Another New Brunswick Progressive Conservative member who clashed with Premier Blaine Higgs over his policy on gender identity in schools has decided not to run in the upcoming provincial election.
In a letter posted to social media, Dorothy Shephard says she will stay on as Tory member of the legislature for the Saint John Lancaster riding until the election, which has to be scheduled by October.
Shephard expresses gratitude to the leaders she has worked for, without mentioning Higgs, and states that she will apply her experiences from serving in three departments over four terms to whatever comes next.
She resigned as social development minister in June and voted with the Opposition to compel the province’s youth and child advocate to review a policy requiring students under 16 to obtain parental approval before teachers can use their preferred names and pronouns.
Daniel Allain and Jeff Carr have recently both said they will not seek re-election, after they were removed from Higgs’ cabinet in June for publicly criticizing the changes to the gender identity policy in schools.
Shephard is the ninth member of the legislative assembly elected in 2020 to announce they won’t seeking re-election.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.
