CBC
Thu, October 24, 2024
Elizabeth Weir, a former NDP leader in New Brunswick, says with Susan Holt's election win, 'It's a time to celebrate.' (CBC - image credit)
For Elizabeth Weir, Monday's election is one to remember.
"My reaction and my emotion was simply a combination of joy and relief: quite clearly joy to see that historic moment of a woman being elected as our premier and honestly relief that the previous government was gone," Weir said, in an interview with CBC Radio's Shift.
Weir served as New Brunswick's NDP leader from 1988 to 2005 and was the party's only MLA from 1992 until 2005.
Premier-designate Susan Holt is one of a record 17 women to win seats in this election, something Weir said matters.
"Well, it matters because the issues that shape women's lives, the policies of our legislature, the legislation that they adopt can so deeply affect women's lives," she said of Holt's win.
Susan Holt made history as the first woman to be elected premier of New Brunswick.
Susan Holt has made history as the first woman to be elected premier of New Brunswick. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News)
During her time in the legislature, Weir was known for her quick wit in the daily question period and her skill during contentious debates.
She left elected politics when former premier Bernard Lord appointed her as the first president and chief executive officer of Efficiency New Brunswick.
Weir has spent time travelling around the world training others in democratic governance and oversight, working with parliamentarians, political party activists and social leaders.
She has worked with the United Nations and with the National Democratic Institute, an international non-governmental organization based out of Washington that works in 55 countries.
Here at home, she has advocated for more representation of women in politics through the Women for 50% organization, where she is one of the founders.
Weir called out the outgoing Higgs government over its handling of issues such as Policy 713 and abortion access.
"So women need to be decision-makers to make those changes, so it matters big time."
Weir said she feels fortunate to have had the example of the women who came before her, such as Brenda Robertson, who was the first woman elected to the New Brunswick legislature, in 1967, and later was the first woman to hold a cabinet position.
Brenda Robertson, New Brunswick's first female MLA, has died at the age of 91.
Brenda Robertson, who died in 2020, was the first woman elected to the New Brunswick legislature. (Submitted by the Robertson family )
She also pointed to Alexa McDonough, the first woman to lead a major party in Nova Scotia, becoming leader of the province's NDP in 1980, and later going on to lead the federal party.
"There was no women's bathroom in the Nova Scotia legislature for MLAs to use. If you can ... imagine that," Weir said.
"So I really benefited. They would provide me advice, support. We were in different parties. Sometimes I would work collaboratively with them."
Weir also said she gives credit to former premier Richard Hatfield, who governed from 1970 to 1987, for appointing women in his caucus to cabinet.
Former Nova Scotia NDP leader Alexa McDonough pauses while taking questions from the media during a news conference in Halifax on, June 2, 2008, after announcing that she would not be seeking re-election in the next federal election.
In 1980, the NDP's Alexa McDonough became the first woman to lead a major political party in Nova Scotia. (Mike Dembeck/The Canadian Press)
"And so when I came, you know, there really was a very different atmosphere than the kind of hostility that Alexa encountered in a neighbouring province in Nova Scotia," Weir said.
"And so, I see it as I also have an obligation to help women in different ways to continue to make those changes."
There's no silver bullet to achieving gender equality, Weir said, but there have been gains.
"I just kept thinking of all those little girls around the province watching Susan give her speech on election night and what a profound change and impact that can have," Weir said.
"It's a time to celebrate. You know, we don't have good news in politics all the time and this is certainly it."
Holt's historic N.B. win also sees record number of women, several francophones elected
CBC
Wed, October 23, 2024 at 3:00 a.m. MDT·5 min read
Premier-designate Susan Holt will have nine other women in her Liberal caucus, 19 francophones and at least four bilingual members, like her. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News - image credit)
New Brunswick's election outcome is historic, not only because Liberal Leader Susan Holt became the first woman in the province to win the premier's job but also because of the number of women and French-speaking candidates elected.
There will be a record 17 women in the legislative assembly — 10 Liberals, six Progressive Conservatives and one Green.
That's 34 per cent of members, up from 14 women in 2020, 11 in 2018 and only eight in 2014.
More francophone and bilingual candidates were also elected in the only officially bilingual province in Canada.
Among the Liberals, 19 of the 31 MLAs are francophone, while a number of others are bilingual, including premier-designate Holt.
Premier-designate Susan Holt surrounded by her three daughters, Paige, Brooke and Molly on the evening of her historic victory.
Premier-designate Susan Holt surrounded by her three daughters, Paige, Brooke and Molly on the evening of her historic victory. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
"This is a historic moment for me and for all the little girls in the room who can dream and know that this is not an impossible goal," Holt, 47, told a large crowd of supporters in Fredericton Monday evening as her three young daughters looked on.
Her majority-government win over outgoing Progressive Conservative premier Blaine Higgs comes just two years after she became the first woman to win the New Brunswick Liberal leadership and 18 months after she was elected to the legislature in a byelection.
"I didn't know it would be me that would be achieving this," she told CBC on Tuesday.
