2009 Nova Scotia general election explained

Election Name:	2009 Nova Scotia general election
Country:	Nova Scotia
Type:	parliamentary
Party Colour:	no
Party Name:	no
Previous Election:	2006 Nova Scotia general election
Previous Year:	2006
Previous Mps:	60th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
Election Date:	June 9, 2009
Elected Mps:	members
Next Election:	2013 Nova Scotia general election
Next Year:	2013
Next Mps:	62nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
Seats For Election:	52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly 27 seats were needed for a majority
Leader1:	Darrell Dexter
Leader Since1:	June 2, 2002
Leaders Seat1:	Cole Harbour
Last Election1:	20 seats, 34.63%
Seats1:	31
Seat Change1:	11
Popular Vote1:	186,556
Percentage1:	45.24%
Swing1:	10.61%
Leader2:	Stephen McNeil
Leader Since2:	April 28, 2007
Leaders Seat2:	Annapolis
Last Election2:	9 seats, 23.44%
Seats2:	11
Seat Change2:	2
Popular Vote2:	112,160
Percentage2:	27.20%
Swing2:	3.76%
Leader3:	Rodney MacDonald
Leader Since3:	February 11, 2006
Leaders Seat3:	Inverness
Last Election3:	23 seats, 39.57%
Seats3:	10
Seat Change3:	13
Popular Vote3:	101,203
Percentage3:	24.54%
Swing3:	15.03%
Map Size:	400px
Premier
Before Election:	Rodney MacDonald
After Election:	Darrell Dexter
Posttitle:	Premier after election

The 2009 Nova Scotia general election was held on June 9, 2009 to elect members of the 61st House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The government was defeated on a money bill on May 4, and the Nova Scotia House of Assembly was dissolved by Lieutenant Governor Mayann Francis on May 5.^[1] thereby triggering an election. The NDP won a majority government, forming government the first time in the province's history, and for the first time in an Atlantic Canadian province. The governing Progressive Conservatives were reduced to third place.

Campaign

The election campaign began on May 5, 2009, after the New Democrats and Liberals voted against the Offshore Offset Revenues Expenditure Act, legislation that would have permitted the government to divert its revenues from oil and gas development in the Atlantic Ocean from debt payment, as required under current provincial law, to fund extra spending in the 2009 budget.^[2] As the Progressive Conservatives won only a minority government in the 2006 election, at least one of the two opposition parties would have been required to vote in favour of (or abstain from voting on) the legislation for it to pass.

Timeline

June 13, 2006 - Rodney MacDonald's Progressive Conservatives are elected to a minority government.^[3]
June 20, 2006 - Liberal leader Francis MacKenzie resigns.^[4]
February 20, 2007 - Cumberland North MLA Ernie Fage is suspended from the Progressive Conservative caucus after Halifax Police charge him with failing to remain at the scene of an accident, following an incident in November 2006.^[5]
March 1, 2007 - NDP MLA Kevin Deveaux resigns his seat of Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.^[6]
April 28, 2007 - Stephen McNeil is elected leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.^[7]
October 2, 2007 - Becky Kent of the NDP is elected in the Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage byelection.^[8]
December 18, 2007 - Fage is convicted of leaving the scene of an accident, and is expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus.^[9] ^[10]
March 2, 2009 - Lunenburg MLA and Finance Minister Michael Baker dies.^[11]
May 4, 2009 - Government is defeated on a budget bill (Bill 240 - Offshore Offset Revenues Expenditure Act (amendments to Provincial finance Act)).^[2]
May 5, 2009 - Legislature is officially dissolved and election is called for June 9, 2009.^[1]

↓
31	11	10
New Democratic	Liberal	Progressive Conservative

Results by party

Candidates lined up.^[12]

Results by region

Party name	HRM	C.B.	Valley	S. Shore	Fundy	Central	Total
Parties winning seats in the legislature								New Democratic Party	Seats:	14	2	2	5	4	4	31	Popular vote:	54.07%	40.16%	27.05%	43.03%	41.76%	50.10%	45.26%	Liberal	Seats:	4	3	4	align="right"	-	align="right"	-	align="right"	-	11	Popular vote:	28.65%	29.57%	46.46%	18.11%	14.60%	16.84%	27.22%	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	align="right"	-	4	1	2	2	1	10	Popular vote:	14.36%	28.34%	23.89%	36.08%	37.44%	31.32%	24.52%
Parties not winning seats in the legislature								New Democratic Party	Popular vote:	2.88%	1.78%	2.60%	1.90%	1.89%	1.74%	2.33%	Independents	Popular vote:	0.03%	0.14%	N/A	0.88%	4.32%	N/A	Liberal	0.67%																			Progressive Conservative
Total seats:	18	9	7	7	6	5	52

