2003 New Brunswick general election
2003 New Brunswick general election Turnout 68.67% [ 1]
Map of New Brunswick's ridings coloured in based on the winning parties and their popular vote
Rendition of party representation in the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly decided by this election. Progressive Conservatives (28)
Liberals (26)
New Democrats (1)
The 2003 New Brunswick general election was held on June 9, 2003, to elect 55 members to the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly . Although polls initially suggested a landslide victory for Premier Bernard Lord 's Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick , the dynamics of the race shifted after Shawn Graham , leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick , took on auto insurance rates as a key issue of his campaign. Lord and the Progressive Conservatives were ultimately re-elected by a narrow margin of just 2 seats.
Campaign
Leading up to the election, New Brunswick had its car insurance rates skyrocket. The Liberal Party of New Brunswick consequently focused its campaign on three points:
improved universal health care ,
keeping the province's electric utility , NB Power , as a public crown corporation , and
the lowering of automobile insurance rates.
On the other hand, the campaign of Premier Bernard Lord and his Progressive Conservative Party faced a number of problems, especially after changing its position on the key issue of auto insurance several times during the 30-day campaign.
The results were very close, and for most of election night as the results came in, the winner was unclear. Shawn Graham was even heard to remark on television as the night was drawing to a close that "Up to 5 minutes ago, I thought I was Premier ".[ 2]
New Democratic Party of New Brunswick leader Elizabeth Weir was the only member of her party to win a seat. The party ran 55 candidates throughout the province.
The newly founded but short-lived New Brunswick Grey Party, a branch of the Grey Party of Canada , also ran 10 candidates, including party leader Jim Webb .
Results
Results by party
1 The Grey Party did not contest the 1999 election.
Popular vote
PC
45.45%
Liberal
44.39%
New Democratic
9.66%
Others
0.50%
Seats summary
PC
50.91%
Liberal
47.27%
New Democratic
1.82%
Results by region
Party Name
North NB
East NB
S. East NB
GreaterSaint John / Fundy Coast
GreaterFred.
UpperSaint John River Valley
Total
Progressive Conservative
Seats:
2
3
8
6
4
5
28
Popular Vote:
45.9%
42.4%
49.5%
39.8%
42.1%
55.1%
45.4%
Liberal
Seats:
8
5
2
5
4
2
26
Popular Vote:
47.7%
50.2%
42.0%
41.0%
44.3%
40.6%
44.4%
New Democratic
Seats:
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
Popular Vote:
6.4%
7.4%
7.9%
17.2%
13.4%
4.3%
9.7%
Total seats:
10
8
10
12
8
7
55
Parties that won no seats:
Grey
Popular Vote:
-
-
0.3%
1.8%
0.2%
-
0.4%
Independents
Popular Vote:
-
-
0.3%
0.3%
-
-
0.1%
Candidates
Party leaders and cabinet ministers are denoted in bold .
