Westmorland—Kent was a federal electoral district in eastern New Brunswick, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1988. It was replaced by Beauséjour riding (also known as Beauséjour—Petitcodiac), which has been represented in the House of Commons since 1988.
Beauséjour is largely Acadian and Francophone, with a significant Anglophone section in the southern section of the riding.
The riding consists of most of Westmorland County to the east and north of Moncton; and almost all of Kent County. Major towns in the riding include Shediac, Cap-Pele, Sackville, Bouctouche and Richibucto.
Westmorland—Kent was created in 1966 from Kent, and part of Westmorland that was not included in the Moncton riding. It was abolished when it was incorporated into the new riding of Beauséjour in 1987.
Beauséjour was created in 1987 primarily from Westmorland—Kent, incorproating parts of Moncton and Northumberland—Miramichi ridings.
In 1997, it was renamed "Beauséjour—Petitcodiac", and expanded to include most of Albert County and the Petitcodiac area of western Westmorland County. This created a "doughnut" around Greater Moncton, which was a separate district.
In 2003, Beauséjour—Petitcodiac was abolished when it was redistributed into a new Beauséjour riding and into Fundy riding.
The new Beauséjour riding was created primarily from Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, incorproating parts of Miramichi and Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe ridings.
The riding has voted Liberal in every election except 1997, when it elected a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP) in what was mostly seen as a protest vote. Angela Vautour switched to the Progressive Conservatives midway through her term, and was defeated in 2000.
Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien represented Beauséjour for a short time in the early 1990s after he won the Liberal leadership. The sitting MP stepped down to allow him to have a seat in the House of Commons. Former Governor-General of Canada Roméo LeBlanc also held a seat in Beauséjour for a time, and his son Dominic LeBlanc is its current MP.
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