2009 Nova Scotia general 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.

2009 Nova Scotia general election

← 2006 June 9, 2009 2013 →
← outgoing members members →
52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly 27 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Darrell Dexter Stephen McNeil Rodney MacDonald Party New Democratic Liberal Progressive Conservative Leader since June 2, 2002 April 28, 2007 February 11, 2006 Leader's seat Cole Harbour Annapolis Inverness Last election 20 seats, 34.63% 9 seats, 23.44% 23 seats, 39.57% Seats won 31 11 10 Seat change 11 2 13 Popular vote 186,556 112,160 101,203 Percentage 45.24% 27.20% 24.54% Swing 10.61% 3.76% 15.03%
Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding.
Premier before election Rodney MacDonald Progressive Conservative Premier after election Darrell Dexter New Democratic

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

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				2006	Dissolution	Elected	Change
	New Democratic	186,556	45.24	20	20	31	+11
	Liberal	112,160	27.20	9	9	11	+2
	Progressive Conservative	101,203	24.54	23	21	10	-13
	Green	9,636	2.34	0	0	0	±0
	Independents	2,796	0.68	0	1	0	±0
Vacant				–	1	–	–
Total		412,351	100.00	52	52	52	±0

Candidates lined up.^[12]

Popular vote New Democratic   45.24% Liberal   27.20% PC   24.54% Others   3.02%

Seats summary New Democratic   59.62% Liberal   21.15% PC   19.23%

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	-	-	-	11
		Popular vote:	28.65%	29.57%	46.46%	18.11%	14.60%	16.84%	27.22%
	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	-	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
	Green	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	0.67%
Total seats:			18	9	7	7	6	5	52

Retiring incumbents

Progressive Conservative

• Brooke Taylor, Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley
• Jamie Muir, Truro-Bible Hill

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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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†
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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

Electoral district	Candidates										Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Green		Independent
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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