1991 New Brunswick general election

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1991 New Brunswick general election
Flag of New Brunswick.svg
  1987 September 23, 1991 1995  

58 seats of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
30 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Frank McKenna2.jpg
CoR
Leader Frank McKenna Arch Pafford
Party Liberal Confederation of Regions
Leader since19851989
Leader's seat Chatham Ran in Miramichi-Newcastle (lost)
Last election58 seats, 60.39%New party
Seats won468
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 12Increase2.svg 8
Popular vote193,89087,256
Percentage47.11%21.18%
SwingDecrease2.svg 13.28pp New party

 Third partyFourth party
 
PC
NDP
Leader Dennis Cochrane Elizabeth Weir
Party Progressive Conservative New Democratic
Leader since19901988
Leader's seat Petitcodiac Saint John South
Last election0 seats, 28.59%0 seats, 10.55%
Seats won31
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 3Increase2.svg 1
Popular vote85,21044,384
Percentage20.69%10.78%
SwingDecrease2.svg 7.89pp Increase2.svg 0.23pp

New Brunswick general election, 1991 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

Frank McKenna
Liberal

Premier after election

Frank McKenna
Liberal

Rendition of party representation in the 52nd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election.
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Liberals (46)
Confederation of Regions (8)
Progressive Conservatives (3)
New Democrats (1) Nb-seating-1991.png
Rendition of party representation in the 52nd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election.
  Liberals (46)
  Confederation of Regions (8)
  Progressive Conservatives (3)
  New Democrats (1)

The 1991 New Brunswick general election was held on September 23, 1991, to elect 58 members to the 52nd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada.

Contents

As expected, the Liberal Party won a large majority. Many were surprised that the Confederation of Regions Party formed the official opposition. [1] Though they ran even with the PCs in popular vote, their concentration of support in rural anglophone ridings gave them considerably more seats. Weir's personal popularity and name recognition was not enough to give her party more seats as she, and the Tories, had votes relatively evenly spread around the province.

Background

Though Frank McKenna's Liberals were expected to win a second term after sweeping all 58 seats in 1987, any of the other three parties were considered contenders for official opposition.

The New Democratic Party was led by Elizabeth Weir, who had been the strongest and most consistent voice of opposition to the Liberals since her election as party leader in 1988. In the ensuing three years, thanks to the lack of opposition members in the legislature (MLAs), her firebrand style had made her a well-known name in New Brunswick politics.

The fledgling Confederation of Regions Party had been created out of the ashes of the Hatfield Tories when the latter went from majority government to zero seats in 1987. CoR was running numerous former Tory MLAs and candidates, and even some former Tory cabinet ministers. Its base of support was in English-speaking regions of New Brunswick, where many conservatives had become alienated by Hatfield's close relationship with Acadians.

The Progressive Conservatives had been in power for the majority of years since confederation, and 17 straight years before 1987. Even so, the scandals of the final Hatfield years and the growing unpopularity of the federal Progressive Conservatives hindered their success. Additionally they had perceived internal problems having gone through four leaders since the last election: Hatfield, then two-year interim leader Malcolm MacLeod then Barbara Baird, and then Dennis Cochrane.

Opinion polls

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level
Polling firmLast day
of survey
Source NBLA CoR NBPC NBNDP OtherMESample
Election 1991September 23, 199147.1121.1820.6910.780.24
Baseline ResearchAugust 1991 [2] 511519134350
Baseline ResearchAugust 1991 [3] 511522104350
Baseline ResearchJuly 1991 [4] 53 [5] 18350
OmnifactsJune 1991 [6] 37817
Baseline ResearchJanuary 1991 [7] 5815819350
Baseline ResearchMarch 1990 [8] 58121713
Baseline ResearchJanuary 1990 [9] [10] 58121713358 [9]
Baseline ResearchJune 1989 [11] 639176
New Brunswick Confederation of Regions Party founded (1989)
Election 1987 October 13, 198760.39-28.5910.550.47

Close results

A number of races were close 2 or 3 way contests with only a small fraction of votes separating the winner from the losers. The tables below highlight the seats that the three major parties missed by less than 10 percentage points (pp) and the margins between them and the winner.

