Russell MacLellan
Encyclopedia
Russell Gregoire MacLellan (born January 16, 1940) is a Canadian
politician who served as the 24th Premier of Nova Scotia
from 1997 to 1999.
MacLellan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1979 federal election
for the riding of Cape Breton—The Sydneys
and sat as a Liberal
MP
until 1997 when he became leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party and premier of the province after John Savage
was forced to resign due to discontent within his party and sagging polls. MacLellan tried to revive the Liberal government's fortunes; he narrowly won a minority government
in the 1998 election
, but his government was defeated in a confidence vote in 1999 and then defeated in the resulting 1999 election
. In January 2000, Maclellan announced he would step down as Liberal leader on June 30. He continued to sit as an MLA
until resigning in October 2000. Following his resignation, MacLellan returned to practising law, working for the Halifax-based law firm, Merrick Holm.
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 who served as the 24th Premier of Nova Scotia
Premier of Nova Scotia
The Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly...
from 1997 to 1999.
MacLellan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was first 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 1979 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
for the riding of Cape Breton—The Sydneys
Cape Breton—The Sydneys
Cape Breton—The Sydneys was a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997....
and sat as a 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...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
until 1997 when he became leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party and premier of the province after John Savage
John Savage (politician)
John Patrick Savage, OC, ONS was the 23rd Premier of Nova Scotia, Canada between 1993 and 1997.- Welsh birth :Born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, and keeping his Welsh accent to the end, Savage graduated from Queen's University of Belfast and practiced as a Medical doctor in Newport until he...
was forced to resign due to discontent within his party and sagging polls. MacLellan tried to revive the Liberal government's fortunes; he narrowly won a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
in the 1998 election
Nova Scotia general election, 1998
The 34th Nova Scotia general election was held on March 24, 1998 to elect members of the 57th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Liberal party and the New Democratic Party tied in the seat count, with 19 each, while the Progressive Conservatives won 14 seats...
, but his government was defeated in a confidence vote in 1999 and then defeated in the resulting 1999 election
Nova Scotia general election, 1999
The 35th Nova Scotia general election was held on July 27, 1999, to elect members of the 58th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party, led by Dr...
. In January 2000, Maclellan announced he would step down as Liberal leader on June 30. He continued to sit as an MLA
Member of Legislative Assembly
A Member of Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature of a State in the Indian system of government...
until resigning in October 2000. Following his resignation, MacLellan returned to practising law, working for the Halifax-based law firm, Merrick Holm.