The 2007

Nova Scotia Liberal Party The Nova Scotia Liberal Party is a centrist provincial political party in Nova Scotia, Canada and the provincial section of the Liberal Party of Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Nova Scotia, under the leadership of Zach ...

leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a l ...

was held on April 27, 2007 at the Dartmouth Sportsplex, following the resignation of

Francis MacKenzie Francis MacKenzie (born May 7, 1960) is a former leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. He won the leadership for the party on October 23, 2004. Early life Following graduation from St. Francis Xavier University in 1982, MacKenzie worked in On ...

, shortly after failing to win a

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

in the 2006 election. This was the third leadership convention for the Liberals since 2002. In addition to the leadership convention, the party will hold its Annual General Meeting including the election of officers, adoption of policies, and potential constitutional amendments. It was won by

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

MLA Stephen McNeil. The party had held government for much of the province's history, having been in power from

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Canada, Dom ...

in 1867 to 1878, 1882 to 1925, 1933 to 1956, 1970 to 1978, and 1993 to 1999. However, the party had been relegated to third party status after it lost the 1999 election.

Timeline

2006

* June 20:

Michel Samson Michel P. Samson (born 1972) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Cape Breton-Richmond, formerly Richmond in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2017. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. ...

is selected as interim leader.

2007

* January 10: Mike Smith, the mayor of Colchester County, becomes the first registered candidate, launching his campaign in

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...

. * January 12: Interim leader

announces that he will not run for party leadership. * January 18: Halifax-Clayton Park MLA

Diana Whalen Diana Caroline Whalen (born November 20, 1956) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Halifax Clayton Park in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 2003-2013, and Clayton Park West from 2013-2017, as a member of the ...

becomes the second and highest profile candidate in the race, launching her campaign in Halifax. * January 19: Kenzie MacKinnon announces that he will enter the leadership race. * January 30: Annapolis MLA Stephen McNeil becomes the second MLA to enter the race; he is the first to have endorsements from current MLAs. * April 28: Stephen McNeil elected leader.

Rules

The new leader was chosen by a full delegated convention, the first in the party since 1986. The leader was elected using a

one member, one vote In the parliamentary politics of the United Kingdom and Canada, one member, one vote (OMOV) is a method of selecting party leaders, and determining party policy, by a direct vote of the members of a political party. Traditionally, these objectives ...

system, which has been used since 1992. The party issued
78 page document
outlining the rules, on January 15, 2007.

Candidates

* Kenzie MacKinnon, lawyer and three-time Liberal candidate * Stephen McNeil, MLA for Annapolis * Mike Smith,

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Colchester County *

, MLA for Halifax-Clayton Park Various members of the party announced that they would not seek the leadership. Among them were interim leader

, Dartmouth physician John Gillis,Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca
/ref> and Liberal MPs

Geoff Regan Geoffrey Paul Regan (born 22 November 1959) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 36th Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for H ...

, Scott Brison, and

Michael Savage Michael Alan Weiner (born March 31, 1942), known by his professional name Michael Savage, is a far-right author, conspiracy theorist, political commentator, activist, and former radio host. Savage is best known as the host of '' The Savage Na ...

Endorsements

The following is a list of high-profile endorsers for each of the candidates; the list includes MLAs, MPs, and Senators, as well as former MLAs, Premiers, and Lieutenant-Governors.

MacKinnon (3)

Mary Clancy Mary Catherine Clancy (born 13 January 1948) is a Canadian former politician and former lawyer. She was the Member of Parliament representing Halifax from 1988 to 1997. Career Clancy won the Halifax electoral district for the Liberal Party in ...

, former MP for Halifax * Allan J. MacEachen, former MP and

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

Russell MacLellan Russell Gregoire MacLellan (born January 16, 1940) is a Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Nova Scotia from 1997 to 1999. Early life MacLellan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Federal politics He was first elected to the H ...

, former

Premier of Nova Scotia The premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister to the lieutenant governor of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of ...

McNeil (9)

Jim Cowan James S. Cowan (born January 22, 1942) is a Canadian lawyer, a senator from Nova Scotia from 2005 to 2017, and was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 2008 to 2015 and leader of the Independent Liberal caucus until June 15, 2016. A ...

, Senator * Kirk Cox, former candidate, Shelburne *

Rodger Cuzner Rodger Trueman Cuzner (born November 4, 1955) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Cape Breton—Canso and its predecessor, Bras d'Or—Cape Breton, from 2000 to 201 ...

, Liberal MP for

Cape Breton—Canso Cape Breton—Canso is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. Its population in 2011 was 75,247. It is the successor to Bras d'Or (later known as Bras d'Or� ...

Nova Scotia Liberal Party
/ref> *

Don Downe Donald Richard Downe (born 1951) is a farmer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Lunenburg West in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 2003 as a Liberal member. Early life Downe was born in Charlottetown, Prin ...

, former MLA,

Lunenburg West Lunenburg West is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. It was created in 1956 from the riding of Lunenburg County. The riding includes the town of Bridgewater, La ...

Wayne Gaudet Wayne Jean Gaudet (born August 12, 1955) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Clare in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 2013. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. Early life Born in Conc ...

, MLA for Clare *

Leo Glavine Leo A. Glavine (born 1948) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Kings West in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 2003 until his retirement from politics in 2021. He is a member of the Liberals. Early life Gl ...

, MLA for

Kings West Kings West is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. It includes the towns of Berwick and Kingston, and the village of Greenwood. Geography The electoral district ...

* Jim Smith, former MLA,

Dartmouth East Dartmouth East is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. The riding is located in the community of Dartmouth, in the urban area of Halifax. In 1978, the district was ...

