Beauséjour (electoral district)

Infobox Canada electoral district
name = Beauséjour
province = New Brunswick


caption = Beauséjour in relation to other New Brunswick federal electoral districts
fed-status = active
fed-district-number = 13002
fed-created = 1966
fed-abolished =
fed-election-first = 1968
fed-election-last = 2006
fed-rep = Dominic LeBlanc
fed-rep-link =
fed-rep-party = Liberal
fed-rep-party-link = Liberal Party of Canada
demo-census-date = 2006
demo-pop = 76259
demo-electors = 62291
demo-electors-date = 2006
demo-area = 6820
demo-cd = Kent, Westmorland
demo-csd = Dieppe, Bouctouche, Richibucto, Sackville, Shediac, Memramcook, Moncton, Dundas, Beaubassin East

Beauséjour riding (formerly known as Beauséjour—Petitcodiac) is a federal electoral district in eastern New Brunswick, Canada, which has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. It replaced Westmorland—Kent, which was represented from 1968 to 1988.

Beauséjour is largely Acadian and Francophone, with a significant Anglophone section in the southern section of the riding.

The riding consists of most of Westmorland County to the east and north of Moncton; and almost all of Kent County. Major towns in the riding include Shediac, Cap-Pele, Sackville, Bouctouche and Richibucto. The neighbouring ridings are Miramichi, Fredericton, Fundy Royal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, and Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley in Nova Scotia; it is connected to the riding of Malpeque on Prince Edward Island by the Confederation Bridge.

History

Westmorland—Kent was created in 1966 from Kent, and part of Westmorland that was not included in the Moncton riding. It was abolished when it was incorporated into the new riding of Beauséjour in 1987.

Beauséjour was created in 1987 primarily from Westmorland—Kent, incorporating parts of Moncton and Northumberland—Miramichi ridings.

In 1997, it was renamed "Beauséjour—Petitcodiac", and expanded to include most of Albert County and the Petitcodiac area of western Westmorland County. This created a "doughnut" around Greater Moncton, which was a separate district.

In 2003, Beauséjour—Petitcodiac was abolished when it was redistributed into a new Beauséjour riding and into Fundy riding.

The new Beauséjour riding was created primarily from Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, incorporating parts of Miramichi and Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe ridings.

The riding has voted Liberal in every election except 1997, when it elected a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP) in what was mostly seen as a protest vote. Angela Vautour switched to the Progressive Conservatives midway through her term, and was defeated in 2000.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien represented Beauséjour for a short time in the early 1990s after he won the Liberal leadership. The sitting MP stepped down to allow him to have a seat in the House of Commons. Former Governor-General of Canada Roméo LeBlanc also held a seat in Beauséjour for a time, and his son Dominic LeBlanc is its current MP.

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following Members of Parliament:

Election results

Beauséjour 2003-present

Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.

Beauséjour—Petitcodiac 1997-2003

Change for Progressive Conservative candidate Angela Vautour are based on the party's results in 1997. She personally received -6.88% votes based on her results as an NDP candidate.

Change for the Canadian Alliance for 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.

Beauséjour 1987-1997

All changes are from the 1990 by-election, with the exception of the Progressive Conservative Party, who did not field a candidate.

Westmorland—Kent 1966-1987

See also

* List of Canadian federal electoral districts
* Past Canadian electoral districts

External links

Riding history from the Library of Parliament:

* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&rid=811&Include= Westmorland-Kent 1966-1987]
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=1138 Beauséjour 1987-1997]
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&rid=986&Include= Beauséjour—Petitcodiac 1997-2003]
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&rid=1309&Include= Beauséjour 2003-present]