Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Frank Corbett | |
Birth Date: | 1954 |
Birth Place: | New Waterford, Nova Scotia |
Residence: | Lingan, Nova Scotia |
Constituency Am: | Cape Breton Centre |
Assembly: | Nova Scotia House of |
Term Start: | March 24, 1998 |
Term End: | April 2, 2015 |
Predecessor: | Russell MacNeil |
Successor: | David Wilton |
Office2: | Minister of the Public Service Commission |
Term Start2: | June 19, 2009 |
Term End2: | March 15, 2013 |
Predecessor2: | Len Goucher |
Successor2: | Marilyn More |
Office3: | Minister of Communications Nova Scotia |
Term Start3: | June 19, 2009 |
Term End3: | March 15, 2013 |
Predecessor3: | Judy Streatch |
Successor3: | Marilyn More |
Francis "Frank" Corbett (born 1954[1]) is a former Deputy Premier of Nova Scotia.
He represented the riding of Cape Breton Centre in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2015. He was a member of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.[2]
Corbett was born and raised in New Waterford and currently resides in Lingan. Corbett worked as a television cameraman for CJCB-TV, the CTV affiliate in Sydney and volunteered with the provincial NDP as well as the labour movement for over 25 years, primarily with the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union.[3] He served as official agent for Buddy MacEachern's successful elections in the 1974 and 1978 provincial elections.[4] [5]
Corbett ran for the NDP nomination in the riding of Cape Breton Centre[6] and was first elected in the 1998 provincial election.[7] Corbett was subsequently re-elected in the 1999, 2003,[8] 2006, 2009[9] and 2013 provincial elections.[10]
Following the 2009 election, Corbett was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Deputy Premier, Minister of the Public Service Commission, and Minister of Communications Nova Scotia.[11] In a March 2013 cabinet shuffle, Corbett was appointed Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, and Minister of Immigration.[12] Along with his cabinet duties, Corbett also served as the Government House Leader.
On November 10, 2009, it was revealed that Corbett had the highest meal expense bills on file amongst cabinet members in the new NDP government.[13] A check of ministers' records showed that Corbett expensed $441.48 for six people at the Keg restaurant in downtown Halifax on June 19, the night he and his 11 cabinet colleagues were sworn in. In July Corbett expensed $332.90 at CUT Steakhouse in Halifax for a dinner meeting for three people. Two nights later he expensed $250.28 at Ryan Duffy's in Halifax for three people.
These revelations came after a statement released in September 2009 in which Corbett stated that because of the province's projected $590-million deficit, MLAs and staff had to be prepared to "lead by example." When news of Corbett's meal expenses was made public, he was quoted as saying "I screwed up and it won't happen again".[14]
On April 2, 2015, Corbett announced his resignation as MLA.[15]
He is married to Joan and they have two children.[16]