Mark Parent

{{distinguish|Marc Parent (disambiguation){{!}}Marc Parent}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Mark Parent

| image =

| imagesize = 150px

| caption =

| honorific-suffix = ECNS

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|25|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Port Williams, Nova Scotia

| residence =

| assembly = Nova Scotia House of

| constituency_AM = Kings North

| term_start = July 27, 1999

| term_end = June 9, 2009

| predecessor = George Archibald

| successor = Jim Morton

| office2 = Minister of Environment and Labour

| premier2 = Rodney MacDonald

| term_start2 = June 26, 2006

| term_end2 = April 24, 2008

| predecessor2 = Carolyn Bolivar-Getson

| successor2 = David Morse

| office3 = Minister of the Environment

| premier3 = Rodney MacDonald

| term_start3 = April 24, 2008

| term_end3 = January 8, 2009

| predecessor3 = Ministry Created

| successor3 = Sterling Belliveau

| office4 = Minister of Labour and Workplace Development

| premier4 = Rodney MacDonald

| term_start4 = April 24, 2008

| term_end4 = January 8, 2009

| predecessor4 = Ministry Created

| successor4 = Marilyn More

| office5 = Minister of Agriculture

| premier5 = Rodney MacDonald

| term_start5 = January 8, 2009

| term_end5 = June 9, 2009

| predecessor5 = Brooke Taylor

| successor5 = John MacDonell

| party = Progressive Conservative

| spouse = Cathy
Margie Jenkins

| occupation = Pastor

}}

Mark Parent (born August 25, 1954) is a Canadian clergyman, author, academic, and former politician in Nova Scotia.

Parent is the son of Baptist missionaries Hazen Coles Parent and Hazel Mildred Anderson. Parent was raised 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 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.

Political career

{{Quote box

| quote = "Politics is the art of doing the impossible, with the unwilling, for the ungrateful."

| source = Mark Parent
The Daily News
October 2, 1999

| width = 250px

| align = left

}}

In 1997, Parent volunteered as the Policy Chair for the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.

In 1999 Parent successfully ran for the Progressive Conservative nomination in the riding of Kings North.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999/06/30+235.raw+PE99Jun30+2 |title=Parent Tory choice in Kings North |work=The Chronicle Herald |date=June 30, 1999 |accessdate=October 20, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124081152/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999%2F06%2F30%2B235.raw%2BPE99Jun30%2B2 |archivedate=January 24, 2005 |url-status=dead }} He was elected in the 1999 provincial election with 49.05% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/99KINGSN.pdf|title=Election Returns, 1999 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}

As a legislator, Parent became known for speaking frankly both in the House of Assembly and to the media,{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/parent-contemplates-quitting-1.197721 |title=Parent contemplates quitting |publisher=CBC |date=November 2, 2000 |accessdate=November 4, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/teacher-layoffs-prompt-debate-in-legislature-1.244851 |title=Teacher layoffs prompt debate in legislature |publisher=CBC |date=April 25, 2000 |accessdate=November 4, 2023}} and expressed dissatisfaction with how the legislature conducted its business.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mla-s-just-bums-in-chairs-says-politician-1.253249 |title=MLA's "just bums in chairs," says politician |publisher=CBC |date=December 1, 2000 |accessdate=November 4, 2023}}

Parent was re-elected in the 2003 provincial election with 50.2%.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/03dist35.pdf|title=Election Returns, 2003 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}} In the 2006 election, Parent was re-elected with 50.07%.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35_0.pdf|title=Election Returns, 2006 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}

