The 1981 Nova Scotia general election was held on October 6, 1981, to elect members of the 53rd House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.
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52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly 27 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 74.17%  4.06pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results
Results by party
| 37 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Progressive Conservative | Liberal | New Democratic | Independent |
| Party | Party leader | # of candidates | Seats | Popular vote | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Dissolution | Elected | Change | # | % | Change (pp) | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | John Buchanan | 52 | 31 | 34 | 37 | +6 | 200,228 | 47.28% | +1.80% | |
| Liberal | A.M. "Sandy" Cameron | 52 | 17 | 15 | 13 | -4 | 139,604 | 32.96% | -6.20% | |
| New Democratic | Alexa McDonough | 52 | 4 | 2 | 1 | -3 | 76,289 | 18.01% | +3.71% | |
| Independent | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5,002 | 1.18% | +0.73% | ||
| Vacant | 0 | |||||||||
| Total valid votes | 421,123 | 99.43% | +0.04% | |||||||
| Blank and invalid ballots | 2,403 | 0.57% | -0.04% | |||||||
| Total | 162 | 52 | 52 | 52 | – | 423,526 | 100.00% | – | ||
| Registered voters / turnout | 570,987 | 74.17% | -4.06% | |||||||
Results by region
| Party name | HRM | Cape Breton | Annapolis Valley | South Shore | Fundy-Northeast | Central Nova | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parties winning seats in the legislature | |||||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Seats: | 13 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 37 | |
| Popular vote: | 47.87% | 40.16% | 51.61% | 49.85% | 49.22% | 52.25% | 47.28% | ||
| Liberal | Seats: | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | |
| Popular vote: | 27.15% | 39.46% | 30.29% | 37.50% | 35.25% | 35.29% | 32.96% | ||
| New Democratic Party | Seats: | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Popular vote: | 24.89% | 15.31% | 18.10% | 12.65% | 15.44% | 11.79% | 18.01% | ||
| Independents | Seats: | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Popular vote: | 0.08% | 5.08% | – | – | 0.10% | 0.67% | 1.18% | ||
| Total seats: | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 52 | ||
Retiring incumbents
- Liberal
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 | Independent | |||||||
| Annapolis East | Gerry Sheehy 3,700 56.40% | Hugh Laurence 2,006 30.58% | Joan M. Boutilier 854 13.02% | Gerry Sheehy | ||||||
| Annapolis West | Greg Kerr 2,784 53.57% | Herb Anderson 1,894 36.44% | John R. Taylor 519 9.99% | Greg Kerr | ||||||
| Clare | Guy LeBlanc 2,173 38.00% | Chester Melanson 2,228 38.96% | Paul Denis Comeau 1,317 23.03% | Benoit Comeau† | ||||||
| Digby | John Comeau 2,643 41.70% | Joseph H. Casey 2,918 46.04% | Bill Redden 777 12.26% | Joseph H. Casey | ||||||
| Hants West | Ron Russell 4,554 51.51% | Daniel J. McGrath 2,661 30.10% | Alan Squires 1,626 18.39% | Ron Russell | ||||||
| Kings North | Edward Twohig 3,369 43.61% | Lennie White 2,041 26.42% | Bob Levy 2,316 29.98% | Edward Twohig | ||||||
| Kings South | Harry How 4,356 65.47% | Betty Deal 933 14.02% | Evelyn Garbary 1,364 20.50% | Harry How | ||||||
| Kings West | George Moody 5,286 59.43% | Dan Weir 2,259 25.40% | Carolyn Queen 1,349 15.17% | George Moody | ||||||
