The 2007 Nova Scotia Liberal Party leadership election was held on April 27, 2007 at the

Dartmouth Sportsplex The Zatzman Sportsplex is an indoor sports and community centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, opened 1982 and known as the Dartmouth Sportsplex until 2019. It houses an arena, a gymnasium, two swimming pools, and other fitness, leisure and events fac ...

, following the resignation of Francis MacKenzie, 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 The following elections occurred in the year 2006. * Elections in 2006 * Electoral calendar 2006 * 2006 Acehnese regional election * 2006 American Samoan legislative election * 2006 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2006 Costa Rican presidential ...

. 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 Stephen McNeil (born November 10, 1964) is a Canadian politician who served as the 28th premier of Nova Scotia, from 2013 to 2021. He also represented the riding of Annapolis in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 2003 to 2021 and was the le ...

. The party had held government for much of the province's history, having been in power from Canadian Confederation 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 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. * January 12: Interim leader Michel Samson 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

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 *

, MLA for Annapolis * Mike Smith, mayor of

Colchester County Colchester County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. With a population of 51,476 the county is the fourth largest in Nova Scotia. Colchester County is located in north central Nova Scotia. The majority of the county is gover ...

, MLA for Halifax-Clayton Park Various members of the party announced that they would not seek the leadership. Among them were interim leader Michel Samson, Dartmouth physician John Gillis,Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca
/ref> and Liberal MPs Geoff Regan, Scott Brison, and Michael Savage.

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, former MP for Halifax *

Allan J. MacEachen Allan Joseph MacEachen (July 6, 1921 – September 12, 2017) was a Canadian politician and statesman who served as a senator and several times as a Cabinet minister. He was the first deputy prime minister of Canada and served from 1977 to 1979 ...

, former MP and Deputy Prime Minister * Russell MacLellan, 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, Senator * Kirk Cox, former candidate, Shelburne * Rodger Cuzner, Liberal MP for Cape Breton—CansoNova Scotia Liberal Party
/ref> * Don Downe, former MLA, Lunenburg West * Wayne Gaudet, MLA for

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

* Leo Glavine, MLA for Kings West * Jim Smith, former MLA, Dartmouth East * Harold Theriault, MLA for Digby-Annapolis * Robert Thibault, 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 geo ...

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–T ...

, 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 me ...

, former MLA for Halifax Citadel * Ed Lorraine, former MLA and provincial Minister of Agriculture * Kennie MacAskill, former MLA and provincial Minister of Natural Resources * Richie Mann, 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, former MLA

Truro-Bible Hill Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River is a provincial 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 Truro-Bible Hill until it was ...

, 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 John Floyd Tucker (born October 24, 1940) is a former Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Colchester in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1974 to 1978. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. Tucker was ...

, 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 Wayne Adams, CM ONS (born 1943) is a Canadian former provincial politician who was the first Black Canadian member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and cabinet minister. Early life Adams was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1943. Politic ...

, 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, 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, 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, MLA for

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

Jane Cordy Jane Marie Cordy (born July 2, 1950) is a Canadian Senator representing Nova Scotia and former teacher and administrator. Early life Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, she received a teaching certificate from the Nova Scotia Teachers College and a Bache ...

, Senator * Geoff Regan, Liberal MP for Halifax West * Dave Wilson, MLA for Glace Bay

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 * Michel Samson, 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 2007 elections in Canada 2007 in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Liberal Party leadership election