John
Betts

John Willis Betts was born in Moncton. He graduated from Teachers’ College in 1969 receiving the Birks Medal for leadership. He was given a hockey scholarship from Gordon College in Boston and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. He holds a Bachelor of Education and a Masters in Education in Administration from the Université de Moncton.

In 1972 he started teaching in Moncton and became the Music Supervisor of District until 1999. In 1980, he won the Atlantic Windsurf Championship. He was music director at Sunny Brae and Highfield Baptist Churches.

His political career started in 1986 lasting to the present time with five straight terms on Moncton City Council and four terms as MLA for Moncton Crescent.

He was first elected in 1999 as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Moncton Crescent. He became caucus chair and was a member of the Public Accounts Committee and the Select Committees on education, local governance and regional collaboration.

Re-elected in 2003, he was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. He chaired the Select Committee on Education, was vice chair of private bills and law amendments committees and sat on the privileges, public accounts, legislative administration and Crown corporations committees.

Following re-election in 2006, he chaired the public accounts committee and was a member of the private bills committee. He was Opposition critic for local government, Efficiency NB and the Department of Environment.

He was re-elected to the 57th Legislature on September 27, 2010 and elected government caucus chair on October 19, 2010.

He is a member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Legislative Administration Committee.

Mr. Betts and his wife, Dr. Rolene Betts, have three children: Jason, Jessica (husband Jonathan Cook), Jared, and two grandchildren, Leah and Isaiah.