Dorothy Shephard
Dorothy Shephard (born c. 1961) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Saint John Lancaster as a member of the Progressive Conservatives. She was born and raised in Saint John. Shephard was re-elected in the 2014, 2018 and 2020 provincial elections. Prior to becoming involved in politics, she owned and operated Benjamin Moore Colour Centre, a retail decorating store, for 17 years.
Dorothy Shephard MLA | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Health | |
| In office September 29, 2020 – July 15, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Ted Flemming |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Fitch |
| Minister of Social Development | |
| In office July 15, 2022 – June 15, 2023 | |
| Premier | Blaine Higgs |
| Preceded by | Bruce Fitch |
| Succeeded by | Jill Green (Social Development) Kathy Bockus (Seniors) |
| In office November 9, 2018 – September 29, 2020 | |
| Premier | Blaine Higgs |
| Preceded by | Stephen Horsman (Families and Children) Lisa Harris (Seniors and Long-Term Care) |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Fitch |
| Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities | |
| In office October 9, 2012 – October 7, 2014 | |
| Premier | David Alward |
| Preceded by | Trevor Holder (Culture, Tourism, and Healthy-Living) |
| Succeeded by | Cathy Rogers |
| Member of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly for Saint John Lancaster | |
| Assumed office September 27, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Abel LeBlanc |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1960 or 1961 (age 62–63) Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
Shephard served as Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities in the Alward government from 2012 to 2014. In 2018, she was appointed Minister of Social Development in the Higgs government. In 2020 she was appointed Minister of Health, and in 2022 she was returned to the post of Minister of Social Development.
Shephard resigned from cabinet on June 15, 2023, by handing Premier Blaine Higgs a handwritten resignation letter on the floor of legislature after a voting for an opposition motion calling for further studies on Policy 713. In subsequent media interviews, she cited frustration with Higgs' leadership approach as the reason for her resignation, with his management of Policy 713 being the culmination of her frustrations. On March 21, 2024 Shephard announced that she would not be a contestant in the provincial election scheduled for October 2024, citing a conflict between the party's traditionally "moderate, centrist values", which she supported, and its recent "hyper-focused trend with far-right politics".