| Mark Parent Ph.D M.Div. |
|
|---|---|
| MLA for Kings North | |
| In office 1999–2009 |
|
| Preceded by | George Archibald |
| Succeeded by | Jim Morton |
| Minister of Environment and Labour | |
| In office June 26, 2006 – April 24, 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Kerry Morash |
| Succeeded by | David Morse |
| Minister of the Environment | |
| In office April 24, 2008 – January 8, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | new department |
| Succeeded by | Sterling Belliveau |
| Minister of Labour and Workplace Development | |
| In office April 24, 2008 – January 8, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | new department |
| Succeeded by | Marilyn More |
| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office January 8, 2009 – June 9, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Brooke Taylor |
| Succeeded by | John MacDonell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 25, 1954 Port Williams, Nova Scotia |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Cathy Margie Jenkins |
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Religion | United Baptist |
Mark Parent (born August 25, 1954, Port Williams, Nova Scotia) is an author and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, Canada for the constituency of Kings North. He sat as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia from 1999 to 2009.
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The son of missionaries Hazen Coles Parent and Hazel Mildred Anderson, Parent grew up in Bolivia, South America before returning to Canada for post secondary studies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, a Master of Divinity from Acadia Divinity College, and a Doctor of Philosophy from McGill University. Parent is married to his second wife Margie Jenkins and together they have five grown children. His first wife, Cathy, died in 1998.
Parent served in various churches in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before returning home in 1994 to serve as pastor of the Pereaux United Baptist Church. During the late 1990s he was an associate professor of Religious Studies at Mount Allison University.
"Politics is the art of doing the impossible, with the unwilling, for the ungrateful."
In 1997, Parent was the Policy Chair for the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia. He ran in the 1999 provincial election, and was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly with 49.05% of the vote.[1]
Parent became known for speaking frankly in the Legislature and to the media,[2][3] and expressed dissatisfaction with how the Legislature conducted business.[4]
Parent was re-elected in the 2003 election with 50.2%.[5]
In the 2006 election, Parent was re-elected with 50.07%.[6] He was appointed to Rodney MacDonald's cabinet as Minister of Environment and Labour.[7][8] His department was split into two portfolios in April 2008, consisting of Department of Environment and a separate Department of Labour and Workforce Development.[9] Parent served in those portfolios until January 2009, when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture,[10] just days before he was to release Nova Scotia's climate change plan.[11][12] During his time in cabinet, Parent was also responsible for Part II of the Gaming Control Act, the Workers' Compensation Act (except Part II) and the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act.
Parent was defeated in the 2009 election, when his percentage dropped to 36.08%.[13][14][15]