Kelly Lamrock - Political Career

Political Career

Though he had been often associated with the New Brunswick New Democratic Party and helped write that party's platform for the 1999 provincial election, he soon became active in the New Brunswick Liberal Party. Lamrock chaired the party's policy renewal process in 2001 and was nominated as candidate for Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak under the Liberal banner in 2002.

He was elected to the Legislature in the 2003 election and joined the shadow cabinet as co-critic for Education and critic for Post-Secondary Education. In November, following the resignation of veteran Liberal legislator Bernard Richard, Lamrock was given the high profile role of Opposition House Leader.

Throughout the remainder of the legislative session, Lamrock became one of the most high profile members of the Liberal caucus and carried several high profile critic portfolios in addition to his House Leader duties. In 2006, he delivered the opposition reply to the budget due to the absence of the finance critic for a family emergency.

Lamrock was re-elected in a largely redistributed district, though still named Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak, in the 2006 election. Following the election he was named to cabinet as Minister of Education and was also given responsibilities for the Advisory Council on Youth and the Provincial Capital Commission.

In June 2009, Premier Graham shuffled his Cabinet moving Lamrock to the Social Development portfolio. In January 2010, Lamrock was named Attorney General of New Brunswick.

On September 27, 2010, Lamrock was defeated in the 2010 New Brunswick Provincial election, losing his seat to Progressive Conservative candidate Pam Lynch.