Saint John

This is an urban riding in southern New Brunswick, stretching as far west as Kennebecasis Bay. Saint John, Rothesay and part of Quispamsis are in the riding.

The 2006 census found that five per cent of residents are francophones and more than four per cent immigrants.

The University of New Brunswick-Saint John, Saint John Airport and the corporate headquarters for the Irving group of companies are in the riding. The Saint John port is one of the busiest in the country. The average family income is $70,184 and unemployment stands at 8.3 per cent.

The riding was established as Saint John in 1976. In the 2004 redistribution, about 14,000 residents were added from the former riding of Fundy-Royal to the east.

Population: 82,078 (2006 census; a decrease of 1.7% since 2001)

Political History

This was PC Elsie Wayne's territory, but after her retirement, Paul Zed took the riding for the Liberals in 2004. Zed held on to the riding in 2006, winning a narrow victory over Conservative John Wallace.

Saint John has largely voted Tory since 1968, although it went Liberal in 1974 and 1980.

In 1984, Tory Gerald Merrithew came to power and served in a number of cabinet posts. Merrithew was succeeded by Wayne, Saint John's former mayor who was one of only two PCs elected in 1993 (with Jean Charest). Wayne won again in 1997. In 2000, she defeated Zed by more than 7,200 votes.

Saint John-Lancaster:

• 1968, 1972 - PC
• 1974 - LIB

Saint John:

• 1979 - PC
• 1980 - LIB
• 1984, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2000 - PC
• 2004, 2006 - LIB