The 2010 Provincial Election in New Brunswick

Abstract

For the first time in New Brunswick history, a government was defeated after its first term in power. David Alward, leader of the Progressive Conservatives, defeated Shawn Graham and his Liberal government on 27 September 2010, winning 42 of 55 seats. The Liberals won the remaining 13. Despite boasting a small lead in the public opinion polls, the Liberals were in serious electoral trouble going into the election campaign. A series of misfires and policy reversals, culminating with the disastrous proposal to sell the province’s publicly-owned power utility NB Power to Hydro Quebec, had destroyed the Liberal government’s credibility. Indeed, its low credibility might well have been what motivated the Liberals to try to sell NB Power in the first place: running out of time in its four-year mandate, the Graham government was desperate to find a single “quick-fix” which would reverse party fortunes. However, the gamble backfired, and the 37th General Election provided the Liberals with its lowest vote percentage (34.4%) in their history.