Holt's historic N.B. win also sees record number of women, several francophones elected
CBC
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.
"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."
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.
Landry had tears in her eyes as she watched Holt win.
"The hope, the pride, the emotion, the tears. … It's extraordinary," she said.
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