"But I've been wanting to see women leadership in our province, like in so many other provinces across Canada and around the world.
"So I'm humbled that I have this honour and this opportunity."
Credits trailblazers
During her bilingual acceptance speech, Holt paid tribute to the trailblazing women who came before her, including Brenda Robertson, the first woman elected to the New Brunswick Legislature in 1967 and the first woman to serve in cabinet; Shirley Dysart, the first woman to serve as the leader of a political party in New Brunswick when she was appointed interim leader of the Liberals in 1985 and the first female Speaker; and Elizabeth Weir, the first elected female leader of a political party in New Brunswick, serving as NDP leader from 1988 to 2005.
Holt also singled out Aldéa Landry, the first Acadian woman named to New Brunswick cabinet in 1987 and first female deputy premier in Frank McKenna's Liberal government.
Aldéa Landry, who made history as deputy premier to Frank McKenna, called Monday's election result "her-storical."
Aldéa Landry, who made history as deputy premier to Frank McKenna, called Monday's election result "her-storical." (CBC)
Landry had tears in her eyes as she watched Holt win.
"The hope, the pride, the emotion, the tears. … It's extraordinary," she said.
Isabelle Thériault, the Liberal MLA for Caraquet, said she's proud the number of women in her caucus had tripled.
"There were only three of us women, now there will be 10 of us. We have several initiatives related to the condition and health of women. I am so excited to be able to make a positive difference for women. It is such a great accomplishment," she said in French.
Major milestone
According to the president of the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick, Geneviève Louise Latour, it's a major milestone.
"What happened [Monday night] has a super important symbolic weight. It has a power," she said.
"At the same time, I don't delude myself, there are still glass ceilings to break, but it was a giant step forward."
Geneviève Louise Latour, executive director of Crossroads for Women said securing long term funding could be a issues. "If we're thinking 70 something sex workers are here in the Greater Mountain area, that's a lot of people to serve and we want to make sure that they all get the same service of quality."
Geneviève Louise Latour said her group intends to hold the Liberal Party accountable for its election commitments, particularly on reproductive justice. (Ian Bonnell/CBC)
Parity in the number of male and female MLAs has not yet been achieved and there are still several obstacles to overcome to attract more women and people from gender minorities into politics, noted Latour.
Holt could also face backlash as a powerful woman in a "boys' club" environment, she said.
Seeks to unify
Holt says she wants to govern in a unifying way, particularly with regard to linguistic differences.
'We want to bring everyone together, like good neighbours," said Holt, who credits New Brunswick's early immersion in large part for her bilingualism.
People "don't want to be divided by language [and] want a government that shows them respect."
After six years of leading the province, Higgs still does not speak French, despite his repeated promises to learn the language.
After the departure of ministers Robert Gauvin, Dominic Cardy and Daniel Allain, the only bilingual members of the Tory caucus left were Minister of Local Government, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for la Francophonie Glen Savoie, Education Minister Bill Hogan and MLA Réjean Savoie.
Hogan admits his party missed opportunities to get closer to the French-speaking and Acadian community.
"There are a lot of things that need to be done in the Progressive Conservative Party to tell these citizens that they are important to us," he said in an interview Tuesday.
French speakers make up a third of the province's population, said Roger Ouellette, a political science professor at the University of Moncton.
The fact Higgs was "unable to reach this population" and still obtain a majority government is an anomaly, he said.
Moncton political scientist Roger Ouellette says 'Higgs is out of touch with the ideology of his own party.'
It's difficult to govern in New Brunswick without the support of French speakers, according to Moncton political scientist Roger Ouellette. (Guy Leblanc/Radio-Canada)
Ouellette believes Holt's unifying strategy has borne fruit.
"The Liberals were able to reach out to francophones, Indigenous peoples, sexual minorities. We have a premier who is fortunate to want to bring the entire province together and, I would say, move toward social peace."
Among her 100 election commitments, which focus largely on health-care, education and cost-of-living challenges, Holt has pledged to appoint a deputy minister to head the Official Languages Secretariat, created last year in response to the 2021 review of the Official Languages Act.
In a news release, the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick welcomed the election of the Liberal Party.
"We look forward to working with the new government team and strengthening the rights of the Acadian and francophone population of our province," president Nicole Arseneau-Sluyter said in a statement.
Wed, October 23, 2024 at 3:00 a.m. MDT·5 min read
Premier-designate Susan Holt will have nine other women in her Liberal caucus, 19 francophones and at least four bilingual members, like her. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News - image credit)
New Brunswick's election outcome is historic, not only because Liberal Leader Susan Holt became the first woman in the province to win the premier's job but also because of the number of women and French-speaking candidates elected.
There will be a record 17 women in the legislative assembly — 10 Liberals, six Progressive Conservatives and one Green.
That's 34 per cent of members, up from 14 women in 2020, 11 in 2018 and only eight in 2014.
More francophone and bilingual candidates were also elected in the only officially bilingual province in Canada.
Among the Liberals, 19 of the 31 MLAs are francophone, while a number of others are bilingual, including premier-designate Holt.
Premier-designate Susan Holt surrounded by her three daughters, Paige, Brooke and Molly on the evening of her historic victory.
Premier-designate Susan Holt surrounded by her three daughters, Paige, Brooke and Molly on the evening of her historic victory. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
"This is a historic moment for me and for all the little girls in the room who can dream and know that this is not an impossible goal," Holt, 47, told a large crowd of supporters in Fredericton Monday evening as her three young daughters looked on.
Her majority-government win over outgoing Progressive Conservative premier Blaine Higgs comes just two years after she became the first woman to win the New Brunswick Liberal leadership and 18 months after she was elected to the legislature in a byelection.
"I didn't know it would be me that would be achieving this," she told CBC on Tuesday.
"But I've been wanting to see women leadership in our province, like in so many other provinces across Canada and around the world.
"So I'm humbled that I have this honour and this opportunity."
Credits trailblazers
During her bilingual acceptance speech, Holt paid tribute to the trailblazing women who came before her, including Brenda Robertson, the first woman elected to the New Brunswick Legislature in 1967 and the first woman to serve in cabinet; Shirley Dysart, the first woman to serve as the leader of a political party in New Brunswick when she was appointed interim leader of the Liberals in 1985 and the first female Speaker; and Elizabeth Weir, the first elected female leader of a political party in New Brunswick, serving as NDP leader from 1988 to 2005.
Holt also singled out Aldéa Landry, the first Acadian woman named to New Brunswick cabinet in 1987 and first female deputy premier in Frank McKenna's Liberal government.
Aldéa Landry, who made history as deputy premier to Frank McKenna, called Monday's election result "her-storical."
Aldéa Landry, who made history as deputy premier to Frank McKenna, called Monday's election result "her-storical." (CBC)
Landry had tears in her eyes as she watched Holt win.
"The hope, the pride, the emotion, the tears. … It's extraordinary," she said.
Isabelle Thériault, the Liberal MLA for Caraquet, said she's proud the number of women in her caucus had tripled.
"There were only three of us women, now there will be 10 of us. We have several initiatives related to the condition and health of women. I am so excited to be able to make a positive difference for women. It is such a great accomplishment," she said in French.
Major milestone
According to the president of the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick, Geneviève Louise Latour, it's a major milestone.
"What happened [Monday night] has a super important symbolic weight. It has a power," she said.
"At the same time, I don't delude myself, there are still glass ceilings to break, but it was a giant step forward."
Geneviève Louise Latour, executive director of Crossroads for Women said securing long term funding could be a issues. "If we're thinking 70 something sex workers are here in the Greater Mountain area, that's a lot of people to serve and we want to make sure that they all get the same service of quality."
Geneviève Louise Latour said her group intends to hold the Liberal Party accountable for its election commitments, particularly on reproductive justice. (Ian Bonnell/CBC)
Parity in the number of male and female MLAs has not yet been achieved and there are still several obstacles to overcome to attract more women and people from gender minorities into politics, noted Latour.
Holt could also face backlash as a powerful woman in a "boys' club" environment, she said.
Seeks to unify
Holt says she wants to govern in a unifying way, particularly with regard to linguistic differences.
'We want to bring everyone together, like good neighbours," said Holt, who credits New Brunswick's early immersion in large part for her bilingualism.
People "don't want to be divided by language [and] want a government that shows them respect."
After six years of leading the province, Higgs still does not speak French, despite his repeated promises to learn the language.
After the departure of ministers Robert Gauvin, Dominic Cardy and Daniel Allain, the only bilingual members of the Tory caucus left were Minister of Local Government, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for la Francophonie Glen Savoie, Education Minister Bill Hogan and MLA Réjean Savoie.
Hogan admits his party missed opportunities to get closer to the French-speaking and Acadian community.
"There are a lot of things that need to be done in the Progressive Conservative Party to tell these citizens that they are important to us," he said in an interview Tuesday.
French speakers make up a third of the province's population, said Roger Ouellette, a political science professor at the University of Moncton.
The fact Higgs was "unable to reach this population" and still obtain a majority government is an anomaly, he said.
Moncton political scientist Roger Ouellette says 'Higgs is out of touch with the ideology of his own party.'
It's difficult to govern in New Brunswick without the support of French speakers, according to Moncton political scientist Roger Ouellette. (Guy Leblanc/Radio-Canada)
Ouellette believes Holt's unifying strategy has borne fruit.
"The Liberals were able to reach out to francophones, Indigenous peoples, sexual minorities. We have a premier who is fortunate to want to bring the entire province together and, I would say, move toward social peace."
Among her 100 election commitments, which focus largely on health-care, education and cost-of-living challenges, Holt has pledged to appoint a deputy minister to head the Official Languages Secretariat, created last year in response to the 2021 review of the Official Languages Act.
In a news release, the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick welcomed the election of the Liberal Party.
"We look forward to working with the new government team and strengthening the rights of the Acadian and francophone population of our province," president Nicole Arseneau-Sluyter said in a statement.
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