A civil servant for most of her career, she also served as a councillor on Bathurst, New Brunswick city council while on the provincial payroll from 1980 to 1991.
A member of Frank McKenna's Liberal Party, she was immediately named to cabinet and became deputy premier in 1994.
In opposition she was a top critic and the media reported she had lost the vote in her caucus to become interim leader of her party by a margin of 4-3 following the resignation of Camille Thériault.
She was the Liberal candidate for the House of Commons of Canada in the riding of Acadie—Bathurst in the 2006 federal election, but finished second to Yvon Godin of the New Democratic Party.
She succeeded Greg Byrne as president of the New Brunswick Liberal Party when he resigned after being appointed to the cabinet following the 2006 election and served the post until stepping down in the Fall of 2007.