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Richard Bennett Hatfield
Hon. Richard Bennett Hatfield, PC ONB BA LL.B.
26th Premier of New Brunswick
In office November 11, 1970 – October 26, 1987
Preceded by	Louis Robichaud
Succeeded by	Frank McKenna
Born	April 09, 1931(1931-04-09) Woodstock, New Brunswick
Died	April 26, 1991 (aged 60)
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Religion	Protestant

Richard Bennett Hatfield, PC , ONB, BA , LL.B (April 9, 1931 – April 26, 1991) was a New Brunswick politician and long time Premier of the province (1970-1987).

Hatfield was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1961 and became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick in 1969 leading the party to victory in the 1970 provincial election. During Hatfield's long tenure, he became prominent on the national stage, allying with federal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau during the constitutional negotiations that led to the 1982 patriation of the Canadian constitution and the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He also took leadership in helping create equality between the province's Acadian minority and English Canadian majority.

His attempts at attracting investment to the province and developing the economy were less successful. In the 1970s, the Hatfield government financed the manufacture of the Bricklin SV-1 in hope of creating an auto industry in the province. Although a visionary project that produced an advanced sports car, huge cost overruns and poor management led to the company's demise.

Hatfield's last years in office were plagued by personal scandal. In October 1984, he was charged with criminal possession of marijuana after a small amount of the drug was found in his suitcase during a routine inspection of luggage during that year's royal visit by Queen Elizabeth II. He was acquitted on the charges. Immediately following this acquittal, however, allegations surfaced that Hatfield had used cocaine at a party with some university students. No charges were ever laid as a result of these allegations.

Hatfield was a life-long bachelor, and lived alone in a house full of collector dolls. Many suspected him of being a homosexual, and even a Liberal opponent, Joe Daigle, responded to Hatfield's accusations of being unoriginal by saying, "I'd rather be a second hand rose than a faded pansy." Hatfield spent a lot of time in New York and Europe, once saying to a reporter that "[He was] elected to run New Brunswick, not live there."

In the 1987 election, Hatfield's PC Party lost every seat in the legislature. Hatfield resigned as Premier of New Brunswick and party leader immediately. In 1990, he was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn, on the advice of Brian Mulroney, but was soon stricken with an inoperable brain tumour and died in 1991. He was 60. His memorial service, which was held at the Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton, New Brunswick, was attended by Premiers and Prime Ministers, friends and opponents.

The youngest of five children of Heber Hatfield and Dora Robinson, Richard was brought up with politics in the household. His father, already a well known potato shipper, was Hartland's mayor when he was born. In 1938, at 7 years old, his father brought him to Winnipeg at the Conservative Party of Canada leadership convention where he met his namesake, R.B. Bennett. In 1940 Heber was elected Victoria-Carleton county Conservative Member of Parliament and served until his death due to cancer in 1952. Young Richard spent a lot of time in Ottawa even getting to know John Diefenbaker and his first wife Edna.

After graduating from high school in 1948 in his home town Hartland, Hatfield attended Acadia University for four years majoring in chemistry and English. He also got involved in drama, an experience that seemed to have the most lasting impact of any during his years at Acadia. "That was extremely valuable" he said. "It would benefit every politician to have a bit of theatre training... too many politicians get caught up using big words to impress, but don't know how to project feelings." After Acadia, he attended Dalhousie University to become a doctor but after a year he turned to law.

Hatfield left Halifax in 1957 and moved to Truro to take a job with the firm Patterson, Smith, Matthew and Grant so he could do his six months articling period. After successfully completing his articles, he left Truro to join Gordon Churchill who was at the time Minister of Industry in Ottawa. He declined a job offer at the firm and he never practised law again. He stayed in Ottawa for nine months until he called his brother for a job back home. Fred Hatfield, who was managing the potato shipping and processing operation since Heber died, said yes and made Richard vice-president of sales. He worked with his brother until 1965.

In 1961, Hugh John Flemming left his Carleton county seat to run successfully in the federal seat of Royal. Fred, who was at the time president of Carleton County PC Association, offered the nomination to Richard which he accepted. He ran against his brother-in-law Gerald Clark, and won easily with a majority of 1,736 votes. Years later he recalled "[Heber's] reputation had helped me to be elected, and now I was on my own."

When the New Brunswick Legislature was not sitting, Hatfield sold potato chips all over the Maritimes. There aren't any milestones to characterise Hatfield in his first few years as an MLA; he did however spend a lot of time talking to reporters about politics in Fredericton and Montreal.

When his family sold their potato chip plant to Humpty Dumpty Foods, he decided to be a politician full time.

Richard Starr, Richard Hatfield, The Seventeen Year Saga, 1987

• Political biography from the Library of Parliament

v • d • e Premiers of New Brunswick
Colony: Fisher • Gray • Fisher • S. L. Tilley • Smith • P. Mitchell Province: Wetmore • King • Hathaway • King • Fraser • Hanington • Blair • J. Mitchell • Emmerson • Tweedie • Pugsley • Robinson • Hazen • J. Flemming • Clarke • Murray • Foster • Veniot • Baxter • Richards • L. P. Tilley • Dysart • McNair • H. Flemming • Robichaud • Hatfield • McKenna • Frenette • Thériault • Lord • Graham