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Nova Scotia New Democratic Party

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New Democratic Party of Nova Scotia
Image:Ndp_ns.jpg
Active Provincial Party
Founded 1961
Leader Darrell Dexter
President John Arthur Murphy
Headquarters 1660 Hollis Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 1V7
Political ideology Social Democracy /
Democratic Socialism
International alignment Socialist International
Colours Orange & Blue
Seats 20
Website http://www.ns.ndp.ca

The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is a social democratic party in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is aligned with the federal New Democratic Party. Originally founded as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1932, it became the NDP in 1961. It is currently the official opposition and is considered to be the most successful New Democratic Party in the Atlantic. Much if the party's success is based in the Halifax Regional Municipality, the capital city of Nova Scotia.

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[edit] Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 1932-1961

Since shortly after confederation, Nova Scotia has had a two-party system. Power alternated between the Liberals and Conservatives.

Though the CCF/NDP has a long history in Nova Scotia, it was unable to break the two-party system and win more than a handful of seats (if any) in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly until the 1990s. A lot of the early organization of the CCF in Nova Scotia was done by Maritime Organizer Fred Young. Young would go on to continue his work in Ontario and eventually sit as a MPP in the Ontario legislature, however, his early work laid the ground work for any future advancements the party would make during this period.<ref>MacDonald, Donald C., "The Happy Warrior: Political Memoirs," Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1988: 38-48.</ref> This was evident in 1945 when the two CCF members elected from Cape Breton became the unofficial opposition party when Premier Angus L. Macdonald's Liberal Party swept 28 of the 30 seats.

When the CCF became the NDP in 1961, it was unsuccessful in winning seats in the legislature until 1967. The election of party leader Jeremy Akerman returned the party to the legislature. Its representation grew slowly in throughout the 1970s, but never rose above four seats.

[edit] Recent history

[edit] The Akerman Years

After decades in the wilderness the Nova Scotia NDP was revitalized by a competition between its Cape Breton Island and Halifax bases in the late 1960's. With the election of the 26-year-old Jeremy Akerman as party leader in 1968, and his subsequent election to the legislature two years later, the party developed a strong base in Industrial Cape Breton, ultimately winning four seats in the election of 1978. But the party failed to win any seats on the Mainland, and this exacerabated tensions between the Akerman dominated Cape Breton party and the party establishment in Halifax. Following increasingly bloody internal battles Akerman resigned and the NDP lost all four Cape Breton seats in the following election.

[edit] Alexa McDonough

In 1980, Haligonian Alexa McDonough became leader of the Nova Scotia NDP, the first female leader of a major party in Canada. While she was the only NDP member of the legislature elected in 1981, and had at most a caucus of three Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), she raised the party's profile and become a well known advocate for the poor and disadvantaged. McDonough resigned as provincial leader in 1994 and went on to be elected leader of the federal NDP in 1995.

[edit] Chisholm Years: Breakthrough

Under Robert Chisholm's leadership, in 1998 the party vaulted from third place to ahead of the Conservatives and won 19 seats in the House of Assembly, the same number as the Liberals. The Liberals formed a minority government with the support of 14 Progressive Conservatives (Tories), the latter who had also improved their standings. The prospect of an NDP government seemed imminent.

However, the party was unable to improve on its standings in the 1999 election. But with 11 seats in the legislature with 29.9% of the vote, it edged out the Liberals and were able to retain "Official Opposition" status when the Tories formed a majority government under John Hamm. Chisholm's unexpected resignation immediately following the election led to a period of internal party strife, with new leader Helen MacDonald, a former Cape Breton MLA, resigning after barely a year.

[edit] Darrell Dexter

The 2003 election resulted in a Tory minority government. The NDP maintained Official Opposition status under new leader Darrell Dexter. The NDP won 15 seats and 31% of the vote. The 2006 election saw the party increase its number of seats from 15 to 20, an all time high, garnering 34.5% of the popular vote.

The political scene in Nova Scotia is now tightly divided among the PC and the NDP, with any poised to form government.