LiberalConfederation of RegionsProgressive Conservative
  1. Riverview (-0.27pp from CoR)
  2. Kings East (-0.33pp from PC)
  3. Shippegan-les-îles (-0.51pp from PC)
  4. Petitcodiac (-1.16pp from PC)
  5. Saint John South (-1.82pp from NDP)
  6. Southwest Miramichi (-2.35pp from CoR)
  7. Oromocto (-2.94pp from CoR)
  8. York South (-6.68pp from CoR)
  1. Queens North (-0.20pp from Lib)
  2. Petitcodiac (-0.60pp from PC)
  3. Kings Centre (-1.37pp from Lib)
  4. Saint John East (-1.56pp from Lib)
  5. Saint John Fundy (-4.91pp from Lib)
  6. Miramichi-Newcastle (-7.52pp from Lib)
  7. Carleton South (-7.55pp from Lib)
  8. Kings East (-9.17pp from PC)
  9. Queens South (-9.19pp from Lib)
  1. Carleton North (-2.55pp from Lib)
  2. Saint John Fundy (-2.56pp from Lib)
  3. Miramichi-Newcastle (-3.50pp from Lib)
  4. Kings Centre (-6.81pp from Lib)

Results

Results by party

Summary of the 1991 Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick election results
PartyParty leader# of
candidates
SeatsPopular vote
1987 Dissolution Elected% Change#%Change
Liberal Frank McKenna 58585846-20.7%193,89047.11%-13.28%
Confederation of Regions Arch Pafford 48-08-87,25621.18%-
Progressive Conservative Dennis Cochrane 58003-85,21020.69%-7.89%
New Democratic Elizabeth Weir 58001-44,38410.78%+0.23%
Independent 2--- 8500.21%-0.26%
Total224585858-411,590100%
Source: http://www.gnb.ca/elections
Popular vote
Liberal
47.11%
Conf. of Regions
21.18%
PC
20.69%
New Democratic
10.78%
Others
0.24%
Seats summary
Liberal
79.31%
Conf. of Regions
13.79%
PC
5.17%
New Democratic
1.72%

Results by region

Party NameNorthCentralSouth WestSouth EastTotal
  Liberal Seats:15814946
 Popular Vote:57.040.139.851.447.1
  Confederation of Regions Seats:06028
 Popular Vote:5.835.425.617.821.2
  Progressive Conservative Seats:10113
 Popular Vote:23.619.221.318.620.7
  New Democratic Seats:00101
 Popular Vote:13.05.213.312.110.8
Total seats:1614161258

Results by riding

Legend

North

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

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
LiberalCoRPCNDPOther
Victoria-Tobique Larry R. Kennedy 2,854Carl Skaarup 1,580Neville J. Crabbe 1,664Cheryl Ann Elizabeth Pelkey 308Larry Kennedy
Grand Falls Paul Duffie 3,617Roy Simon Dee 197Léo R. Thériault 1,209Clyde Winchester 207Paul Duffie
Madawaska-les-Lacs Georges Corriveau 2,906Raout Cyr 2,211Gérard Caron 601Georges Corriveau
Madawaska Centre Gérald Clavette 2,942Don Marmen 1,706Jean-Marie St-Onge 412Gérald Clavette
Edmundston Roland Beaulieu 3,686Patrick Dalpé 1,156Réal Couturier 719Roland Beaulieu
Madawaska South Pierrette Ringuette 2,843Théo Poitras 1,715Julien Tardif 209Pierrette Ringuette
Restigouche West Jean Paul Savoie 3,922Robert A. Boudreau 517Félix J. Dubé 2,524Rino Pelletier 302Jean Paul Savoie
Campbellton Edmond Blanchard 3,599Ronald Rioux 1,062Bill Ferguson 934Douglas Gordon Kingston 593Edmond Blanchard
Dalhousie Allan Maher 2,804Isabelle Ann Culverwell Davis 451Scott Chedore 608Aurele Ferlotte 1,927Allan Maher
Restigouche East Rayburn Doucett 3,023Norman Shea 381Richard Lapointe 294Walter Gauthier, Jr. 1,241Rayburn Doucett
Nigadoo-Chaleur Albert Doucet 4,732David Boudreau 466Raoul Charest 1,696Ulric DeGrace (Ind.) 714Albert Doucet
Nepisiguit-Chaleur Frank Branch 3,752Laurie Alan Daley 760Robert Hornibrook 616Karen Ann McCrea 1,172Frank Branch
Bathurst Marcelle Mersereau 4,047Laurie Joseph Robichaud 1,280Claire Wilt 1,025Colette Buttimer 832 Paul Kenny
Caraquet Bernard Thériault 5,298Gilbert Godin 2,279 Roger Duguay 2,167Bernard Thériault
Shippagan-les-Îles Aldéa Landry 4,831 Jean Gauvin 4,881John Gagnon 128Aldéa Landry
Tracadie Denis Losier 6,374Colette McGraw 2,103Pierre Cousineau 1,427Denis Losier

