Gary Burrill
MLA
Leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
In office
February 27, 2016 – June 25, 2022
Preceded byMaureen MacDonald (Interim)
Succeeded byClaudia Chender
Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Halifax Chebucto
Assumed office
May 30, 2017
Preceded byJoachim Stroink
Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley
In office
June 9, 2009 – October 8, 2013
Preceded byBrooke Taylor
Succeeded byLarry Harrison
Personal details
Born1955
Woodstock, New Brunswick
Political partyNew Democrat
OccupationUnited Church minister

Gary Clayton Burrill (born 1955)[1] is a Canadian politician and was the leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party from 2016 until 2022.[2] He served as leader during two Nova Scotia general elections in 2017 and 2021. He announced he'd be stepping down as leader after the 2021 election and was succeeded by Claudia Chender on June 25, 2022.[2]

Early life and education

Born in Woodstock, New Brunswick, his father was a United Church minister.[1] In 1978, he graduated from Queen's University with a Masters of Arts in History. Burrill taught sociology at Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Mary's University, and the Maritime School of Social Work.[1] He later graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Harvard University, and in 1992 he was ordained as a minister in the United Church of Canada and became a minister in Upper Musquodoboit.[1]

In the 1980s, Burrill was managing editor of New Maritimes, a left-wing regional periodical.[3]

Political career

He was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2009 provincial election.[4] He represented the riding of Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley as a member of the New Democratic Party until his defeat in the 2013 election.[5]

Burrill was the ministerial assistant for the Minister of Community Services (Housing), and chair of the Veteran's Affairs Committee of the Nova Scotia Legislature, in the government of Darrell Dexter.[6]

On June 11, 2015, Burrill announced he was running for the leadership of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.[7] On February 27, 2016, Burrill was elected as leader of the party, winning on the second counting of ballots in the instant-runoff voting system used for this election.[8]

In July 2016, Burrill announced that he would seek the NDP nomination in Halifax Chebucto for the 2017 election.[9] He defeated Joachim Stroink in the election to return to the legislature.[10] Under Burrill's leadership in the 2017 election, the NDP took seven seats, the same number the party received on election night in 2013 but two more than it held going into the election.

In the August 2021 provincial election, Burrill was re-elected, along with five other NDP MLAs, all women. On November 9, 2021, Burrill announced he would step down as party leader, but would remain on until a new leader was chosen at a convention within the year.[11] On May 21, 2022 registration closed for the leadership race, with Claudia Chender being the sole candidate to replace Burrill.[12] She was confirmed as leader after a general membership vote on June 25, 2022 in Dartmouth and Burrill then formally stepped down as leader.[13]

Electoral record

2021 Nova Scotia general election: Halifax Chebucto
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gary Burrill 4,009 51.99 +5.84
Liberal Jackie Kinley 2,478 32.14 -7.15
Progressive Conservative John Wesley Chisholm 911 11.81 +1.23
Green Lily Barraclough 313 4.06 +0.10
Total valid votes 7,711 99.64 -0.03
Total rejected ballots 28 0.36 +0.03
Turnout 7,739 62.01 +8.94
Eligible voters 12,481
New Democratic hold Swing +6.50
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[14]


2017 Nova Scotia general election: Halifax Chebucto
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gary Burrill 4,197 46.15 +7.47
Liberal Joachim Stroink 3,573 39.29 -10.58
Progressive Conservative John Wesley Chisholm 963 10.58 +0.56
Green Casey Meijer 361 3.96
Total valid votes 9,094 100
Total rejected ballots 30
Turnout 9,124 53.07
Eligible voters 17,194
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +9.03
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[15][16]
2013 Nova Scotia general election: Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Larry Harrison 3,304 42.27 +13.28
New Democratic Gary Burrill 2,293 29.33 -18.76
Liberal Tom Martin 2,220 28.40 +7.79
Total 7,817 –
2009 Nova Scotia general election: Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gary Burrill 3,697 47.45 +22.24
Progressive Conservative Steve Streatch 2,265 29.07 -34.78
Liberal Willie Versteeg 1,649 21.16 +12.41
Green Margaret Whitney 181 2.32 +0.14
Total 7,792 –
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.
2006 Nova Scotia general election: Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Brooke Taylor 4,790 63.85 -0.49
New Democratic Gary Burrill 1,891 25.21 +1.99
Liberal Carolyn Matthews 657 8.76 -3.69
Green Leona MacLeod 164 2.19 –
Total 7,502 –
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Burrill, Gary, 1955- MemoryNS
  2. ^ a b Fairclough, Ian (June 25, 2022). "Chender comes out swinging in first speech as Nova Scotia's NDP leader". The Chronicle Herald. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  3. ^ Gawthrop, Dan (May 1988). "The politics of anger put in print". Atlantic Insight. pp. 18–21.
  4. ^ "Burrill shocked by unexpected win in Colchester Musquodoboit Valley". Truro Daily News. June 10, 2009. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  5. ^ "Harrison returns Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley riding to PC fold". Truro Daily News. October 8, 2013. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  6. ^ "Ministerial Assistants Announced" (Press release). Government of Nova Scotia. February 10, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  7. ^ "Former MLA Gary Burrill joins race to lead provincial New Democrats". The Chronicle Herald. June 12, 2015. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  8. ^ "Gary Burrill chosen as new leader of Nova Scotia's NDP". The Chronicle Herald. February 27, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  9. ^ "NDP Leader Gary Burrill to seek Halifax Chebucto nomination". CBC News. July 12, 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  10. ^ "Leader Gary Burrill wins Halifax Chebucto, 'returned to the New Democratic Party'". Metro. May 31, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-08. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  11. ^ Campbell, Francis (November 9, 2021). "Burrill steps down as leader of Nova Scotia NDP". The Chronicle Herald. Halifax, Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  12. ^ The Canadian Press (May 21, 2022). "Claudia Chender sole candidate running as leader of Nova Scotia's NDP". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  13. ^ Doucette, Keith (June 25, 2022). "Nova Scotia NDP officially confirms Claudia Chender as new party leader". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  14. ^ "Provincial General Election 2021-08-17- Official Results". Elections Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on 2021-10-07. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "Statement of Votes & Statistics, Volume I" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  16. ^ "May 30th, 2017 - 40th Nova Scotia Provincial General Election". Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
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