1981 Nova Scotia general election

1981 Nova Scotia general election
← outgoing members members →
52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly; 27 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	74.17% 4.06pp
Premier before election; John Buchanan; Progressive Conservative	Premier after election ; John Buchanan; Progressive Conservative

The 1981 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.^[1] It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.

Results

Results by party

↓
37	13	1	1
Progressive Conservative	Liberal	New Democratic	Independent

Official results ^[2]^[3]
Party		Party leader	# of candidates	Seats				Popular vote
Party		Party leader	# of candidates	1978	Dissolution	Elected	Change	#	%	Change (pp)
	Progressive Conservative	John Buchanan	52	31	34	37	+6	200,228	47.28%	+1.80%
	Liberal	A.M. "Sandy" Cameron	52	17	15	13	-4	139,604	32.96%	-6.20%
	New Democratic	Alexa McDonough	52	4	2	1	-3	76,289	18.01%	+3.71%
	Independent		6	0	1	1	0	5,002	1.18%	+0.73%
	Vacant				0
Total valid votes								421,123	99.43%	+0.04%

Blank and invalid ballots								2,403	0.57%	-0.04%
Total			162	52	52	52	–	423,526	100.00%	–
Registered voters / turnout								570,987	74.17%	-4.06%

Popular vote

PC			47.28%
Liberal			32.96%
New Democratic			18.01%
Independent			1.18%

Seats summary

PC			71.15%
Liberal			25.00%
New Democratic			1.92%
Independent			1.92%

Results by region

Party name			HRM	Cape Breton	Annapolis Valley	South Shore	Fundy-Northeast	Central Nova	Total
Parties winning seats in the legislature
	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	13	7	6	4	4	3	37
	Progressive Conservative	Popular vote:	47.87%	40.16%	51.61%	49.85%	49.22%	52.25%	47.28%
	Liberal	Seats:	0	3	2	3	3	2	13
	Liberal	Popular vote:	27.15%	39.46%	30.29%	37.50%	35.25%	35.29%	32.96%
	New Democratic Party	Seats:	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
	New Democratic Party	Popular vote:	24.89%	15.31%	18.10%	12.65%	15.44%	11.79%	18.01%
	Independents	Seats:	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
	Independents	Popular vote:	0.08%	5.08%	–	–	0.10%	0.67%	1.18%
Total seats:			14	11	8	7	7	5	52

Retiring incumbents

Liberal

Benoit Comeau, Clare

Nominated candidates

Legend
bold denotes party leader
† denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

Valley

Electoral district	Candidates							Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent	Incumbent
Annapolis East		Gerry Sheehy 3,700 56.40%		Hugh Laurence 2,006 30.58%		Joan M. Boutilier 854 13.02%			Gerry Sheehy
Annapolis West		Greg Kerr 2,784 53.57%		Herb Anderson 1,894 36.44%		John R. Taylor 519 9.99%			Greg Kerr
Clare		Guy LeBlanc 2,173 38.00%		Chester Melanson 2,228 38.96%		Paul Denis Comeau 1,317 23.03%			Benoit Comeau†
Digby		John Comeau 2,643 41.70%		Joseph H. Casey 2,918 46.04%		Bill Redden 777 12.26%			Joseph H. Casey
Hants West		Ron Russell 4,554 51.51%		Daniel J. McGrath 2,661 30.10%		Alan Squires 1,626 18.39%			Ron Russell
Kings North		Edward Twohig 3,369 43.61%		Lennie White 2,041 26.42%		Bob Levy 2,316 29.98%			Edward Twohig
Kings South		Harry How 4,356 65.47%		Betty Deal 933 14.02%		Evelyn Garbary 1,364 20.50%			Harry How
Kings West		George Moody 5,286 59.43%		Dan Weir 2,259 25.40%		Carolyn Queen 1,349 15.17%			George Moody

