Darrell Dexter

Darrell Dexter ( born 1957 in Halifax ) is a Canadian politician and lawyer. He is president of the Socialist Party Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (NDP ). From 1998 to 2013 he was a member of the House of Representatives of Nova Scotia, June 19, 2009, he ruled the province until 22 October 2013 as the Prime Minister.

Biography

Dexter grew up in Milton, the son of a metal worker. He studied journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, then law at Dalhousie University. After his service as a second lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy, he worked as a lawyer in Dartmouth. There he belonged from 1994 to 1996 to the City Council. In March 1998, the election was followed in the House of Representatives of Nova Scotia and represented the constituency of Dartmouth - Cole Harbour. Four times in a row, he managed to re-election. Following the resignation of Helen MacDonald, he took over in June 2001 on an interim basis the party chairmanship. The Congress of the NDP a year later confirmed him in this office, with 62 % of votes.

Under Dexter's leadership for the first time the NDP rose thanks to four seat gains in the elections on 5 August 2003 in its history, the second-strongest political force in the province, the ruling Progressive Conservative John Hamm had to content themselves with a minority government. Hamm's successor Rodney MacDonald lost a no-confidence vote, after which it came to early elections on 13 June 2006. The NDP increased by a further five seats and reduced the gap to the Progressive Conservatives; Dexter had returned several times the offer of the third-place Liberals to form a coalition government. Another vote of no confidence against MacDonald on 4 May 2009 again led to early elections. On 9 June 2009, the NDP won for the first time ever, the absolute majority of seats. After being sworn in on June 19, Dexter led thus the first social democratic government in the Atlantic provinces of Canada.

Dexter's government introduced in the legislature by While some reforms, but withdrew the displeasure of the greater citizenry. One of the main reasons for this was the broken election promise not to increase taxes. By accounting measures, the provincial government could demonstrate for the first time a budget surplus in the first year in office. The following year, however, ruled from high deficits, which had numerous unpopular cuts result. In the elections on October 8, 2013, the NDP suffered a crushing defeat. She fell from 31 back to 7 seats and was only the third strongest party. Dexter himself lost his seat narrowest of margins by 21 votes difference. The official duties he carried even further a few days and handed them over on 22 October the Liberal Stephen McNeil.