He was elected to the
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the
2003 election to represent the
riding of
Southwest Miramichi, defeating cabinet minister
Norman Betts. A
Liberal, he has been the critic of the
Department of Supply and Services since the election. On July 6, 2006 he was named chair of the Opposition's Petroleum Products Pricing Task Force, established in the wake of gas price regulation taking effect in New Brunswick on July 1. He was re-elected in the
2006 election despite a strong challenge from former MLA
Brent Taylor. Following the election, on November 7, 2006, he was named
whip for the
government caucus. On November 12, 2008, he was added to the
cabinet. He served as Minister of Human Resources and Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs until September 2010. Presently (fall of 2010) Rick & Ruth are involved in building a school in Iquitos, Peru. Rick recently received his Clergy license with Faith Christian Fellowship of Canada. ==Personal life==