South Shore

Electoral district	Candidates							Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent	Incumbent
Argyle		Peter J. Boudreau 2,092 39.32%		Hugh Tinkham 2,872 53.97%		Roy Sonny Murphy 357 6.71%			Hugh Tinkham Yarmouth
Lunenburg Centre		Bruce Cochran 5,374 54.40%		Alan V. Parish 3,355 33.96%		Neil Theriault 1,150 11.64%			Bruce Cochran
Lunenburg East		Ron Barkhouse 2,802 55.49%		Dave Cook 1,180 23.37%		Janet Mooney 1,068 21.15%			Ron Barkhouse
Lunenburg West		Mel Pickings 3,875 53.66%		Pauline Himmelman 2,319 32.11%		Carl E. Simpson 1,027 14.22%			Mel Pickings
Queens		John Leefe 4,114 65.19%		Mervin W. Hartlen 1,511 23.94%		David K. Sampson 686 10.87%			John Leefe
Shelburne		Warren Doane 3,440 42.21%		Harold Huskilson 3,765 46.20%		Laurie Hitchens 945 11.60%			Harold Huskilson
Yarmouth		Benoit Robichaud 3,389 40.39%		Fraser Mooney 3,868 46.10%		Hartley Wickens 1,134 13.51%			Fraser Mooney

Fundy-Northeast

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent		Incumbent
Colchester North		Bill Campbell 3,171 42.40%		Ed Lorraine 3,182 42.55%		Allan Marchbank 1,126 15.06%				Bill Campbell
Colchester South		R. Colin Stewart 3,281 56.48%		Laurence Mersereau Nason 1,683 28.97%		Chester Rice 799 13.75%		Bob Kirk 46 0.79%		R. Colin Stewart
Cumberland Centre		Arthur L. Brennan 1,469 33.86%		Guy Brown 2,579 59.45%		Florence Welton 290 6.69%				Guy Brown
Cumberland East		Roger Stuart Bacon 4,663 53.08%		Shelagh Frances Rayworth 2,413 27.47%		Hal Davidson 1,709 19.45%				Roger Stuart Bacon
Cumberland West		D. L. George Henley 2,745 54.12%		Bartley Babineau 1,717 33.85%		Doug Meekins 610 12.03%				D. L. George Henley
Hants East		G. Patrick Hunt 2,983 38.39%		Jack Hawkins 3,041 39.13%		Harry McNeil 1,747 22.48%				G. Patrick Hunt
Truro—Bible Hill		Ron Giffin 5,024 61.55%		Sylvia Roy 2,097 25.69%		Tom Barron 1,041 12.75%				Ron Giffin

Central Halifax

Electoral district	Candidates							Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent	Incumbent
Halifax Bedford Basin		Joel Matheson 6,087 49.41%		John Genik 3,240 26.30%		Peter Delefes 2,993 24.29%			Joel Matheson
Halifax Chebucto		Dugger McNeil 3,394 35.04%		Walter Fitzgerald 2,407 24.84%		Alexa McDonough 3,886 40.12%			Walter Fitzgerald
Halifax Citadel		Art Donahoe 4,141 44.55%		Brenda Shannon 2,690 28.94%		Tom Sinclair-Faulkner 2,465 26.52%			Art Donahoe
Halifax Cornwallis		Terry Donahoe 4,927 46.79%		Dean Salsman 2,867 27.22%		Michael Coyle 2,737 25.99%			Terry Donahoe
Halifax Needham		Edmund L. Morris 3,300 38.05%		Dan Clarke 2,801 32.30%		Phil Davis 2,572 29.66%			Edmund L. Morris

