of the British colony and later Canadian province of New Brunswick between 1785 and 1891.
Members were appointed by the New Brunswick governor.
Council chambers
Th ...
. Women got the right to vote in provincial elections in 1919 and were allowed to be candidates in 1934. Brenda Robertson
Brenda Mary Robertson (née Tubb, May 23, 1929 – September 23, 2020) was a Canadian politician who served as Senator. She was the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and the first woman to become a cabinet ministe ...
was the first woman elected to the legislative assembly during the 1967 provincial election.
The Elections Act of 1952 prevented First Nations members to vote in provincial elections. This measure was revoked 11 years later.
Provincial elections occur every four years on the third Monday in October. New Brunswick first passed legislation to set a fixed election date in 2007.
Elections
1867-1930
From 1867 to 1878, party labels were not in use for general elections. While party identification began to be employed in the 1882 general election, parties did not become formally organized until the 1917 election, and were not legally recognized until 1935.
The financial condition of the county municipalities of the province was deemed excellent in 1915. The ordinary revenue for the province in 1915 amounted to $1,634,079 and the ordinary expenditure to $1,626,634. Findings were that ten counties out of fifteen (not including the city and county of Saint John) had an assessable valuation of real and personal property of over thirty million dollars, with insignificant liabilities. The city of Saint John was in 1915 the commercial capital of the province, with a population of about 58,000, out of more than 350,000, in other words more than 16% of the total. Its valuation for assessment purposes in 1915 was $36,187,000 and its liabilities were less than $5,000,000. The city of Fredericton, the capital of the province, with a population in 1915 of 8,000, had a valuation of real and personal property for assessment of $5,000,000 with an outstanding indebtedness of $486,000.
1935-1982
Between 1935 and 1974, some ridings were multi member seats – i.e., more than one Member of the Legislative Assembly
A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...
was elected from certain ridings. Since 1974, each riding (electoral district) has elected only one member to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country or city. They are often contrasted with the Executive (government), executive and Judiciary, ...
.
1987-present
During the 1987 election, Frank McKenna
Francis Joseph McKenna (born January 19, 1948) is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006 ...
's liberal party won all 58 seats.
Since 2000, the province has had four leaders, Bernard Lord, who was elected twice, Shawn Graham
Shawn Michael Graham (born February 22, 1968) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 31st premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captur ...
, David Alward
David Nathan Alward (born December 2, 1959) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 32nd premier of New Brunswick, 2010 to 2014.
Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the P ...
and Brian Gallant. Lord was defeated based in part on the perceived mismanagement of the NB Power thermal generating stations.
On September 19, 2006, the Liberals won a majority with 29 out of 55 seats, making 38-year-old Shawn Graham
Shawn Michael Graham (born February 22, 1968) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 31st premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captur ...
the new Premier of New Brunswick on a platform called the ''Charter for Change'', which pledged to focus on "the three Es": energy, education and the economy.
In the 2010 general election, the Progressive Conservatives won 42 out of 55 seats, making David Alward
David Nathan Alward (born December 2, 1959) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 32nd premier of New Brunswick, 2010 to 2014.
Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the P ...
the 32nd Premier of New Brunswick. The controversy this time was over the planned sale of NB Power to Hydro-Quebec.
On 24 September 2014 Brian Gallant was elected with 27 seats out of 49. An important election issue was hydraulic fracturing
Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...
, which was supported by the government, while the Liberal opposition promised to implement a moratorium on the practice. As Green Party of New Brunswick
The Green Party of New Brunswick (french: Parti vert du Nouveau-Brunswick) was formed in November 2008 to run in provincial elections. It is a registered Green political party in New Brunswick, Canada. A founding convention was held on November 1 ...
elected with their first seat for their leader David Coon
David Charles Coon (born 28 October 1956 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2014 provincial election to represent the provincial electoral district of Fredericton S ...
in newly created Fredericton South district.
On 24 September 2018, the Progressive Conservatives won 22 out of 49 seats, while the Liberal party received the plurality of votes cast. The Liberals won 21 seats. The Green Party of New Brunswick and the People's Alliance of New Brunswick each won 3 seats.
On 14 September 2020, the Progressive Conservatives won 27 out of 49 seats, thus getting a small PC majority, while the Liberal party decreasing both voters and losing 4 seats. The Green Party of New Brunswick retains its 3 seats, but gaining more voters. While, the People's Alliance of New Brunswick has loss more voters than the Liberals, and lose one seat.