Northern New Brunswick
Electoral district
Candidates
Incumbent
PC
Liberal
NDP
Other
1. Restigouche West
Benoît Cyr 2,523
Burt Paulin 4,008
Antoine Duguay 257
Benoît Cyr
2. Campbellton
Jean F. Dubé 2,771
Roy Boudreau 3,979
Murray Mason 294
Jean F. Dubé
3. Dalhousie-Restigouche East
Paul McIntyre 3,088
Donald Arseneault 3,445
Joel Hickey 645
Dennis Furlong
4. Nigadoo-Chaleur
Hermel Vienneau 3,529
Roland Haché 3,887
Kate Hayward 380
Roland Haché
5. Bathurst
Nancy MacKay 3,252
Brian Kenny 3,348
Mark Robar 304
Marcelle Mersereau
6. Nepisiguit
Joel Bernard 2,200
Frank Branch 3,498
Normand Savoie 894
Joel Bernard
7. Caraquet
Gaston Moore 3,550
Hédard Albert 3,649
Gérard Béland 457
Gaston Moore
8. Lamèque-Shippagan-Miscou
Paul Robichaud 4,788
Denis Roussel 2,846
Jean-Baptiste Bezeau 335
Paul Robichaud
9. Centre-Péninsule
Louis-Philippe McGraw 3,045
Denis Landry 3,097
Rose Duguay 396
Louis-Phillipe McGraw
10. Tracadie-Sheila
Elvy Robichaud 4,583
Weldon McLaughlin 2,894
Stéphane Richardson 661
Elvy Robichaud
Eastern New Brunswick
Electoral district
Candidates
Incumbent
PC
Liberal
NDP
Other
11. Miramichi Bay
Réjean Savoie 3,050
Carmel Robichaud 3,227
Hilaire Rouselle 729
Réjean Savoie
12. Miramichi-Bay du Vin
Michael Malley 3,917
Frank Trevors 3,464
Dwayne Hancock 490
Michael Malley
13. Miramichi Centre
Kim Jardine 3,149
John Foran 3,763
Lance Lyons 663
Kim Jardine
14. Southwest Miramichi
Norman Betts 2,823
Rick Brewer 3,395
Chris Ashford 332
Norman Betts
15. Rogersville-Kouchibouguac
Rose-May Poirier 3,289
Maurice Richard 2,968
Oscar Doucet 404
Rose-May Poirier
16. Kent
Valmond Joseph Daigle 1,905
Shawn Graham 3,615
Jerry Cook 958
Shawn Graham
17. Kent South
Claude Williams 4,933
Stephen Doucet 4,065
Neil Gardner 671
Claude Williams
18. Shediac-Cap-Pélé
Odette Babineau 3,063
Bernard Richard 6,464
Claudette Beland 313
Bernard Richard
Southeastern New Brunswick
Electoral district
Candidates
Incumbent
PC
Liberal
NDP
Other
19. Tantramar
Peter Mesheau 2,922
Susan Purdy 1,569
Geoff Martin 522
Peter Mesheau
20. Dieppe-Memramcook
Cy LeBlanc 5,541
Elie Richard 5,451
Hélène Lapointe 786
Cy LeBlanc
21. Moncton East
Bernard Lord 4,177
Chris Collins 3,113
Jean-Marie Nadeau 724
Bernard Lord
22. Moncton South
Joan MacAlpine 3,143
Norman Branch 2,710
Stéphane Drysdale 437
Jean-Marc Dugas (Ind.) 226 John Gallant (Grey) 72
Joan MacAlpine
23. Moncton North
René Landry 3,054
Mike Murphy 3,555
Nancy McBain 543
René Landry
24. Moncton Crescent
John Betts 4,230
Ray Goudreau 3,776
Richard Goulding 628
John Betts
25. Petitcodiac
Wally Stiles 3,481
Bethany Dykstra 1,849
Tracy Trott 298
Dan Leaman (Grey) 120
Wally Stiles
26. Riverview
Bruce Fitch 3,794
Ward White 3,287
John Falconer 391
vacant
27. Albert
Wayne Steeves 3,198
Clark Butland 2,311
Pat Pearson 457
Wayne Steeves
28. Kings East
Doug Cosman 2,713
Leroy Armstrong 3,169
George Horton 996
Doug Cosman
Electoral district
Candidates
Incumbent
PC
Liberal
NDP
Other
29. Hampton-Belleisle
