Dennis Cochrane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dennis H. Cochrane (born October 26, 1950) is a Canadian politician and civil servant.

Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, he graduated from the New Brunswick Teacher's College in 1970, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1974, received a Bachelor of Education in 1974 and a Master of Education in 1981 from the University of Moncton. From 1970 to 1991, he was a school teacher and principal in New Brunswick.

He was elected to the Moncton City Council in 1977 and was elected mayor in 1979, He was re-elected in 1980. In 1983, he was Councillor-at-Large of Moncton. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons representing the riding of Moncton in 1984. A Progressive Conservative, he was defeated in 1988.

He was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick in 1990 and regained seats for his party in the 1991 election, the PCs having been shut out in 1987. Though he won only three seats in the election he gained others through by-elections and seemed poised to win, at least, official opposition in the coming election.

The opposition Confederation of Regions Party was suffering internal strife and a number of its members chose to sat as independents. Cochrane invited them to join the PC caucus however they declined and one of the Acadian members quit in protest. As a result, Cochrane resigned the leadership.

Following the victory of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia in the neighbouring province's 1999 election, he was named deputy minister of Education.