New Democratic Party (New Brunswick)
|
|
Template:Infobox Canada Political Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party (French: Nouveau Parti démocratique du Nouveau-Brunswick) is a social democratic political party in New Brunswick, Canada that is linked with the federal New Democratic Party.
The New Brunswick NDP traces its roots to the Fredricton Socialist League founded in 1902. The League had branches throughout the province by World War I.
In 1932, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, a federal political party, was formed with the proclamation of the Regina Manifesto. In 1933, the Moncton Trades and Labour Council adopted a resolution to create a branch of the CCF in New Brunswick. This led to the creation of the New Brunswick CCF that year.
In 1961, the CCF merged with the labour movement to form the New Democratic Party at both federal and provincial levels.
In the early 1970s, the New Brunswick NDP was taken over by the Waffle, a radical wing of the party. The federal NDP responded by temporarily dissolving the provincial wing.
In 1982, the party won its first seat in the Legislative Assembly since its inception as the CCF and though it won a second seat in a 1984 by-election, it has been unable to break one seat in the provincial legislature at general election in the subsequent twenty years.
Elizabeth Weir has led the party since 1988, and is currently the party's only member in the legislature. On October 8, 2004, she announced her resignation as leader of the party. She will continue to represent the riding of Saint John Harbour until the next election.
In 1997, for the first time, federal NDP MPs were elected from New Brunswick. (The CCF had not been successful in that arena either.) Both MPs, Yvon Godin and Angela Vautour, were elected in Acadian areas of the province. Before the 2000 election, however, Vautour left the NDP caucus to sit with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Vautour ran as a PC candidate in 2000, and lost. Godin was reelected as an NDP member in both 2000 and 2004.
However, the provincial NDP has not successfully capitalized on the federal party's inroads in the region, and failed to win any seats in the area in the 2003 provincial election. The party is currently in the process of holding a leadership race to replace Elizabeth Weir who has been leader since 1988.
Leaders of the New Brunswick NDP
- J. Albert Richardson, 1970-1971
- Pat Callaghan, 1971 (waffle faction leader)
- J. Albert Richardson, 1971-1974
- John LaBossiere, 1974-1980
- George Little 1980-1988
- Elizabeth Weir 1988-2005
NDP members of the legislature
- Bob Hall, Tantramar; 1982 to his defeat in the 1987 election
- Peter Trites, East Saint John; 1984 by-election until joining the Liberals in 1987
- Elizabeth Weir, Saint John South (1991-1995), Saint John Harbour (1995-present); 1991 to present
See also: List of Canadian political parties
External links
- New Brunswick NDP (http://www.ndp-npd.nb.ca)Template:NDP