1998 Nova Scotia general election

Background

Liberal Premier John Savage was elected in a landslide in 1993. The Liberals inherited a $471-million deficit, and launched an austerity program which cut the province's health and education systems. On April 1, 1997, the provincial government imposed a 15% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) which merged the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). This shift angered some Nova Scotians who now had to pay taxes on things that had previously been exempted, such as home heating fuel. Savage also implemented an unpopular highway toll. Liberal party infighting eventually resulted in Savage's resignation in July 1997. Russell MacLellan became Premier of Nova Scotia on July 18, 1997.

Campaign

The governing Liberals were desperate to distance themselves from the Savage government which was viewed as deeply unpopular. New leader, Russell MacLellan, was made the focus of the campaign with all Liberal candidates signs displaying the phrase, "the MacLellan Liberals."

During a televised debate on March 5, 1998, MacLellan stumbled badly when Progressive Conservative Leader John Hamm asked if he would resign if he failed to bring in a balanced budget. Instead of responding, MacLellan stared straight ahead and did not speak for seven seconds. MacLellan blamed the pause on rigid debate rules. This moment marked a turning point in a race that saw the Liberals barely retain power.

Opinion polls

Results

Results by party

Results by region

Retiring incumbents

;Liberal

• Jay Abbass, Halifax Chebucto
• Guy Brown, Cumberland South
• Bob Carruthers, Hants East
• Bill Gillis, Antigonish
• Charles MacArthur, Inverness
• John MacEachern, Cape Breton East
• Russell MacNeil, Cape Breton Centre
• Earle Rafuse, Annapolis
• Dennis Richards, Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage
• John Savage, Dartmouth South

;Progressive Conservative

• Donald P. McInnes, Pictou West

Nominated candidates

Legend

bold denotes party leader

† denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

Valley

|- || |Laurie Montgomery 3,448 36.96% | |Basil Stewart 3,198 34.28% | |John Kinsella 2,468 26.46% | |Bob Mann 215 2.30% ||

| |Guy LeBlanc 2,578 41.32% | |Vanessa Paddock 711 11.40% | | ||

| |John Drish 2,232 33.71% || |Gordon Balser 2,465 37.22% | |Steve Downes 1,925 29.07% | | ||

| |Debbi Bowes 2,596 27.35% || |Ron Russell 4,507 47.48% | |Dana Harvey 2,390 25.18% | | ||

| |Jennifer Foster 2,457 27.09% || |George Archibald 3,760 41.45% | |Neil H. McNeil 2,854 31.46% | | ||

| |David Morse 3,069 30.65% | |Mary DeWolfe 3,293 32.89% | | ||

| |Baden Thurber 1,684 20.60% || |George Moody 5,075 62.09% | |Jacquie DeMestral 1,414 17.30% | | || |George Moody |}

South Shore

|- | |Allister Surette 1,891 33.47% || |Neil LeBlanc 3,028 53.59% | |Diane E. Cromwell 651 11.52% | |Oscar Harris 80 1.42% ||

| |Jim Barkhouse 3,153 34.10% || |Hinrich Bitter-Suermann 3,256 35.22% | |Doris Maley 2,837 30.68% | | ||

| |Lila O'Connor 3,099 34.62% || |Michael Baker 3,231 36.10% | |Marilyn B. Crook 2,621 29.28% | | ||

| |Lou Centa 2,027 22.27% | |Eric Hustvedt 2,711 29.78% | | ||

| |Tery Doucette 2,072 31.42% || |John Leefe 3,582 54.32% | |Basil L. Giffin 940 14.26% | | ||

| |Cecil O'Donnell 2,835 34.78% | |Derek Jones 2,173 26.66% | | ||

| |Richie Hubbard 2,212 25.22% | |Alex McIntosh 2,629 29.97% || |John Deveau 3,931 44.81% | | || |Richie Hubbard |}

Fundy-Northeast

|- | |Dick Steeves 1,587 18.31% || |Brooke Taylor 5,122 59.08% | |Jim Harpell 1,960 22.61% | | ||

| |Andy Williamson 2,511 29.77% | |Janet Maybee 2,623 31.10% | | ||

| |Russell Scott 2,438 27.89% || |Ernie Fage 5,451 62.35% | |Peter Stewart 854 9.77% | | ||

| |Mike Uberoi 2,153 26.81% || |Murray Scott 4,714 58.69% | |Sandy Graham 1,089 13.56% | |James MacLeod 76 0.95% ||

| |Jim W. Smith 3,377 35.32% | |Lawrin Armstrong 2,010 21.02% || |John MacDonell 4,175 43.66% | | ||

| |Eleanor Norrie 2,560 27.94% || |Jamie Muir 3,852 42.03% | |Ibel Scammell 2,752 30.03% | | || |Eleanor Norrie |}

Central Halifax

|- || |Gerry Fogarty 4,246 40.10% | |Michael Maddalena 2,530 23.89% | |Errol Gaum 3,813 36.01% | | ||

| |Kenzie MacKinnon 3,165 35.51% | |Sean Phillips 1,590 17.84% || |Howard Epstein 4,158 46.65% | | ||

| |Ed Kinley 4,377 39.53% | |Tara Erskine 2,175 19.64% || |Peter Delefes 4,414 39.87% | |Art Canning 106 0.96% ||

| |Bob Britton 2,597 30.03% | |Brian Nash 1,402 16.21% || |Eileen O'Connell 4,649 53.76% | | ||

| |Gerry O'Malley 2,506 30.31% | |Artho Kartsaklis 924 11.18% || |Maureen MacDonald 4,837 58.51% | | || |Gerry O'Malley |}

Suburban Halifax

|- || |Francene Cosman 4,205 37.58% | |Peter Christie 3,892 34.79% | |Marvin Silver 3,091 27.63% | | ||

| |Darren Watts 2,818 29.31% | |Jeff Campbell 1,340 13.94% || |Robert Chisholm 5,364 55.79% | |Golda M. Redden 93 0.97% ||

| |Bill MacDonald 3,128 33.16% | |Stephen Taylor 2,485 26.34% || |Rosemary Godin 3,821 40.50% | | ||

| |Jack Brill 2,131 22.61% | |Rob Batherson 1,383 14.68% || |John Holm 5,909 62.71% | | ||

| |Bruce Holland 3,308 33.34% | |Tom Robertson 1,852 18.67% || |Bill Estabrooks 4,762 47.99% | | ||

Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

|- | |Randy Anstey 3,303 34.25% | |Linda DeGrace 1,931 20.02% || |Kevin Deveaux 4,411 45.73% | | ||

| |Alan Mitchell 2,986 33.98% | |Michael L. MacDonald 2,084 23.72% || |Darrell Dexter 3,717 42.30% | | ||

| |Ralph Hawley 1,849 22.75% | |Viola Huntington 2,954 36.34% | | ||

| |Gloria McClusky 2,575 33.87% | |Mike Brownlow 2,003 26.35% || |Jerry Pye 3,024 39.78% | | ||

| |Bruce Hetherington 3,164 35.40% | |Allan Billard 2,099 23.48% || |Don Chard 3,676 41.12% | | ||

| |Greg Brown 2,472 28.84% | |Darren Richard 2,801 32.68% | | ||

| |Wayne Adams 1,548 37.45% | |Ross D. Isenor 809 19.57% || |Yvonne Atwell 1,777 42.99% | | || |Wayne Adams |}

Central Nova

|- || |Hyland Fraser 4,649 41.55% | |Andrew MacNeil 3,554 31.76% | |Maurice Smith 2,986 26.69% | | ||

| |Ron Chisholm 2,717 33.83% | |Wendy Panagopoulos 1,876 23.36% | | ||

| |Roseanne Skoke 2,114 23.68% || |John Hamm 5,037 56.42% | |Judy Hughes 1,776 19.89% | | ||

| |Wayne Fraser 2,208 26.52% || |James DeWolfe 3,816 45.83% | |David MacKenzie 2,302 27.65% | | ||

| |Rob McDowell 1,633 19.89% | |Luke Young 3,273 39.86% || |Charlie Parker 3,306 40.26% | | || |Donald P. McInnes† |}

Cape Breton

|- | |Steve Drake 2,435 28.61% | |Julien Frison 576 6.77% || |Frank Corbett 5,499 64.62% | | ||

| |Clarence Routledge 2,859 30.06% | |Henry Boutillier 1,651 17.36% || |Reeves Matheson 5,002 52.59% | | ||

| |Murray Johnston 1,853 19.91% | |Archie MacKinnon 2,789 29.96% | | ||

| |Walter Hagen 312 4.27% | |Lou Surette 3,050 41.75% | | ||

| |Anna Steele 861 10.14% | |Ed Murphy 2,508 29.55% | | ||

| |Allan Henderson 3,707 42.29% | |Rollie Clarke 485 5.53% || |Helen MacDonald 4,573 52.17% | | ||

| |Alfie MacLeod 2,818 27.42% | |Brian Slaney 2,933 28.53% | | ||

| |Randy MacDonald 1,951 21.23% | |Maria Coady 2,274 24.74% | |Ed MacDonald 569 6.19% ||

| |Frank Sutherland 1,392 20.86% | |Wilma Conrod 2,051 30.74% | | ||

| |Dan Chiasson 1,524 30.47% | |Ruth Schneider 887 17.73% | |Stemer MacLeod 186 3.72% || |Kennie MacAskill |}

References

References

1. [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/maclellan-new-ns-premier/ MacLellan New NS Premier] Maclean's - July 21, 1997
2. [http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/nova-scotia-elections-a-savage-sweep A Savage sweep in Nova Scotia] CBC Archives
3. [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/graham-steele-lawn-signs-1.3216518 Lawn signs for politicians in Canada tough to perfect, says Graham Steele] CBC News
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20030310133442/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1998%2F03%2F06+232.raw+PE98Mar06+2 'It went very well' ] Halifax Chronicle Herald - March 6, 1998
5. Press, Michael MacDonald-The Canadian. (2013-09-24). "N.S. election: Leaders hoping to avoid costly gaffes during upcoming debate".
6. "Summary, by Electoral District and Party, of Valid Votes Cast- 1998". Elections Nova Scotia.
7. "Elections Returns 1998 Recapitulation". Elections Nova Scotia.