Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
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The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony. Conservative supporters tended to be United Empire Loyalists and supporters of the business community.
In the 1860s, both Conservative and Liberal parties split over the issue of Canadian confederation, and were replaced by the Confederation Party and the Anti-Confederation Party.
By 1870, the pro-Confederation party became generally known as the Liberal-Conservatives or just Conservatives, and were aligned to the national Conservative Party of Sir John A. Macdonald.
The Tories have alternated power with the New Brunswick Liberal Party since Confederation. Though the party is more closely aligned with the business community, it tends towards a moderate Red Tory position. For most of New Brunswick's history, the party had greater support among English speakers, while the Liberals were more popular among Acadians. However since the government of Richard Hatfield's attempts to include Acadians in the mainstream of New Brunswick life, the party has made inroads in Acadia. Current leader and Premier Bernard Lord is himself an Acadian.
The party was aligned with the historic federal Conservative party. When the federal party changed its name to the Progressive Conservatives in 1942, the New Brunswick party did the same. The federal Progressive Conservatives dissolved in 2003, and a new Conservative Party of Canada was created. It is, at the time of writing, unclear whether the provincial party will have any formal link with the new federal Conservative Party.
See also: