Political career Paul MacEwan

1 political career

1.1 ndp member
1.2 expulsion ndp
1.3 cape breton labour party
1.4 independent , liberal
1.5 declining health , retirement

political career
as ndp member

macewan elected first candidate of social democratic nova scotia new democratic party in 1970 provincial election. ran in cape breton nova, heavily blue collar riding (electoral district) home sydney steel plant , many coal miners. during first term mla, macewan wrote miners , steelworkers: labour in cape breton, history of union activities , political activism in area, published in 1976. author of confederation , maritimes came out later in 1976, , akerman years: jeremy akerman , nova scotia ndp, 1965-1980, published in 1980.

macewan closely associated work of jeremy akerman, served leader of nova scotia ndp 1968 1980. akerman had won party leadership 4 votes in 1968, @ convention @ macewan persuaded 8 uncommitted youth delegates support alkerman. , akerman first 2 ndp mlas elected in history of nova scotia, in provincial election of october 13, 1970, in pcs defeated after 14 years in power, , replaced liberals headed gerald regan. during years of akerman , macewan, ndp advanced 1 seat in each election contested, , had 4 mlas elected 1978.

expulsion ndp

in 1980, shortly after akerman resigned nova scotia ndp leadership, provincial executive expelled macewan party after criticised party executive member dennis theman having written article advocating reading of forward ndp , socialism , publication macewan considered trotskyite.

cape breton labour party

after macewan left ndp, established cape breton labour party, presented rival political party others participating in 1984 provincial election. main issue separating labor party ndp freedom of speech, macewan maintained ndp no longer practised, shown party s response criticism of theman s reading recommendations. party ran 3 candidates on nova scotian mainland in addition eleven seats on cape breton island.

macewan 1 of party s fourteen candidates win election in 1984 provincial election. labour party fourth political party in nova scotian history elect legislature. following 1984 election, however, party had cease operations, due lack of sufficient revenue carry on operations.

as independent , liberal

macewan re-elected independent in 1988. after election, contested, , won unanimously, liberal nomination in cape breton nova, whereupon admitted liberal caucus in 1990. when liberals formed government of nova scotia in 1993, unanimously elected speaker of house, , served in role until late in 1996. later served government house leader, chair of committee on private , local bills, deputy government house leader, , caucus whip. after liberals lost power in 1999, continued serve deputy house leader , whip, , critic department of labour , workers compensation board.

declining health , retirement

macewan suffered 2 cerebral aneurisms in 2001 , 2002. retired in 2003, having won 9 elections in row, , having served continuously 33 years in nova scotia legislature, longest record of continuous service ever provided mla.

macewan elected 3 times new democrat: 1970, 1974, , 1978; then, in 1981, independent; in 1984, on labour party ticket; in 1988, again independent; , in 1993, 1998, , 1999, liberal. obtained 80 per cent of vote cast in 1993 , on 50 per cent in 1998 , in 1999. macewan s riding considered safest riding in province, no matter banner ran under.

macewan died on may 2, 2017.