FREDERICTON - The third annual provincial press gallery dinner was held at the STU conference centre last evening in Fredericton. Politicians of all stripes mixed with journalists and noted personalities from around the province to raise money for the Dalton Camp Endowment in Journalism at the university.
Known as a break in hostilities between pols and reporters, the press gallery dinner was full of light-hearted, self-deprecating humour in the speeches by Alward, Boudreau and Cardy, with each taking a poke at each other. Master of Ceremonies, Marshall Button (photo below), kept the crowd of almost 250 entertained with banter that sometimes veered into the witty observations of his Acadian alter ego, Lucien.
The evening wrapped up with the granting of the Stuie Awards. Otherwise known as gag prizes in the form of an Oscar-like statuette, they were given out to those in the crowd known for their clever Tweeting, including CTV reporter Nick Moore, former Liberal MLA Mike Murphy and the Premier's deputy minister Darrell Fowlie.
Below are photos of some the attendees and video highlights from the evening:
left to right, Opposition leader Victor Boudreau, Premier Alward, STU President Dawn Russell, journalism excellence award winner Chris Morris, and NB NDP leader, Dominic Cardy
Former NDP MLA Elizabeth Weir
Premier Alward makes a deal with NB NDP leader Dominic Cardy
STU President Dawn Russell
Environment Minister Bruce Fitch
Official Opposition press secretary Hillary Casey and the Telegraph Journal's Adam Huras
Minister of Public Safety, Robert Trevors
MC Marshall Button dons his alter ego, Lucien, and talks about his reaction to Alward's election to Premier in 2010
NB Legislative Press Gallery Vice-President and CTV journalist Andy Campbell, left, and KHJ's Kelly McGee, right.
Former Liberal MLA and party leader hopeful, Mike Murphy, left, and Liberal oppostion critic for finance and public safety, Donald Arsenault, right
Conservative MLA Jack Carr, left, and NB NDP's Jesse Travis, right
Premier Alward and NB NDP leader, Dominic Cardy
Telegraph Journal columnist Kurt Peacock, left, and Government Services Minister, Craig Leonard
Journalist and STU professor, Michael Camp
Liberal Opposition Leader Victor Boudreau laments the glory days of the Liberal Party in New Brunswick
CBC reporter Susan King, right, congratulates Chris Morris on her award
Veteran journalist, Globe and Mail columnist, and Telegraph Journal editor-at-large, Neil Reynolds
The Daily Gleaner's rookie journalist extraordinaire, Tara Chislett
Health Minister Madeline Dube
Journalist, writer and STU professor, Philip Lee
The NDP's Dominic Cardy talks taxes and Trotsky in his jibes to the Liberals
(apologies on picture quality, battery low)
Liberal Opposition Leader, Victor Boudreau
Journalist, documentarian and STU professor, Mark Tunney, left, and Telegraph Journal reporter and editor, John Chilibeck, right
Telegraph Journal reporter Shawn Berry, left, with colleague Kurt Peacock, right
Conservative MLA Fredericton - Silverwood, Brian Macdonald
CTV reporter Nick Moore
The Aquinian's Justin Marshall, left, and Fredericton City Councillor, Mike O'Brien, right
KHJ's Randy McKeen
STU Dean of Students, Larry Batt
CBC Radio Canada's Michel Corriveau
Conservative MLA Fredericton - Fort Nashwaak, Pam Lynch
The sound guy...cause he's cute