Retiring incumbents

Progressive Conservative

Nominated candidates

Legend
bold denotes party leader
† denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

Annapolis Valley

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Annapolis||Kent Robinson
971
11.10%||Henry Spurr
1,131
12.93%|||Stephen McNeil
6,446
73.70%||Jamie Spinney
198
2.26%|||||Stephen McNeil|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Clare||Jimmy Doucet
459
8.75%||Paul Comeau
1,326
25.29%|||Wayne Gaudet
3,392
64.68%||Diane Doucet-Bean
67
1.28%|||||Wayne Gaudet|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Digby-Annapolis||Cindy Nesbitt
852
15.39%||Sherri Oliver
1,092
19.73%|||Harold Theriault
3,514
63.48%||Namron Bean
78
1.41%|||||Harold Theriault|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Hants West|||Chuck Porter
3,364
37.24%||Barbara Gallagher
2,401
26.58%||Paula Lunn
3,065
33.93%||Sheila Richardson
204
2.26%|||||Chuck Porter|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Kings North||Mark Parent
3,079
36.08%|||Jim Morton
3,535
41.43%||Shirley Fisher
1,541
18.06%||Anna-Maria Galante-Ward
378
4.43%|||||Mark Parent|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Kings South||David Morse
2,759
28.14%|||Ramona Jennex
4,038
41.18%||Paula Howatt
2,639
26.91%||Brendan MacNeill
369
3.76%|||||David Morse|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Kings West||Chris Palmer
1,667
20.20%||Carol Tobin
1,422
17.23%|||Leo Glavine
5,015
60.77%||Nistal Prem de Boer
149
1.81%|||||Leo Glavine|}

South Shore

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Argyle|||Chris d'Entremont
3,158
67.65%||Melvin Huskins
66
1.41%||Lionel LeBlanc
913
19.56%||Barbara Lake
531
11.38%|||||Chris d'Entremont|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Chester-St. Margaret's||Judy Streatch
2,762
27.47%|||Denise Peterson-Rafuse
4,835
48.09%||Jo-Ann Grant
2,122
21.11%||Ryan Cameron
335
3.33%|||||Judy Streatch|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Lunenburg||Peter Zwicker
2,399
28.30%|||Pam Birdsall
4,069
48.01%||Rick Welsford
1,374
16.21%||Jason A. Remai
145
1.71%||Milton Countway
489
5.77%||Vacant|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Lunenburg West||Carolyn Bolivar-Getson
3,045
33.50%|||Gary Ramey
3,600
39.60%||Mark Furey
2,297
25.27%||Emily Richardson
148
1.63%|||||Carolyn Bolivar-Getson|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Queens||Kerry Morash
1,936
28.87%|||Vicki Conrad
4,012
59.82%||Wayne Henley
674
10.05%||Stuart Simpson
85
1.27%|||||Vicki Conrad|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Shelburne||Eddie Nickerson
1,637
23.59%|||Sterling Belliveau
3,844
55.41%||Darian Huskilson
1,356
19.54%||Robin Smith
101
1.46%|||||Sterling Belliveau|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Yarmouth |||Richard Hurlburt
4,537
61.34%||David Olie
1,696
22.93%||David Mooney
1,041
14.07%||Ronald Mills
123
1.66%|||||Richard Hurlburt|}

Fundy-Northeast

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley||Steve Streatch
2,265
29.07%|||Gary Burrill
3,697
47.45%||Willie Versteeg
1,649
21.16%||Margaret Whitney
181
2.32%|||||Brooke Taylor†|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Colchester North|||Karen Casey
3,811
50.25%||Arthur Hartlen
2,362
31.14%||Lorenda Ebbett
1,250
16.48%||Judy Davis
161
2.12%|||||Karen Casey|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cumberland North||Keith Hunter
1,359
17.23%|||Brian Skabar
3,170
40.19%||Brent Noiles
1,073
13.60%||Aviva Silburt
127
1.61%||Ernest Fage
2,159
27.37%|||Ernest Fage|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cumberland South|||Murray Scott
4,334
67.66%||Don Tabor
1,659
25.90%||Joseph Archibald
325
5.07%||Danny Melvin
88
1.37%|||||Murray Scott|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Hants East||Todd Williams
1,567
16.82%|||John MacDonell
6,052
64.96%||Maurice Rees
1,467
15.75%||Emerich Winkler
231
2.48%|||||John MacDonell|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Truro-Bible Hill||Hughie MacIsaac
2,544
30.23%|||Lenore Zann
4,070
48.37%||Bob Hagell
1,643
19.52%||Kaleigh Brinkhurst
158
1.88%|||||Jamie Muir† |}

