Shawn Graham
A premier who bet his political future on a sweeping, controversial plan to reshape New Brunswick's economy and education system.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010·Birthday: February 22·Generation X
Biography
Shawn Graham stepped onto New Brunswick's political stage with the energy of a reformer. Elected Liberal leader in his mid-thirties, he became premier in 2006, inheriting a province grappling with demographic and economic challenges. His tenure was defined by the ambitious, and ultimately polarizing, 'New Brunswick Self-Sufficiency' agenda, which aimed to wean the province off federal transfers. This plan included a contentious deal to sell NB Power to Hydro-Québec, a move that sparked massive public backlash. Graham's government also pushed through significant reforms in French immersion education and local governance. After a single term, voters delivered a decisive verdict in 2010, ending his premiership. His legacy is that of a leader who pursued bold, structural change with a conviction that left a lasting imprint on provincial policy debates.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Shawn was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Shawn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Shawn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the New Brunswick Liberal Party to a majority government victory in the 2006 provincial election.
- Launched the 'New Brunswick Self-Sufficiency' initiative, a comprehensive economic and social policy framework.
- Negotiated a proposed multi-billion dollar sale of NB Power assets to Hydro-Québec in 2009.
- Implemented major reforms to the province's French immersion program entry points.
Did You Know?
He is a descendant of New Brunswick's first premier, Charles Fisher.
Before politics, he worked as a development officer for the University of New Brunswick.
His father, Alan Graham, also served as a New Brunswick cabinet minister.
“We must make tough choices to build a stronger New Brunswick for future generations.”
