Richard Bennett Hatfield
Richard Bennett Hatfield (1931-1991) was a
New Brunswick politician and long time
Premier of the province (1970-1987).
Hatfield was first elected to the provincial
legislature in 1961 and became leader of the
Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick in 1969 leading the party to victory in the 1970 election. During Hatfield's long tenure he became prominent on the national stage allying with federal
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau during the constitutional negotiations that led to the 1982
patriation of the
Canadian constitution and the creation of the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He also took leadership in helping create equality between the province's
French-Canadian minority and English Canadian majority.
His attempts at attracting investment to the province and developing the economy were less successful. In the 1970s the Hatfield government financed the manufacture of the
Bricklin automobile in hopes of creating an auto industry in the province. Although a visionary project that produced an advanced quality sportscar, huge cost overuns led to the company's demise.
Hatfield's last years in office were plagued by personal scandal. In October 1984 he was charged with criminal possession of
marijuana after a small amount of the drug was found in his suitcase during a routine inspection of luggage during that year's royal visit by
Queen Elizabeth II. The life-long
bachelor also faced questions about his personal life, his frequent trips to
New York City, and a whisper campaign alleging that Hatfield was
homosexual and rumours linking him to teenage boys in the province's reform schools.
The 1987 election saw Hatfield's
Tories lose ever seat in the legislature. Hatfield resigned as
Premier and party leader immediately. In 1990 he was appointed to the
Canadian Senate by
Brian Mulroney but was soon stricken with an inoperable brain tumour and died in 1991.
Hatfield, Richard
