Jim Smith (Nova Scotia politician) explained

Jim Smith
Birth Name:James Alexander Smith
Birth Date:25 May 1935
Birth Place:Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada
Death Place:Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Office:MLA for Dartmouth East
Term Start:1984
Term End:2003
Predecessor:Richard L. Weldon
Successor:Joan Massey
Office2:Minister of Health
Term Start2:June 9, 1997
Term End2:August 16, 1999
Predecessor2:Bernie Boudreau
Successor2:Jamie Muir
Party:Liberal
Occupation:Doctor

James Alexander Smith (May 25, 1935 – January 18, 2020) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Dartmouth East in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1984 to 2003. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.[1]

Smith was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia in 1935,[2] and grew up in Port Mouton.[3] Smith graduated with a medical degree from Dalhousie University in 1964.[4] He practiced family medicine in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for almost 30 years.[3] [5] Smith first attempted to enter provincial politics in the 1981 election, but was defeated by Progressive Conservative incumbent Richard L. Weldon.[6] Smith ran again in the 1984 election, defeating Weldon by 903 votes to win the Dartmouth East riding.[7] One of only six Liberals elected,[8] Smith spent the early years of his political career in opposition. He was re-elected in the 1988 election, winning the seat by 253 votes.[9] Smith was re-elected in the 1993 election, defeating cabinet minister Gwen Haliburton by almost 2,500 votes.[10] [11] Following the election, Smith would get to sit in government for the first time, as the Liberals under John Savage won a majority government.[11]

On June 11, 1993, Smith was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Community Services.[12] On June 27, 1996, Savage shuffled his cabinet, with Smith being named Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs.[13] On June 6, 1997, Savage announced that Smith would take over as Minister of Health on June 9, when Bernie Boudreau resigns from cabinet to run for the Liberal leadership.[14] Smith remained as Minister of Health when Russell MacLellan took over as premier on July 18, 1997.[15] Smith was re-elected in the 1998 election,[16] [17] and retained the health portfolio, but was also named Minister of Justice.[18] In December 1998, Smith was replaced as Minister of Justice, as MacLellan shuffled his cabinet to reduce the heavy workload of some of the cabinet.[19] Smith was re-elelcted by 265 votes in the 1999 election,[20] but the Liberals were defeated by John Hamm's Progressive Conservatives. Smith served in opposition for one term, announcing on May 2, 2003, that he would not seek re-election in the next election.[21] Smith died on January 18, 2020.[22]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Electoral History for Dartmouth East. Nova Scotia Legislative Library. 2014-10-26.
  2. Web site: Guide Parlementaire Canadien. 1987.
  3. Web site: Liberal Caucus biography. Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus. 2014-10-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20030417043700/http://www.liberalcaucus-ns.com/mlas/dartmouth-east.html. April 17, 2003.
  4. Web site: Cabinet biography. Government of Nova Scotia. 2015-06-19. https://web.archive.org/web/19981201043703/http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/minister.htm. December 1, 1998.
  5. Web site: Health big issue in minister's riding . The Chronicle Herald . July 12, 1999 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050124031526/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999%2F07%2F12+164.raw+PE99Jul12+2 . January 24, 2005 . dead .
  6. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1981 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1981 . 2014-10-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140310212300/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201981.pdf . 2014-03-10 .
  7. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1984 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1984 . 2014-10-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005021932/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201984.pdf . 2013-10-05 .
  8. News: Buchanan Tories crush opponents in N.S. election. The Globe and Mail. November 7, 1984.
  9. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1988 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1988 . 2014-10-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225642/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201988.pdf . 2014-05-12 .
  10. Web site: Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1993 . Elections Nova Scotia . 1993 . 2014-10-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070337/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201993.pdf . 2014-10-06 .
  11. Web site: Liberal landslide . The Chronicle Herald . May 26, 1993 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000830234311/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F05%2F26+108.raw+PE93Elect . August 30, 2000 . dead .
  12. Web site: Historic Liberal cabinet sworn in . The Chronicle Herald . June 12, 1993 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000830201132/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F06%2F12+100.raw+PE93Elect . August 30, 2000 . dead .
  13. Web site: Premier shuffles cabinet. Government of Nova Scotia. June 27, 1996. 2014-10-26.
  14. Web site: Premier appoints new Minister of Health. Government of Nova Scotia. June 6, 1997. 2014-10-26.
  15. Web site: MacLellan makeover. The Chronicle Herald. July 19, 1997. 2014-10-26. https://web.archive.org/web/19980204071951/http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970719100.html. February 4, 1998.
  16. Web site: Election Returns, 1998 (Dartmouth East). Elections Nova Scotia. 2014-10-26.
  17. Web site: NDP takes metro . The Chronicle Herald . March 25, 1998 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050124004424/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F03%2F25+248.raw+PE98Mar25+2 . January 24, 2005 . dead .
  18. Web site: A cabinet with four legs . The Chronicle Herald . April 9, 1998 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050123224339/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F04%2F09+214.raw+PE98Apr9+2 . January 23, 2005 . dead .
  19. Web site: Premier MacLellan shuffles cabinet. Government of Nova Scotia. December 11, 1998. 2014-10-26.
  20. Web site: Election Returns, 1999 (Dartmouth East). Elections Nova Scotia. 2014-10-26.
  21. Web site: Grits to lose veteran Dartmouth MLA. CBC News. May 2, 2003. 2014-10-26.
  22. Web site: Former health minister Jim Smith remembered as kind, caring person. CBC News. January 20, 2020. 2021-12-19.

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