[edit] Current elected members

Name Riding Year elected
Darrell Dexter Cole Harbour 1998
Frank Corbett Cape Breton Centre 1998
Kevin Deveaux Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage 1998
Howard Epstein Halifax Chebucto 1998
Bill Estabrooks Timberlea-Prospect 1998
Gordie Gosse Cape Breton Nova 2003
Maureen MacDonald Halifax Needham 1998
John MacDonell Hants East 1998
Joan Massey Dartmouth East 2003
Marilyn More Dartmouth South-Portland Valley 2003
Charlie Parker Pictou West 1998, 2003
Trevor Zinck Dartmouth North 2006
Michele Raymond Halifax Atlantic 2003
Graham Steele Halifax Fairview 2001
Dave Wilson Sackville-Cobequid 2003
Leonard Preyra Halifax Citadel 2006
Stirling Belliveau Shelburne 2006
Vicki Conrad Queens 2006
Percy Paris Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank 2006
Clarrie MacKinnon Pictou East 2006

[edit] Party leaders

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

New Democratic Party

[edit] Provincial secretaries

  • Lloyd Shaw (-1949)
  • Dr. Rutherford (1949 - 1950)
  • Florence E. Welton (1950 - 1961)
  • John McKinnon (1961 - 1963)
  • Nancy Doull (1963 - 1965)
  • Rae Gilman (1965 - 1969)
  • Peggy Prowse (1969 - 1971)
  • Gordon Flowers (1971 - 1974)
  • Karen Vance (1974 - 1977)
  • Bev Ivan (1978)
  • Serena Renner (1979 - 1981)
  • Mary Morrison (1982)
  • Brian MacNaulty (1983)
  • Rod Dickinson (1984 - 1986)
  • Gayle Cromwell (1986 - 1987)
  • Dennis Theman (1987 - 1990)
  • Sandra Houston (1990 - 1992)
  • Ross Fisher (1992 - 1996)
  • Ron Cavalucci (1996 - 1997)
  • Bruce Cox (1997 - 1999)
  • Joe Fraser (1999 - 2001)
  • Matthew Hebb (2001 - June 2005)
  • Karen Haslam (October 2005 - March 2006)
  • Ed Wark (October 2006 - Present)

[edit] Election results 1933–2006

Election # of candidates nominated # of seats won # of total votes % of popular vote
1933 3 0 2,336 0.7%
1937 0 0 0 0%
1941 6 3 18,583 7.0%
1945 20 2 39,637 13.6%
1949 21 2 32,869 9.6%
1953 16 2 23,700 6.8%
1956 11 1 9,932 3.0%
1960 34 1 31,036 8.9%
1963 20 0 14,076 4.1%
1967 24 0 17,873 5.2%
1970 23 2 25,259 6.6%
1974 46 3 55,902 13.0%
1978 52 4 63,979 14.4%
1981 52 1 76,289 18.1%
1984 52 3 65,876 15.9%
1988 52 2 74,038 15.7%
1993 52 3 86,743 17.7%
1998 52 19 155,361 34.4%
1999 52 11 129,474 29.7%
2003 52 15 126,479 30.9%
2006 52 20 142,673 35%%
  • Election results between 1933 and 1963 represent the party during its time as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Since 1963, the party has been called the New Democratic Party.

Sources:

[edit] Youth wing

The youth wing of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is the Nova Scotia Young New Democrats. Founded in the early 1960s, it was not incorporated with a full constitution - aligned with that of the party proper - until 1969.

The Youth Wing was partially repsonsible for the election of Jeremy Akerman, as leader, at the 1968 Leadership Convention. The Youth Wing has at times been looked upon as somewhat more radical and left-leaning than that of the main party. This perception has depended in large on the executive of the youth wing, and in recent years The Youth Wing has been ideologically in step with that of the party proper.

[edit] References & Notes

<references/>

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

New Democratic Party Regional Wings
In Government: Saskatchewan - Manitoba
Forming the Official Opposition: British Columbia - Nova Scotia
Forming Third Party Electoral Representation: Yukon - Alberta - Ontario - Newfoundland and Labrador
No Current Electoral Representation: New Brunswick - Prince Edward Island
fr:Nouveau Parti démocratique de la Nouvelle-Écosse
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