# 1995 New Brunswick general election

The 1995 New Brunswick general election was held on September 11, 1995, to elect the 55 members of the 53rd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly.
The Liberals won their third consecutive majority government, with Premier McKenna's personal popularity aiding the Liberals in retaining a large majority. The PCs managed only 6 seats, while the CoR lost all theirs. The combined PC-CoR vote exceeded that of the Liberals in an additional 10 ridings (Albert, Fundy Isles, Kings East, Mactaquac, Petitcodiac, Saint John-Fundy, Southwest Miramichi, Victoria-Tobique, Western Charlotte and Woodstock).

## Background

The election marked the debut of Bernard Valcourt as a provincial politician, and as leader of a reinvigorated Progressive Conservative Party. A popular politician from Edmundston, Valcourt had served as an MP from 1984 to 1993, serving in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell. The New Brunswick PCs had been in the political wilderness for the better part of a decade; they were shut out of the legislature in 1987, and only managed a third-place showing with 3 seats in 1991. The internal disarray of the CoR party had vacated room on the right for the PCs, and polls suggested a more competitive race than in the previous few elections.
Frank McKenna's Liberal Party sought a third term in government, as the Confederation of Regions (CoR) party struggled to survive after considerable internal strife. Elizabeth Weir tried to expand her New Democratic Party's foothold in the legislature.
This election was the first since 1974 to feature a boundary redistribution, with an overall reduction in the size of the legislature from 58 to 55 seats.

## Opinion polls

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level :
| Polling firm | Last day of survey | NBLA | NBPC | NBNDP | CoR | Other | ME | Sample |
| Election 1995 | September 11, 1995 | 51.63 | 30.87 | 9.65 | 7.11 | 0.75 | | |
| Omnifacts | September 4, 1995 | 66 | 21 | 9 | 4 | — | 4.5 | 498 |
| Corporate Research Associates | August 1995 | 64 | 12 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — |
| Omnifacts | August 1995 | 56 | 15.9 | 4.6 | 1.4 | — | — | 614 |
| Election 1991 | September 23, 1991 | 47.11 | 20.69 | 10.78 | 21.18 | 0.24 | | |

## Results

| Party | Party | Party Leader | # of candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular Vote | Popular Vote | Popular Vote |
| Party | Party | Party Leader | # of candidates | 1991 | Dissolution | Elected | % Change | # | % | Change |
| | Liberal | Frank McKenna | 55 | 46 | 42 | 48 | +4.3% | 201,150 | 51.63% | +4.52% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 55 | 3 | 6 | 6 | +100% | 120,247 | 30.87% | +10.17% |
| | New Democratic | Elizabeth Weir | 55 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 37,579 | 9.65% | -1.13% |
| | Confederation of Regions | Greg Hargrove | 36 | 8 | 6 | 0 | -100% | 27,684 | 7.11% | -14.09% |
| | Natural Law | Christopher Collrin | 17 | * | - | - | - | 1,267 | 0.33% | * |
| | Independents | Independents | 8 | - | 2 | - | - | 1,635 | 0.42% | +0.21% |
| | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | 1 | | | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 226 | 58 | 58 | 55 | -5.45% | 389,562 | 100% | -5.65% |
* Natural Law did not contest the 1991 election.
Popular vote
Liberal
51.63%
PC
30.87%
New Democratic
9.65%
Conf. of Regions
7.11%
Others
0.74% :
Seats summary
Liberal
87.27%
PC
10.91%
New Democratic
1.82% :

## Candidates

Many new and changed districts were used for the first time in this election as a result of an electoral redistribution.
Legend
* bold denotes a party leader
* italics denotes a potential candidate who has not received his/her party's nomination
* † denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election
* * denotes an incumbent seeking re-election in a new district

### Northern New Brunswick

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Other | Other | | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 1. Restigouche West | | Jean Paul Savoie 3,745 | | Luc LeBrun 3,230 | | Wendy Martin 200 | | Marcelle Lamontagne (Natural Law) 93 | | Jean-Paul Savoie |
| 2. Campbellton | | Edmond Blanchard 4,831 | | Florent Jim Levesque 1,207 | | Louis Renaud 425 | | Harold I. Hargrove (CoR) 368 Laurent Maltais (Natural Law) 93 | | Edmond Blanchard |
| 3. Dalhousie-Restigouche East | | Carolle de Ste. Croix 4,006 | | Gail Walsh 743 | | Aurèle Ferlatte 2,753 | | Charles Gendron Stewart (Ind.) 220 Chris Jensen (Natural Law) 81 | | Allan Maher† |
| merged district ||
| 3. Dalhousie-Restigouche East | | Carolle de Ste. Croix 4,006 | | Gail Walsh 743 | | Aurèle Ferlatte 2,753 | | Charles Gendron Stewart (Ind.) 220 Chris Jensen (Natural Law) 81 | | Rayburn Doucett† |
| 4. Nigadoo-Chaleur | | Albert Doucet 4,421 | | Maxime Lejeune 2,555 | | Ulric DeGrâce 662 | | Francine Richard (Natural Law) 126 | | Albert Doucet |
| 5. Bathurst | | Marcelle Mersereau 4,956 | | Graham Wiseman 695 | | Kim Power 824 | | William Parker (Natural Law) 88 | | Marcelle Mersereau |
| 6. Nepisiguit | | Alban Landry 3,715 | | Anne-Marie Gammon 1,953 | | Normand Savoie 690 | | Andie Haché (Natural Law) 87 | | Frank Branch† |
| 7. Caraquet | | Bernard Thériault 4,367 | | Bernard Haché 1,804 | | Jean-Marie Nadeau 1,792 | | Marc Boulay (Natural Law) 68 | | Bernard Thériault |
| 8. Lamèque-Shippagan-Miscou | | Jean-Camille DeGrâce 4,124 | | Paul Robichaud 4,096 | | Daniel Brindle 222 | | Gilles Godin 56 | | Jean Gauvin† |
| 9. Centre-Péninsule | | Denis Landry 3,448 | | Roland Mallais 2,749 | | Pierre Cousineau 373 | | | new district | new district |
| 10. Tracadie-Sheila | | George McLaughlin 3,803 | | Elvy Robichaud 4,214 | | Aldoria Noël 172 | | | | Elvy Robichaud |

### Eastern New Brunswick

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Other | Other | | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 11. Miramichi Bay | | Danny Gay 3,504 | | Jim Gordon 3,334 | | Mary M. Parker 237 | | Allison Furlotte (CoR) 91 | | Danny Gay |
| 12. Miramichi-Bay du Vin | | Frank McKenna 5,089 | | Scott Hickey 2,114 | | Debbie McGraw 617 | | Brian E. Farrah (Natural Law) 92 | | Frank McKenna |
| merged district ||
| 12. Miramichi-Bay du Vin | | Frank McKenna 5,089 | | Scott Hickey 2,114 | | Debbie McGraw 617 | | Brian E. Farrah (Natural Law) 92 | | Reg MacDonald |
| 13. Miramichi Centre | | John McKay 4,081 | | Paul Dawson 3,803 | | Terry Carter 353 | | | | John McKay |
| 14. Southwest Miramichi | | Reg MacDonald* 3,227 | | Andy Dawson 2,326 | | Allan Goodfellow 337 | | Gerald Stewart (CoR) 1,055 Gayer Holmes (Ind.) 147 | | Brent Taylor† |
| 15. Rogersville-Kouchibouguac | | Kenneth Johnson 3,530 | | Hermel Mazerolle 2,728 | | Charles Richard 493 | | | new district | new district |
| 16. Kent | | Alan Graham 4,318 | | Stéphane Comeau 903 | | John LaBossiere 522 | | Percy R. Beers (CoR) 387 | | Alan Graham |
| merged district ||
| 16. Kent | | Alan Graham 4,318 | | Stéphane Comeau 903 | | John LaBossiere 522 | | Percy R. Beers (CoR) 387 | | Conrad Landry† |
| 17. Kent South | | Camille Thériault 6,313 | | Charles Ryan 1,774 | | Clifford Meunier 740 | | | | Camille Thériault |
| 18. Shediac-Cap-Pélé | | Bernard Richard 6,963 | | Jean-Claude Bourque 1,006 | | John Gagnon 543 | | | | Bernard Richard |

