Michael Murphy launches Liberal leadership campaign

Former provincial cabinet minister Michael Murphy has launched his campaign for the New Brunswick Liberal party leadership.

Murphy, a Moncton lawyer, announced his Liberal candidacy at a news conference in Moncton on Thursday afternoon in front of 150 people.

The former cabinet minsiter also made several promises, including an environmental charter of rights for the province and making northern New Brunswick a tax-free zone.

As well, Murphy said less red tape could also increase the number of nursing home beds in New Brunswick and said an injunction should be sought against the Canadian Blood Services from movingits blood processing and delivery centre out of Saint John to Halifax.

Murphyhas been saying for months that he would campaign for the joband has been writing opinion articles in newspapers and using social media to comment on politics.

"In my opinion, to have a younger leader because he will have time on his side," said Roger Ouellette, a professor of political science at the Universite de Moncton. "If the guy or the woman is in [their] sixties and losing the next election, well the Liberals will have to look for another leader."

Murphy is the first high-profile candidate to officially enter the Liberal leadership race.

Nick Duivenvoorden, the mayor of Belledune, announced in November that he was running for the party's top job.

Other possible contenders include former cabinet minister Kelly Lamrock, Dieppe Centre-Lewisville MLA Roger Melanson and lawyer Brian Gallant.

The former MonctonNorth MLA is an early front-runner to win the fall vote, having already secured the endorsement of several MLAs.

Moncton East MLA Chris Collins, Bathurst MLA Brian Kenny and Charlotte-The Isles Rick Doucet have all agreed to support Murphy's candidacy.

"We've been taught a lesson by the electorate during the election and we have a responsiblity as a party to put forward a platform and people who will guide the province forward," Collins said.

Still, Murphy's political track record will undoubtedly give his opponents plenty of fodder.

When Murphy first campaigned for a seat in the legislature in 2003, he brushed off the suggestion he had leadership ambitions, saying hisfuture plans were to work with Shawn Graham as premier.

Murphy also addressed his history of quitting during his news conference. Murphy dropped out ofthe provincialLiberal leadership race in 2001 and quit politics in 2010.

"Ihave suffered some mighty blows but I always say that if you elect me as leader of the Liberal Party I'll promise you that this time I'll continue to fight, and fight and fight," he said.

"In less than three years wethis Liberal party will win again, we'll win that election," Murphy said at the podium Thursday.

Quit during NB Power debate

Murphy servedas health minister and justice minister, as well as the government's house leader, but thenquit abruptly two years ago.

His resignation came at the height of the controversy over selling NB Power to Hydro-Qubec, and left the Liberals without one of their highest-profile cabinet ministers, a week before the legislature was set tocontinue debate on the contentious plan.

At that time,the father-of-five said it was a personal, family decision.

"This has nothing to do with any initiative of government. I am a supporter of this government," he said on Jan. 4, 2010.

He did not answer a question about whether he would ever consider a return to politics.

Murphy later admitted that he did quit over NB Power, but said he felt it was more honourable to not say so at the time.

Murphy told Trot Magazine, which describes itself as "Canadas leading equine publication," in March 2011 that he was being courteous by not blaming his departure on NB Power.

"When someone is integral to government and suddenly disagrees with its direction, it's incumbent on them, as a matter of honour, to quietly leave. And that's what I did," Murphy told the magazine.

He has also ducked any blame forproblems that came to light with consulting contracts for e-healthan initiative he had championed as minister.

In September, Auditor General Kim MacPherson announced she will investigate more than 300 contracts for a new, provincial e-health initiative.

A previous audit by the Office of the Comptroller showed outside consultants were brought into the Department of Health to oversee the project, giving them a potential unfair advantage by being able to see invoices and documents from their competitors and putting them in possible conflicts of interest.

'No minister of this government or any past government can be expected to investigate every company or every individual that works in every corner of the department.' Michael Murphy, May 12, 2011

In addition, some contractors were paid more than they were due under their contracts or had their contracts extendedwithout proper procedure, the review found.

"No minister of this government or any past government can be expected to investigate every company or every individual that works in every corner of the department," Murphy said.

Murphy also came under fire as health minister for his handling of the contract fight with the province's doctors and the controversial restructuring of the health system that slashed the number of regional health authorities to two from eight.

As government house leader, Murphyintroduced contentious legislation to boost MLA pensionsby 85 per cent in April 2008. The increase gave New Brunswick MLAs one of the richest political pension plans in the country.

This summer, the Alward government followed through on a pledge to rein in MLA pensions by introducing a bill to roll them back largely to what they were before the changes.

Earlier leadership bid

This will be the second time that Murphy has sought the party's leadership.

Murphyabruptly ended an earlier attempt to run for the leadership in 2001.

He had been soliciting support after former premier Camille Theriault resigned, but backed away saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, practise law and finish his masters degree.

"I came to realize I had five beautiful children, a wonderful wife and a large practice. There is a price tag for political involvement and something had to give," Murphy said in October 2001.

"I'm now at a point where I am at ease with this because I almost gave up an awful lot of things that were given to me and I'm not going to be gritting my teeth wanting more."

Shawn Graham eventually won that leadership race in May 2002.

The Liberals were left without a permanent leader when Graham resigned following the Sept. 27 electoral drubbing. The party was left with only 13 seats, down from their previous 33 in the 55-seat legislative assembly.

Victor Boudeau is serving as the party's interim leader.