Harold Theriault Harold Elwood 'Junior' Theriault (born January 1953) is a former Canadian politician and member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, who represented the riding of Digby-Annapolis for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party from 2003 to 2013. Early life ...

, MLA for

Digby-Annapolis Digby—Annapolis is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada which existed between 1993 and 2013 and since 2021. It elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. The electoral district includes the Municipality of th ...

Robert Thibault Robert G. Thibault, (born September 29, 1959) is a Canadian politician. Early life Thibault was born in Digby, Nova Scotia in 1959. He is the grandson of former provincial politician, Joseph William Comeau. Political career Thibault served a ...

, Liberal MP for

West Nova West Nova (french: Nova-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. South Western Nova and South West Nova were ridings that covered roughly the same ge ...

Smith (13)

*Aldric d'Entremont, Warden, Municipality of Argyle *

Lloyd Hines Lloyd P. Hines is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2013 provincial election. A member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, he represented the electoral district of Guysborough–Eastern Shore– ...

, Warden, Municipality of the District of Guysborough *Glenn Horne, President, St. F.X. Young Liberals *Dennis James, former President NS Young Liberals, Chief of Staff to Premier John Savage, Former Federal Candidate *

Ed Kinley Cecil Edwin Kinley (January 16, 1932 – January 19, 2015) was a Canadian politician and heart surgeon. He represented the electoral district of Halifax Citadel in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from November 1997 to March 1998. He was a mem ...

, former MLA for

Halifax Citadel Citadel Hill is a hill that is a National Historic Site in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Four fortifications have been constructed on Citadel Hill since the city was founded by the English in 1749, and were referred to as Fort George—but only ...

Ed Lorraine Edward F. Lorraine (April 15, 1928 – June 18, 2008) was a Canadian politician and farmer. He represented the electoral district of Colchester North in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1981 to 1984, and 1988 to 1999. He was a member of ...

, former MLA and provincial Minister of Agriculture *

Kennie MacAskill Kenneth MacAskill (born August 12, 1933) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Victoria in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1988 to 2003. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. Born in 1933, MacAski ...

, former MLA and provincial Minister of Natural Resources *

Richie Mann Richard W. "Richie" Mann (born 1954) is a retired Canadian politician, trades person and current lobbyist/business person in Nova Scotia. Mann was born and educated in St. Peter's and began a career in 1971 with Swedish pulp and paper company ...

, President of Dartmouth Cole Harbour, former MLA, former Minister of Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development *Duart McAuley, Warden, Municipality of the County of Inverness *Traci-Lyn McMenamon, VP Hants East Liberal Association *

Eleanor Norrie Eleanor Elizabeth Tucker Norrie (born 1942) is a former teacher, restaurant owner and politician in Nova Scotia, Canada. She represented Truro-Bible Hill in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 1998 as a Liberal member. Norrie was bor ...

, former MLA

Truro-Bible Hill Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River is a provincial electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. The electoral district was created in 1978 and was named ...

, former Minister of Natural Resources, Housing and Consumer Affairs, and Status of Women *Lorraine Sheppard, Cape Breton South, past member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party Management Committee *Gordon Thompson, President, Yarmouth Liberal Association * Floyd Tucker, former MLA for Colchester North

Whalen (9)

Alan Abraham Alan Rockwell Abraham (1 February 1931 – 2 October 2020) was the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. Career Abraham, an engineering graduate from Saint Mary's University was involved in federal politics and helped with the organization ...

, former

Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia The lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia () is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonwealt ...

* Wayne Adams, former Liberal MLA *

Carolyn Bennett Carolyn Ann Bennett (born December 20, 1950) is a Canadian physician and politician who has served as minister of mental health and addictions, and associate minister of health since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, she has repre ...

, Liberal MP for Toronto riding of St. Paul's *

Bernie Boudreau James Bernard Boudreau (born July 25, 1944) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. Provincial politics Boudreau was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from Cape Breton The Lakes in the 1988 provincial election. He was re-elected in 19 ...

, former MLA and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Scott Brison Scott A. Brison (born May 10, 1967) is a Canadian former politician from Nova Scotia. Brison served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Kings-Hants from the 1997 federal election until July 2000, then from November 2000 to Febru ...

, Liberal MP for

Kings—Hants Kings—Hants (formerly Annapolis Valley—Hants and Annapolis Valley) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Demographics :''According to the Canada 2 ...

* Garnet Brown, former Liberal MLA *

Keith Colwell Keith Wayne Colwell (born October 3, 1947) is a Canadian politician, who served as a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, representing the riding of Preston-Dartmouth for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, from 1993 to 1999 and from 2003 to ...

, MLA for Preston * Jane Cordy, Senator *

, Liberal MP for

Halifax West Halifax West (french: Halifax-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1979. Its population in 2021 was 111,944. Demographics ''From the 2016 census'' E ...

* Dave Wilson, MLA for

Glace Bay Glace Bay (Scottish Gaelic: ''Glasbaidh'') is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton. Formerly an incorporated t ...

Caucus members who did not endorse a candidate

Manning MacDonald Manning MacDonald CD, ECNS (born September 18, 1942) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Cape Breton South in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from May 25, 1993 to May 29, 2013. He is a member of the Liberals ...

, MLA for Cape Breton South *

, MLA for

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, was the interim leader and remained neutral in the leadership race.

Results

Notes

References

External links

Nova Scotia Liberal Party
{{Nova Scotia politics

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

2007 elections in Canada 2007 in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Liberal Party leadership election

Timeline

2006

2007

Rules

Candidates

Endorsements

MacKinnon (3)

McNeil (9)

Smith (13)

Whalen (9)

Caucus members who did not endorse a candidate

Results

See also

Notes

References

External links