Nova Scotia general election, 2003

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The 2003 Nova Scotia election was held on August 5, 2003 to elect members of the House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The ruling Progressive Conservative Party, led by Premier John Hamm, was reduced to a minority government.

Contents 1 Election 2 General results 2.1 Results by Party 2.2 Results by Region 3 Riding Results 3.1 Valley 3.2 South Shore 3.3 Fundy 3.4 Central Halifax 3.5 Suburban Halifax 3.6 Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore 3.7 Central Nova 3.8 Cape Breton 4 By-elections since the general election 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Election

The election was called by Conservatives, who decided to hold a rare summer election in the hope of strengthening their hold on the legislature. Running against them were the New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Darrell Dexter, and the Liberal Party, led by Danny Graham.

Hamm's party ran on a policy of fiscal management, tax cuts, and on their record of fulfilling most of their promises. While the NDP agreed in principle to tax cuts, their main cause was the creation of a public auto insurance company. The Liberals were the only party to criticize the tax cuts.

For the most part, the campaign was quiet and uneventful. Hamm received criticism for a great number of spending programs, including a $150 tax rebate cheque sent to Nova Scotians right before the election. The party was also criticized for holding an election in the summer when most people have other concerns. Darrell Dexter's friendly, non-confrontational style, was popular with many voters, and was a marked change from his party's usually strident socialism. Danny Graham, a young leader, was popular, but failed to make much of a mark.

The election was considered a mild failure for the Liberals and Conservatives, and something of a success for the NDP.

This election is also notable for being one of the last Canadian provincial elections in which British subjects could vote (a tiny number can still vote provincially in Saskatchewan if they were qualified in 1971).

[edit] General results

[edit] Results by Party

Party		Party leader	# of candidates	Seats				Popular vote
				1999	Dissolution	Elected	% Change	#	%	Change
	Progressive Conservative	John Hamm	52	30	31	25	-16.7%	148,182	36.32%	-2.88%
	New Democratic	Darrell Dexter	52	11	11	15	+36.4%	126,479	31.00%	+1.03%
	Liberal	Danny Graham	52	11	7	12	+9.1%	128,417	31.47%	+1.66%
	Independents		6	0	1	-	-100%	1,694	0.42%	+0.13%
	Nova Scotia Party	Gerry Rodgers	16	0	0	-	-	1,637	0.40%	-0.33%
	Marijuana	Michael Patriquen	11	*	0	-	*	1,608	0.39%	*
	Vacant				2
Total			189	52	52	52		408,017	100%

• The Marijuana Party did not contest the 1999 general election.

[edit] Results by Region

Party name			HRM	C.B.	Valley	S. Shore	Fundy	Central	Total
Parties winning seats in the legislature:
	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	4	2	3	7	5	4	25
		Popular vote:	30.97%	26.68%	38.41%	45.57%	50.67%	42.94%	36.32%
	New Democratic Party	Seats:	11	2	-	-	1	1	15
		Popular vote:	40.67%	26.21%	23.15%	25.10%	27.51%	25.59%	31.00%
	Liberal	Seats:	3	5	4	-	-	-	12
		Popular vote:	27.14%	45.71%	37.13%	29.06%	20.85%	29.21%	31.47%
Parties not winning seats in the legislature:
	Independents	Popular vote:	0.13%	1.40%	-	-	0.74%	0.41%	0.42%
	Nova Scotia Party	Popular vote:	0.70%	-	0.75%	0.27%	0.23%	-	0.40%
	Marijuana	Popular vote:	0.40%	-	0.56%	-	-	1.85%	0.39%
Total seats:			18	9	7	7	6	5	52

[edit] Riding Results

• bold denotes a cabinet minister or party leader
• † denotes an incumbent not seeking re-election

[edit] Valley

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Annapolis		Frank Chipman 2,795		Adrian Nette 1,395		Stephen McNeil 4,522		Harry Wilson (NSP) 185		Frank Chipman
Clare		Marc Boudreau 1,456		Don Melanson 760		Wayne Gaudet 3,547				Wayne Gaudet
Digby—Annapolis		Gordon Balser 2,339		Deborah Trask 755		Harold Theriault, Jr. 2,666				Gordon Balser
Hants West		Ron Russell 3,871		Sean Bennett 2,200		Randy Matheson 2,118		Chummy Anthony (Mar.) 148 Connie Brauer (NSP) 51		Ron Russell
Kings North		Mark Parent 4,063		Jim Morton 2,340		Michael Landry 1,533		Ben Friesen (Mar.) 157		Mark Parent
Kings South		David Morse 3,347		David Mangle 2,794		Maura Ryan 2,682		Victor Harris (NSP) 67		David Morse
Kings West		Jon Carey 2,929		Greg Hubbert 2,275		Leo Glavine 3,045				Jon Carey

