Ray Frenette

Joseph Raymond Frenette
28th Premier of New Brunswick
In office October 14, 1997 – May 14, 1998
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Marilyn T. Counsell
Preceded by	Frank McKenna
Succeeded by	Camille Thériault
MLA for Moncton East
In office November 18, 1974 – June 30, 1998
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Bernard Lord
Personal details
Born	April 16, 1935 Beresford, New Brunswick
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Armande Hachey

Joseph Raymond "Ray" Frenette (born April 16, 1935), is a former politician in New Brunswick, Canada. He was a Liberal representative for the riding of Moncton East in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1974 until 1998 when he retired after a short term as the 28th Premier of New Brunswick.

He is the son of Berthilde Pitre and Samuel Frenette.

Before being elected to the legislature, he was a councillor for the village of Lewisville and, after Lewisville was amalgamated with the city of Moncton, he was a Moncton city councillor.

He twice ran for leader of the New Brunswick Liberals. He lost in 1982 to Doug Young and in 1985 to Frank McKenna. He served as interim Liberal leader from 1983–1985 and again from October, 1997 to May, 1998 also serving as Premier.

Frenette was Frank McKenna's right-hand man in the legislature, serving as his House Leader throughout his tenure as leader from 1985 to 1997. He resigned from the New Brunswick legislature in July 1998.

Following his political career, Frenette was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to be a director of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) for a three-year term from 1998 to 2001 following which he served as chair from 2001 to 2005.

On May 11, 2006 it was announced that he would be New Brunswick chair of Gerard Kennedy's campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.^[1]

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