1982 New Brunswick general election

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1982 New Brunswick general election
Flag of New Brunswick.svg
  1978 October 12, 1982 1987  

58 seats of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
30 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Lib
NDP
Leader Richard Hatfield Doug Young George Little
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since196719821980
Leader's seat Carleton Centre Tracadie Ran in Kings West (lost)
Last election30280
Seats won39181
Seat changeIncrease2.svg9Decrease2.svg10Increase2.svg1
Percentage47.45%41.3%10.2%
SwingIncrease2.svg3.06%Decrease2.svg3.06%Increase2.svg3.72%

New Brunswick general election, 1982 results by riding.svg
Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding.

Premier before election

Richard Hatfield
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Richard Hatfield
Progressive Conservative

Rendition of party representation in the 50th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election
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Progressive Conservatives (39)
Liberals (18)
New Democrats (1) Nb-seating-1982.png
Rendition of party representation in the 50th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election
  Progressive Conservatives (39)
  Liberals (18)
  New Democrats (1)

The 1982 New Brunswick general election was held on October 12, 1982, to elect 58 members to the 50th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It saw Richard Hatfield's Progressive Conservative Party win its largest majority ever to that time. (Bernard Lord beat this record in 1999.)

Contents

Background

The Opposition Liberal Party had changed leaders four times since the eve of the 1978 election. It chose Doug Young just months before the vote in a divisive contest that came down to a final ballot against Joseph A. Day.

Campaign

The PCs ran two separate campaigns - one in English and one in French. The francophone campaign, which was mostly run by Hatfield's French lieutenant Jean-Maurice Simard, began with the Grand Ralliement, a symposium on language rights which took place in Shippagan ten days before the election call. Over 400 notable Acadians and other francophones attended. The dual campaigns were remarkably separate from each other, and in some cases contradictory: the English campaign revolved around attacking Doug Young's economic record, while the French campaign pointed out Hatfield's role working with Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in enshrining francophone rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Liberals, divided by their recent leadership contest, ran a lackluster campaign which allowed Hatfield's and Simard's overtures to the Acadian population to carry many seats that had been Liberal strongholds for generations, including 10 of 21 Acadian ridings. The Parti Acadien made its last appearance, as the Conservatives adopted several key points of their former platform.

The New Democratic Party of New Brunswick elected Bob Hall as its first ever Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was later joined by a second NDP MLA, Peter Trites, in a by-election.

Results

1982 New Brunswick Election Results
PartyLeaderResults
Seats% of votes cast
Progressive Conservative Richard Hatfield 3947.45
Liberal Doug Young 1841.30
New Democratic George Little 110.20
Parti Acadien Louise Blanchard 00.87
Independents 00.18
Total 58100.00
Popular vote
PC
47.45%
Liberal
41.30%
New Democratic
10.20%
Others
1.05%
Seats summary
PC
67.24%
Liberal
31.03%
New Democratic
1.72%

Results by riding

North

Consisting of Victoria, Madawaska, Restigouche and Gloucester county ridings.

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
Victoria-Tobique J. Douglas Moore 3,015Maurice A. Dionne 2,556Earl W. Christensen 333J. Douglas Moore
Grand Falls Bessie Cote 2,017 Everard H. Daigle 3,129Patricia Morrell 155Everard H. Daigle
Madawaska-les-Lacs Jean-Pierre Ouellet 3,071Luc Daigle 2,545Rino Pelletier 176Jean-Pierre Ouellet
Madawaska Centre Jacques Tremblay 1,152 Gérald Clavette 2,774Rodolphe Martin 241Gérald Clavette
Edmundston Jean-Maurice Simard 3,393Laurier Levesque 2,572Louise Winchester 426Jean-Maurice Simard
Madawaska South Percy Mockler 2,561 Héliodore Côté 2,108Paul Murphy 87Héliodore Côté
Restigouche West Yvon Poitras 2,885 Alfred J. Roussel 2,680Armand Ploudre (Parti acadien) 1,195Alfred J. Roussel
Campbellton Fernand G. Dubé 3,917Lumina Senechal 2,467John F. "Lofty" MacMillan 556Fernand G. Dubé
Dalhousie A.R. Sandy MacLean 1,866 Allan Maher 3,179Bertha Huard 621Réal Gendron (Parti acadien) 91Allan Maher
Restigouche East Aurèle Desrosiers 2,012 Rayburn Donald Doucett 2,418Wayne Lapointe 507Rayburn Donald Doucett
Nigadoo-Chaleur Daniel Comeau 2,601 Pierre Godin 4,057Rhéal Boudreau 996André Blanchard (Parti acadien) 174Pierre Godin
Nepisiguit-Chaleur Patrice Battah 1,502 Frank Branch 3,510Sherwood Scott 634Léon Losier (Parti acadien) 205Frank Branch
Bathurst Jim MacLaggan 2,820 Paul Kenny 3,406Kevin Mann, Jr. 2,352Paul Kenny
Caraquet Emery Robichaud 4,619 Onil Doiron 3,733Yvon Roy 271Louise Blanchard (Parti acadien) 966Onil Doiron
Shippagan-les-Îles Jean Gauvin 5,238 André Robichaud 3,487Laval Auclair (Parti acadien) 113Jean Gauvin
Tracadie Henri Thomas 3,440 Doug Young 5,308Michael Blanchard (Parti acadien) 301
Fernand Losier (Ind.) 193
Doug Young

Central

Consisting of Carleton, York, Sunbury and Northumberland county ridings.

