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Jim Smith (Nova Scotia politician)

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Jim Smith
MLA for Dartmouth East
In office
1984–2003
Preceded byRichard L. Weldon
Succeeded byJoan Massey
Minister of Health
In office
June 9, 1997 – August 16, 1999
Preceded byBernie Boudreau
Succeeded byJamie Muir
Personal details
Born
James Alexander Smith

(1935-05-25)May 25, 1935
Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedJanuary 18, 2020(2020-01-18) (aged 84)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political partyLiberal
OccupationDoctor

James Alexander Smith (May 25, 1935 – January 18, 2020) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Dartmouth East in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1984 to 2003. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.[1]

Smith was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia in 1935,[2] and grew up in Port Mouton.[3] Smith graduated with a medical degree from Dalhousie University in 1964.[4] He practiced family medicine in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for almost 30 years.[3][5] Smith first attempted to enter provincial politics in the 1981 election, but was defeated by Progressive Conservative incumbent Richard L. Weldon.[6] Smith ran again in the 1984 election, defeating Weldon by 903 votes to win the Dartmouth East riding.[7] One of only six Liberals elected,[8] Smith spent the early years of his political career in opposition. He was re-elected in the 1988 election, winning the seat by 253 votes.[9] Smith was re-elected in the 1993 election, defeating cabinet minister Gwen Haliburton by almost 2,500 votes.[10][11] Following the election, Smith would get to sit in government for the first time, as the Liberals under John Savage won a majority government.[11]

On June 11, 1993, Smith was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Community Services.[12] On June 27, 1996, Savage shuffled his cabinet, with Smith being named Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs.[13] On June 6, 1997, Savage announced that Smith would take over as Minister of Health on June 9, when Bernie Boudreau resigns from cabinet to run for the Liberal leadership.[14] Smith remained as Minister of Health when Russell MacLellan took over as premier on July 18, 1997.[15] Smith was re-elected in the 1998 election,[16][17] and retained the health portfolio, but was also named Minister of Justice.[18] In December 1998, Smith was replaced as Minister of Justice, as MacLellan shuffled his cabinet to reduce the heavy workload of some of the cabinet.[19] Smith was re-elelcted by 265 votes in the 1999 election,[20] but the Liberals were defeated by John Hamm's Progressive Conservatives. Smith served in opposition for one term, announcing on May 2, 2003, that he would not seek re-election in the next election.[21] Smith died on January 18, 2020.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Electoral History for Dartmouth East" (PDF). Nova Scotia Legislative Library. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  2. ^ "Guide Parlementaire Canadien". 1987.
  3. ^ a b "Liberal Caucus biography". Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus. Archived from the original on April 17, 2003. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  4. ^ "Cabinet biography". Government of Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on December 1, 1998. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  5. ^ "Health big issue in minister's riding". The Chronicle Herald. July 12, 1999. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  6. ^ "Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1981" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  7. ^ "Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1984" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1984. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  8. ^ "Buchanan Tories crush opponents in N.S. election". The Globe and Mail. November 7, 1984.
  9. ^ "Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1988" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  10. ^ "Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1993" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  11. ^ a b "Liberal landslide". The Chronicle Herald. May 26, 1993. Archived from the original on August 30, 2000. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  12. ^ "Historic Liberal cabinet sworn in". The Chronicle Herald. June 12, 1993. Archived from the original on August 30, 2000. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  13. ^ "Premier shuffles cabinet". Government of Nova Scotia. June 27, 1996. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  14. ^ "Premier appoints new Minister of Health". Government of Nova Scotia. June 6, 1997. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  15. ^ "MacLellan makeover". The Chronicle Herald. July 19, 1997. Archived from the original on February 4, 1998. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  16. ^ "Election Returns, 1998 (Dartmouth East)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  17. ^ "NDP takes metro". The Chronicle Herald. March 25, 1998. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  18. ^ "A cabinet with four legs". The Chronicle Herald. April 9, 1998. Archived from the original on January 23, 2005. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  19. ^ "Premier MacLellan shuffles cabinet". Government of Nova Scotia. December 11, 1998. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  20. ^ "Election Returns, 1999 (Dartmouth East)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  21. ^ "Grits to lose veteran Dartmouth MLA". CBC News. May 2, 2003. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  22. ^ "Former health minister Jim Smith remembered as kind, caring person". CBC News. January 20, 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
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