Central Halifax

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Halifax Chebucto||David Atchison
544
6.91%|||Howard Epstein
4,446
56.47%||Jane Spurr
2,535
32.20%||Chris Hanlon
348
4.42%|||||Howard Epstein|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Halifax Citadel||Ted Larsen
1,000
12.99%|||Leonard Preyra
3,785
49.17%||Gerry Walsh
2,584
33.57%||Ryan Watson
329
4.27%|||||Leonard Preyra|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Halifax Clayton Park||Debbie Hum
1,084
10.56%||Linda Power
3,924
38.24%|||Diana Whalen
5,030
49.02%||Amanda Hester
172
1.68%||Jonathan Dean
51
0.50%|||Diana Whalen|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Halifax Fairview||Paul Henderson
893
12.16%|||Graham Steele
4,680
63.71%||Brad Armitage
1,544
21.02%||Jane Hester
229
3.12%|||||Graham Steele|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Halifax Needham||Jason Cameron
536
6.76%|||Maureen MacDonald
5,336
67.30%||Graham Estabrooks
1,690
21.31%||Kris MacLellan
367
4.63%|||||Maureen MacDonald|}

Suburban Halifax

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Bedford-Birch Cove||Len Goucher
2,268
20.75%||Brian Mosher
3,552
32.50%|||Kelly Regan
4,861
44.48%||Neil Green
248
2.27%|||||Len Goucher|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Halifax Atlantic||Brian Phillips
965
11.22%|||Michèle Raymond
5,253
61.09%||Jim Hoskins
2,003
23.29%||Anthony Rosborough
378
4.40%|||||Michele Raymond|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville||Barry Barnet
2,218
23.05%|||Mat Whynott
4,815
50.03%||Patrick Doyle
2,381
24.74%||Shawn Redmond
210
2.18%|||||Barry Barnet|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Sackville-Cobequid||Jessica Alexander
976
12.46%|||Dave Wilson
5,120
65.34%||Scott Hemming
1,548
19.75%||Ian Charles
192
2.45%|||||Dave Wilson|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Timberlea-Prospect||Gina Byrne
795
9.10%|||Bill Estabrooks
6,174
70.70%||Lisa Mullin
1,535
17.58%||Thomas Trappenberg
229
2.62%|||||Bill Estabrooks|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank||Gary Hines
1,696
18.45%|||Percy Paris
5,007
54.47%||Bill Horne
2,290
24.91%||Damon Loomer
199
2.16%| ||||Percy Paris|}

Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cole Harbour ||Mike Josey
939
11.05%|||Darrell Dexter
5,849
68.82%||Tony Ince
1,509
17.76%||Donna Toews
202
2.38%|||||Darrell Dexter|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage||Lloyd Jackson
1,074
15.90%|||Becky Kent
4,402
65.17%||Orest Ulan
1,054
15.60%||Denise Ménard
225
3.33%|||||Becky Kent|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Dartmouth East||Bert Thompson
873
9.60%||Joan Massey
3,908
42.95%|||Andrew Younger
4,133
45.43%||Anna Mukpo
184
2.02%|||||Joan Massey|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Dartmouth North||David Losey
568
7.95%|||Trevor Zinck
4,053
56.75%||Jim Smith
2,316
32.43%||Alex Donaldson
205
2.87%|||||Trevor Zinck|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Dartmouth South-Portland Valley||George Jordan
1,389
13.58%|||Marilyn More
5,583
54.59%||Colin Hebb
2,946
28.80%||David Croft
310
3.03%|||||Marilyn More|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Eastern Shore||Bill Dooks
2,557
34.69%|||Sid Prest
3,628
49.22%||Loretta Day Halleran
992
13.46%||Michael Marshall
194
2.63%|||||Bill Dooks|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Preston||Dwayne Provo
1,076
24.83%||Janet Sutcliffe
1,314
30.33%|||Keith Colwell
1,888
43.57%||Sarah Densmore
55
1.27%|||||Keith Colwell|}

Central Nova

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Antigonish |||Angus MacIsaac
3,613
38.08%||Maurice Smith
3,338
35.18%||Miles Tompkins
2,378
25.06%||Rebecca Mosher
160
1.69%|||||Angus MacIsaac|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Guysborough-Sheet Harbour||Ron Chisholm
1,750
24.96%|||Jim Boudreau
3,621
51.64%||Lloyd Hines
1,558
22.22%||Amy Florian
83
1.18%|||||Ron Chisholm|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Pictou Centre||Pat Dunn
3,519
44.64%|||Ross Landry
3,650
46.30%||Neil MacIsaac
567
7.19%||Jim Lindsey
147
1.86%|||||Pat Dunn|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Pictou East||J. Ed MacDonald
1,984
25.94%|||Clarrie MacKinnon
4,893
63.98%||Francois Rochon
642
8.39%||Robbie Loftus White
129
1.69%|||||Clarrie MacKinnon|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Pictou West||Leonard Fraser
1,466
19.99%|||Charlie Parker
4,226
57.63%||Paul Landry
1,471
20.06%||Chelsea Richardson
170
2.32%|||||Charlie Parker|}

Cape Breton

|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cape Breton Centre||Chris Ryan
479
7.53%|||Frank Corbett
5,096
80.14%||Joe MacPherson
685
10.77%||Chris Alders
99
1.56%|||||Frank Corbett|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cape Breton North|||Cecil Clarke
3,477
44.47%||Russell MacDonald
3,312
42.36%||Ken Jardine
921
11.78%||Chris Milburn
108
1.38%|||||Cecil Clarke|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cape Breton Nova||Cory Hann
276
4.14%|||Gordie Gosse
4,735
71.07%||Donnie Morrison
1,549
23.25%||Michael P. Milburn
102
1.53%|||||Gordie Gosse|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cape Breton South||Steve Tobin
1,387
15.12%||Wayne McKay
3,332
36.33%|||Manning MacDonald
4,278
46.65%||Cathy Theriault
174
1.90%|||||Manning MacDonald|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Cape Breton West|||Alfie MacLeod
3,962
43.47%||Delton MacDonald
2,797
30.69%||Josephine Kennedy
2,212
24.27%||Michael Parsons
143
1.57%|||||Alfie MacLeod|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Glace Bay||Tom MacPherson
810
11.41%||Myrtle Campbell
2,829
39.84%|||Dave Wilson
3,380
47.60%||Todd Pettigrew
82
1.15%|||||Dave Wilson|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Inverness|||Rodney MacDonald
8,714
98.54%||Michael MacIsaac
1,971
20.49%||Shaun Bennett
1,905
19.81%||Nathalie Arsenault
339
3.53%|||||Rodney MacDonald|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Richmond||John Greene
1,045
17.92%||Clair Rankin
1,477
25.33%|||Michel Samson
3,228
55.36%||John Percy
81
1.39%|||||Michel Samson|-|bgcolor=whitesmoke|Victoria-The Lakes|||Keith Bain
2,417
38.68%||Fraser Patterson
1,680
26.88%||Gerald Sampson
1,912
30.60%||James V. O'Brien
143
2.29%||Stemer MacLeod
97
1.55%|||Keith Bain|}

Opinion polls

Date	Source	PC	NDP	Liberal	Green
Date	Source
4 Jun 2009	Angus Reid Strategies	23		47	26	3
1 Jun 2009	Corporate Research Associates	26		44	28	2
7–16 May 2009	Corporate Research Associates	28		37	31	3
Feb 2009	Corporate Research Associates	30		36	31	3
Nov 2008	Corporate Research Associates	33		37	27	3
Aug 2008	Corporate Research Associates	33		36	28	3
May 2008	Corporate Research Associates	27		38	30	4
Feb 2008	Corporate Research Associates	32		37	28	3
Nov 2007	Corporate Research Associates	32		39	25	3
Aug 2007	Corporate Research Associates	32		35	28	5
May 2007	Corporate Research Associates	29		37	26	7
Feb 2007	Corporate Research Associates	35		36	25	3
Nov 2006	Corporate Research Associates	32		37	26	4
Aug 2006	Corporate Research Associates	33		35	24	8
13 Jun 2006	Election		39.6	34.6	23.4	2.3

References

2009 Nova Scotia Provincial General Election - Official Results

Bibliography

Web site: Government of Nova Scotia . Summary Results from 1867 to 2011 . 2013-09-30 . Elections Nova Scotia . Elections Statistics . 2013-10-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131003090711/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/Elections%20from%201867-2011.pdf . dead .

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Nova Scotia goes to the polls June 9. The Globe and Mail. May 5, 2009. 2015-05-27.
Web site: Ready to vote? Nova Scotia's minority Tory government falls. CBC News. May 4, 2009. 2015-05-27.
Web site: Nova Scotia Tories win minority. CBC News. June 13, 2006. 2016-05-23.
Web site: MacKenzie steps down as Liberal leader. CBC News. June 20, 2006. 2016-05-23.
Web site: Fage charged, suspended from Tory caucus. CBC News. February 20, 2007. 2016-05-23.
Web site: NDP's Deveaux quits politics for UN post. CBC News. January 25, 2007. 2016-05-23.
Web site: McNeil new N.S. Liberal leader. CBC News. April 28, 2007. 2016-05-23.
Web site: NDP holds seat in Halifax-area byelection. CBC News. October 2, 2007. 2016-05-23.
Web site: Fage tossed from N.S. caucus after conviction. CBC News. December 18, 2007. 2016-05-23.
Web site: N.S. politician convicted, booted from caucus. CTV News. December 18, 2007. 2016-05-23.
Web site: Nova Scotia's finance minister dies of cancer. CBC News. March 3, 2009. 2016-05-23.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Election/1123795.html