Central

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

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
LiberalCoRPCNDPOther
Carleton North Fred Harvey 2,163Jack Salmon 857 Dale Graham 2,032Anna Marie Kilfoil 84Fred Harvey
Carleton Centre Allison DeLong 2,087Lois M. Clark 1,281Mary Hatfield 1,387Linda Marie Lawrence 104Allison DeLong
Carleton South Bruce Smith 2,462Jerry Covey 2,036Bill Hamilton 890 Arthur L. Slipp 254Bruce Smith
York North Bob Simpson 3,825 Gregory James Hargrove 5,463Mark A. Moir 1,174Chris Orenstein 450Bob Simpson
York South Al Lacey 4,754 Danny Cameron 5,607Marven Grant 1,797Rita Hurley 602Al Lacey
Fredericton South Russ King 4,584Meryl Sarty 3,295Jamie Henderson 2,575Pauline MacKenzie 1,463Henry John Marshall (Ind.) 136Russ King
Fredericton North Jim Wilson 3,864 Ed Allen 6,052Donald H. Parent 1,810Richard Stephen DeSaulniers 553Jim Wilson
Sunbury Shawn Perry 2,616 Max White 3,935 Keith Ashfield 799Barbara Ann Fairley 306 Doug Harrison
Oromocto Tom Gilbert 2,036 Albert Rector 2,197 Joe Mombourquette 939Alton Shears 297Tom Gilbert
Southwest Miramichi Claude Stewart 2,798 Brent Taylor 2,954Donald Long 701Larry Lynch 193 Morris Green
Miramichi-Newcastle John McKay 2,583 Arch Pafford 2,252 Paul Dawson 2,573Liane Tiboudeau-Doucet 315John McKay
Chatham Frank McKenna 3,147Jim West 1,563Richard Hilchey 598Wera Baldwin 383Frank McKenna
Bay du Vin Reg MacDonald 2,834John J. Keating 604Muriel Lamkey 1,608Jeanne Thériault 220Reg MacDonald
Miramichi Bay Danny Gay 3,940James Grant MacIntosh 638Emilien LeBreton 2,117Norman A. Richardson 493Danny Gay

South West

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

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
LiberalCoRPCNDPOther
Queens North Doug Tyler 1,740Constance Melissa Webber 1,654Clayton Chase 256Susan Barton 94Doug Tyler
Queens South Vaughn Blaney 1,543Jarvis M. Ducey 1,205Larry C. Black 676Gordon Black 255Vaughn Blaney
Kings West Laureen Jarrett 6,219Glendon F. Jones 3,810Nancy E. Grant 3,267Roger M. Olmstead 1,494Laureen Jarrett
Kings Centre Georgie Day 3,011 Colby Fraser 2,882Charles Edward Murray 2,371Marian Jefferies 1,133 Kal Seaman
Kings East Tim Wilson 2,843Mel Stockford 2,098 Hazen Myers 2,871Anne-Marie Dupuis 617 Pete Dalton
Saint John Fundy Stuart Jamieson 2,213Gary William Vincent 1,868 Bev Harrison 2,033Kathleen Fudge 907Stuart Jamieson
East Saint John George J. Jenkins 2,785Gary Ewart 2,650Don Elliott 1,360Ben Donaldson 1,868 Peter Trites
Saint John Harbour Louis Murphy 1,779Marie Gerrior 844Nargis Kheraj 496Al Maund 968Louis Murphy
Saint John South John Mooney 1,596Ray McDevitt 549Paddy Addison 514 Elizabeth Weir 1,675John Mooney
Saint John Park Shirley Dysart 1,743Richard Condon Sullivan Kinsella 825 Shirley McAlary 733Judith Meinert 777Shirley Dysart
Saint John North Leo McAdam 1,892Peter A. Whitebone 950Doug Shippee 1,089Julie Galbraith 966Leo McAdam
Saint John West Jane Barry 3,527Jim Webb 2,471Gerry Maher 1,559Robert W. Hickes 1,382Jane Barry
Charlotte-Fundy Eric Allaby 1,950Keith B. Guptilt 957 Sharon Tucker 757Dorothy Matthews 183Eric Allaby
Charlotte Centre Sheldon Lee 2,195Connie M. Stewart 516Stanley John Smith 471Jean Stewart 162Sheldon Lee
Charlotte West Reid Hurley 1,796Mabel Groom 768Bev Lawrence 1,077Ellen Smith 281Reid Hurley
St. Stephen-Milltown Ann Breault 1,820Robert Michael Booth 798Ken Stevens 1,129Irene Tobin 114Ann Breault

