Robbie Harrison

{{Short description|Canadian politician and educator}}

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

{{use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

|honorific-prefix=The Honourable

|honorific-suffix= ECNS

| name = Robbie Harrison

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1948}}

| birth_place =

| residence =

| office = MLA for Kings South

| term_start = 1993

| term_end = 1999

| predecessor = Derrick Kimball

| successor = David Morse

| office2 = Minister of Justice and
Attorney General of Nova Scotia and Provincial Secretary of Nova Scotia

| term_start2 = December 16, 1998

| term_end2 = August 16, 1999

| premier2 =

| predecessor2 = Jim Smith

| successor2 = Michael Baker

| party = Liberal

| religion =

| occupation = Teacher

}}

Robert "Robbie" S. Harrison (born 1948) is a Canadian politician and educator. He represented Kings South in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 1999 as a Liberal member.{{cite web|url=https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/constituencies/pdfs/kings%20south.pdf|title=Electoral History for Kings South|publisher=Nova Scotia Legislative Library|accessdate=2018-04-04}}

Harrison was educated at Acadia University.{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/minister.htm|title=Cabinet biography|publisher=Government of Nova Scotia|accessdate=2015-06-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990417192647/http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/minister.htm|archivedate=April 17, 1999}} He was a school teacher and principal of the Coldbrook School. He was a member of the board of governors for Acadia University and the board of trustees for Eastern Kings Memorial Hospital.

Harrison entered provincial politics in the 1993 election, defeating former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Harry How by 128 votes in the Kings South riding.{{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|year=1993|page=119|accessdate=2014-11-21}}{{cite news|title=Politician's folksy manner masked a keen mind|work=The Globe and Mail|date=February 8, 2001}} On June 11, 1993, Harrison was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Environment.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993/06/12+100.raw+PE93Elect|title=Historic Liberal cabinet sworn in|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=June 12, 1993|accessdate=2014-11-21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000830201132/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1993%2F06%2F12+100.raw+PE93Elect|archivedate=August 30, 2000|url-status=dead}} In March 1995, he was moved to Minister of the Economic Renewal

Agency.{{cite news|title=Savage plays musical chairs with Cabinet, adds O'Malley|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=March 21, 1995}} On June 27, 1996, Harrison became Minister of Education and Culture,{{cite web|url=https://novascotia.ca/cmns/msrv/viewRel.asp?relID=/cmns/msrv/nr-1996/nr96-06/96062704.htm|title=Premier shuffles cabinet|publisher=Government of Nova Scotia|date=June 27, 1996|accessdate=2014-11-21}} a job he kept when Russell MacLellan took over as premier in July 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970719100.html|title=MacLellan makeover|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=July 19, 1997|accessdate=2014-11-21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980204071951/http://www.herald.ns.ca/specialevents/libleader/stories/970719100.html|archivedate=February 4, 1998}}

Harrison was re-elected in the 1998 election.{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/Dist36.pdf|title=Election Returns, 1998 (Kings South)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=2014-11-21}}{{cite web|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=March 25, 1998|accessdate=2014-11-21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124010502/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F03%2F25+270.raw+PE98Mar25+2|archivedate=January 24, 2005|url-status=dead}} On April 8, 1998, he was retained as Minister of Education and Culture, but was also given the additional responsibility for sport and recreation, and science and technology.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998/04/09+214.raw+PE98Apr9+2|title=A cabinet with four legs|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=April 9, 1998|accessdate=2014-11-21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050123224339/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F04%2F09+214.raw+PE98Apr9+2|archivedate=January 23, 2005|url-status=dead}} In December 1998, MacLellan shuffled his cabinet, moving Harrison from Education to Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and also naming him Minister of Business and Consumer Services, while retaining the minor roles he had been given following the election.{{cite web|url=https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=19981211002|title=Premier MacLellan shuffles cabinet|publisher=Government of Nova Scotia|date=December 11, 1998|accessdate=2014-11-21}} In the 1999 election, Harrison was defeated by Progressive Conservative David Morse.{{cite web |url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/99KINGSS.pdf |title=Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1999 (Kings South)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|year=1999|accessdate=November 21, 2014}} Following his defeat, Harrison returned the field of education.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999/07/30+210.raw+PE99Jul30+2|title=Defeated MLAs lining up new jobs|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=July 30, 1999|accessdate=2014-11-21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124083038/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999%2F07%2F30+210.raw+PE99Jul30+2|archivedate=January 24, 2005|url-status=dead}}

Following Stephen McNeil's election as premier in the 2013 election, Harrison served as a member of his transition team.{{cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1159504-first-day-on-the-job|title=First day on the job|work=The Chronicle Herald|date=October 9, 2013|accessdate=November 4, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141201213425/http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1159504-first-day-on-the-job|archivedate=December 1, 2014}}