Jun 12, 2009
June 9 2009: In the provincial election in Nova Scotia this past week, the New Democratic Party (NDP) won 31 seats, the Liberal Party won 11 and the Progressive Conservatives (PC) won 10 seats.
Notably, this was a breakthrough election for the NDP across the province, but not for women overall. Twelve women were elected for 23%. This is only one more woman than when the election was called. In terms of patterns for women elected, it's a partisan story.
• NDP women 9/31, 29% of caucus
• Lib women 2/11, 18% of caucus
• PC women 1/10, 10% of caucus
The big story is that the NDP surge carried along its women candidates, including 5 women outside the Halifax area. For years, NDP women ran as lost-cause candidates in rural NS, so this is a breakthrough for them. Expect to see Equal Voice Nova Scotia supporter Maureen MacDonald appointed to an important cabinet position - possibly plus Status of Women as minor portfolio. Maureen MacDonald won with one of the highest vote margins in the province.
Two of three PC women incumbents were defeated. Only PC incumbent Karen Casey held onto her seat, and no new PC woman was elected. Minister Carolyn Bolivar-Getson was defeated. She was responsible for Status of Women during her previous two terms in office and she gets get full credit for initiating the Women & Leadership program, including the NS Campaign School for Women. We wish her all the best in life after politics.
Two Liberal women were elected. Incumbent Diana Whalen held onto a tightly-contested seat, running in an all-female race. Newcomer Kelly Regan defeated a PC incumbent. The Liberals would not have been able to form the Opposition without these two seats. Both are good friends to Equal Voice Nova Scotia.
While disappointing that not more women were elected, we can count more than a few women who now qualify as securely-entrenched incumbents, and the newcomers show great promise to be effective legislators as well.
The following women were elected:
- PC Karen Casey, Colchester North (re-elected)
- NDP Pam Birdsall, Lunenburg
- NDP Vicky Conrad, Queens (re-elected)
- NDP Ramona Jennex, Kings South
- NDP Becky Kent, Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage (re-elected)
- NDP Maureen MacDonald, Halifax Needham (re-elected)
- NDP Marilyn More, Dartmouth South-Portland Valley (re-elected)
- NDP Denise Peterson-Rafuse, Chester-St. Margaret's
- NDP Michele Raymond, Halifax Atlantic (re-elected)
- NDP Lenore Zann, Truro-Bible Hill
- Liberal Kelly Regan, Bedford-Birch Cove
- Liberal Diana Whalen, Halifax Clayton Park (re-elected)
Equal Voice Nova Scotia also encourages interested readers to visit the CBC for a precis of results at: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nsvotes2009/story/2009/06/09/ns-votes-women-elected-0609.html
More information:
equalvoicenovascotia@gmail.com
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