Peter Mancini is a Canadian

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...

 politician and lawyer. Mancini was elected to the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

 in the 1997 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1997

The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...

 that saw a breakthrough for the New Democratic Party

New Democratic Party

The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...

 in the province of 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...

. He served as the NDP's justice critic in the 36th Canadian parliament

36th Canadian Parliament

The 36th Canadian Parliament was in session from September 22, 1997 until October 22, 2000. The membership was set by the 1997 federal election on June 2, 1997, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 2000 election.It was controlled by...

. Mancini represented the riding of Sydney—Victoria

Sydney—Victoria

Sydney–Victoria is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2006 was 76,801...

 until the 2000 federal election

Canadian federal election, 2000

The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....

 when he was defeated by Liberal

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 Mark Eyking

Mark Eyking

Mark Eyking, PC, MP is a Canadian politician.Eyking was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia. A resident of Millville, Nova Scotia, Eyking is a current member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Sydney—Victoria since 2000. Eyking is a former farmer...

. He moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...

 following his electoral defeat. He was unsuccessful in his attempt at a comeback in the 2006 federal election

Canadian federal election, 2006

The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...

 in the riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour

Dartmouth—Cole Harbour

Dartmouth—Cole Harbour is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...

 losing to incumbent Michael Savage

Michael Savage (politician)

Michael John Savage was the Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament for the riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. On May 2, 2011, Savage lost his bid for re-election to Parliament to Robert Chisholm of the NDP. Savage received 15,162 votes to Chisholm's 15,661.-Biography:Savage is the son of...

 by just over 4,000 votes.

Born in Westmount, Nova Scotia

Westmount, Nova Scotia

Westmount is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-Geography:Located on the west bank of the Sydney River at the point where Sydney Harbour begins, Westmount faces Sydney's downtown. Neighbouring communities include Point Edward, Coxheath and Edwardsville...

, Mancini was educated at Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...

, where he was a member of the Dalhousie Senate and Vice President of the Student Council. He graduated from Dalhousie Law School

Dalhousie Law School

The Schulich School of Law is part of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Formerly called Dalhousie Law School, it was established in 1883, making it the oldest university-affiliated common law school in the Commonwealth. It is the primary law school in Atlantic Canada and...

 in 1982. He has worked for Nova Scotia Legal Aid in criminal and family law since 1986 save for one year when he taught at the University College of Cape Breton and his years in parliament.

Mancini received over 50% of the popular vote in 1997. It was during his time as MP that the Liberal

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 Government announced the shutdown of the coal mines run by the Cape Breton Development Corporation

Cape Breton Development Corporation

The Cape Breton Development Corporation, or DEVCO, was a Canadian federal government Crown corporation. It ceased operation on December 31, 2009, after being amalgamated with Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation ....

. Mancini and other political leaders fought for increased pension packages for the workers and an economic diversification fund. He was the MP when the federal government began a remediation program for the Sydney Tar Ponds

Sydney Tar Ponds

The Sydney Tar Ponds are a hazardous waste site on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.Located on the eastern shore of Sydney Harbour in the former city of Sydney , the Tar Ponds form a tidal estuary at the mouth of Muggah Creek, a freshwater stream that empties into the harbour...

. When Robert Chisholm resigned as leader of the Nova Scotia NDP in 1999, Mancini was seen as a possible front runner for the post but declined to run.