T. J. Burke
Encyclopedia
Thomas James "T.J." Burke QC
(born 1972) is a New Brunswick
lawyer
and politician
. Burke was the first Aboriginal
who hails from Tobique First Nation
selected to a legislature
anywhere in Atlantic Canada
. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
since 2003
and was a member of the cabinet
from 2006 to 2009.
Burke was born in Los Angeles, California
. His family returned to Canada
in 1978, and he was raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick
. He graduated from Fredericton High School
in 1990. After high school
, Burke enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
where he served from 1990 to 1995. Following his stint in the U.S. military, Burke again returned to Canada and completed a Bachelor of Arts
at St. Thomas University
and a law degree
at Dalhousie University
. He practiced law in Fredericton from being called to the bar until he was named to the cabinet
.
Burke became active in New Brunswick Liberal
politics in 2002 when he was recruited by Greg Byrne to assist in Shawn Graham
's leadership campaign
. He ran for and won the Liberal nomination for Fredericton North in 2003 and was elected to the legislature in June of that year defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
D. Peter Forbes
.
He became the member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
for the riding of Fredericton North
following the 2003 election
and served in the shadow cabinet
. He served until September 26, 2005, as critic for both Justice
and Aboriginal Affairs when he left those portfolios for the Department of Energy
.
Burke received national attention on December 15, 2005, when the legislature unanimously passed his motion declaring 2006 the "year of the war bride". Still practicing law as an MLA, Burke argued his first case before the Supreme Court of Canada
on May 17, 2006.
He was re-elected to the legislature in the 2006 election
to the new district of Fredericton-Nashwaaksis
. He joined the cabinet as Attorney General. In June 2009, he was shuffled
to become Environment Minister
, but he left the cabinet a month later to return to the practice of law to tend to "an old legal case which emerged as active again."
On January 22, 2010, Burke performed a rendition of Larry Platt
's "Pants on the Ground
" when criticizing conservative opposition leader David Alward
during a session of the New Brunswick provincial legislature, garnering international attention.
On September 28, 2010, Burke was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Troy Lifford
and lost his seat in the Legislature.
He is married, with three daughters.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 1972) is a New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Burke was the first Aboriginal
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
who hails from Tobique First Nation
Tobique First Nation
Tobique First Nation is one of six Wolastoqiyik or Maliseet Nations in New Brunswick, Canada.The Tobique Reserve is located on the north side of the Tobique River. The reserve comprises two lots . The Tobique Reserve, established in 1801 with nearly 20,000 acres, was granted after a petition to...
selected to a legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
anywhere in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
since 2003
New Brunswick general election, 2003
The 35th New Brunswick general election was held on June 9, 2003, to elect 55 members to the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
and was a member of the cabinet
Executive Council of New Brunswick
The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
from 2006 to 2009.
Burke was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. His family returned to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1978, and he was raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
. He graduated from Fredericton High School
Fredericton High School
Fredericton High School is a high school in the city of Fredericton in New Brunswick, Canada. It is the oldest English high school in Canada, founded in 1800.-History:...
in 1990. After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Burke enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
where he served from 1990 to 1995. Following his stint in the U.S. military, Burke again returned to Canada and completed a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
St. Thomas University is jointly a public and Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It offers degrees exclusively at the undergraduate level for approximately 3,000 students in the liberal arts, humanities, journalism, education, and social work....
and a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
at Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
. He practiced law in Fredericton from being called to the bar until he was named to the cabinet
Executive Council of New Brunswick
The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
.
Burke became active in New Brunswick Liberal
New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
politics in 2002 when he was recruited by Greg Byrne to assist in Shawn Graham
Shawn Graham
Shawn Michael Graham, MLA is a New Brunswick politician, who served as the 31st Premier of New Brunswick. He received a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree in 1991 and a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1993, he worked for New Brunswick's civil service before being elected to the Legislative...
's leadership campaign
Leadership convention
In Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.- Overview :...
. He ran for and won the Liberal nomination for Fredericton North in 2003 and was elected to the legislature in June of that year defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...
D. Peter Forbes
D. Peter Forbes
Donald Peter Forbes Donald Peter Forbes Donald Peter Forbes (October 3, 1940 is an electrical engineer, lawyer and former political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Fredericton North in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2003 as a Progressive Conservative member....
.
He became the member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
for the riding of Fredericton North
Fredericton North
Fredericton North was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada from 1973 to 2006. It was split between the new ridings of Fredericton-Nashwaaksis and Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak.- External links :*...
following the 2003 election
New Brunswick general election, 2003
The 35th New Brunswick general election was held on June 9, 2003, to elect 55 members to the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
and served in the shadow cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
. He served until September 26, 2005, as critic for both Justice
Department of Justice (New Brunswick)
The Department of Justice in New Brunswick, a Canadian province was one of the longest running departments in the New Brunswick government. Traditionally headed by the Attorney General, the department was significantly altered on February 14, 2006....
and Aboriginal Affairs when he left those portfolios for the Department of Energy
Department of Energy (New Brunswick)
The Department of Energy is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with the administration of New Brunswick's energy policy including electricity, natural gas and refined petroleum products....
.
Burke received national attention on December 15, 2005, when the legislature unanimously passed his motion declaring 2006 the "year of the war bride". Still practicing law as an MLA, Burke argued his first case before the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
on May 17, 2006.
He was re-elected to the legislature in the 2006 election
New Brunswick general election, 2006
The 36th New Brunswick general election was held on September 18, 2006, to elect 55 members to the 56th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada....
to the new district of Fredericton-Nashwaaksis
Fredericton-Nashwaaksis
Fredericton-Nashwaaksis is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first created in the 2006 redrawing of electoral districts and was first used in the general election later that year.- History :...
. He joined the cabinet as Attorney General. In June 2009, he was shuffled
Cabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
to become Environment Minister
Department of Environment (New Brunswick)
The Department of Environment is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with planning land use, zoning development and waste management as well as the enforcement of environmental legislation and regulations....
, but he left the cabinet a month later to return to the practice of law to tend to "an old legal case which emerged as active again."
On January 22, 2010, Burke performed a rendition of Larry Platt
Larry Platt
"General" Larry Platt is an American Civil and political rights activist and rapper who gained fame with his performance of "Pants on the Ground" on the ninth season of American Idol. His hit release song "Pants on the Ground" was released on iTunes and received over 150,000 hits...
's "Pants on the Ground
Pants on the Ground
"Pants on the Ground" is the first single by civil rights activist "General" Larry Platt. The song is meant to protest the practice of sagging. It was released on American King Music on February 4, 2010...
" when criticizing conservative opposition leader David Alward
David Alward
David Nathan Alward is a Canadian politician, the 32nd and current Premier of New Brunswick.Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick since 2008...
during a session of the New Brunswick provincial legislature, garnering international attention.
On September 28, 2010, Burke was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Troy Lifford
Troy Lifford
Troy Lifford is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election. He beat out Liberal MLA T.J. Burke to take the seat. He represents the electoral district of Fredericton-Nashwaaksis as a member of the Progressive...
and lost his seat in the Legislature.
He is married, with three daughters.