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Andrew George BlairAndrew George Blair (March 7, 1844-January 25, 1907) was a New Brunswick politician. He was first elected to the provincial legislature in 1878 after unsuccessful attempts in the previous two elections. Though Blair was a supporter of Sir John A. Macdonald's federal Liberal-Conservatives he joined the parliamentary opposition in the legislature and, in 1879, became leader of the opposition to the Conservative government of Premier James J. Fraser. He molded the disparate opposition into the modern Liberal Party of New Brunswick instituting party platforms or manifestos and launched the first province wide political campaign in an era when campaign had been run largely on a constituency basis. taking the party to power in 1873 winning enough support in the newly elected legislature to form a government. Blair became premier and Attorney-General. Blair's government built a three-quarters of a mile long bridge across the Saint John River linking Fredericton with villages and factories on the other side of the river. His government also went to court to win the right to grant liquor licences. He also extended the franchise, which had been exclusively male, to widows and unmarried women who owned property. He was opposed, however, to universal female suffrage. His government also abolished the Legislative Council (the legislature's Upper House). The Liberal government almost lost the 1889 election but was able to stay in power with the support of independent MLAs. Blair lost his own seat in the 1892 election, due to Protestant opposition to his policy of accommodating Acadians and other Catholics (including appointing several to his cabinet and other government positions), but was able to re-enter the house through a by-election. After leading his party to a major electoral victory in 1895, Blair left provincial politics in 1896 when he was appointed minister of railways and canals in the federal Cabinet of Liberal Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. He entered the Canadian House of Commons in an 1896 by-election and was re-elected in the 1900 election. Blair resigned from the government in July 1903 in opposition to Laurier's plan to build the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. In order to prevent him from becoming a major opposition figure, Laurier appointed Blair to head the Board of Railway Commissioners in December 1903 taking Blair out of active politics and out of the House of Commons. However, Blair resigned from the Board sixteen days before the 1904 Canadian election in order to campaign against Laurier but withdrew from the campaign after discussions with Laurier. He died on January 25, 1907 of a heart attack. Blair, Andrew George Blair, Andrew George Blair, Andrew George Blair, Andrew George
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