2009 Nova Scotia general election

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52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly 27 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Darrell Dexter Stephen McNeil Rodney MacDonald Party New Democratic Liberal Progressive Conservative Leader since June 2, 2002 April 28, 2007 February 11, 2006 Leader's seat Cole Harbour Annapolis Inverness Last election 20 seats, 34.63% 9 seats, 23.44% 23 seats, 39.57% Seats won 31 11 10 Seat change 11 2 13 Popular vote 186,556 112,160 101,203 Percentage 45.24% 27.20% 24.54% Swing 10.61% 3.76% 15.03%
Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding.
Premier before election Rodney MacDonald Progressive Conservative Premier after election Darrell Dexter New Democratic

The 2009 Nova Scotia general election was held on June 9, 2009 to elect members of the 61st House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The government was defeated on a money bill on May 4, and the Nova Scotia House of Assembly was dissolved by Lieutenant Governor Mayann Francis on May 5.^[1] thereby triggering an election. The NDP won a majority government, forming government the first time in the province's history, and for the first time in an Atlantic Canadian province. The governing Progressive Conservatives were reduced to third place.

Campaign

The election campaign began on May 5, 2009, after the New Democrats and Liberals voted against the Offshore Offset Revenues Expenditure Act, legislation that would have permitted the government to divert its revenues from oil and gas development in the Atlantic Ocean from debt payment, as required under current provincial law, to fund extra spending in the 2009 budget.^[2] As the Progressive Conservatives won only a minority government in the 2006 election, at least one of the two opposition parties would have been required to vote in favour of (or abstain from voting on) the legislation for it to pass.

Timeline

• June 13, 2006 - Rodney MacDonald's Progressive Conservatives are elected to a minority government.^[3]
• June 20, 2006 - Liberal leader Francis MacKenzie resigns.^[4]
• February 20, 2007 - Cumberland North MLA Ernie Fage is suspended from the Progressive Conservative caucus after Halifax Police charge him with failing to remain at the scene of an accident, following an incident in November 2006.^[5]
• March 1, 2007 - NDP MLA Kevin Deveaux resigns his seat of Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.^[6]
• April 28, 2007 - Stephen McNeil is elected leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.^[7]
• October 2, 2007 - Becky Kent of the NDP is elected in the Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage byelection.^[8]
• December 18, 2007 - Fage is convicted of leaving the scene of an accident, and is expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus.^[9][10]
• March 2, 2009 - Lunenburg MLA and Finance Minister Michael Baker dies.^[11]
• May 4, 2009 - Government is defeated on a budget bill (Bill 240 - Offshore Offset Revenues Expenditure Act (amendments to Provincial finance Act)).^[2]
• May 5, 2009 - Legislature is officially dissolved and election is called for June 9, 2009.^[1]

Results by party

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				2006	Dissolution	Elected	Change
	New Democratic	186,556	45.24	20	20	31	+11
	Liberal	112,160	27.20	9	9	11	+2
	Progressive Conservative	101,203	24.54	23	21	10	-13
	Green	9,636	2.34	0	0	0	±0
	Independents	2,796	0.68	0	1	0	±0
Vacant				–	1	–	–
Total		412,351	100.00	52	52	52	±0

Candidates lined up.^[12]

Results by region

Retiring incumbents

Progressive Conservative

• Brooke Taylor, Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley
• Jamie Muir, Truro-Bible Hill

Nominated candidates

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

Annapolis Valley

South Shore

Fundy-Northeast

Central Halifax

Suburban Halifax

Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

Central Nova

Cape Breton

Opinion polls