1982 New Brunswick general election

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.)

1982 New Brunswick general election

October 12, 1982

58 seats of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
30 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lib
NDP
Leader Richard Hatfield Doug Young George Little
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since 1967 1982 1980
Leader's seat Carleton Centre Tracadie Ran in Kings West (lost)
Last election 30 28 0
Seats won 39 18 1
Seat change Increase9 Decrease10 Increase1
Percentage 47.45% 41.3% 10.2%
Swing Increase3.06% Decrease3.06% Increase3.72%

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

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
Party Leader Results
Seats % of votes cast
Progressive Conservative Richard Hatfield 39 47.45
Liberal Doug Young 18 41.30
New Democratic George Little 1 10.20
Parti Acadien Louise Blanchard 0 0.87
Independents   0 0.18
Total   58 100.00
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 district Candidates Incumbent
PCLiberalNDPOther
Victoria-Tobique J. Douglas Moore 3,015 Maurice A. Dionne 2,556 Earl W. Christensen 333 J. Douglas Moore
Grand Falls Bessie Cote 2,017 Everard H. Daigle 3,129 Patricia Morrell 155 Everard H. Daigle
Madawaska-les-Lacs Jean-Pierre Ouellet 3,071 Luc Daigle 2,545 Rino Pelletier 176 Jean-Pierre Ouellet
Madawaska Centre Jacques Tremblay 1,152 Gérald Clavette 2,774 Rodolphe Martin 241 Gérald Clavette
Edmundston Jean-Maurice Simard 3,393 Laurier Levesque 2,572 Louise Winchester 426 Jean-Maurice Simard
Madawaska South Percy Mockler 2,561 Héliodore Côté 2,108 Paul Murphy 87 Héliodore Côté
Restigouche West Yvon Poitras 2,885 Alfred J. Roussel 2,680 Armand Ploudre (Parti acadien) 1,195 Alfred J. Roussel
Campbellton Fernand G. Dubé 3,917 Lumina Senechal 2,467 John F. "Lofty" MacMillan 556 Fernand G. Dubé
Dalhousie A.R. Sandy MacLean 1,866 Allan Maher 3,179 Bertha Huard 621 Réal Gendron (Parti acadien) 91 Allan Maher
Restigouche East Aurèle Desrosiers 2,012 Rayburn Donald Doucett 2,418 Wayne Lapointe 507 Rayburn Donald Doucett
Nigadoo-Chaleur Daniel Comeau 2,601 Pierre Godin 4,057 Rhéal Boudreau 996 André Blanchard (Parti acadien) 174 Pierre Godin
Nepisiguit-Chaleur Patrice Battah 1,502 Frank Branch 3,510 Sherwood Scott 634 Léon Losier (Parti acadien) 205 Frank Branch
Bathurst Jim MacLaggan 2,820 Paul Kenny 3,406 Kevin Mann, Jr. 2,352 Paul Kenny
Caraquet Emery Robichaud 4,619 Onil Doiron 3,733 Yvon Roy 271 Louise Blanchard (Parti acadien) 966 Onil Doiron
Shippagan-les-Îles Jean Gauvin 5,238 André Robichaud 3,487 Laval Auclair (Parti acadien) 113 Jean Gauvin
Tracadie Henri Thomas 3,440 Doug Young 5,308 Michael Blanchard (Parti acadien) 301
Fernand Losier (Ind.) 193
Doug Young

Central

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

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

South West

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

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

South East

Consisting of Kent, Westmorland and Albert county ridings.

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

Further reading

  • Byers, R. B., ed. (1984). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs, 1982. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442671966.
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