Joseph Raymond Frenette

Joseph Raymond Frenette was born in Beresford, New Brunswick on April 16, 1935. He is the son of Berthilde Pitre and Samuel Frenette. A real estate agent and businessman, he studied arts at the Collège de Bathurst. In 1994, he received an honorary doctorate in political science from the Université de Moncton.

A former councillor for the City of Moncton and the former village of Lewisville, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Moncton East in 1974. He was re-elected in 1978, 1982, 1987, 1991 and 1995. He was named interim Leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick on August 15, 1983, and retained that position until March 4, 1985.

Active in his community, he served as chairman of the Greater Moncton United Way Campaign and president of the Beauséjour Curling Club.

During his 13 years (1974 - 1987) as a member of the official Opposition, he served on Legislative Assembly Standing Committees on Economic Development, Energy, Estimates, Law Amendments, Legislative Administration, Municipalities, Municipalities and Corporations, Privileges, Procedure, Public Accounts and Standing Rules. He was a member of the Select Committees on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Maritime Affairs and Canada's Future, and Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety. He has also been the finance, health, energy and municipalities critic, and in 1979-1980 he was Opposition House Leader.

On October 27, 1987, following the Liberal Party's victory in the 1987 provincial election, he was sworn in as Minister of Health and Community Services and appointed Government House Leader.

Following his re-election in 1991, he was appointed Chairman of the New Brunswick Power Corporation. He continued as Government House Leader and was also a member of the Board of Management.

Following the 1995 election, he was named Deputy Premier, president of the Executive Council, and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and was re-appointed Government House Leader. He chaired the Legislature's Standing Committee on Privileges, and on Procedure, and he was a member of the Standing Committee on Legislative Administration. He was also vice-chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Policy and Priorities.

After years of public service, he finally became Premier of New Brunswick on October 14, 1997. As the unanimous choice of the Liberal Caucus to succeed the retired Frank McKenna, he was sworn in as New Brunswick's 28th Premier. His term as Premier was short, as he assumed the position on an interim basis until a new party leader could be elected. After Camille Thériault was chosen to replaced him as Leader of the Liberal Party, he resigned his seat in the Legislature on June 30, 1998. While Premier of New Brunswick only briefly, his contributions to the province, as a respected member who held various positions while in government and in opposition, spanned more than 20 years.

He and his wife Armande (Hachey) have two children.