### Southeastern New Brunswick

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | CoR | CoR | Other | Other | | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 19. Tantramar | | Marilyn Trenholme 3,414 | | Eric Wheeler 654 | | Berkeley Fleming 844 | | Julia Stevens 553 | | | | Marilyn Trenholme Counsell |
| 20. Dieppe-Memramcook | | Greg O'Donnell 6,639 | | Bernard Lord 2,181 | | Bernice Butler 577 | | Robert Henry 177 | | | | Greg O'Donnell |
| 21. Moncton East | | Ray Frenette 4,466 | | Brian Donaghy 1,302 | | Gérard Snow 854 | | Gerry Fullerton 604 | | | | Ray Frenette |
| 22. Moncton South | | Jim Lockyer 4,332 | | Bob Leighton 1,236 | | Blair McInnis 577 | | Don Freeman 861 | | | | James E. Lockyer |
| 23. Moncton North | | Gene Devereux 4,333 | | Marc LeBlanc 1,139 | | Mark Robar 608 | | Cyril Flanagan 945 | | Michael Boucher (Natural Law) 40 | | vacant |
| 24. Moncton Crescent | | Kenneth R. MacLeod 3,832 | | Barbara Winsor 1,489 | | Richard Hay 426 | | Dean Ryder 1,017 | | Richard Mullins 227 | new district | new district |
| 25. Petitcodiac | | Hollis Steeves 2,398 | | Charles Harmer 1,650 | | Jennifer Stairs 310 | | Tom Taylor 1,673 | | | | Dennis Cochrane† |
| 26. Riverview | | Al Kavanaugh 4,090 | | Scott MacGregor 1,712 | | David Bailie 317 | | Doug Roper 1,436 | | | | Gordon Wilden* |
| 27. Albert | | Harry Doyle 2,871 | | Wayne Steeves 1,964 | | Elizabeth Venart 353 | | Doug Duff 1,350 | | | | Beverly Brine† |
| 28. Kings East | | LeRoy Armstrong 3,074 | | Hazen Myers 3,030 | | Brian Stone 325 | | Gordon Willden* 548 | | Brian A. Chown (Ind.) 193 | | Hazen Myers |

### Greater Saint John & Fundy Coast

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | CoR | CoR | Other | Other | | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 29. Hampton-Belleisle | | Georgie Day* 3,310 | | Ronald Hatfield 2,837 | | Shirley Short 870 | | Ben Macaulay 456 | | Neil Dickie (Natural Law) 69 | new district | new district |
| 30. Kennebecasis | | Peter LeBlanc 3,279 | | John van Kralingen 2,069 | | Elizabeth Thompson 1,522 | | Bob Ross 471 | | | new district | new district |
| 31. Saint John-Fundy | | Stuart Jamieson 2,447 | | Rodney Weston 2,263 | | Aubrey Fougere 968 | | Bernard Toole 224 | | Phyllis Johnston (Natural Law) 49 | | Stuart Jamieson |
| 32. Saint John-Kings | | Laureen Jarrett 3,176 | | Bill Artiss 2,561 | | Pam Coates 825 | | | | Gary Ewart (Ind.) 497 Allison Pring (Natural Law) 60 | new district | new district |
| 33. Saint John Champlain | | Roly MacIntyre 2,222 | | Lisa Keenan 1,547 | | Paula Tippett 1,888 | | Christina Green 200 | | | | George Jenkins† |
| 34. Saint John Harbour | | Robert A. Higgins 1,813 | | Lloyd Betts 702 | | Elizabeth Weir 2,901 | | Roland Griffith 137 | | Janice MacMillan (Natural Law) 52 | | John Mooney† |
| merged district ||
| 34. Saint John Harbour | | Robert A. Higgins 1,813 | | Lloyd Betts 702 | | Elizabeth Weir 2,901 | | Roland Griffith 137 | | Janice MacMillan (Natural Law) 52 | | Elizabeth Weir |
| 35. Saint John Portland | | Leo McAdam 2,454 | | Trevor Holder 2,113 | | Greg Barry 1,507 | | Terry Van Duzee 209 | | | | Leo McAdam |
| merged district ||
| 35. Saint John Portland | | Leo McAdam 2,454 | | Trevor Holder 2,113 | | Greg Barry 1,507 | | Terry Van Duzee 209 | | | | Shirley Dysart† |
| 36. Saint John Lancaster | | Jane Barry 2,954 | | Norm McFarlane 2,673 | | Kenneth Wilcox 1,030 | | Peter Whitebone 215 | | Richard Gerrior (Ind.) 188 Christopher Collrin (Natural Law) 49 | | Jane Barry |
| 37. Grand Bay-Westfield | | Edward Kelly 1,583 | | Milt Sherwood 2,332 | | Julie Dingwell 1,471 | | Colby Fraser 527 | | | new district | new district |
| 38. Charlotte | | Sheldon Lee 3,645 | | Sharon Tucker 1,269 | | Eugene Dugas 124 | | Lynn Mason 107 | | Teresa James (Ind.) 54 | | Sheldon Lee |
| merged district ||
| 38. Charlotte | | Sheldon Lee 3,645 | | Sharon Tucker 1,269 | | Eugene Dugas 124 | | Lynn Mason 107 | | Teresa James (Ind.) 54 | | Eric Allaby |
| 39. Fundy Isles | | Eric Allaby* 1,201 | | Bob Jackson 1,111 | | Bill Barteau 77 | | John Cunningham 171 | | | new district | new district |
| 40. Western Charlotte | | Ann Breault 3,076 | | Ken Stevens 1,752 | | John Alexander 257 | | Tony Huntjens 1,590 | | | | Reid Hurley† |
| merged district ||
| 40. Western Charlotte | | Ann Breault 3,076 | | Ken Stevens 1,752 | | John Alexander 257 | | Tony Huntjens 1,590 | | | | Ann Breault |