Political culture and issues
The dynamics of New Brunswick politics differ from those of other provinces in Canada. The lack of a dominant urban centre in the province means that the government has to be responsive to issues affecting all areas of the province. In addition, the presence of a large francophone minority dictates that consensus politics is necessary, even when there is a majority government present. In this manner, the ebb and flow of New Brunswick provincial politics parallels the federal stage. The Premier suggests recipients of preferment within his remit to the Lieutenant Governor, who has not publicly disapproved them in recent memory. This preferment at times surfaces in the legal arena. Although the appointment process is normally "at Her Majesty's pleasure
At His Majesty's pleasure (sometimes abbreviated to King's pleasure or, when the reigning monarch is female, at Her Majesty's pleasure or Queen's pleasure) is a legal term of art referring to the indeterminate or undetermined length of service of c ...
" it was reported on 8 June 2016 that Rino Volpé had brought an action against the government valued at $1.3 million because of his early termination as CEO of the Vitalité Health Network
Vitalité Health Network is one of two health authorities in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, the other being Horizon Health Network.
Vitalité Health Network delivers medical care on behalf of the Government of New Brunswick's Department ...
.[acadienouvelle.com: "Congédiement de Rino Volpé: la cause devant les tribunaux"](_blank)
8 Jun 2016 The intrusion of the preferment process into the Judicature Act drew sharp criticism in early 2016 from the chief justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, whose power to place judges where he deems fit will thus be curtailed in favour of the Minister of Justice.[cbc.ca: "Chief Justice David Smith 'surprised' by Liberal bill to curb his powers"](_blank)
24 Feb 2016[cbc.ca: "Chief Justice defends his record of moving judges in province"](_blank)
29 Feb 2016[cbc.ca: "Chief Justice David Smith continues fight against Liberal bill"](_blank)
28 Apr 2016 It was rumoured that this issue was at the centre of the ministerial reshuffle of 2016, which saw Stephen Horsman
Stephen B. Horsman is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2014 provincial election. He represented the electoral district of Fredericton North as a member of the Liberal Party until his def ...
replaced by Denis Landry
Denis Landry (born November 13, 1957) is the Mayor-elect of Hautes-Terre and a former MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1995 and re-elected ...
in the Justice portfolio.[Saint John Telegraph Journal: "New Justice Minister Is Offering Olive Branch To Judges", p. A1 8 Jun 2016]
Since 1960, the province has elected young bilingual leaders. This combination of attributes permits the premiers of New Brunswick to be influential players on the federal stage. Former Premier Bernard Lord (Progressive Conservative) has been touted as a potential leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...
. Frank McKenna
Francis Joseph McKenna (born January 19, 1948) is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006 ...
(premier, 1987–1997), had been considered to be a front-runner to succeed Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
The son o ...
. Richard Hatfield
Richard Bennett Hatfield (April 9, 1931 – April 26, 1991) was a New Brunswick politician and the longest serving premier of New Brunswick from 1970 to 1987.Richard Starr, ''Richard Hatfield, The Seventeen Year Saga,'' 1987,
Early life
T ...
(premier, 1970–1987) played an active role in the patriation
Patriation is the political process that led to full Canadian sovereignty, culminating with the Constitution Act, 1982. The process was necessary because under the Statute of Westminster 1931, with Canada's agreement at the time, the Parliament o ...
of the Canadian constitution
The Constitution of Canada (french: Constitution du Canada) is the supreme law in Canada. It outlines Canada's system of government and the civil and human rights of those who are citizens of Canada and non-citizens in Canada. Its contents a ...
and creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (french: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part o ...
. Louis Robichaud
Louis Joseph Robichaud (October 21, 1925 – January 6, 2005), popularly known as "Little Louis" or "P'tit-Louis", was the second (but first elected) Acadian premier of New Brunswick, serving from 1960 to 1970.
With the Equal Opportunity p ...
(premier, 1960–1970) was responsible for a wide range of social reforms.
A September 2010 report released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF; french: Fédération canadienne des contribuables, link=no) is a federally incorporated, non-profit organization in Canada. It claimed 30,517 donors and 215,009 supporters in 2018–19. Voting membership, h ...
criticized the pensions made by members of the legislative assembly, which take 16 taxpayer dollars for every dollar contributed by the Member of the Legislative Assembly
A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...
(MLA) and cost taxpayers $7.6 million annually. According to the organization, New Brunswick legislators have one of the richest pension plans in the country, after voting for an 85 percent increase in 2008.
See also
* List of New Brunswick Premiers
* Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch is head of state. In pr ...
* Political culture of Canada
The political culture of Canada is in some ways part of a greater North American and European political culture, which emphasizes constitutional law, freedom of religion, personal liberty, and regional autonomy; these ideas stem in various deg ...
* Council of the Federation
The Council of the Federation (french: Conseil de la fédération) is a congress that meets twice annually and comprises the premiers of each of Canada's 13 provinces and territories, the main function of which is to provide a united front amongs ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Official site of the Government of New Brunswick
{{NBPremiers