Richard Hatfield: Power and Disobedience

Ashley Thomson is a full librarian at Laurentian University and co-editor or co-author of nine books, most recently Margaret Atwood: A Reference Guide, 1988-2005.

Originally published as Richard Hatfield: Un Dernier Train pour
Hartland, this book has been translated by Daphne Ponder, and any review
must acknowledge her splendid work. Whatever the state of the original
French, Ponder’s translation is clear, colloquial, and convincing, for
no one would ever guess its language of origin. About the only giveaway
is the names of the authors—both CBC correspondents who worked in New
Brunswick during the Hatfield era.

As francophones, Cormier and Michaud must have been attracted to the
premier, since his major accomplishments, as least as recorded in this
book, included winning Acadiens over to his Progressive Conservative
Party, and championing the cause of a bilingual and bicultural Canada at
the federal level. The premier had other accomplishments during a term
of office that extended between 1970 and 1987, but none of these command
the same attention as his work with the Acadiens or some of the less
attractive features of his regime, such as the Bricklin car fiasco,
political kickbacks, and the unorthodox lifestyle that ultimately
brought him down.

The book is fascinating not only because it contains fresh information
about Hatfield (e.g., he was a card-carrying member of the Parti
Québécois) but also because it reveals much about the political
culture of New Brunswick. While it could have used more and better
photographs, and while it is by no means definitive, since the authors
appear to have relied on the usual journalistic sources, the book must
be recommended, not only because it is reasonably balanced and
insightful but also because of Ponder’s graceful translation.