In 2006 Parent was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where he served as Minister of Environment and Labour.{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20060626001 |title=Premier Announces New Cabinet Lineup |date=June 26, 2006 |publisher=NS Government News Release |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/macdonald-s-expanded-cabinet-has-3-rookies-1.590233 |title=MacDonald's expanded cabinet has 3 rookies |date=June 26, 2006 |publisher=CBC |accessdate=November 4, 2023}} While Minister, Parent oversaw the division of the Department of Environment and Labour into two portfolios in April 2008, consisting of a separate Department of Environment and a separate Department of Labour and Workforce Development.{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20080424008 |title=Government Introduces New Department of Labour and Workforce Development |publisher=NS Government News Release |date=April 24, 2008 |accessdate=December 7, 2009}} Parent served as Minister for those portfolios until January 2009, when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture,{{cite web |url=http://www.trurodaily.com/index.cfm?sid=208242&sc=518 |title=Cabinet shuffled |publisher=Canadian Press |date=January 8, 2009 |accessdate=November 4, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717110542/http://www.trurodaily.com/News/2009-01-08/article-343927/Cabinet-shuffled/1|archivedate=July 17, 2011}} just days before he was to release Nova Scotia's climate change plan.{{cite web |url=http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/enviro-shakeup/Content?oid=1070548 |title=Morse's environmental shakeup |date=January 22, 2009 |publisher=The Coast |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/163513 |title=Provincial cabinet gets long-awaited shuffle |date=January 7, 2009 |publisher=Metro |accessdate=December 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604225810/http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/163513 |archivedate=June 4, 2011 }} During his time in cabinet, Parent was also responsible for Part II of the Gambling Control Act, the Workers' Compensation Act (except Part II) and the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act.

Parent was defeated in the 2009 provincial election, with 36.08% of the vote in his riding.{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/more-than-half-of-tory-cabinet-defeated-1.776502 |title=More than half of Tory cabinet defeated |date=June 9, 2009 |publisher=CBC |accessdate=March 18, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nsvotes2009/ridings/035/ |title=Nova Scotia Votes - Kings North |publisher=CBC |date=June 9, 2009 |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35.pdf|title=Election Returns, 2009 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}

Electoral record

=Federal=

=Provincial=

{{Election box begin | title=2009 Nova Scotia general election{{Cite web |url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=17 September 2014 |archive-date=11 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211162917/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35.pdf |url-status=dead }}}}

|New Democrat

|Jim Morton

|align="right"|3,535

|align="right"|41.43

|align="right"|

|Progressive Conservative

|Mark Parent

|align="right"|3,079

|align="right"|36.08

|align="right"|

|Liberal

|Shirley Fisher

|align="right"|1,541

|align="right"|18.06

|align="right"|

|Progressive Conservative

|Mark Parent

|align="right"|4153

|align="right"|50.07

|New Democrat

|Jim Morton

|align="right"|2190

|align="right"|26.40

|Liberal

|Madonna Spinazola

|align="right"|1757

|align="right"|21.18

|Progressive Conservative

|Mark Parent

|align="right"|4063

|align="right"|50.2

|align="right"|

|New Democrat

|Jim Morton

|align="right"|2340

|align="right"|29.91

|align="right"|

|Liberal

|Michael Landry

|align="right"|1533

|align="right"|18.94

|align="right"|

|Progressive Conservative

|Mark Parent

|align="right"|4321

|align="right"|49.05

|align="right"|

|New Democrat

|Neil H. McNeil

|align="right"|2513

|align="right"|28.53

|align="right"|

|Liberal

|Peter Hill

|align="right"|1975

|align="right"|22.42

|align="right"|

Bibliography

{{Cite book |last = Parent |first = Mark |authorlink = Mark Parent |title = Spiritscapes |publisher = Northstone |year = 1998 |isbn = 3-540-63293-X |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=W1tfx6Y46s0C&q=%22Mark%20Parent%22%20marries&pg=PP1}}
{{Cite news | last = Parent | first = Mark | title = Health care system must change or collapse | publisher = The Chronicle Herald | url = http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/health-care-system-must-change-or-collapse | date = October 17, 2009 | accessdate = December 7, 2009 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20091120225154/http://michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/health-care-system-must-change-or-collapse | archivedate = November 20, 2009 }}