LAMÈQUE – The New Brunswick Liberal Association held the Nominating Convention for the riding of Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou for the next provincial election on September 24, 2018. Wilfred Roussel, president of the Standing Committee on Private Bills, was nominated in an uncontested meeting held last Friday.

Premier Brian Gallant, who is also Leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party, was present at the nomination and commended Roussel on his work for the riding. “Wilfred works hard on the priorities of the people of Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou, which are the economy, education and health care. He also contributes to the advancement of the province by serving on numerous committees of the Legislative Assembly and the Executive Council”, said Gallant.

Wilfred Roussel is a member of the Legislative Instrument and Regulations Board, a committee of the Executive Council. He is also president of the Standing Committee on Private Bills and a member of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, the Standing Committee on Estimates and Fiscal Policy, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee of the Social Policy. On January 26, 2015, he was appointed to chair the New Brunswick section of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. On the international level, he sits on the board of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

Wilfred is a native of Le Goulet. In 1975, he became a journalist and later served for seven years as editor and CEO of Éditions du Nord, in Caraquet. In 1989, he served as founding vice-president of the first Congrès mondial acadien and was then its CEO from 1992 to 1995. He then moved to Québec, where he worked as a consultant before becoming CEO and editor of the newspaper division of Transcontinental Group in Montréal. In 2006, he became an entrepreneur as the owner of an orchard and cider mill in Rougemont, Québec. That was when Mr. Roussel started wanting to return home. He also realized that he was starting to promote his home region more than his cider. He told himself it was time to go back home. Wilfred Roussel returned to the Acadian Peninsula and quickly got involved in local politics. He was elected Mayor of Le Goulet, his hometown, in 2012. He was also the first President of the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission from 2012 to September 2014.

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly on September 22, 2014, as the member for the riding of Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou.

Roussel said he was humbled to have been nominated by acclamation for his riding. “It is an honour to offer again to serve the people of Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou and I am deeply touched by the confidence that is bestowed upon me”, said Roussel. “I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished in this mandate. In two and a half years, our government has invested more than $25 million in the region, in more than 70 projects. The best asset of Shippagan-Lamèque-Miscou is its people. Our people are dynamic and business-minded. I want to continue working with them and for them.”

The list of official contestants for nominations is available on the New Brunswick Liberal Party’s website at nbliberal.ca.