### Greater Fredericton

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | CoR | CoR | Other | Other | | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 41. Oromocto-Gagetown | | Vaughn Blaney* 3,537 | | Jody Carr 1,861 | | Sandra Burtt 390 | | Ab Rector 914 | | | | Ab Rector |
| 42. Grand Lake | | Doug Tyler* 3,743 | | Stephen McCready 2,177 | | Danny Young 420 | | Connie Webber 1,501 | | | new district | new district |
| 43. Fredericton North | | Jim Wilson 4,235 | | Walter Brown 1,778 | | Elaine Perkins 1,074 | | Ross Ingram 1,569 | | | | Ed Allen† |
| 44. Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak | | Greg Byrne 3,241 | | Brent Bishop 1,464 | | Patricia Kennedy 929 | | Nancy Curtis 857 | | | new district | new district |
| 45. Fredericton South | | Russ King 4,141 | | David Peterson 1,980 | | Dick Grant 1,042 | | Dave O'Brien 776 | | Jeanne Geldart (Natural Law) 108 | | Russ King |
| 46. New Maryland | | Joan Kingston 3,719 | | Robert Penney 1,759 | | Eric Keating 636 | | Max White* 1,873 | | | new district | new district |
| 47. York | | John Flynn 3,632 | | Martin MacMullin 1,815 | | Mary van Gaal 546 | | Stephen Little 1,350 | | Patricia Carlson (Natural Law) 56 | | Danny Cameron† |
| 48. Mactaquac | | David Olmstead 3,106 | | Donald Parent 2,131 | | Thomas Steep 505 | | Greg Hargrove 1,755 | | | | Greg Hargrove |

### Upper Saint John River Valley

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 49. Woodstock | | Bruce Smith 3,306 | | Fred Hanson 3,058 | | David Kennedy 530 | | Lynn Avery (CoR) 687 | Bruce Smith |
| 50. Carleton | | Butch Green 3,216 | | Dale Graham 4,016 | | Deanna Grant 220 | | David Kilcollins (CoR) 438 | Allison DeLong† |
| merged district ||
| 50. Carleton | | Butch Green 3,216 | | Dale Graham 4,016 | | Deanna Grant 220 | | David Kilcollins (CoR) 438 | Dale Graham |
| 51. Victoria-Tobique | | Larry Kennedy 2,845 | | Greg Inman 2,838 | | Leslie Ferguson 114 | | Kevin Jensen (CoR) 592 Carter Edgar (Ind.) 109 | Larry Kennedy |
| 52. Grand Falls Region | | Paul Duffie 4,583 | | Jean-Guy Laforest 2,301 | | André Faust 264 | | | Paul Duffie |
| 53. Madawaska-la-Vallée | | Gérald Clavette 2,908 | | Percy Mockler 3,964 | | Jean-Marie St. Onge 118 | | | Gérald Clavette |
| merged district ||
| 53. Madawaska-la-Vallée | | Gérald Clavette 2,908 | | Percy Mockler 3,964 | | Jean-Marie St. Onge 118 | | | Percy Mockler |
| 54. Edmundston | | Roland Beaulieu 2,803 | | Bernard Valcourt 4,215 | | Maureen Michaud 102 | | | Roland Beaulieu |
| 55. Madawaska-les-Lacs | | Georges Corriveau 3,085 | | Jeannot Volpé 4,060 | | John Nowlan 103 | | | Georges Corriveau |