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Maureen MacDonald

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|image =

|imagesize = 150px |

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|honorific-suffix= ECNS

| name = Maureen MacDonald

| caption = MLA

| birth_date = 1954

| birth_place = Antigonish, Nova Scotia

| residence =

| constituency_AM = Halifax Needham

| assembly = Nova Scotia House of

| term_start = March 24, 1998

| term_end = April 12, 2016

| predecessor = Gerry O'Malley

| successor = Lisa Roberts

|office2 = Leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
Interim

|term_start2 = November 23, 2013

|term_end2 = February 27, 2016

|predecessor2 = Darrell Dexter

|successor2 = Gary Burrill

| office3 = Minister of Finance

| term_start3 = May 30, 2012

| term_end3 = October 22, 2013

| predecessor3 = Graham Steele

| successor3 = Diana Whalen

| office4 = Minister of Health

| term_start4 = June 19, 2009

| term_end4 = May 30, 2012

| predecessor4 = Karen Casey

| successor4 = Dave Wilson

| office5 = Minister of Health Promotion and Protection

| term_start5 = June 19, 2009

| term_end5 = January 11, 2011

| predecessor5 = Pat Dunn

| successor5 = department merged{{Cite news|url=http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/Regional/2011-01-11/article-2109056/Premier-Dexter-makes-changes-to-cabinet/1|title=Premier Dexter makes changes to cabinet|newspaper=The Vanguard|date=January 11, 2011|accessdate=June 28, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031355/http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/Regional/2011-01-11/article-2109056/Premier-Dexter-makes-changes-to-cabinet/1|archivedate=March 4, 2016}}

| office6 = Minister of Gaelic Affairs

| term_start6 = June 19, 2009

| term_end6 = October 22, 2013

| predecessor6 = Angus MacIsaac

| successor6 = Randy Delorey

| party = NDP

| religion =

| occupation = social worker, professor

}}

Maureen MacDonald (born 1954)[https://nslegislature.ca/members/profiles/maureen-macdonald/history 61st General Assembly] Nova Scotia Legislature is a Canadian academic and politician. She represented the riding of Halifax Needham in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2016. She served as the interim leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party from November 23, 2013 to February 27, 2016.{{Cite news|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1169653-ndp-appoints-caucus-veteran-macdonald-as-acting-party-leader|title=NDP appoints caucus veteran MacDonald as acting party leader|newspaper=The Chronicle Herald|date=November 23, 2013|accessdate=June 28, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801210603/http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1169653-ndp-appoints-caucus-veteran-macdonald-as-acting-party-leader|archivedate=August 1, 2017}}

Early life and career

A native of Antigonish, MacDonald graduated in 1979 with a MSW from the Maritime School of Social Work at Dalhousie University. She was employed as a social worker at the Nova Scotia Hospital (Adolescent Services) and later was a faculty member at her alma mater where she taught social policy and community development. MacDonald also worked at Dalhousie Legal Aid, the North End Clinic and the North End Parent Resource Centre.

Political career

MacDonald was first elected as MLA for Halifax Needham in the 1998 provincial election, after having previously run in the same riding in 1984 and 1988. She was subsequently re-elected in the 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2013 provincial elections.

MacDonald sought the leadership of the NS NDP in 2000, finishing a strong third.

On June 19, 2009 MacDonald was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where she served as Minister of Health as well as Minister of Health Promotion and Protection.[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/atlantic-canada-s-1st-ndp-government-takes-office-in-nova-scotia-1.789362 "Atlantic Canada's 1st NDP government takes office in Nova Scotia"]. CBC News, June 19, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2014. On May 30, 2012, Premier Darrell Dexter shuffled his cabinet, appointing MacDonald as Minister of Finance.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/first-female-finance-minister-appointed-in-n-s-1.1294295|title=First female finance minister appointed in N.S.|publisher=CBC|date=May 31, 2012|accessdate=May 10, 2018}} On May 10, 2013 MacDonald was appointed Minister of African Nova Scotia Affairs.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-cabinet-minister-resigns-after-bathroom-fight-1.1344073|title=N.S. cabinet minister resigns after bathroom fight|publisher=CBC|date=May 10, 2013|accessdate=May 10, 2018}}

