Nova Scotia Liberal Party

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Nova Scotia Liberal Party
Template:Infobox Canadian political party/captionparty
Leader Stephen McNeil
President John Gillis
Founded 1883
Headquarters Suite 1400
5151 George Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T3
Ideology Liberalism
Political position Centre
Colours Red
Template:Infobox Canadian political party/province
33 / 51
Website
Official website

The Liberal Party of Nova Scotia is a political party in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Origins

The party is descended from the pre-Confederation Reformers in Nova Scotia who coalesced around Joseph Howe demanding the institution of responsible government. The Liberals (Reformers) formed several governments in the colony between 1848 and 1867.

The party split during the debate on Confederation, with Howe and most other Liberals forming an Anti-Confederation Party, while supporters of confederation joined Tory Charles Tupper's Confederation Party. Howe, himself, initially opposed Confederation, but accepted it as a reality after initial attempts to scuttle it failed.

In 1868, Howe joined the pro-Confederation forces, serving for a time in the federal Cabinet of Sir John A. Macdonald.

The Anti-Confederation Party took most of Nova Scotia's seats in the Canadian House of Commons in 1867, as well as forming the government of the new province under William Annand. The new, post-1867 Liberal Party was organised by Annand and his anti-Confederate forces, while the Conservative Party was organised by Tupper and supporters of Sir John A. Macdonald's coalition in the province.

Prior to 1956, the Nova Scotia Liberal Party had ruled the province for 76 of its 89 years, most of that time with fewer than 5 opposition members. It had also ruled prior to confederation, and was responsible for bringing the first responsible government to North America. From 1882 to 1925, the Liberals held power for an unbroken 43 years, the second longest serving political dynasty in Canadian history, behind the Alberta PCs.[1]

The party in recent years

From 1956 the Tories gained significant ground with Robert Stanfield's reformation of the "Progressive Conservatives", and have successfully challenged the Liberals for control of the government. The Liberals faltered in the province at the beginning of the 21st century, and for a time were the third-largest party in the House of Assembly, behind the Tories and the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party. After the Nova Scotia Liberal Party's dismal performance in the 2006 election (and failing to win his own seat), leader Francis MacKenzie announced his resignation.[2] He was succeeded by Stephen McNeil. In the 2009 election, the Liberals moved out of third-party status and formed the official opposition once again. In the 2013 election, the Liberals won a majority government, their first since the 1993 election under John Savage, and took office for the first time in 14 years.[3]

The Nova Scotia Liberals are the provincial section of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. The two parties have a shared membership, and Liberal Members of Parliament often become Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly, and vice versa. Gerald Regan, for instance, became leader of the provincial party after serving as a Liberal MP. He joined the federal Liberal government after serving as premier of Nova Scotia. Angus L. Macdonald, the province's most storied Liberal premier, split his term into two by spending five years as a federal Liberal cabinet minister in the wartime government of William Lyon Mackenzie King.

Current elected members

Name Riding Year elected
Stephen McNeil Annapolis 2003
Patricia Arab Fairview-Clayton Park 2013
Joanne Bernard Dartmouth North 2013
Karen Casey Colchester North 2006
Zach Churchill Yarmouth 2010
Keith Colwell Preston 2003
Randy Delorey Antigonish 2013
Lena Diab Halifax Armdale 2013
Pam Eyking Victoria-The Lakes 2013
Terry Farrell Cumberland North 2013
Mark Furey Lunenburg West 2013
Leo Glavine Kings West 2003
Stephen Gough Sackville-Beaver Bank 2013
Lloyd Hines Guysborough–Eastern Shore–Tracadie 2013
Bill Horne Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank 2013
Tony Ince Cole Harbour-Portland Valley 2013
Keith Irving Kings South 2013
Ben Jessome Hammonds Plains-Lucasville 2013
Labi Kousoulis Halifax Citadel-Sable Island 2013
Suzanne Lohnes-Croft Lunenburg 2013
Geoff MacLellan Glace Bay 2010
Brendan Maguire Halifax Atlantic 2013
Margaret Miller Hants East 2013
Derek Mombourquette Sydney-Whitney Pier 2015
Kevin Murphy Eastern Shore 2013
Iain Rankin Timberlea-Prospect 2013
Kelly Regan Bedford-Birch Cove 2009
Michel Samson Cape Breton-Richmond 1998
Joachim Stroink Halifax Chebucto 2013
Joyce Treen Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage 2013
Diana Whalen Halifax Clayton Park 2003
Gordon Wilson Clare-Digby 2013
David Wilton Cape Breton Centre 2015

Party leaders

See also

References

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External links

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