Bev Harrison 3,392
Bob Bates 2,736
Pat Hanratty 1,336
John Hughes (Grey) 208
Bev Harrison
30. Kennebecasis
Brenda Fowlie 3,265
Murray Driscoll 3,247
Kenneth Wilcox 970
Brenda Fowlie
31. Saint John-Fundy
Rodney Weston 2,271
Stuart Jamieson 2,698
Liam Freill 517
Marjorie MacMurray (Grey) 172
Rodney Weston
32. Saint John-Kings
Margaret-Ann Blaney 3,135
Tom Young 2,456
Jeff Thibodeau 791
Mark LeBlanc (Grey) 145
Margaret-Ann Blaney
33. Saint John Champlain
Mel Vincent 1,501
Roly MacIntyre 2,160
Ralph Thomas 1,507
Bill Richard Reid (Grey) 223
Carole Keddy
34. Saint John Harbour
Dennis Boyle 1,286
Anne-Marie Mullin 1,231
Elizabeth Weir 1,929
Elizabeth Weir
35. Saint John Portland
Trevor Holder 2,436
Colleen Knudson 2,307
Mary Arseneau 1,191
Trevor Holder
36. Saint John Lancaster
Norm McFarlane 2,633
Abel LeBlanc 2,942
Walter Lee 1,365
Jim Webb (Grey) 170
Norm McFarlane
37. Grand Bay-Westfield
Milt Sherwood 2,209
Kevin Quinn 1,991
Percy Ward 556
Ben Perry (Grey) 193 Colby Fraser (Ind.) 189
Milt Sherwood
38. Charlotte
Sharon Tucker 1,573
Rick Doucet 2,777
Patty Hooper 1,149
Harold Smith (Grey) 118
Sheldon Lee
39. Fundy Isles
Burton Flynn 1,124
Eric Allaby 1,359
Dick Grant 94
Eric Allaby
40. Western Charlotte
Tony Huntjens 2,854
Madeleine Drummie 2,662
Andrew Graham 554
Tony Huntjens
Electoral district
Candidates
Incumbent
PC
Liberal
NDP
Other
41. Oromocto-Gagetown
Jody Carr 4,314
Maurice Harquail 2,140
Terry Hovey 392
James Lee (Grey) 129
Jody Carr
42. Grand Lake
David Jordan 2,058
Eugene McGinley 4,376
David Babineau 614
David Jordan
43. Fredericton North
D. Peter Forbes 3,211
T.J. Burke 4,163
Dennis Atchison 1,418
D. Peter Forbes
44. Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak
Eric MacKenzie 2,364
Kelly Lamrock 2,925
Penny Ericson 1,531
Eric MacKenzie
45. Fredericton South
Brad Green 3,309
Misty McLaughlin 2,797
Nan Luke 1,832
Brad Green
46. New Maryland
Keith Ashfield 3,719
Joan Kingston 3,502
Kay Nandlall 923
Keith Ashfield
47. York
Don Kinney 3,278
Scott Targett 3,783
Gary Hughes 618
Don Kinney
48. Mactaquac
Kirk MacDonald 3,337
Ray Dillon 3,236
Phillip Morgan 817
Kirk MacDonald
Electoral district
Candidates
Incumbent
PC
Liberal
NDP
Other
49. Woodstock
David Alward 4,605
Lorne Drake 2,400
Nancy Reid 286
David Alward
50. Carleton
Dale Graham 4,190
Grant Robinson 2,287
Betty Brown 482
Dale Graham
51. Victoria-Tobique
Dennis Campbell 2,001
Larry Kennedy 3,386
Harvey Bass 502
Larry Kennedy
52. Grand Falls Region
Jean-Guy Laforest 2,586
Ron Ouellette 4,385
Pierre Cyr 192
Jean-Guy Laforest
53. Madawaska-la-Vallée
Percy Mockler 3,858
Claude Malenfant 1,848
Mario Fortunato 201
Percy Mockler
54. Edmundston
Madeleine Dubé 3,917
Margot Albert 1,841
Blair McInnis 110
Madeleine Dubé
55. Madawaska-les-Lacs
Jeannot Volpé 3,965
Louis LaBrie 2,391
Jason Carney 187
Jeannot Volpé
See also
Elections and referendums in New Brunswick
General elections Municipal elections Referendums
References
Further reading