1993 Nova Scotia general election
← 1988 May 25, 1993 1998 →
52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
27 seats needed for a majority
Turnout75.39% Decrease 0.37 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lib
PC
Leader John Savage Donald W. Cameron Alexa McDonough
Party Liberal Progressive Conservative New Democratic
Leader since June 20, 1992 February 9, 1991 November 16, 1980
Leader's seat Ran in Dartmouth South (won) Pictou East Halifax Fairview
Last election 21 28 2
Seats won 40 9 3
Seat change Increase19 Decrease19 Increase1
Popular vote 237,493 150,862 85,946
Percentage 48.96% 31.09% 17.72%
Swing Increase9.59pp Decrease12.12pp Increase2.05pp
Riding map of Nova Scotia showing winning parties
Premier before election

Donald W. Cameron
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

John Savage
Liberal

The 1993 Nova Scotia general election was held on May 25, 1993 to elect members of the 56th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Liberals under John Savage won a landslide victory over the unpopular Progressive Conservatives under Premier Donald Cameron, while Alexa McDonough's NDP remained a distant third, winning three seats.

Campaign

The Progressive Conservatives, led by Donald Cameron, campaigned on his record of making 152 reforms since assuming office in 1991. Cameron slashed government spending, cutting out free coffee and rented plants in government offices.[1] John Buchanan (served 1978 to 1990) suffered allegations of patronage which Cameron could not overcome during the election campaign. Cameron vowed to end patronage and balance the budget within three years or he would resign. However, Cameron made a controversial move by appointing two unelected women to his cabinet immediately prior to the election campaign.[2]

Liberal leader John Savage promised to end pork-barrel politics and introduce a new style of governing focusing on job creation.[1]

Opinion polls

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level
Polling firm Last day
of survey 		Source LANS PCNS NSNDP Other ME Sample
Election 1993 May 25, 1993 48.96 31.09 17.72 1.53
Omnifacts January 1992 [3] 54 28 16 2 3.9 645
Omnifacts December 1992 [4] 50 27 23 — — 550[5]
Corporate Research Associates December 1992 [5] 42 31 23 — — —
Omnifacts January 1992 [6] 32 33 35 — 4.0 550
Election 1988 September 6, 1988 39.37 43.21 15.67 1.19

Results

Results by party

↓
40 9 3
Liberal Progressive Conservative New Democratic
Official results [7]
Party Party leader # of
candidates 		Seats Popular vote
1988 Dissolution Elected Change # % Change (pp)
  Liberal John Savage 52 21 21 40 +19 237,493 48.96% +9.59%
  Progressive Conservative Donald Cameron 52 28 24 9 −19 150,862 31.09% -12.12%
  New Democratic Alexa McDonough 52 2 3 3 +1 85,946 17.72% +2.05%
  Natural Law 12 0 0 0 0 1,647 0.34% –
  Independent 12 1 2 0 -1 5,758 1.19% 0.00%
  Vacant 2  
Total valid votes 481,706 99.30% -0.15%
Blank and invalid ballots 3,410 0.70% +0.15%
Total 180 52 52 52 – 485,116 100.00% –
Registered voters / turnout 654,280 75.39% -0.37%
Popular vote
Liberal
 
 48.96%
PC
 
 31.09%
New Democratic
 
 17.72%
Independent
 
 1.19%
Natural Law
 
 0.34%
Seats summary
Liberal
 
 76.92%
PC
 
 17.31%
New Democratic
 
 5.77%

Results by region

Party name HRM C.B. Valley S. Shore Fundy Central Total
Parties winning seats in the legislature:
  Liberal Seats: 13 10 4 6 5 2 40
  Popular vote: 40.99% 65.94% 46.70% 52.22% 50.20% 48.93% 49.67%
  Progressive Conservative Seats: 1 - 3 1 1 3 9
  Popular vote: 29.83% 19.74% 36.43% 29.00% 37.21% 39.90% 31.11%
  New Democratic Party Seats: 3 - - - - - 3
  Popular vote: 27.77% 13.72% 12.81% 11.91% 13.40% 10.47% 17.55%
Parties not winning seats in the legislature:
  Natural Law Popular vote: 0.52% N/A 0.43% N/A N/A N/A 0.34%
  Independents Popular vote: 0.89% 0.60% 3.62% 2.24% 0.27% 0.69% 1.18%
Total seats: 17 10 7 7 6 5 52

Retiring incumbents

Liberal
Progressive Conservative

Nominated candidates

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

Valley

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Annapolis Greg Kerr
3,388
30.34% 		Earl Rayfuse
7,022
62.89% 		Margaret Wolfe
756
6.77% 		New riding
Clare Guy LeBlanc
2,854
42.87% 		Wayne Gaudet
3,461
51.99% 		Christian Collin
342
5.14% 		Guy LeBlanc
Digby—Annapolis Walter MacAlpine
1,521
18.72% 		Joseph H. Casey
5,805
71.46% 		Susan Jamieson
797
9.81% 		Joseph H. Casey
Digby
Hants West Ron Russell
4,152
40.41% 		Mike Doyle
4,106
39.96% 		Dana Harvey
1,881
18.31% 		Donald L. McKay
136
1.32% 		Ron Russell
Kings North George Archibald
4,137
42.62% 		Jennifer Foster
3,980
41.01% 		Cameron Jess
1,505
15.51% 		Anne Dow
84
0.87% 		George Archibald
Kings South Harry How
2,941
28.24% 		Robbie Harrison
3,069
29.46% 		Steve Mattson
2,064
19.82% 		Peter Cameron
102
0.98% 		Derrick Kimball
2,240
21.51% 		Derrick Kimball
Kings West George Moody
4,895
53.08% 		Baden Thurber
3,178
34.46% 		Jacquie DeMestral
1,055
11.44% 		Christopher MacLean
94
1.02% 		George Moody

South Shore

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Argyle Neil LeBlanc
2,633
44.28% 		Allister Surette
3,091
51.98% 		Dee Dee Daigle
222
3.73% 		Neil LeBlanc
Chester—St. Margaret's Aileen Heisler
2,867
29.49% 		Jim Barkhouse
5,025
51.69% 		Jack Ross
1,644
16.91% 		Malcolm Callaway
185
1.90% 		Jim Barkhouse
Lunenburg East
Lunenburg Al Mosher
3,709
38.26% 		Lila O'Connor
3,982
41.07% 		Wade Vernon Garrison
1,487
15.34% 		Walton Cook
517
5.33% 		Al Mosher
Lunenburg Centre
Lunenburg West Marie Dechman
2,910
28.09% 		Don Downe
6,276
60.59% 		Karen Reinhardt
1,172
11.31% 		Marie Dechman
Queens John Leefe
3,529
47.11% 		Marilyn Large
3,266
43.60% 		Anne Corbin
696
9.29% 		John Leefe
Shelburne Mary E. Rose
2,002
22.71% 		Clifford Huskilson
5,438
61.70% 		Kathleen K. Tudor
692
7.85% 		Kent A. Blades
507
5.75%
James M. Harding
175
1.99% 		Harold Huskilson †
Yarmouth Leroy Legere
3,138
32.08% 		Richie Hubbard
5,197
53.13% 		Ian MacPherson
1,447
14.79% 		Leroy Legere

Fundy-Northeast

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley Ken Streatch
4,221
45.74% 		John David Tilley
3,463
37.52% 		Roger J. Hunka
1,545
16.74% 		R. Colin Stewart†
Colchester South
Colchester North Tom Taggart
3,306
35.02% 		Ed Lorraine
5,123
54.27% 		Patsy Forrest
1,010
10.70% 		Ed Lorraine
Cumberland North Ernie Fage
4,354
40.63% 		Ross Bragg
5,605
52.31% 		Curtis Leland Bird
756
7.06% 		Ross Bragg
Cumberland West
Cumberland South Mac Bennett
1,570
17.69% 		Guy Brown
6,713
75.63% 		Douglas Meekins
431
4.86% 		Philip T. Donkin
162
1.83% 		Guy Brown
Cumberland Centre
Hants East Stephen MacKeil
3,657
37.43% 		Bob Carruthers
4,295
43.97% 		Terry MacLean
1,817
18.60% 		Jack Hawkins †
Truro—Bible Hill Jack Coupar
4,134
38.36% 		Eleanor Norrie
4,321
40.10% 		Rick Bowden
2,321
21.54% 		Ron Giffin †

