The New Brunswick Liberal Association (NBLA) is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The party descended from both the Confederation Party and the Anti-Confederation Party whose members split into left wing and right wing groups following the creation of Canada as a country in 1867.
The left leaning organization emerged in the 1880s to serve as an organization housing the supporters of Premier Andrew G. Blair and, later, federal Liberal leader Wilfrid Laurier.
Today, the New Brunswick Liberal Party competes with the Progressive Conservatives to form the government. The social democratic New Democratic Party of New Brunswick is the only other major party, but it is not a contender for government.
Like its sister organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, the NBLA serves both the federal Liberal party and acts as the provincial party. Thus, its leader acts only in the provincial capacity, but the party executive organizes for both provincial and federal election campaigns.
The party's federal wing boasts 7 of the 10 MPs in the province, including two cabinet ministers: Minister of State for Human Resources Development Claudette Bradshaw and Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Andy Scott. For more information on the federal branch of the NBLA, see the Liberal Party of Canada (New Brunswick) .
Prior to Canadian confederation, advocates of responsible government ran under the labels Reform or Liberal, while opponents of responsible government were known as Conservatives. With the debates over confederation in the 1860s, the party lines which had emerged blurred as Reformers split along pro and anti-Confederation lines, resulting in Confederation and Anti-Confederation Parties.
Following 1867, supporters of Confederation generally became known as Liberal-Conservatives, or just Conservatives . Those who had been against confederation regrouped loosely as Liberals, but did not become a coherent party until Andrew Blair, a supporter of Confederation, became Premier of New Brunswick and forged members of his parliamentary government and their supporters into the New Brunswick Liberal Association in 1883.
Blair led a very successful government and served as Premier for 13 years. He was New Brunswick's longest serving premier until his tenure was surpassed by Richard Hatfield nearly a century later.
Though Blair had not been a candidate in the 1896 federal election, he joined the federal cabinet of Sir Wilfrid Laurier shortly thereafter when Laurier approached a number of Liberal premiers to join his government due to its lack of experience therein. This move was not expected by the party and, though it remained in government for 12 more years, it went through a rapid succession of leaders.
Early 1900s
After Blair abruptly left the province to join Wilfrid Laurier's cabinet in 1896, the Liberals had a leadership vacuum. James Mitchell, who had been provincial secretary, served briefly as premier but Mitchell soon resigned the post due to ill health. Mitchell was replaced by Henry R. Emmerson, who showed some promise but lost the confidence of the house when he tried to introduce women's suffrage in 1900.
The party was saved electoral disaster when Lemuel J. Tweedie, a federal Conservative, replaced Emmerson and won two large majorities at general elections. Though suffrage was a non starter, he admitted women into the practice of law in 1906 and began the first major hydroelectric project in New Brunswick at Grand Falls. Tweedie unexpectedly accepted the appointment of Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick in 1907 and the Liberal's soon found themselves again in a leadership vacuum. William Pugsley became leader and premier, but left the post after a few months to join the Laurier's government in Ottawa. His replacement, Clifford W. Robinson was able but the electorate grew weary of the ever changing face at head of their government and the Conservatives swept to power in 1908.
Dysart and McNair
In the midst of the depression, the Liberals made a resurgence in 1932 with Allison Dysart becoming premier. McNair was Dysart's right hand, serving as Attorney General until replacing him as premier in 1940. McNair served until 1952 when he was defeated by Hugh John Flemming.
Louis J. Robichaud
During the 1960s, the Liberals under Louis Joseph Robichaud were instrumental in bringing Acadians into the mainstream of life in New Brunswick, declaring the province to be officially bilingual. The English and French languages were given equal status.
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