[edit] South Shore

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Argyle		Chris d'Entremont 2,345		Charles Muise 595		Aldric d'Entremont 1,946				Neil LeBlanc †
Chester—St. Margaret's		John Chataway 3,451		Hinrich Bitter-Suermann 3,412		Mitt Larsen 2,249		Sue Gault (NSP) 141		John Chataway
Lunenburg		Michael Baker 3,734		Chris Heide 2,625		Jim Davis 1,695				Michael Baker
Lunenburg West		Carolyn Bolivar-Getson 3,111		David Ferguson 2,180		John MacDonald 2,550				Don Downe †
Queens		Kerry Morash 2,721		Vicki Conrad 2,300		Win Seaton 1,137				Kerry Morash
Shelburne		Cecil O'Donnell 3,702		Kendall Stoddard 810		Clifford Huskilson 3,107				Cecil O'Donnell
Yarmouth		Richard Hurlburt 4,656		Gillian Rowley 1,142		Phil DeMille 2,446				Richard Hurlburt

[edit] Fundy

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley		Brooke Taylor 4,695		Kathryn Belzer 1,694		Joan Barnhill 908				Brooke Taylor
Colchester North		Bill Langille 3,324		Garfield Forrest 1,860		John Davidson 2,183				Bill Langille
Cumberland North		Ernest Fage 4,609		Kim Cail 1,105		Marsh Fox 1,380		Jason Blanch (Ind.) 337		Ernest Fage
Cumberland South		Murray Scott 4,898		Scott McKee 745		Harriet McCready 1,189				Murray Scott
Hants East		Mary Lou LeRoy 1,640		John MacDonnell 4,783		Larry Matthews 1,866		Ken Smith (NSP) 106		John MacDonnell
Truro—Bible Hill		Jamie Muir 3,862		Jim Harpell 2,314		Jeff Yuill 2,021				Jamie Muir

[edit] Central Halifax

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Halifax Chebucto		Sandy Phillips 1,983		Howard Epstein 3,682		Kenzie MacKinnon 2,592		Scott Higgins 103		Howard Epstein
Halifax Citadel		Jane Purves 2,466		Peter Delefes 2,542		Danny Graham 3,042		Michael Patriquen (Mari.) 59 James Marchoine (NSP) 38		Jane Purves
Halifax Clayton Park		Mary Ann McGrath 3,034		Roberta Morrison 2,312		Diana Whalen 3,329				Mary Ann McGrath
Halifax Fairview		Bruce MacCharles 1,684		Graham Steele 3,439		Susan Hayes 2,284		David Boyd (NSP) 94		Graham Steele
Halifax Needham		Linda Carvery 1,377		Maureen MacDonald 3,709		Mike Rogers 2,178		Blair Baxter (NSP) 116		Maureen MacDonald

[edit] Suburban Halifax

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Bedford		Peter Christie 4,114		Bob Watson 2,055		Richard Zurawski 3,208				Peter Christie
Halifax Atlantic		Linda Mosher 2,996		Michele Raymond 3,327		Ian MacKinnon 2,382		Gerald Rodgers (NSP) 191		Robert Chisholm †
Hammonds Plains—Upper Sackville		Barry Barnet 3,322		Brenda Haley 2,229		2,419 1766		Melanie Patriquen (Mar.) 105		Barry Barnet
Sackville—Cobequid		John Giannakos 2,426		Dave Wilson 3,881		Bob Harvey 2,147		Michael D. Patriquen (Mar.) 97		John Holm †
Timberlea—Prospect		Barry Fraser 1,535		Bill Estabrooks 5,049		Bruce Holland 1,829				Bill Estabrooks
Waverley—Fall River—Beaver Bank		Gary Hines 3,141		Percy Paris 2,778		David Merrigan 2,240		Heather Sawers (NSP) 94 Alex Neron (Mari.) 86		Gary Hines

