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Shawn Graham becomes the first premier in the history of New Brunswick to be denied a second term in office.
Fredericton (27 Sept. 2010) - The New Brunswick Liberal government of Premier Shawn Graham was swept from power after a single term on Monday as voters across the province vented their anger on key issues, primarily the botched sale of NB Power (ENBP) to Hydro Quebec (HQ).
Conservative Leader David Alward will become the province's new premier while Graham leaves office as the first government leader in New Brunswick history to be denied a second term. He was elected in 2006.
So pitched was the anger over NB Power that media outlets speculated on a pending Liberal disaster throughout the campaign and declared a Conservative victory almost the moment the polls were closed. Not a single vote had been reported before CTV News projected a Tory majority.
The proposed sale of NB Power was the clear flashpoint that doomed the Liberals.
Announced without warning by Graham last November, the deal touched a province-wide nerve, producing such a backlash that the premier was forced to back down within months.
By January the $4.8 billion sale had been scaled back to a more limited $3.2 billion deal and by March it was history. As of Monday night so were Graham and his Liberal administration. He could not recover from the damage even though the sale was cancelled completely.
Groups across the province, including the New Brunswick Union of Public and General Employees (NBUPPE/NUPGE), rallied ferociously against the sale, putting together one of the biggest and most effective coalitions in the province's history to oppose it.
The election was the most stunning since Conservative Premier Richard Hatfield, who had won a record four straight majority governments, was swept from power so thoroughly in 1987 that he lost every seat (including his own) to the Liberals under Frank McKenna.
The final count was 42 seats for the Conservatives to 13 for the Liberals in the 55-seat legislature. When the election was called, the Liberals held 31 seats and the Conservatives 21. There was one Independent member and two vacancies.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More information:
• N.B. gov't cancels sale of NB Hydro to Hydro Quebec
• Mass protest in Fredericton against NB Power sale
• Critics of NB Power sale refute premier's arguments
• NB Power deal delayed two months for hearings
• Summit will explore options to sale of NB Power
• Agenda for Options Summit Feb. 22 in Fredericton
• Experts condemn $3.2-billion sale of NB Power
• Legal challenge brewing over sale of NB Power
• Vigil will protest the undemocratic sale of NB Power
• Amended $3.2-billion NB Power sale announced
• New Brunswickers protest sale of NB Power
• Public summit Dec. 9 to oppose NB Power sale
• New Brunswickers strongly oppose NB Power sale
• NBUPPE condemns controversial sale of NB Power