Blaine Higgs | |
---|---|
34th Premier of New Brunswick | |
Assumed office November 9, 2018 | |
Monarchs | |
Lieutenant Governor | Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau Brenda Murphy |
Deputy | Robert Gauvin (2018–20) |
Preceded by | Brian Gallant |
Leader of the Opposition | |
In office October 22, 2016 – November 9, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Bruce Fitch |
Succeeded by | Brian Gallant |
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick | |
Assumed office October 22, 2016 | |
Preceded by | Bruce Fitch (interim) |
Minister of Finance | |
In office October 12, 2010 – October 7, 2014 | |
Premier | David Alward |
Preceded by | Greg Byrne |
Succeeded by | Roger Melanson |
Member of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly for Quispamsis | |
Assumed office September 27, 2010 | |
Preceded by | Mary Schryer |
Personal details | |
Born | Blaine Myron Higgs March 1, 1954 Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada |
Political party | Progressive Conservative |
Other political affiliations | Confederation of Regions (1989–dissolved 2002) |
Spouse | Marcia Higgs |
Blaine Myron Higgs MLA (born March 1, 1954) is a Canadian politician who is the 34th and current premier of New Brunswick since 2018 and leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party) since 2016.
Higgs graduated from the University of New Brunswick as an engineer, going on to spend 33 years working for Irving Oil. Higgs, a unilingual, vehemently opposed bilingualism is his early political journey and joined the right-wing, anti-bilingual New Brunswick Confederation of Regions Party, of which he ran for leadership in 1989. As a Progressive Conservative, Higgs was first elected to the legislature in the 2010 provincial election and served as the Minister of Finance from 2010 to 2014 under the leadership of David Alward. In the 2018 provincial election, Higgs narrowly carried the PCs to a minority government, despite losing the popular vote. Higgs and the PCs were re-elected in the 2020 provincial election, though this time with a majority government. He is running for re-election in the 2024 provincial election.