MacDonald was one of only seven NDP MLAs returned in the 2013 provincial election in which the Dexter government was defeated. On November 16, 2013, it was announced that MacDonald would become the party's interim leader when Dexter steps down as leader on November 23, 2013.{{cite news|title=Darrell Dexter steps down as Nova Scotia's NDP leader|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/darrell-dexter-steps-down-as-nova-scotia-s-ndp-leader-1.2429106|accessdate=November 16, 2013|publisher=CBC News|date=November 16, 2013}}

On April 12, 2016, MacDonald announced she was resigning as MLA.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/maureen-macdonald-ndp-resign-1.3531491|title=Maureen MacDonald retires from provincial politics after 18 years as MLA|publisher=CBC News|date=April 12, 2016|accessdate=April 12, 2016}}

=Electoral record=

{{Election box begin | title=2013 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"| 3,391

|align="right"| 44.03

|align="right"| -23.80

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Chris Poole

|align="right"| 3,115

|align="right"| 40.45

|align="right"| +19.22

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Mary D.S. Hamblin

|align="right"| 834

|align="right"| 10.83

|align="right"| +4.65

|-

{{CANelec|NS|Green|Kris MacLellan}}

|align="right"| 361

|align="right"| 4.69

|align="right"| -0.08

|}

{{Election box begin | title=2009 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|5,337

|align="right"|67.83

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Graham Estabrooks

|align="right"|1,670

|align="right"|21.23

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Jason Cameron

|align="right"|486

|align="right"|6.18

|align="right"|

|-

{{CANelec|NS|Green|Kris MacLellan|375|4.77|–}}

|}

{{Election box begin | title=2006 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|4,438

|align="right"|60.62

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Andrew Black

|align="right"|1,330

|align="right"|18.17

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Dr. Errol Guam

|align="right"|1,220

|align="right"|16.66

|align="right"|

|-

{{CANelec|NS|Green|Amanda Myers|333|4.55|–}}

|}

{{Election box begin | title=2003 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|3,709

|align="right"|50.26

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Mike Rogers

|align="right"|2,178

|align="right"|29.51

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Linda Carvery

|align="right"|1,377

|align="right"|18.66

|align="right"|

{{CANelec|NS|Nova Scotia|Blair Baxter|116|1.57}}

|}

{{Election box begin | title=1999 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|3,525

|align="right"|44.95

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Linda Carvery

|align="right"|2,185

|align="right"|27.86

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Mike Rogers

|align="right"|1,970

|align="right"|25.12

|align="right"|

{{CANelec|NS|Nova Scotia|Scott Higgins|162|2.07}}

|}

{{Election box begin | title=1998 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|4,837

|align="right"|58.51

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Gerry O'Malley

|align="right"|2,506

|align="right"|30.31

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Atho Kartsaklis

|align="right"|924

|align="right"|11.18

|align="right"|

|}

{{Election box begin | title=1988 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Gerry O'Malley

|align="right"|3,469

|align="right"|41.91

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|2,693

|align="right"|32.53

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Randy Dewell

|align="right"|2,116

|align="right"|25.56

|align="right"|

|}

{{Election box begin | title=1984 Nova Scotia general election}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}}

|Progressive Conservative

|Edmund Morris

|align="right"|3,173

|align="right"|39.97

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}}

|New Democratic Party

|Maureen MacDonald

|align="right"|2,514

|align="right"|31.67

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}}

|Liberal

|Walter Fitzgerald

|align="right"|2,208

|align="right"|27.81

|align="right"|

|-

{{Canadian party colour|NS|Labour|row}}

|Labour

|Bernice Kaizer

|align="right"|44

|align="right"|0.55

|align="right"|

|}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20061219034211/http://www.maureenmacdonald.ca/ Official website]
  • [https://nslegislature.ca/members/profiles/maureen-macdonald/history Members of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20140928221043/http://nsndp.ca/people/maureen-macdonald NDP profile]

{{Nova Scotia NDP Leaders}}

{{Dexter Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Maureen}}

Category:1954 births

Category:Nova Scotia New Democratic Party MLAs

Category:Leaders of the Nova Scotia CCF/NDP

Category:Women MLAs in Nova Scotia

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia

Category:People from Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Category:Female Canadian political party leaders

Category:Ministers of finance of Nova Scotia

Category:Ministers of health of Nova Scotia

Category:21st-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians

Category:Women government ministers of Canada

Category:Female finance ministers

Category:20th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians