FREDERICTON — Premier Bernard Lord, who turned down a chance at national politics to stay in New Brunswick, will test the strength of his popularity in a provincial general election on June 9.

Lord announced the election date Saturday, ending months of speculation and clearing the way for what should be a tight, 30-day race between the ruling Conservatives and the Opposition Liberals.

New Brunswick's perennial third-place party, the New Democrats, are hoping to make headway in the Maritime province.

Lord, who is seeking his second mandate, started his campaign at an all-candidates meeting in Fredericton, telling 300 cheering Tories that continued prosperity and opportunity would be his main message in the weeks ahead.

"Welcome to Day 1 of our campaign for a stronger, more prosperous New Brunswick," said the premier, whose popularity soared after he was aggressively courted last year by federal Tories as a possible leadership contender.

Lord, 37, shedding his suit jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves, promised supporters that by working together, the 2003 election will be even better than 1999, when the party steamrolled to victory over the ruling Liberals.

At dissolution Saturday, the governing Tories held 46 seats. The once-mighty Liberals had only seven seats and Elizabeth Weir, the leader of the NDP, was the sole member of her party in the legislature.

Lord said his Conservative government has been good for New Brunswick, pointing to several accomplishments, including more money for health care and education and more doctors and nurses.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we did what we said we were going to do... I want New Brunswick to be the opportunity province for the people of New Brunswick."

The crowd responded by chanting, "Four more years! Four more years!"

The Tories are banking on Lord's high profile and personal popularity to keep them in office.

The candidates are known as the "Lord team." The campaign bus has huge pictures of the young, photogenic premier plastered on its sides, with the slogan, Strong Leadership Working for You.

Party officials consider Lord their best weapon in the campaign, especially against an untested newcomer like Liberal leader Shawn Graham.

But Graham said Lord and the Tories have weaknesses that can be exploited, especially the premier's inability over the past four years to reduce the cost of living and improve the province's prosperity.

"We know we have the opportunity to create history in this province by defeating a one-term government," said Graham, referring to the fact that New Brunswickers have never voted out a government after just one term in office.

New Brunswick has experienced the highest cost of living increases in Canada, fuelled mainly by huge hikes in automobile insurance premiums, which rose by an average of 71 per cent last year.

As well, unemployment hovers in the double digits, at just over 10 per cent.

Graham and Weir have both promised radical solutions to ease the insurance crisis, while the Lord government has introduced changes it hopes will eventually lead to lower premiums.

Lord said if the plan doesn't work, a Tory government would try something else.

"There's more to this election than just one issue," he said, quickly changing the subject during a news conference.

"New Brunswick is not just one thing."

Though the Conservatives have struggled to contain the insurance issue, opinion polls suggest Lord remains the most popular political leader in the province.

But the survey margins narrow when it comes to choosing between the Conservative and Liberal parties, and there appeared to be a large number of undecided voters.

Still, Lord can boast of balanced budgets, increased health and education spending and a $400-million deal to twin a major highway.

Weir, the lone New Democrat in the legislature for the past decade, hopes to finally get some company following this election.

"I hope Lord is strapped in and has his safety belt on because this is going to be a roller coaster ride," Weir said Saturday. "New Brunswickers know that if anyone will stand up for them, it's me."

When asked what the top three issues in the campaign would be, Weir responded: "Insurance, insurance, insurance."

Weir is appealing to New Brunswickers to restore a sense of balance in the legislature, which has had lopsided majorities since 1987. She is also pushing for a publicly run auto insurance system.

"Huge majority governments in our province have crippled public confidence and eroded public trust when large numbers of voters are left without a voice."