1989 Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership election

Canadian provincial leadership election July 2024 Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick NB PC 1989 Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Logo.svg November 3–4, 1989 Fredericton, New Brunswick Barbara Baird Filliter 1 Richard Hatfield 2 The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick held a leadership election between November 3–4, 1989, to elect a new leader for the party. The position had been held in an interim capacity by Malcolm MacLeod since former leader Richard Hatfield's resignation immediately following the 1987 general election after 17 years in power. Hatfield had been surrounded by a string of controversies during the later years of his leadership, leading to the party's loss of all of its seats in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick to the Liberal Party, led by Frank McKenna. The front-runner for 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 in the legislature 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 On September 25, 1984, then-Progressive Conservative party leader Richard Hatfield was found in possession of marijuana during a security check that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted before a flight from Fredericton to Moncton during a royal visit by Queen Elizabeth II.The premier of New Brunswick, Richard Hatfield, was charged... https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/10/26/The-premier-of-New-Brunswick-Richard-Hatfield-was-charged/5967467611200/ April 10, 2024 United Press International October 26, 1984 en April 3, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111420/http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/10/26/The-premier-of-New-Brunswick-Richard-Hatfield-was-charged/5967467611200/ live Martin Douglas New Brunswick Premier is Under Fire Again https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/08/world/new-brunswick-premier-is-under-fire-again.html April 10, 2024 The New York Times February 8, 1985 November 28, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171128202046/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/08/world/new-brunswick-premier-is-under-fire-again.html live This incident and the following scandals that ensued led to a number of other Tories turning against him,Poitras Jacques Jacques Poitras Guns, revenge and floor-crossing. How a political masterstroke paved the way for the Hatfield dynasty https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/bob-mccready-richard-hatfield-1978-election-house-speaker-1.4735195 CBC News April 10, 2024 July 6, 2018 April 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410022057/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/bob-mccready-richard-hatfield-1978-election-house-speaker-1.4735195 live with the party going on to lose all 58 legislative seats in the 1987 election to the Liberals under leader Frank McKenna.Morris Chris November 5, 1989 N.B. Tories pick first woman PC leader https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal/145083622/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020556/https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal/145083622/ April 10, 2024 April 10, 2024 Edmonton Journal The Canadian Press Hatfield and his party's defeat marked one of the worst in Canadian history;Tough time to be a Tory, says New Brunswick leader https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-tough-time-to-be-a-to/145084105/ August 25, 1990 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020607/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-tough-time-to-be-a-to/145084105/ April 10, 2024 live Ottawa Citizen Morris Chris April 10, 2024 The Canadian Press the only other time a majority-led party lost all of its seats in Canada was in Prince Edward Island during its 1935 election.Hopper Tristin Jim Prentice’s Tories are not the only big losers: Five of the worst electoral defeats in Canadian history https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/tristin-hopper-biggest-electoral-defeats-in-canadian-history-765370 June 5, 2024 National Post May 6, 2015 The loss led to Hatfield's instant resignation.Beatles dissolved partnership in 1970 https://www.newspapers.com/article/niagara-falls-review-beatles-dissolved-p/145084423/ April 10, 2024 Niagara Falls Review The Canadian Press April 9, 2002 April 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020601/https://www.newspapers.com/article/niagara-falls-review-beatles-dissolved-p/145084423/ live Malcolm MacLeod served as the interim leader until the next leadership election.Tories at the crossroads https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-bay-nugget-tories-at-the-crossroad/145088913/ April 10, 2024 North Bay Nugget The Canadian Press November 4, 1989 April 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020600/https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-bay-nugget-tories-at-the-crossroad/145088913/ live Leadership election In July 1989, nearly two years after the party's defeat, Hazen Myers, a Sussex politician who had previously been 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.July 29, 1989 Ex-minister bids to succeed Hatfield https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-ex-minister-bids-to-s/145084708/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020601/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-ex-minister-bids-to-s/145084708/ April 10, 2024 April 10, 2024 Ottawa Citizen The Canadian Press She did so in mid-August. Baird fit the Conservatives' interest as a "fresh face and a contemporary of a newer, younger breed" of politicians in the province. The leadership election, the first for the party in two decades, was scheduled to take pace between November 3–4.Lawyer joins race in N.B. for Tory leadership https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-lawyer-joins-race-in-nb-fo/145086695/ April 10, 2024 The Gazette The Canadian Press August 19, 1989 April 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020555/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-lawyer-joins-race-in-nb-fo/145086695/ live Other politicians considered as potential candidates at the time included Saint John mayor Elsie Wayne, Bud Bird, and David McLaughlin, though none of them ended up running. Bilingualism was one of New Brunswick's largest issues at the time. The newly-formed provincial Confederation of Regions Party, an extension of the federal party known for its anti-bilingual views, took a considerable amount of the Progressive Conservative's supporters. Myers expressed support for bilingualism when "applied fairly", adding that "it's not right for people to be denied jobs simply because they can't speak more than one language." Baird criticized Liberal leader McKenna, stating that he "has neglected his leadership duties" after having "waited for eight to 10 months until linguistic tensions in this province reached such a point that he had to react ... and when he reacted he said he's not prepared to change his language policy or listen to New Brunswickers." Election results The leadership election for the party began on November 3, 1989.N.B. PCs planning to pick new leader https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-nb-pcs-planning-to-pick/145087977/ April 10, 2024 Calgary Herald The Canadian Press November 3, 1989 April 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020602/https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-nb-pcs-planning-to-pick/145087977/ live It was held in Fredericton for 1,669 Tory delegates to vote between Baird or Myers,Camp Dalton Hooray for open politics that works https://www.proquest.com/docview/436064159/7B915040ABCB4157PQ/2 June 5, 2024 Toronto Star November 8, 1989 who both participated in a debate held that night. Given her recency to the party which had "grown wary of its old guard" giving her the advantage, Baird was considered to be the front-runner. Richard Johnson, a previous president of the party, temporarily ran as a third candidate for three weeks until withdrawing due to "insufficient financial and personal support". 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.N.B. Tories elect lawyer to succeed Hatfield https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-nb-tories-elect-lawye/145089077/ November 5, 1989 https://web.archive.org/web/20240410020621/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-nb-tories-elect-lawye/145089077/ April 10, 2024 live Toronto Star April 10, 2024 The Canadian Press 1989 PCNB leadership resultCandidateVotes% Barbara Baird Filliter 1,021 74.6% Hazen Myers 348 25.4% Total votes 1,369 100% Aftermath Tories would ultimately grow dissatisfied with Baird, feeling that she "hadn't been able to put the party back on its feet".Cox Kevin A Tory fiefdom is overthrown Once the ruling force in the Atlantic provinces, the Conservative party hits the pits in the polls https://www.proquest.com/docview/385516492/492C5BC58FB2407CPQ/66 June 5, 2024 The Globe and Mail May 4, 1991 June 5, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240605224938/https://www.proquest.com/docview/385516492/492C5BC58FB2407CPQ/66 live Baird resigned on April 12, 1991,Perry Charles What will the byelection entrails prophesize? https://www.proquest.com/docview/422699449/492C5BC58FB2407CPQ/35 June 5, 2024 Times & Transcript September 7, 1998 June 5, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240605224939/https://www.proquest.com/docview/422699449/492C5BC58FB2407CPQ/35 live adding that "she no longer had the confidence of the party".N.B. Tories set key date https://www.proquest.com/docview/432098595/492C5BC58FB2407CPQ/68 June 5, 2024 The Gazette The Canadian Press April 29, 1991 June 5, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240605224940/https://www.proquest.com/docview/432098595/492C5BC58FB2407CPQ/68 live See also Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership elections References Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership election Category:Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership elections Progressive Conservative Party leadership election Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership election Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick leadership election