Paul MacEwan
Encyclopedia
Paul MacEwan is a former politician in Cape Breton Island
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
, and long-time member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
.
, the Nova Scotia Teacher's College, Saint Francis Xavier University, Mount Allison University
, and Cape Breton University, from which he holds a B.A. degree. A teacher in Sydney, Nova Scotia
, MacEwan was elected first as a candidate of the social democratic
Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
in the 1970 provincial election
. He ran in Cape Breton Nova
, a heavily blue collar riding that was home to the SYSCO steel plant and many coal miners. During his first term as MLA, MacEwan would write Miners and Steelworkers: Labour in Cape Breton, a history of union activities and political activism in the area, published in 1976. He is also the author of Confederation and the Maritimes which came out later in 1976, and The Akerman Years: Jeremy Akerman and the Nova Scotia NDP, 1965-1980, published in 1980.
MacEwan was closely associated with the work of Jeremy Akerman
, who served as Leader of the Nova Scotia NDP from 1968 to 1980. Akerman had won the party leadership by four votes in 1968, at a convention at which MacEwan persuaded eight youth delegates previously uncommitted, to support Alkerman. He and Akerman were the first two NDP MLAs elected in the history of Nova Scotia, in the provincial election of October 13, 1970, which saw the PCs defeated after fourteen years in power, and replaced by the Liberals headed by Gerald Regan
. During the years of Akerman and MacEwan, the NDP advanced by one seat in each election contested, and had four MLAs elected by 1978.
MacEwan was expelled from the Nova Scotia NDP in 1980, shortly after Akerman resigned the party leadership. This action by the provincial executive followed his criticism of party executive member Dennis Theman for having written an article advocating the reading of "Forward for the NDP and Socialism," a publication MacEwan considered Trotskyite. After MacEwan left the NDP, he established the Cape Breton Labour Party
, which presented itself as a rival political party to the others participating in the 1984 provincial election. The main issue separating the Labor Party from the NDP was freedom of speech, which MacEwan maintained the NDP no longer practiced, as shown by their response to his criticism of Theman's reading recommendations.
The full name of the party was the Labour Party of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia and the party ran three candidates on the Nova Scotian mainland in addition to the eleven seats on Cape Breton Island.
MacEwan was the only one of the party's fourteen candidates to win election in the 1984 provincial election
. The Labour Party was the fourth political party in Nova Scotian history to elect someone to the Legislature. Following the 1984 election, however, the party had to cease operations, due to lack of sufficient revenue to carry on its operations.
MacEwan was re-elected as an Independent in 1988. After this election, he contested, and won unanimously, the Liberal nomination in Cape Breton Nova, whereupon he was admitted to the Liberal caucus early in 1990. When the Liberals formed the government of Nova Scotia in 1993, he was unanimously elected Speaker of the House
, and served in this role until late in 1996. He subsequently served as Government House Leader, Chair of the Committee on Private and Local Bills, Deputy Government House Leader, and Caucus Whip. After the Liberals lost power in 1999, he continued to serve as their Deputy House Leader and Whip, and was critic for the Department of Labor and the Workers Compensation Board.
MacEwan suffered two cerebral aneurisms in 2001 and 2002. He retired in 2003, having won nine elections in a row, and having served continuously for 33 years in the Nova Scotia Legislature, the longest record of continuous service ever provided by any MLA.
MacEwan was elected three times as an NDPer, 1970, 1974, and 1978 ; then, in 1981, as an Independent; in 1984, on the Labour Party ticket ; in 1988, again as an Independent ; and in 1993, 1998, and 1999, as a Liberal. He obtained 80 per cent of the vote cast in 1993 and over fifty per cent in both 1998 and 1999. MacEwan's riding was often considered the safest riding in the province, no matter what banner he ran under.
MacEwan was married to Carol Elizabeth Osborne and married Doreen Elizabeth Corbett in 1987.
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....
, Nova Scotia
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...
, and long-time 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...
.
Biography
He is the son of Horace Frederick MacEwan and was educated at the Sydney AcademySydney Academy
Sydney Academy is one of two main secondary schools, along with Riverview, for the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia....
, the Nova Scotia Teacher's College, Saint Francis Xavier University, Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University is a primarily undergraduate Canadian liberal arts and science university situated in Sackville, New Brunswick. It is located about a half hour from the regional city of Moncton and 20 minutes from the Greater Moncton International Airport...
, and Cape Breton University, from which he holds a B.A. degree. A teacher in Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
, MacEwan was elected first as a candidate of the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
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...
in the 1970 provincial election
Nova Scotia general election, 1970
The 27th Nova Scotia general election was held on 13 October 1970 to elect members of the 50th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal party....
. He ran in Cape Breton Nova
Cape Breton Nova
Cape Breton Nova is a provincial electoral district in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. Its Member of the Legislative Assembly since 2003 has been Gordie Gosse of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party...
, a heavily blue collar riding that was home to the SYSCO steel plant and many coal miners. During his first term as MLA, MacEwan would write Miners and Steelworkers: Labour in Cape Breton, a history of union activities and political activism in the area, published in 1976. He is also the author of Confederation and the Maritimes which came out later in 1976, and The Akerman Years: Jeremy Akerman and the Nova Scotia NDP, 1965-1980, published in 1980.
MacEwan was closely associated with the work of Jeremy Akerman
Jeremy Akerman
Jeremy Bernard Akerman is a former Canadian politician, writer and actor and a former leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.-Biography:...
, who served as Leader of the Nova Scotia NDP from 1968 to 1980. Akerman had won the party leadership by four votes in 1968, at a convention at which MacEwan persuaded eight youth delegates previously uncommitted, to support Alkerman. He and Akerman were the first two NDP MLAs elected in the history of Nova Scotia, in the provincial election of October 13, 1970, which saw the PCs defeated after fourteen years in power, and replaced by the Liberals headed by Gerald Regan
Gerald Regan
Gerald Augustine Regan, PC is a Canadian politician, who served as the 19th Premier of Nova Scotia from 1970 to 1978....
. During the years of Akerman and MacEwan, the NDP advanced by one seat in each election contested, and had four MLAs elected by 1978.
MacEwan was expelled from the Nova Scotia NDP in 1980, shortly after Akerman resigned the party leadership. This action by the provincial executive followed his criticism of party executive member Dennis Theman for having written an article advocating the reading of "Forward for the NDP and Socialism," a publication MacEwan considered Trotskyite. After MacEwan left the NDP, he established the Cape Breton Labour Party
Cape Breton Labour Party
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.-Founding:...
, which presented itself as a rival political party to the others participating in the 1984 provincial election. The main issue separating the Labor Party from the NDP was freedom of speech, which MacEwan maintained the NDP no longer practiced, as shown by their response to his criticism of Theman's reading recommendations.
The full name of the party was the Labour Party of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia and the party ran three candidates on the Nova Scotian mainland in addition to the eleven seats on Cape Breton Island.
MacEwan was the only one of the party's fourteen candidates to win election in the 1984 provincial 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 Labour Party was the fourth political party in Nova Scotian history to elect someone to the Legislature. Following the 1984 election, however, the party had to cease operations, due to lack of sufficient revenue to carry on its operations.
MacEwan was re-elected as an Independent in 1988. After this election, he contested, and won unanimously, the Liberal nomination in Cape Breton Nova, whereupon he was admitted to the Liberal caucus early in 1990. When the Liberals formed the government of Nova Scotia in 1993, he was unanimously elected Speaker of the House
Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
The Speaker for the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia is the presiding Officer of the House of Assembly. Gordie Gosse is the current Speaker of the 61st General Assembly of Nova Scotia....
, and served in this role until late in 1996. He subsequently served as Government House Leader, Chair of the Committee on Private and Local Bills, Deputy Government House Leader, and Caucus Whip. After the Liberals lost power in 1999, he continued to serve as their Deputy House Leader and Whip, and was critic for the Department of Labor and the Workers Compensation Board.
MacEwan suffered two cerebral aneurisms in 2001 and 2002. He retired in 2003, having won nine elections in a row, and having served continuously for 33 years in the Nova Scotia Legislature, the longest record of continuous service ever provided by any MLA.
MacEwan was elected three times as an NDPer, 1970, 1974, and 1978 ; then, in 1981, as an Independent; in 1984, on the Labour Party ticket ; in 1988, again as an Independent ; and in 1993, 1998, and 1999, as a Liberal. He obtained 80 per cent of the vote cast in 1993 and over fifty per cent in both 1998 and 1999. MacEwan's riding was often considered the safest riding in the province, no matter what banner he ran under.
MacEwan was married to Carol Elizabeth Osborne and married Doreen Elizabeth Corbett in 1987.