The 1989 Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership election took place between November 3–4, 1989 to select a new leader for the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, which had been vacant since Richard Hatfield's resignation immediately following the 1987 general election after 17 years in power. Hatfield had been surrounded in a string of controversies during the later years of his leadership, leading to the party losing all of its seats in the election.
| Date | November 3–4, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Convention | Fredericton, New Brunswick |
| Resigning leader | Richard Hatfield |
| Won by | Barbara Baird Filliter |
| Ballots | 1 |
| Candidates | 2 |
The front-running nominee in the leadership election was Barbara Baird Filliter, a young lawyer from Fredericton who had recently joined the party. Baird's competitor was Hazen Myers, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick under Hatfield's leadership. Baird won the leadership election with 1,021 votes, or 74.6 percent of the votes cast, marking the first woman to lead a Conservative party in Canada.
Background edit
On September 25, 1984, then-Progressive Conservative party leader Richard Hatfield was found in possession of 35 grams of marijuana in his suitcase during a security check before a flight from Fredericton to Moncton during a royal visit by Queen Elizabeth II.[1][2] This incident and the following scandals that would ensue led to a number of other Tories turning against him,[3] with the party going on to lose all 58 legislative seats in his 1987 re-election to the Liberals under leader Frank McKenna.[4] Hatfield and his party's defeat marked the worst of its kind in Canadian history,[5] leading to his instant resignation.[6]
Leadership election edit
In July 1989, nearly two years after the party's defeat, Hazen Myers, a Sussex politician who had previously served as the Minister of Agriculture under Hatfield's leadership, announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. His goal was to "restore the Conservatives to their place in the province's political life." Myers' past association with Hatfield raised concerns among many Conservatives who sought a fresh start with a new leader. The most likely contender was Barbara Baird Filliter, a lawyer from Fredericton who was expected to declare her candidacy by the following month,[7] which she would. Baird fit the Conservatives' interest as a new face in the party as well as an example of a younger member of the New Brunswick political scene. The leadership election, the first of which in two decades, was scheduled to take pace between November 3–4 later that year.[8] Other politicians considered as potential candidates at the time included Saint John Mayor Elsie Wayne, Bud Bird,[7] and David McLaughlin,[8] but none of them would end up running.
Bilingualism was one of the main issues at the time. The newly-formed, anti-bilingualism Confederation of Regions Party took a considerable amount of the Progressive Conservative's supporters.[7]
Election results edit
The leadership election for the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick took place at a convention on November 3, 1989. It was held in Fredericton for around 1,600 Conservative delegates to vote for the new party leader. Baird, with her younger age and recent membership being advantages in the election, was the front-runner against Myers, the only other candidate. Richard Johnson, a third candidate from Saint John, previously withdrew due to a lack in support.[9][10]
Baird won the election with 1,021 votes, or 74.6 percent of the vote, to Myers' 348 votes, which amounted to 25.4 percent of the votes cast. The election saw the first woman to become leader of a Conservative party in Canada.[11]
| 1989 PCNB leadership result[11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Barbara Baird Filliter | 1,021 | 74.6% | |
| Hazen Myers | 348 | 25.4% | |
| Total votes | 1,369 | 100% | |
References edit
- ^ "The premier of New Brunswick, Richard Hatfield, was charged... - UPI Archives". UPI. October 26, 1984. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (February 8, 1985). "NEW BRUNSWICK PREMIER IS UNDER FIRE AGAIN". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Poitras, Jacques (July 6, 2018). "Guns, revenge and floor-crossing. How a political masterstroke paved the way for the Hatfield dynasty". Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "N.B. Tories pick first woman PC leader". Edmonton Journal. November 5, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Morries, Chris (August 25, 1990). "Tough time to be a Tory, says New Brunswick leader". The Canadian Press. The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Beatles dissolved partnership in 1970". The Canadian Press. Niagara Falls Review. April 9, 2002. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ex-minister bids to succeed Hatfield". The Ottawa Citizen. July 29, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Lawyer joins race in N.B. for Tory leadership". The Gazette. August 19, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "N.B. PCs planning to pick new leader". Calgary Herald. November 3, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Tories at the crossroads". North Bay Nugget. November 4, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "N.B. Tories elect lawyer to succeed Hatfield". The Toronto Star. November 5, 1989. Retrieved April 10, 2024.