Dorothy Shephard

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Dorothy Shephard
MLA
Minister of Health
In office
September 29, 2020 – July 15, 2022
Preceded by Ted Flemming
Succeeded byBruce Fitch
Minister of Social Development
In office
July 15, 2022 – June 15, 2023
PremierBlaine Higgs
Preceded byBruce Fitch
Succeeded by Jill Green (Social Development)
Kathy Bockus (Seniors)
In office
November 9, 2018 – September 29, 2020
PremierBlaine Higgs
Preceded byStephen Horsman (Families and Children)
Lisa Harris (Seniors and Long-Term Care)
Succeeded byBruce Fitch
Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities
In office
October 9, 2012 – October 7, 2014
PremierDavid Alward
Preceded byTrevor Holder (Culture, Tourism, and Healthy-Living)
Succeeded byCathy Rogers
Member of the
New Brunswick Legislative Assembly
for Saint John Lancaster
Assumed office
September 27, 2010
Preceded byAbel LeBlanc
Personal details
Born1960 or 1961 (age 62–63)[1]
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Political partyProgressive Conservative

Dorothy Shephard (born c. 1961) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Saint John Lancaster as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.[2] She was born and raised in Saint John.[3] Shephard was re-elected in the 2014, 2018 and 2020 provincial elections. Prior to becoming involved in politics, she owned and operated Benjamin Moore Colour Centre, a retail decorating store, for 17 years.[4]

Shephard served as Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities in the Alward government from 2012 to 2014.[5] In 2018, she was appointed Minister of Social Development in the Higgs government.[6] In 2020 she was appointed Minister of Health,[7] and in 2022 she was returned to the post of Minister of Social Development.[8]

Shephard resigned from cabinet on June 15, 2023, by handing Premier Blaine Higgs a handwritten resignation letter on the floor of legislature after a voting for an opposition motion calling for further studies on Policy 713.[9] In subsequent media interviews, she cited frustration with Higgs' leadership approach as the reason for her resignation, with his management of Policy 713 being the culmination of her frustrations.[10] On March 21, 2024 Shephard announced that she would not be a contestant in the provincial election scheduled for October 2024, citing a conflict between the party's traditionally "moderate, centrist values", which she supported, and its recent "hyper-focused trend with far-right politics".[11]

Election results[edit]

2020 New Brunswick general election: Saint John Lancaster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Dorothy Shephard 3,560 54.24 +9.09
Liberal Sharon Teare 1,471 22.41 -3.58
Green Joanna Killen 938 14.29 +5.53
People's Alliance Paul Seelye 394 6.00 -7.87
New Democratic Don Durant 201 3.06 -3.17
Total valid votes 6,564 100.0
Total rejected ballots 18 0.27
Turnout 6,582 63.39
Eligible voters 10,384
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +6.34
2018 New Brunswick general election: Saint John Lancaster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Dorothy Shephard 3,001 45.15 +5.97
Liberal Kathleen Riley-Karamanos 1,727 25.99 -6.35
People's Alliance Paul Seelye 922 13.87 --
Green Doug James 582 8.76 +4.53
New Democratic Tony Mowery 414 6.23 -16.74
Total valid votes 6,646 100.0  
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
2014 New Brunswick general election: Saint John Lancaster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Dorothy Shephard 2,619 39.18 -11.57
Liberal Peter McGuire 2,162 32.34 -1.49
New Democratic Abel LeBlanc 1,535 22.97 +12.79
Green Ashley Durdle 283 4.23 +0.59
Independent Mary Ellen Carpenter 85 1.27 –
Total valid votes 6,684 100.0  
Total rejected ballots 19 0.28
Turnout 6,703 62.67
Eligible voters 10,696
Progressive Conservative notional hold Swing -5.04
Independent candidate Mary Ellen Carpenter lost 2.37 percentage points from her performance in the 2010 election as a Green candidate. New Democratic candidate Abel LeBlanc lost 10.86 percentage points from his performance in the 2010 election as a Liberal candidate.
Source: Elections New Brunswick[12]
2010 New Brunswick general election: Saint John Lancaster
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Dorothy Shephard 3,429 50.75 +13.91
Liberal Abel LeBlanc 2,286 33.83 -25.16
New Democratic Habib Kilisli 688 10.18 +6.01
Green Mary Ellen Carpenter 246 3.64 –
People's Alliance Wendy Coughlin 108 1.60 –
Total valid votes 6,757 100.0  
Total rejected ballots 36 0.53
Turnout 6,793 66.74
Eligible voters 10,178
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +19.54
Source: Elections New Brunswick[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "N.B. Tory MLA diagnosed with breast cancer, taking leave of absence - New Brunswick | Globalnews.ca".
  2. ^ New Brunswick Votes 2010: Saint John Lancaster. cbc.ca, September 27, 2010.
  3. ^ "Member of the Legislative Assembly : Hon. Dorothy Shephard - Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick".
  4. ^ [1] Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
  5. ^ "David Alward unveils major cabinet shuffle". CBC News, September 26, 2012.
  6. ^ "Here's a full list of Blaine Higgs's new cabinet". CBC News. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  7. ^ Poitras, Jacques (29 September 2020). "Several high-profile ministers dropped as Blaine Higgs unveils new cabinet". CBC News. Retrieved 16 February 2023. Dorothy Shephard was shifted from the social development portfolio to become minister of health.
  8. ^ Cox, Aidan (15 July 2022). "Impatient Blaine Higgs drops health minister, Horizon CEO". CBC News. Retrieved 16 February 2023. Bruce Fitch is now health minister, switching places with Dorothy Shephard,who moves from Health to Social Development
  9. ^ Poitras, Jacques (Jun 15, 2023). "Minister quits as legislature condemns N.B. premier's LGBTQ policy change". CBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  10. ^ Ibrahim, Hadeel (16 June 2023). "Former minister says N.B. premier's response to her resignation 'says it all'". CBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  11. ^ Poitras, Jacques (21 March 2024). "Dorothy Shephard is latest PC MLA to leave politics". CBC News New Brunswick. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  12. ^ Elections New Brunswick (2014). "Declared Results, 2014 New Brunswick election". Archived from the original on 2014-10-14. Retrieved 17 Oct 2014.
  13. ^ Elections New Brunswick (2010). "Thirty-seventh General Election - Report of the Chief Electoral Officer" (PDF). Retrieved 2 January 2015.


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