South East

Consisting of Kent, Westmorland and Albert county ridings.

Electoral districtCandidatesIncumbent
LiberalCoRPCNDPOther
Kent North Conrad Landry 3,377Dominique Babineau 939Docile Doiron 1,011Conrad Landry
Kent Centre Alan Graham 3,025Percy Beers 626David MacDonald 347Neil Gardner 379Alan Graham
Kent South Camille Thériault 5,573Jean-Claude Cormier 2,023Gérald Mazerolle 1,256Camille Thériault
Shediac Bernard Richard 7,298Lester Russell Hyslop 481Emile Goguen Dupré 1,240Patrick Allain 830 Azor LeBlanc
Tantramar Marilyn Trenholme 3,008Clarke Edgar Sheppard 1,091William R. Campbell 556 Robert Hall 1,419Marilyn Trenholme
Memramcook Greg O'Donnell 6,393Julia Elnora LeBlanc 407Jean-Robert Gaudet 680Martin Aubin 1,797Greg O'Donnell
Moncton East J. Raymond Frenette 4,041William André Joseph LeSage 1,120John Hansen 1,026Mary Elizabeth McLaughlin 1,416Ray Frenette
Moncton North Mike McKee 4,797Tom Taylor 1,780John MacFarlane 1,262J.C. Bourque 973Mike McKee
Moncton West Jim Lockyer 3,558Arthur M. Hayden 1,691Ben D. Stymiest 1,483Stephanie Day Domingue 726Jim Lockyer
Petitcodiac Hollis S. Steeves 4,698Leona May Geldart 4,786 Dennis Cochrane 4,879Richard Hay 1,204Hollis Steeves
Riverview Hubert Seamans 3,115 Gordon B. Willden 3,139Ross MacCallum 2,084Wayne Brown 594Hubert Seamans
Albert Lee Martin 1,432 Beverly M. Brine 2,328 Wayne Steeves 1,641Elizabeth Venart 277 Harold Terris

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References

  1. Cox, K. (1991, Sep 24). Liberals take N.B. as CoR surprises new party wins official opposition. The Globe and Mail
  2. Spears, John (September 20, 1991). "N.B. Liberals heading for massive win, new poll says". The Toronto Star. p. A11.
  3. Spears, John (September 15, 1991). "N.B. opposition makes a fight of it - for 2nd place". The Toronto Star. p. B8.
  4. Flaherty, Elaine (August 23, 1991). "Clear sailing for McKenna; Three opposition parties will scramble for few dissenting votes". The Globe and Mail. p. A8.
  5. Spears, John (August 22, 1991). "McKenna calls Sept. 23 vote". The Toronto Star. p. A2.
  6. Sheppard, Robert (June 29, 1991). "Rallying around a political ghost". The Globe and Mail. p. A15.
  7. Cox, Kevin (April 9, 1991). "N.B. parties gearing up to slay giant: McKenna's Liberals in no hurry to end one-party government". The Globe and Mail. p. A8.
  8. Cox, Kevin (March 26, 1990). "N.B. may head to polls within next year". The Globe and Mail. p. A8.
  9. 1 2 "McKenna still on top, poll finds". The Globe and Mail. February 14, 1990. p. N18.
  10. Cox, Kevin (March 26, 1990). "N.B. may head to polls within next year". The Globe and Mail. p. A8.
  11. Spears, John (September 10, 1989). "Anti-bilingual movement takes formal root in N.B". The Toronto Star. p. A13.

Further reading