| Kelly Lamrock | |
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| In office 2003 – 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Eric MacKenzie |
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| Succeeded by | riding dissolved |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2006 |
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| Preceded by | first member |
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| Political party | Liberal |
Kelly Lamrock, is a Canadian lawyer and politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He is currently a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak, and Minister of Social Development in the New Brunswick cabinet.
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Before politics
Kelly Lamrock attended Fredericton High School. While there he competed in the World High School Public Speaking Championship, where he placed second, and was the winner of several national debating competitions.
He attended St. Thomas University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and the University of New Brunswick, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws. He was president of the student unions at both institutions, the first and so far the only student to have occupied both posts. He was also involved in national student politics, he served as president of the Canadian Federation of Students and then was a leader in the split within that organization that led to the creation of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). He was the founding president of the New Brunswick Student Alliance, a provincial wing of CASA, during which time he authored Open Doors, Open Minds and No More Smoke and Mirrors two reports which led to his appearing before committees of the Canadian House of Commons and Canadian Senate as well as to a tuition freeze in New Brunswick.[1]
Following graduation from university, Lamrock briefly ran his own law practice before becoming the Director of Policy and Communications for the New Brunswick Healthcare Association in 1998. In 2001, he become Director of Student Affairs at St. Thomas University.[1]
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 easily re-elected in a largely different 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.
French immersion controversy
On March 14, 2008, Minister Lamrock announced the elimination of all public school French Second Language training prior to Grade 5 in New Brunswick, including the popular Early French Immersion program which started in Grade 1. Instead all students would have five months of "intensive" French in Grade 5, and there would be an optional Late French Immersion program starting in Grade 6. [2] Public reaction has been highly critical of this move, and groups have called for his resignation over the matter.[3]
On June 11, 2008, Justice Hugh McLellan of the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick quashed Lamrock's decision of March 14, calling the decision of the minister unfair and unreasonable because he did not allow enough time for debate before making his decision. [4] In response, Minister Lamrock announced a new consultation with a deadline of July 25, and has stated that he will make a final decision on August 5. Electronic submissions to this new consultation were posted on the Government of New Brunswick website.[5]
On June 18, 2008, the New Brunswick Ombudsman and Child and Youth Advocate, Bernard Richard, in his Report of the Ombudsman into the Minister of Education’s decision to modify the French Second Language Curriculum, recommended that the Government defer the consultation announced by Minister Lamrock and delay implementation of the elimination of early French immersion until September 2009, citing: Unfairness stemming from a lack of consultation, Unfairness due to insufficient notice prior to implementation, Decision premised upon a mistake of fact arising from errors in statistical analysis and other factual errors, Failure to consider all the evidence before the Commissioners and before the Minister, Bias arising from an alleged pre-determination of the consultation outcomes, Determination of FSL policy on the basis of irrelevant grounds or considerations, or for an improper purpose, and Failure to consider commitments of citizen engagement in the government response to the Commission on Legislative Democracy [6]
On August 5, 2008, Minister Lamrock and Premier Shawn Graham announced a revised plan[7] for French Second Language Education, subsequent to the public consultation. In this new plan early immersion has been cut and middle immersion will be offered in Grade 3 as of 2010, following an introduction to French language and culture for all students starting in kindergarten, to be implemented in 2009. Students who are not in the immersion program began intensive French in Grade 5 as of September 2008, and a greater variety of options are being planned for the higher grades.
Boys in Red
Following an accident on January 12, 2008 that killed 7 members of the Bathurst High School boys basketball team and a teacher Lamrock introduced new measures to prevent another accident. The new regulations require schools to use vehicles that meet government standards. The new costs associated with these regulations have had a mixed reception in the province.
Cabinet posts
| Provincial Government of Shawn Graham | ||
| Cabinet Posts (2) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Mary Schryer | Minister of Social Development 2009– |
incumbent |
| Claude Williams | Minister of Education 2006–2009 |
Roland Haché |
| Special Cabinet Responsibilities | ||
| Predecessor | Title | Successor |
| none | Minister responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission (2006–) new designation |
incumbent |
| Mary Schryer | Minister responsible for Housing (2009–) |
incumbent |
| Bernard Lord | Minister responsible for Youth (2006–2009) |
position abolished |
References
- ^ a b "Hon. Kelly Lamrock". MLA Bios - 56th Legislature. Government of New Brunswick. http://www1.gnb.ca/legis/bios1/bio-e.asp?idNo=102&version=e. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
- ^ CBC News: N.B. students won't begin French until Grade 5 - Retrieved 20 Mar 08
- ^ CBC News: Early French immersion advocates want minister to resign Retrieved 20 Mar 08
- ^ "Judge quashes N.B. plan to cut early French immersion". Maclean's. June 11, 2008. http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2008/06/11/judge-quashes-nb-govt-plan-to-cut-early-french-immersion/. Retrieved 21 June 08.
- ^ "Electronic submissions to Lamrock consultation". Government of New Brunswick. July 2008. http://www.gnb.ca/0000/comm/eng-commP1-e.asp.
- ^ "Report of the Ombudsman into the Minister of Education’s decision to modify the French Second Language Curriculum". Government of New Brunswick. June 2008. http://www.gnb.ca/0073/PDF/FSLReport-e.pdf. Retrieved 21 June 08.
- ^ "Consultation results in improved French second-language programming". Government of New Brunswick. 08/08/05. http://gnb.ca/cnb/news/edu/2008e1124ed.htm.
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