Joseph Raymond "Ray" Frenette (born April 16, 1935), is a former politician in New Brunswick, Canada. He was a Liberal representative for the riding of Moncton East in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1974 until 1998 when retired after a short term as the 28th Premier of New Brunswick.
He is the son of Berthilde Pitre and Samuel Frenette.
Before being elected to the legislature, he was a councillor for the village of Lewisville and, after Lewisville was amalgamated with the city of Moncton, he was a Moncton city councillor.
He twice ran for leader of the New Brunswick Liberals. He lost in 1982 to Doug Young and in 1985 to Frank McKenna. He served as interim Liberal leader from 1983–1985 and again from October, 1997 to May, 1998 also serving as Premier.
Frenette was Frank McKenna's right hand man in the legislature, serving as his House Leader throughout his tenure as leader from 1985 to 1997. He resigned from the New Brunswick legislature in July 1998.
Following his political career, Frenette was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to be a director of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) for a three-year term from 1998 to 2001 following which he served as chair from 2001 to 2005.
On May 11, 2006 it was announced that he would be New Brunswick chair of Gerard Kennedy's campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Provincial Government of Ray Frenette | ||
| Cabinet Posts (2) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Frank McKenna | Premier of New Brunswick 1997-1998 |
Camille Thériault |
| himself in McKenna government |
President of the Executive Council 1997-1998 |
Camille Thériault |
| Provincial Government of Frank McKenna | ||
| Cabinet Posts (4) | ||
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Frank McKenna | President of the Executive Council 1995-1997 |
himself in Frenette government |
| Roland Beaulieu | Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs 1995-1997 |
Bernard Thériault |
| Al Lacey | Chairman of the New Brunswick Power Corporation 1991-1995 |
chairman no longer a cabinet member |
| Nancy Teed | Minister of Health and Community Services 1987-1991 |
Russ King |
| Special Cabinet Responsibilities | ||
| Predecessor | Title | Successor |
| Marcelle Mersereau | Deputy Premier of New Brunswick 1995-1997 |
Alan R. Graham |
| Malcolm MacLeod | Government House Leader 1987-1997 |
Doug Tyler |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Frank McKenna |
Leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick 1997–1998 (interim) |
Succeeded by Camille Thériault |
| Preceded by Doug Young |
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick 1983–1985 |
Succeeded by Shirley Dysart |
| Leader of the Liberal Party of New Brunswick 1983–1985 (interim) |
||
| Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick | ||
| Preceded by none, new district |
Member of the New Brunswick Legislature for Moncton East 1974–1998 |
Succeeded by Bernard Lord |
|
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Frenette, Ray |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Canadian politician |
| Date of birth | April 16, 1935 |
| Place of birth | Beresford, New Brunswick |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
Famous quotes containing the word ray:
“The gods are partial to no era, but steadily shines their light in the heavens, while the eye of the beholder is turned to stone. There was but the sun and the eye from the first. The ages have not added a new ray to the one, nor altered a fibre of the other.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)