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
Carleton North Charles G. Gallagher 2,189Robert D. MacElwain 1,725Larry Lamont 240Charles G. Gallagher
Carleton Centre Richard B. Hatfield 2,266David E. Crouse 1,976L. William Maxon 128Richard B. Hatfield
Carleton South Steven P. Porter 2,811Stephen A.R. "Steve" Paget 1,534Arthur L. Slipp 451Steven P. Porter
York North David Bishop 4,278John Hildebrand 3,667 Elizabeth Weir 1,115David Bishop
York South Les Hull 5,289Ralph Annis 3,933Dan Weston 664Les Hull
Fredericton South Dave Clark 5,507Steve Patterson 4,369Tom Good 1,716Harry John Marshall (Ind.) 87 Bud Bird
Fredericton North Edwin G. Allen 6,392Bob C. Chase 3,384Nancy MacFarland 958Edwin G. Allen
Sunbury Horace Smith 3,192Michael Edward McTiernan 2,680Anna Trefry 401Horace Smith
Oromocto Joe Mombourquette 2,583 LeRoy Washburn 2,534LeRoy Washburn
Southwest Miramichi Sterling Hambrook 2,343 Morris Green 3,225John Barry 244Floyd Wilson (Ind.) 183Morris Green
Miramichi-Newcastle Paul Dawson 3,461 John McKay 2,988Jerry Dunnett 761John McKay
Chatham John J. Barry 2,537 Frank J. McKenna 2,618John T. McLaughlin 633 Frank Kane
Bay du Vin Roger "Butch" Wedge 2,579 Reg MacDonald 2,462Harold J. Manual 155Robert Wilfred Melanson (Parti acadien) 35 Norbert Thériault
Miramichi Bay James K. "Jim" Gordon 3,263Alcide Léger 3,051J. Albert Richardson 275 Edgar LeGresley

South West

Consisting of Queens, Kings, Saint John and Charlotte county ridings.

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
Queens North Wilfred G. Bishop 1,911Cyril MacDonald 1,330Frank Wuhr 212William Taylor (Ind.) 93Wilfred G. Bishop
Queens South Robert B. McCready 1,799Dawn Bremner 1,437Mike Gormley 212Robert B. McCready
Kings West John B. M. Baxter 5,226Malcolm A. Barry 3,219 George Little 3,034 John B. M. Baxter
Kings Centre Harold Fanjoy 4,012Edward Kelly 2,165Marian Jefferies 1,283Harold Fanjoy
Kings East Hazen Elmer Myers 3,808Gordon A. Lewis 2,161Mark Connell 1,011Hazen Elmer Myers
Saint John Fundy Bev Harrison 3,064Fred Fuller 1,746Lawrence D. Hanley 1,585Bev Harrison
East Saint John G.S. "Gerry" Merrithew 4,246Brian Fraser Hurley 2,359 Peter Trites 2,254Gerry Merrithew
Saint John Harbour Foster Hammond 1,892 Louis Edward Murphy 2,055Dee Dee M.A. Daigle 695Louis Edward Murphy
Saint John South Nancy Clark Teed 1,890Brian McCarthy 1,521David Brown 1,012Nancy Clark Teed
Saint John Park Twyla Hartt 1,920 Shirley Dysart 2,247David T. Pye 727Shirley Dysart
Saint John North Eric J. Kipping 2,223Joseph A. Day 2,078Erik Kraglund 1,079Eric J. Kipping
Saint John West G. M. Keith Dow 4,590Al Brien 2,701Barry Robson 1,167 Rodman Logan
Charlotte-Fundy James Tucker 2,291 Eric Allaby 1,272Jim Aucoin 260James Tucker
Charlotte Centre Gregory F. Thompson 1,384 Sheldon A. Lee 1,471Wayne Townsend 217Sheldon A. Lee
Charlotte West Leland W. McGaw 1,992Dave E. Lively 1,237Joseph N. Hansen 330Leland W. McGaw
St. Stephen-Milltown Bob Jackson 2,155Joel Hansen 1,372Judy Olsen 243 Bill Cockburn

South East

Consisting of Kent, Westmorland and Albert county ridings.

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
Kent North Elzée Thebeau 2,129 Conrad Landry 2,750Charles R. Richard 357 Joseph Daigle
Kent Centre Fernand Savoie 1,244 Alan R. Graham 2,691Derrold H. Barnes 216Ronald S. MacDonald (Ind.) 77Alan R. Graham
Kent South Omer Léger 4,829 Bertin LeBlanc 3,732Gérald Mazerolle 236Bertin LeBlanc
Shediac Alfred Landry 4,842 Azor LeBlanc 5,135Henri-Eugène Duguay 273Omer Bourque (Parti acadien) 86Azor LeBlanc
Tantramar Irvin D. Robinson 2,063John Gideon Carter 1,334 Robert Arthur Hall 2,503 Lloyd Folkins
Memramcook Clarence Cormier 4,032 William "Bill" Malenfant 3,951Ulysse Bastarache 438Bill Malenfant
Moncton East Norman H. Crossman 2,688 Ray Frenette 3,817Raymond Boucher 687Gilles Frenette (Parti acadien) 165
Raymond Leger (Ind.) 75
Ray Frenette
Moncton North Kathryn Barnes 3,032 Mike McKee 4,768Thomas F. Wilson 802Mike McKee
Moncton West Mabel DeWare 4,242Wayne Patterson 2,892Brian Harvey 601Mabel DeWare
Petitcodiac C.W. "Bill" Harmer 6,388 Hollis Stanley Steeves 3,813Charles B. Sullivan 1,474Bill Harmer
Riverview Brenda M. Robertson 4,949Jim Anderson 2,151Ed Foley 582Brenda M. Robertson
Albert Malcolm MacLeod 2,827Gordon L. Rattray 1,360Gary Wayne Bannister 605Malcolm MacLeod

Further reading