Gerry O'Malley
{{Short description|Canadian politician (1927–2018)}}
{{for|the Irish Gaelic footballer|Gerry O'Malley (Gaelic footballer)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = |
| name = Gerry O'Malley
| caption =
|birth_name=Gerald Joseph O'Malley
| birth_date = {{birth date|1927|11|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|11|16|1927|11|25|df=y}}
| death_place = Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| office2 = MLA for Halifax Needham
| term_start2 = 1988
| term_end2 = 1998
| predecessor2 = Edmund L. Morris
| successor2 = Maureen MacDonald
| party = Liberal
| occupation =Educator
| spouse={{marriage|Marie Elizabeth Langan|1953}}
}}
Gerald Joseph O'Malley (25 November 1927 – 16 November 2018) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Halifax Needham in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1988 to 1998, as a member of the Liberals.{{cite book|title=Canadian Almanac & Directory|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CrhPAQAAIAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Scobie & Balfour|pages=4–155|via=Google Books}}
- {{cite web|url=http://nslegislature.ca/pdfs/about/ConstituencyHistories/halifax%20needham.pdf|title=Electoral History for Halifax Needham|publisher=Nova Scotia Legislative Library|accessdate=19 June 2015|archive-date=23 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823064747/http://nslegislature.ca/pdfs/about/ConstituencyHistories/halifax|url-status=dead}}
An avid educational advocate, O’Malley worked at Nova Scotia Community College as a principal before entering politics. He sat in the Nova Scotia Assembly for a decade and became the minister of supply and services and then minister of science and technology under the premier, John Savage.
Early life
O'Malley was born in Halifax in 1927 to Michael O'Malley and Mary Brackett.{{cite web|url=https://necrocanada.com/obituaries-2018/gerald-joseph-omalley-2018/#.W_O5S3tKjIU|title=Obituary: Gerald Joseph O’Malley 2018|website=Nécrologie Canada|accessdate=19 November 2018}} He was educated at Saint Mary's University, originally wanting to be an electrician.{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/labr/minister.htm|title=Minister of the Department of Labour biography|publisher=Government of Nova Scotia|accessdate=19 June 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980128020506/http://www.gov.ns.ca/labr/minister.htm|archivedate=28 January 1998}} He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force, retiring in 1967.The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1989, pg. 851
An avid educational advocate, O'Malley was a vocational teacher and later a principal at the Akerley campus of the Nova Scotia Community College in Halifax.{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/former-n-s-liberal-cabinet-minister-gerry-omalley-dies-at-age-of-90|title=Former N.S. Liberal cabinet minister Gerry O'Malley dies at age of 90|work=National Post|date=19 November 2018|accessdate=19 November 2018}}
Career
In 1980, O'Malley was elected to Halifax City Council, where he was deputy mayor in 1984.
O'Malley entered provincial politics in the 1988 election, defeating New Democrat Maureen MacDonald by 776 votes in the Halifax Needham riding.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201988.pdf |title=Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1988 |publisher=Elections Nova Scotia |page=89 |accessdate=19 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225642/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201988.pdf |archivedate=12 May 2014 }} He was re-elected in the 1993 election, defeating his New Democrat opponent by 972 votes.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201993.pdf |title=Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1993 |publisher=Elections Nova Scotia |page=106 |accessdate=19 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070337/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/General%20Election%201993.pdf |archivedate=6 October 2014 }} He served as a backbench member of John Savage's government until March 1995, when he was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Supply and Services.{{cite news|title=Savage plays musical chairs with Cabinet, adds O'Malley|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=21 March 1995}}
In March 1996, O'Malley was shuffled to minister of science and technology.{{cite web|url=https://novascotia.ca/cmns/msrv/viewRel.asp?relID=/cmns/msrv/nr-1996/nr96-03/96032206.htm|title=Premier announces cabinet realignment|publisher=Government of Nova Scotia|date=22 March 1996|accessdate=19 June 2015}}
- {{cite news|title=Downe climbs cabinet ladder as new department boss|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=23 March 1996}} When Russell MacLellan was sworn-in as premier in July 1997, O'Malley was moved to minister of labour.{{cite web|url=https://novascotia.ca/cmns/msrv/viewRel.asp?relID=/cmns/msrv/nr-1997/nr97-07/97071802.htm|title=Premier MacLellan, new cabinet sworn in|publisher=Government of Nova Scotia|date=18 July 1997|accessdate=22 November 2014}}
- {{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970719100.html|title=MacLellan makeover|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=19 July 1997|accessdate=22 November 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980204071951/http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970719100.html|archivedate=4 February 1998}}
O’Malley was moved to the labour portfolio, where he brought in safety training changes in the wake of the Westray mining disaster that resulted in 26 deaths. During his time as minister of supply and services, O'Malley once faced public criticism and outcry when he was in Sydney to announce the plan to cap the tar ponds. Protesters forced him to cut short the event and he was escorted out of the room due to security concerns as the protests intensified.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/gerald-gerry-o-malley-politics-municipal-provincial-halifax-nova-scotia-1.4911631|title=Longtime Nova Scotia politician Gerald O'Malley dies|work=CBC News|accessdate=19 November 2018}}
Despite indications he might retire, O'Malley ran for re-election in 1998,{{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998/02/19+242.raw+PE98Feb19+2|title=O'Malley seeks nod in Halifax Needham|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=19 February 1998|accessdate=22 November 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124015928/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F02%2F19+242.raw+PE98Feb19+2|archivedate=24 January 2005|url-status=dead}} but was defeated by New Democrat Maureen MacDonald by over 2,300 votes.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/Dist31.pdf|title=Election Returns, 1998 (Halifax Needham)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=22 November 2014}}
- {{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998/03/25+270.raw+PE98Mar25+2|title=Grit veterans swept away by 'orange tide'|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=25 March 1998|accessdate=22 November 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124010502/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F03%2F25+270.raw+PE98Mar25+2|archivedate=24 January 2005|url-status=dead}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omalley, Gerry}}
Category:Members of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia
Category:Nova Scotia Liberal Party MLAs
Category:Nova Scotia municipal councillors
Category:Politicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Category:Saint Mary's University (Halifax) alumni
Category:20th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly