Cape Breton Labour Party
Encyclopedia
The Cape Breton Labour Party was a social democratic provincial political party in Nova Scotia
, Canada
that advocated separate provincial status for Cape Breton
, which is the northern part of the Province of Nova Scotia.
, who had been an NDP
member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for ten years, 1970 to 1980. MacEwan was kicked out of the NDP in 1980, after allegedly calling party executive Dennis Theman a Trotskyite. MacEwan ran as an Independent, in the 1981 election
and was re-elected by a strong margin. He took this as a mandate
to set up a rival party.
The Cape Breton Labour Party was founded at a convention held in Glace Bay
in the fall of 1982. MacEwan was elected its provincial leader. While at first the intent was to run candidates only on Cape Breton Island, due to the provisions of the Nova Scotia Elections Act, the party had to run candidates also in several mainland ridings to obtain recognition as a registered political party. The party's name was also changed to the Labour Party of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia at this time. In the end, a total of fourteen Labour candidates were run, eleven on Cape Breton and three on the mainland.
In the 1984 election
, the 14 Labour candidates obtained a total of 8,322 votes. MacEwan was re-elected, with 3,832 votes. He thus became the first, and so far the only, candidate sponsored by a fourth political party to gain a seat in the Nova Scotia Legislature. Other Labour candidates were not elected, but managed to retain their deposits in the constituencies of Cape Breton East and Cape Breton Centre
, while the NDP vote in those areas plunged to an all-time low in the same seats the party had held under Akerman.
After the 1984 election, MacEwan felt that the Labour Party could not continue, as insufficient funds had been raised to meet its minimum financial requirements. He ran in the next provincial election, held in 1988
, as an Independent, and joined the Liberal Party in 1990.
was important in politics and that elected representatives should be free to represent their constituents as they best determined. The Halifax NDP, led by Alexa McDonough throughout this period, emphasized established party policy and expected MLAs to subscribe to this first before formulating their opinions on issues.
Much of the tussle was over geography, and whether Cape Breton, or downtown Halifax, should be in control of operations. The Halifax NDP claimed that the Labour Party was "separatist," but never identified how. There is no mention found advocating any constitutional change for Cape Breton Island in the advertising run by the Labour Party in the 1984 election. The party issued a multi-point election platform, but its contents were confined to such traditional Cape Breton issues as "proper" levels of government support for the coal and steel industries, a higher minimum wage
, reform of workers compensation, and improvements to highways.
The dispute was accentuated by bad personal relations between MacEwan and the new NDP provincial leader, Alexa McDonough, each viewing the other as unworthy. MacEwan considered that McDonough had encouraged his expulsion from the NDP for political advantage, and had gained the NDP leadership by intrigue. Each was inclined to criticize the other publicly, McDonough depicting MacEwan as an unrepentant enemy of all the NDP stood for, while MacEwan described McDonough and her father, industrialist Lloyd Shaw, as seeking to use their wealth to try to prevent democracy in Nova Scotia politics.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that advocated separate provincial status for Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, which is the northern part of the Province of Nova Scotia.
Founding
The party was founded by Paul MacEwanPaul MacEwan
Paul MacEwan is a former politician in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, and long-time member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.-Biography:...
, who had been an NDP
Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial party in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is aligned with the federal New Democratic Party . Originally founded as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in 1932, it became the New Democratic Party in 1961. It became the governing...
member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...
for ten years, 1970 to 1980. MacEwan was kicked out of the NDP in 1980, after allegedly calling party executive Dennis Theman a Trotskyite. MacEwan ran as an Independent, in the 1981 election
Nova Scotia general election, 1981
The 30th 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. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.* vote share included in "other"....
and was re-elected by a strong margin. He took this as a mandate
Mandate (politics)
In politics, a mandate is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.The concept of a government having a legitimate mandate to govern via the fair winning of a democratic election is a central idea of democracy...
to set up a rival party.
The Cape Breton Labour Party was founded at a convention held in Glace Bay
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Glace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton....
in the fall of 1982. MacEwan was elected its provincial leader. While at first the intent was to run candidates only on Cape Breton Island, due to the provisions of the Nova Scotia Elections Act, the party had to run candidates also in several mainland ridings to obtain recognition as a registered political party. The party's name was also changed to the Labour Party of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia at this time. In the end, a total of fourteen Labour candidates were run, eleven on Cape Breton and three on the mainland.
In the 1984 election
Nova Scotia general election, 1984
The 31st Nova Scotia general election was held on November 6, 1984 to elect members of the 54th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party....
, the 14 Labour candidates obtained a total of 8,322 votes. MacEwan was re-elected, with 3,832 votes. He thus became the first, and so far the only, candidate sponsored by a fourth political party to gain a seat in the Nova Scotia Legislature. Other Labour candidates were not elected, but managed to retain their deposits in the constituencies of Cape Breton East and Cape Breton Centre
Cape Breton Centre
Cape Breton Centre is a provincial electoral district in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly....
, while the NDP vote in those areas plunged to an all-time low in the same seats the party had held under Akerman.
After the 1984 election, MacEwan felt that the Labour Party could not continue, as insufficient funds had been raised to meet its minimum financial requirements. He ran in the next provincial election, held in 1988
Nova Scotia general election, 1988
The 32nd Nova Scotia general election was held on September 6, 1988 to elect members of the 55th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.* Vote share included in "other"...
, as an Independent, and joined the Liberal Party in 1990.
Issues
The main issues in contention between the Labour Party and the NDP centered on how the party was to be run and in what direction. MacEwan maintained that freedom of speechFreedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
was important in politics and that elected representatives should be free to represent their constituents as they best determined. The Halifax NDP, led by Alexa McDonough throughout this period, emphasized established party policy and expected MLAs to subscribe to this first before formulating their opinions on issues.
Much of the tussle was over geography, and whether Cape Breton, or downtown Halifax, should be in control of operations. The Halifax NDP claimed that the Labour Party was "separatist," but never identified how. There is no mention found advocating any constitutional change for Cape Breton Island in the advertising run by the Labour Party in the 1984 election. The party issued a multi-point election platform, but its contents were confined to such traditional Cape Breton issues as "proper" levels of government support for the coal and steel industries, a higher minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, reform of workers compensation, and improvements to highways.
The dispute was accentuated by bad personal relations between MacEwan and the new NDP provincial leader, Alexa McDonough, each viewing the other as unworthy. MacEwan considered that McDonough had encouraged his expulsion from the NDP for political advantage, and had gained the NDP leadership by intrigue. Each was inclined to criticize the other publicly, McDonough depicting MacEwan as an unrepentant enemy of all the NDP stood for, while MacEwan described McDonough and her father, industrialist Lloyd Shaw, as seeking to use their wealth to try to prevent democracy in Nova Scotia politics.
See also
- Cape Breton IslandCape Breton IslandCape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
- List of Nova Scotia political parties
- Proposals for new Canadian provinces and territoriesProposals for new Canadian provinces and territoriesSince Canadian Confederation in 1867, there have been several proposals for new Canadian provinces and territories. The Constitution of Canada requires an amendment for the creation of a new province but the creation of a new territory requires only an act of Parliament; therefore, it is easier...