South Shore
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Argyle | Peter J. Boudreau 2,092 39.32% | Hugh Tinkham 2,872 53.97% | Roy Sonny Murphy 357 6.71% | Hugh Tinkham Yarmouth | ||||||
| Lunenburg Centre | Bruce Cochran 5,374 54.40% | Alan V. Parish 3,355 33.96% | Neil Theriault 1,150 11.64% | Bruce Cochran | ||||||
| Lunenburg East | Ron Barkhouse 2,802 55.49% | Dave Cook 1,180 23.37% | Janet Mooney 1,068 21.15% | Ron Barkhouse | ||||||
| Lunenburg West | Mel Pickings 3,875 53.66% | Pauline Himmelman 2,319 32.11% | Carl E. Simpson 1,027 14.22% | Mel Pickings | ||||||
| Queens | John Leefe 4,114 65.19% | Mervin W. Hartlen 1,511 23.94% | David K. Sampson 686 10.87% | John Leefe | ||||||
| Shelburne | Warren Doane 3,440 42.21% | Harold Huskilson 3,765 46.20% | Laurie Hitchens 945 11.60% | Harold Huskilson | ||||||
| Yarmouth | Benoit Robichaud 3,389 40.39% | Fraser Mooney 3,868 46.10% | Hartley Wickens 1,134 13.51% | Fraser Mooney | ||||||
Fundy-Northeast
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Colchester North | Bill Campbell 3,171 42.40% | Ed Lorraine 3,182 42.55% | Allan Marchbank 1,126 15.06% | Bill Campbell | ||||||
| Colchester South | R. Colin Stewart 3,281 56.48% | Laurence Mersereau Nason 1,683 28.97% | Chester Rice 799 13.75% | Bob Kirk 46 0.79% | R. Colin Stewart | |||||
| Cumberland Centre | Arthur L. Brennan 1,469 33.86% | Guy Brown 2,579 59.45% | Florence Welton 290 6.69% | Guy Brown | ||||||
| Cumberland East | Roger Stuart Bacon 4,663 53.08% | Shelagh Frances Rayworth 2,413 27.47% | Hal Davidson 1,709 19.45% | Roger Stuart Bacon | ||||||
| Cumberland West | D. L. George Henley 2,745 54.12% | Bartley Babineau 1,717 33.85% | Doug Meekins 610 12.03% | D. L. George Henley | ||||||
| Hants East | G. Patrick Hunt 2,983 38.39% | Jack Hawkins 3,041 39.13% | Harry McNeil 1,747 22.48% | G. Patrick Hunt | ||||||
| Truro—Bible Hill | Ron Giffin 5,024 61.55% | Sylvia Roy 2,097 25.69% | Tom Barron 1,041 12.75% | Ron Giffin | ||||||
Central Halifax
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Halifax Bedford Basin | Joel Matheson 6,087 49.41% | John Genik 3,240 26.30% | Peter Delefes 2,993 24.29% | Joel Matheson | ||||||
| Halifax Chebucto | Dugger McNeil 3,394 35.04% | Walter Fitzgerald 2,407 24.84% | Alexa McDonough 3,886 40.12% | Walter Fitzgerald | ||||||
| Halifax Citadel | Art Donahoe 4,141 44.55% | Brenda Shannon 2,690 28.94% | Tom Sinclair-Faulkner 2,465 26.52% | Art Donahoe | ||||||
| Halifax Cornwallis | Terry Donahoe 4,927 46.79% | Dean Salsman 2,867 27.22% | Michael Coyle 2,737 25.99% | Terry Donahoe | ||||||
| Halifax Needham | Edmund L. Morris 3,300 38.05% | Dan Clarke 2,801 32.30% | Phil Davis 2,572 29.66% | Edmund L. Morris | ||||||
Suburban Halifax
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Bedford-Musquodoboit Valley | Ken Streatch 4,929 57.62% | Dwight Isenor 2,246 26.26% | Bruce Carroll 1,379 16.12% | Ken Streatch | ||||||
| Halifax Atlantic | John Buchanan 6,023 60.29% | Roma J. Aiken 1,744 17.46% | Rene Quigley 2,108 21.10% | Art Canning 115 1.15% | John Buchanan | |||||
| Halifax-St. Margaret's | Jerry Lawrence 4,860 50.26% | Helena Poirier 2,617 27.06% | Lillian Viau 2,193 22.68% | Jerry Lawrence | ||||||
| Sackville | Malcolm A. MacKay 4,687 42.55% | Murdock MacKay 3,478 31.58% | John Holm 2,849 25.87% | Malcolm A. MacKay | ||||||
Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Cole Harbour | David Nantes 4,605 51.20% | Rae Austin 2,229 24.78% | Steve MacDonald 2,160 24.02% | David Nantes | ||||||
| Dartmouth East | Richard L. Weldon 4,253 42.51% | Jim Smith 3,351 33.50% | Gerry Legere 2,400 23.99% | Richard L. Weldon | ||||||
| Dartmouth North | Laird Stirling 3,925 46.17% | Don Valardo 2,419 28.46% | Mark Flannigan 2,157 25.37% | Laird Stirling | ||||||
| Dartmouth South | Roland J. Thornhill 4,215 46.81% | Will Chisholm 2,463 27.35% | John Lewis Bregante 2,327 25.84% | Roland J. Thornhill | ||||||
| Halifax Eastern Shore | Tom McInnis 5,639 59.32% | Angus MacNeil 2,302 24.22% | Bruce Beasley 1,565 16.46% | Tom McInnis | ||||||
Central Nova
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Antigonish | Angus MacIsaac 4,271 43.90% | Bill Gillis 4,522 46.47% | John Arthur Murphy 937 9.63% | Bill Gillis | ||||||
| Guysborough | Jim Johnson 3,119 42.76% | A.M. "Sandy" Cameron 3,723 51.03% | Art Livingston 453 6.21% | A.M. "Sandy" Cameron | ||||||
| Pictou Centre | Jack MacIsaac 6,673 59.62% | Tom DeWolfe 2,634 23.53% | Kim Murray 1,885 16.84% | Jack MacIsaac | ||||||
| Pictou East | Donald Cameron 4,347 60.88% | Harold Lowe 1,833 25.67% | Hasse Lindblad 960 13.45% | Donald Cameron | ||||||
| Pictou West | Donald P. McInnes 3,473 53.24% | Doris Rink 2,066 31.67% | Jim Scanlan 702 10.76% | Franklin R. Fiske 282 4.32% | Donald P. McInnes | |||||
Cape Breton
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Liberal | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Cape Breton Centre | Mike Laffin 3,276 39.49% | Art MacDonald 2,208 26.62% | Buddy MacEachern 2,812 33.90% | Buddy MacEachern | ||||||
| Cape Breton East | Donnie MacLeod 4,699 45.55% | Shelly McNeil 3,053 29.59% | Joe Kanary 1,849 17.92% | Blair Matheson 716 6.94% | Donnie MacLeod | |||||
| Cape Breton North | Brian Young 4,187 43.51% | Nash Brogan 3,128 32.51% | Len J. Arsenault 2,307 23.98% | Len J. Arsenault | ||||||
| Cape Breton Nova | Russell Brake 1,487 19.42% | Earle Tubrett 2,307 30.13% | Tony Gale 173 2.26% | Paul MacEwan 3,691 48.20% | Paul MacEwan | |||||
| Cape Breton South | Murray Hannem 3,824 32.16% | Vince MacLean 6,633 55.78% | Linda Gallant 1,435 12.07% | Vince MacLean | ||||||
| Cape Breton—The Lakes | John Newell 3,316 41.51% | Ossie Fraser 3,436 43.01% | Douglas D. MacDonald 1,237 15.48% | Ossie Fraser | ||||||
| Cape Breton West | "Big" Donnie MacLeod 4,125 42.59% | David Muise 3,735 38.56% | Elizabeth Cusack Walsh 1,826 18.85% | David Muise | ||||||
| Inverness North | Daniel Rankin 3,160 42.17% | John Archie MacKenzie 3,770 50.31% | Eleanor Joyce Gillis 564 7.53% | John Archie MacKenzie Inverness | ||||||
| Inverness South | Billy Joe MacLean 2,469 46.82% | William MacEachern 2,407 45.65% | Bill Martin 397 7.53% | William MacEachern Inverness | ||||||
| Richmond | Greg MacIsaac 3,173 46.03% | John E. LeBrun 2,821 40.93% | Shirley McNamara 899 13.04% | John E. LeBrun | ||||||
| Victoria | Fisher Hudson 2,357 50.02% | Merrill D. Buchanan 1,952 41.43% | Frank Reid 251 5.33% | Duncan J. Beaton 152 3.23% | Fisher Hudson | |||||
References
Further reading
- Byers, R. B., ed. (1984). Canadian annual review of politics and public affairs. 1981. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4426-7195-9.
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