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Beauséjour is the name of a federal electoral district in eastern New Brunswick, Canada. The population of the riding in 2001 was 73,871. Beauséjour is largely Acadian and Francophone, with a significant Anglophone section in the southern section of the riding.
The riding consists of most of Westmorland County to the east and north of Moncton; as well as almost all of Kent County. Major towns in the riding include Shediac, Cap-Pele, Sackville, Bouctouche and Richibucto.
History
Beauséjour was first known as Westmorland—Kent, and was created in 1966. It included most of Kent County and all of Westmorland County that was not included in the Moncton district. It changed its name to Beauséjour in 1987. Between 1997 and 2003 it also included most of Albert County and the Petitcodiac area of western Westmorland County, and was known as Beauséjour-Petitcodiac during this time. This created a "donut" around Greater Moncton, which was a separate district.
The riding has voted Liberal in every election except 1997, when it elected a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament in what was mostly seen as a protest vote. Angela Vautour switched to the Progressive Conservatives midway through her term and was defeated in 2000. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien represented Beauséjour for a short time in the early 1990s after he won the Liberal leadership and the existing MP stepped down to allow him to have a seat in the House of Commons. Former Governor-General Roméo LeBlanc also held a seat in Beauséjour for a time and his son Dominic LeBlanc is its current occupant.
- Guy Crossman, Liberal (1968-1972)
- Roméo LeBlanc, Liberal (1972-1984)
- Fernand Robichaud, Liberal (1984-1990)
- Jean Chrétien, Liberal (1990-1993)
- Fernand Robichaud, Liberal (1993-1997)
- Angela Vautour, N.D.P./P.C. (1997-2000)
- Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal (2000-present)