Central Halifax

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Halifax Bedford Basin Joel Matheson
4,270
37.63% 		Gerry Fogarty
4,676
41.21% 		Clarrie MacKinnon
2,323
20.47% 		Pulkesh Lakhanpal
77
0.68% 		Joel Matheson
Halifax Chebucto J. Clair Callaghan
2,903
27.07% 		Jay Abbass
3,906
36.42% 		Eileen O'Connell
3,800
35.43% 		Christopher Collrin
116
1.08% 		Alexa McDonough
Halifax Citadel Terry Donahoe
4,584
39.23% 		Liz Crocker
4,505
38.55% 		Mary Sparling
2,433
20.82% 		Gilles Bigras
78
0.67% 		Jan Morrison
85
0.73% 		Art Donahoe †
Halifax Fairview Rosanna Liberatore
2,078
19.75% 		Art Flynn
3,558
33.82% 		Alexa McDonough
4,789
45.52% 		Mark Hawkins
96
0.91% 		New riding
Halifax Needham Ron Walter Milsom
1,852
18.48% 		Gerry O'Malley
4,527
45.18% 		Innis MacDonald
3,555
35.48% 		Ian Temple
85
0.85% 		Gerry O'Malley

Suburban Halifax

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Bedford—Fall River Peter J. Kelly
4,401
40.57% 		Francene Cosman
4,794
44.19% 		Ryan Kidney
1,653
15.24% 		Ken Streatch
Bedford-Musquodoboit Valley
Halifax Atlantic Kevin Umlah
2,731
25.16% 		Randy Ball
4,053
37.34% 		Robert Chisholm
4,071
37.50% 		Robert Chisholm
Sackville—Beaver Bank Stephen Taylor
2,353
26.93% 		Bill MacDonald
3,620
41.43% 		Frank Sutherland
2,764
31.64% 		New riding
Sackville—Cobequid George Mansfield
2,313
22.00% 		Don Boutilier
3,159
30.04% 		John Holm
5,044
47.97% 		John Holm
Sackville
Timberlea—Prospect Debi Forsyth-Smith
2,744
30.54% 		Bruce Holland
3,470
38.62% 		Bill Estabrooks
2,772
30.85% 		Jerry Lawrence †
Halifax-St. Margaret's

Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Cole Harbour—Eastern Passage John Gold
3,409
34.89% 		Dennis Richards
4,702
48.13% 		Ash Shaikh
1,501
15.36% 		Helen Creighton
158
1.62% 		New riding
Dartmouth—Cole Harbour Michael L. MacDonald
2,905
31.31% 		Alan Mitchell
4,079
43.97% 		Gail Cann
2,293
24.72% 		David Nantes †
Cole Harbour
Dartmouth East Gwen Haliburton
2,429
27.46% 		Jim Smith
4,912
55.53% 		Owen Hertzman
1,504
17.00% 		Jim Smith
Dartmouth North Mike Brownlow
2,327
27.11% 		Sandy Jolly
3,301
38.46% 		Jerry Pye
2,878
33.53% 		Monique Poudrette
77
0.90% 		Sandy Jolly
Dartmouth South Colin May
3,091
31.47% 		John Savage
4,346
44.25% 		Don Chard
2,221
22.61% 		Alexander J. Gillis
163
1.66% 		Roland J. Thornhill †
Eastern Shore Tom McInnis
3,523
40.72% 		Keith Colwell
3,760
43.46% 		Gary Moore
1,369
15.82% 		Tom McInnis
Halifax Eastern Shore
Preston Darryl Gray
1,016
20.94% 		Wayne Adams
1,872
38.57% 		Yvonne Atwell
584
12.03% 		David Hendsbee
1,381
28.46% 		New riding

Central Nova

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Antigonish Liz Chisholm
3,196
28.26% 		Bill Gillis
7,292
64.48% 		Marion MacDonald
821
7.26% 		Bill Gillis
Guysborough—Port Hawkesbury Chuck MacNeil
4,242
43.20% 		Ray White
5,487
56.55% 		Frank X. Fraser
982
10.12% 		Chuck MacNeil
Guysborough
Pictou Centre John Hamm
4,840
47.40% 		Mary Daley
4,364
42.73% 		Cecil MacNeil
1,008
9.87% 		Jack MacIsaac †
Pictou East Donald Cameron
4,446
47.05% 		Wayne Fraser
3,729
39.46% 		Dave Peters
1,275
13.49% 		Donald Cameron
Pictou West Donald P. McInnes
4,032
45.72% 		Rob McDowell
3,347
37.95% 		Sonny Campbell
1,097
12.44% 		Edward MacMaster
343
3.89% 		Donald P. McInnes

Cape Breton

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Natural Law Independent
Cape Breton Centre Julien Frison
1,012
10.99% 		Russell MacNeil
5,644
61.28% 		Victor Tomiczek
2,554
27.73% 		Russell MacNeil
Cape Breton East Greg Hicks
1,069
10.38% 		John MacEachern
7,566
73.50% 		Terry McVarish
1,659
16.12% 		John MacEachern
Cape Breton North Brian Young
3,911
36.43% 		Ron Stewart
5,459
50.85% 		Archie MacKinnon
1,289
12.01% 		Ron Laffin
76
0.71% 		Brian Young
Cape Breton Nova Joe Currie
443
5.34% 		Paul MacEwan
6,816
82.22% 		Blair Riley
1,031
12.44% 		Paul MacEwan
Cape Breton South Norm Ferguson
2,015
20.59% 		Manning MacDonald
5,629
57.52% 		Peter Mancini
2,143
21.90% 		Vince MacLean †
Cape Breton—The Lakes Lauchie G. Leslie
1,264
13.79% 		Bernie Boudreau
6,591
71.90% 		Helen MacDonald
1,312
14.31% 		Bernie Boudreau
Cape Breton West Victor Hanham
2,055
19.56% 		Russell MacKinnon
7,355
70.01% 		Daniel O'Connor
777
7.40% 		Wendy MacKenzie
318
3.03% 		Russell MacKinnon
Inverness Frank Crowdis
2,944
30.51% 		Charles MacArthur
5,804
60.15% 		Mary T. Goodwin
902
9.35% 		Charles MacArthur
Inverness North
Richmond Chuck Boudreau
1,587
21.70% 		Richie Mann
5,440
74.40% 		Wilf Cude
285
3.90% 		Richie Mann
Victoria Walter S. Brett
1,488
28.78% 		Kennie MacAskill
3,119
60.32% 		Gerald Yetman
414
8.01% 		Stemer MacLeod
150
2.90% 		Kennie MacAskill

References

  1. ^ a b Nova Scotia Elections: A Savage sweep (Video) CBC Archives
  2. ^ A Savage sweep in Nova Scotia (Article) CBC Archives
  3. ^ "Many Nova Scotians undecided". The Gazette. May 18, 1993. p. B1.
  4. ^ "Survey favours N.S. Grits". The Globe and Mail. December 30, 1992. p. A4.
  5. ^ a b Cox, Kevin (January 6, 1993). "N,S. awaits election call: Polls differ on Tories' chances". The Globe and Mail. p. A7.
  6. ^ Flaherty, Elaine (February 3, 1992). "Tide turns for Nova Scotia Tories: Premier Don Cameron's party finally catches up to opposition in polls". The Ottawa Citizen. p. A2.
  7. ^ "Election Returns 1993" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
Categories