New Brunswick (legislative report).

• Author: Forestell, Don

The Fourth Session of the Fifty-third Legislative Assembly adjourned on March 12, 1999, after forty sitting days. Seventy-one bills were introduced in the House, sixty-six of which received Royal Assent.

A new Members' Conflict of Interest Act was introduced and adopted during the session. A key provision of the new Act is the appointment of a Conflict of Interest Commissioner, removing the administration of the Conflict of Interest legislation from the Courts. An important role of the Commissioner is to assist members in understanding their obligations under the Act, through personal discussion with members, and in particular when consulting with members about required disclosure statements. Under the legislation, the Commissioner must prepare a public disclosure statement on the basis of the information provided by the member, which statements will be available for examination by the public through the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. The Act also places post-employment restrictions on former Ministers of the Crown.

The new legislation came about as a result of recommendations by the Legislative Administration Committee, which had undertaken an extensive review of the existing Conflict of Interest legislation.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts was active following the adjournment of the House, holding ten days of hearings in March and April to review the annual reports and expenditures of various government departments.

The 53rd Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick was dissolved on May 8, 1999, and a general election called for Monday June 7. At dissolution the governing Liberal Party, led by Premier Camille Theriault, held 45 seats. The Official Opposition Conservative Party held 9 seats and the NDP under Leader Elizabeth Weir held one seat.

On June 7th, the Progressive Conservatives under Leader Bernard Lord (PC - Moncton East) won the right to form a majority government, winning 44 of 55 seats in the Assembly. The Liberal Party retained 10 seats and the NDP remained at one.

Mr. Lord, 34, was a founding partner in the Moncton law firm of LeBlanc, Boudreau, Desjardins and Lord. He was elected Leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party on October 18, 1997. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as member for Moncton East on Oct. 19, 1998, and became Leader of the Official Opposition. He was re-elected as the member for Moncton East on June 7, 1999.

On June 21st, Mr. Lord was sworn in as the 30th...