J. Albert Richardson
Encyclopedia
J. Albert Richardson was a trade unionist and politician who was leader of the New Brunswick New Democratic Party
from 1970 until 1976 save for a one month interruption in late 1971.
A woods contractor in the Miramichi
, Richardson became active in the union movement and was a staff representative with the Canadian Food and Allied Workers union (CFAW) and later served as secretary-treasurer of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour from 1981 to 1986.
As NDP leader, Richardson was on the right wing of the party and opposed to the militancy of radicalized university students involved with the NDP. He criticized left winger NDPers who had protested the implementation of the War Measures Act
during the 1970 October Crisis
and was challenged by the New Brunswick chapter of The Waffle
, a left wing faction in the NDP made up of Marxist students as well as older leftist activists. Under the leadership of veteran Fredericton socialist Pat Callaghan
, the Waffle narrowly had its manifesto adopted by the New Brunswick NDP at a convention in the fall of 1971. The Waffle took over the party with Callaghan displacing Richardson as leader in October 1971. However, the federal party intervened and called a special convention the next month which routed the Waffle and restored Richardson as party leader.
Richardson led the NDP through the 1970
and 1974 provincial elections
in which the party ran seats in most of the province's ridings for the first time since the party's inception in 1960 but failed to win any seats or take the party above 3% of the popular vote. He stepped down in 1976 and returned to the union movement.
New Brunswick New Democratic Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party .-Origins and early history:...
from 1970 until 1976 save for a one month interruption in late 1971.
A woods contractor in the Miramichi
Miramichi
The name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States...
, Richardson became active in the union movement and was a staff representative with the Canadian Food and Allied Workers union (CFAW) and later served as secretary-treasurer of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour from 1981 to 1986.
As NDP leader, Richardson was on the right wing of the party and opposed to the militancy of radicalized university students involved with the NDP. He criticized left winger NDPers who had protested the implementation of the War Measures Act
War Measures Act
The War Measures Act was a Canadian statute that allowed the government to assume sweeping emergency powers in the event of "war, invasion or insurrection, real or apprehended"...
during the 1970 October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
and was challenged by the New Brunswick chapter of The Waffle
The Waffle
The Waffle was a radical wing of Canada's New Democratic Party in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It later transformed into an independent political party, with little electoral success before it permanently disbanded in the mid-1970s...
, a left wing faction in the NDP made up of Marxist students as well as older leftist activists. Under the leadership of veteran Fredericton socialist Pat Callaghan
Pat Callaghan (politician)
Pat Callaghan was a politician in New Brunswick, Canada who was briefly leader of the New Democratic Party of New Brunswick....
, the Waffle narrowly had its manifesto adopted by the New Brunswick NDP at a convention in the fall of 1971. The Waffle took over the party with Callaghan displacing Richardson as leader in October 1971. However, the federal party intervened and called a special convention the next month which routed the Waffle and restored Richardson as party leader.
Richardson led the NDP through the 1970
New Brunswick general election, 1970
The 27th New Brunswick general election was held on November 18, 1974, to elect 58 members to the 47th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
and 1974 provincial elections
New Brunswick general election, 1974
The 28th New Brunswick general election was held on November 18, 1974, to elect 58 members to the 48th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
in which the party ran seats in most of the province's ridings for the first time since the party's inception in 1960 but failed to win any seats or take the party above 3% of the popular vote. He stepped down in 1976 and returned to the union movement.