Nova Scotia Election: Hants East candidates

Quick take: This will be a riding to watch. Incumbent MLA Margaret Miller won the riding in 2013, defeating longtime NDP MLA John MacDonell as part of the Liberal wave.

Candidates

Liberal: Miller served as environment minister under the Liberal government. Prior to election, she worked in the agriculture, forestry and small business sectors. She also was the national president of MADD Canada.

Progressive Conservative: John A. MacDonald is a member of the East Hants Chamber of Commerce and served as a councillor for the Municipality of East Hants in 2008 and 2012.

NDP: Liam Crouse has worked for his family’s small business, the Nova Scotia film industry, and created his own work in house painting and photography. He is a recent University of King’s College graduate.

Green: Jenn Kang was a live-in caregiver with L’Arche Cape Breton from 2010-12. 

Riding background

History: Miller won the riding in 2013 with 47.39 per cent of the vote. She took the seat during the Liberal surge that swept through the province and defeated longtime NDP MLA John MacDonell, who had served as MLA since 1998. Prior to MacDonell, the riding was held by people from all three parties.

Boundaries: The riding includes the corridor between Enfield and Shubenacadie, north of Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Mount Uniacke is also found in the riding.

Demographics: Several small towns are found in the rural riding. Agriculture, forestry and tourism are the prominent industries. Gold mines were found at Mount Uniacke years ago.