[edit] Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Cole Harbour		Brian Thomas 2,387		Darrell Dexter 4,977		Peter Foy 1,523		Jessica Gould (NSP) 102		Darrell Dexter
Cole Harbour—Eastern Passage		Henry McInroy 1,641		Kevin Deveaux 3,997		Brian Churchill 1,121		Kallee McPherson (NSP) 74		Kevin Deveaux
Dartmouth East		Terry Degen 3,107		Joan Massey 3,272		Debra Barlow 2,321		Hugo St-Onge (Mar.) 101 Sebastien Theriault 28		Jim Smith †
Dartmouth North		Jane MacKay 1,900		Jerry Pye 3,799		Rosemary Godin 1,300		Pat Gould (NSP) 86 Marc-Andre Roy (Mar.) 75		Jerry Pye
Dartmouth South—Portland Valley		Tim Olive 2,813		Marilyn More 3,844		Colini MacEachern 2,218				Tim Olive
Eastern Shore		Bill Dooks 3,073		Sidney Prest 2,427		Randy Carter 1,326				Bill Dooks
Preston		David Hensbee 1,361		Douglas Sparks 1,331		Keith Colwell 1,411		Marc-Boris St-Maurice (Mar.) 50		David Hensbee

[edit] Central Nova

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Antigonish		Angus MacIsaac 4,256		Terry O'Toole 1,755		David Allister Cameron 3,650		Gene Purdy (Mar.) 560		Angus MacIsaac
Guysborough—Sheet Harbour		Ronnie Chisholm 2,587		Jim Boudreau 2,023		Gordon MacDonald 2,199				Ronnie Chisholm
Pictou Centre		John Hamm 4,262		Alexander MacIsaac 1,571		Tim Daley 1,789		Darryl Gallivan (Mar.) 170		John Hamm
Pictou East		Jim DeWolfe 3,295		Bob Matheson 1,929		John Fraser 2,239				Jim DeWolfe
Pictou West		Paul Veniot 2,530		Charlie Parker 3,410		Ed MacMaster 1,639		Doug Corbett (Ind.) 163		Muriel Baillie †

[edit] Cape Breton

Electoral District	Candidates									Incumbent
		PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Cape Breton Centre		Rita Tighe-MacLeod 373		Frank Corbett 3,929		Basil McGillivray 3,456				Frank Corbett
Cape Breton North		Cecil Clarke 3,754		Cecil Snow 1,714		Mike White 3,169				Cecil Clarke
Cape Breton Nova		Todd Marsman 684		Gordie Gosse 3,168		Mel Crowe 3,094				Paul MacEwan †
Cape Breton South		John Morrison 1,677		Mike MacSween 2,759		Manning MacDonald 5,275				Manning MacDonald
Cape Breton West		Ivan Doncaster 2,221		Douglas MacKinlay 1,868		Russell MacKinnon 4,616				Russell MacKinnon
Glace Bay		Mark Bettens 1,351		Vince Hall 2,342		David Wilson 4,420				David Wilson
Inverness		Rodney MacDonald 5,398		Tim Murphy 1,277		Debbie Gillis 3,871				Rodney MacDonald
Richmond		Richie Cotton 1,850		Clair Rankin 1,036		Michel Samson 3,047				Michel Samson
Victoria—The Lakes		Keith Bain 2,036		Nancy MacKeigan 934		Gerald Sampson 2,284		Brian Boudreau (Ind.) 750 Stemer MacLeod (Ind.) 120		Brian Boudreau

[edit] By-elections since the general election

Chester—St. Margaret's (Death of John Chataway), June 21, 2005:

By-election: Chester—St. Margaret's
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PC	Judy Streatch	2,955	36.27	-1.03
	Liberal	Rick Fraughton	2,548	31.27	+6.96
	NDP	Hinrich Bitter-Suermann	2,434	29.88	-6.99
	Independent	Michael Oddy	210	2.58	+1.06*
Total			9,270	100%

• *Ind. results compared to that of the NSP during the general election.

[edit] See also

• List of Nova Scotia general elections
• List of Nova Scotia political parties

[edit] References

• Government of Nova Scotia. Election Summary From 1867 - 2006 (PDF). Elections Statistics. Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.

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