Suburban Halifax

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent		Incumbent
Bedford-Musquodoboit Valley		Ken Streatch 4,929 57.62%		Dwight Isenor 2,246 26.26%		Bruce Carroll 1,379 16.12%				Ken Streatch
Halifax Atlantic		John Buchanan 6,023 60.29%		Roma J. Aiken 1,744 17.46%		Rene Quigley 2,108 21.10%		Art Canning 115 1.15%		John Buchanan
Halifax-St. Margaret's		Jerry Lawrence 4,860 50.26%		Helena Poirier 2,617 27.06%		Lillian Viau 2,193 22.68%				Jerry Lawrence
Sackville		Malcolm A. MacKay 4,687 42.55%		Murdock MacKay 3,478 31.58%		John Holm 2,849 25.87%				Malcolm A. MacKay

Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

Electoral district	Candidates							Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent	Incumbent
Cole Harbour		David Nantes 4,605 51.20%		Rae Austin 2,229 24.78%		Steve MacDonald 2,160 24.02%			David Nantes
Dartmouth East		Richard L. Weldon 4,253 42.51%		Jim Smith 3,351 33.50%		Gerry Legere 2,400 23.99%			Richard L. Weldon
Dartmouth North		Laird Stirling 3,925 46.17%		Don Valardo 2,419 28.46%		Mark Flannigan 2,157 25.37%			Laird Stirling
Dartmouth South		Roland J. Thornhill 4,215 46.81%		Will Chisholm 2,463 27.35%		John Lewis Bregante 2,327 25.84%			Roland J. Thornhill
Halifax Eastern Shore		Tom McInnis 5,639 59.32%		Angus MacNeil 2,302 24.22%		Bruce Beasley 1,565 16.46%			Tom McInnis

Central Nova

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent		Incumbent
Antigonish		Angus MacIsaac 4,271 43.90%		Bill Gillis 4,522 46.47%		John Arthur Murphy 937 9.63%				Bill Gillis
Guysborough		Jim Johnson 3,119 42.76%		A.M. "Sandy" Cameron 3,723 51.03%		Art Livingston 453 6.21%				A.M. "Sandy" Cameron
Pictou Centre		Jack MacIsaac 6,673 59.62%		Tom DeWolfe 2,634 23.53%		Kim Murray 1,885 16.84%				Jack MacIsaac
Pictou East		Donald Cameron 4,347 60.88%		Harold Lowe 1,833 25.67%		Hasse Lindblad 960 13.45%				Donald Cameron
Pictou West		Donald P. McInnes 3,473 53.24%		Doris Rink 2,066 31.67%		Jim Scanlan 702 10.76%		Franklin R. Fiske 282 4.32%		Donald P. McInnes

Cape Breton

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	PC		Liberal		NDP		Independent		Incumbent
Cape Breton Centre		Mike Laffin 3,276 39.49%		Art MacDonald 2,208 26.62%		Buddy MacEachern 2,812 33.90%				Buddy MacEachern
Cape Breton East		Donnie MacLeod 4,699 45.55%		Shelly McNeil 3,053 29.59%		Joe Kanary 1,849 17.92%		Blair Matheson 716 6.94%		Donnie MacLeod
Cape Breton North		Brian Young 4,187 43.51%		Nash Brogan 3,128 32.51%		Len J. Arsenault 2,307 23.98%				Len J. Arsenault
Cape Breton Nova		Russell Brake 1,487 19.42%		Earle Tubrett 2,307 30.13%		Tony Gale 173 2.26%		Paul MacEwan 3,691 48.20%		Paul MacEwan
Cape Breton South		Murray Hannem 3,824 32.16%		Vince MacLean 6,633 55.78%		Linda Gallant 1,435 12.07%				Vince MacLean
Cape Breton—The Lakes		John Newell 3,316 41.51%		Ossie Fraser 3,436 43.01%		Douglas D. MacDonald 1,237 15.48%				Ossie Fraser
Cape Breton West		"Big" Donnie MacLeod 4,125 42.59%		David Muise 3,735 38.56%		Elizabeth Cusack Walsh 1,826 18.85%				David Muise
Inverness North		Daniel Rankin 3,160 42.17%		John Archie MacKenzie 3,770 50.31%		Eleanor Joyce Gillis 564 7.53%				John Archie MacKenzie Inverness
Inverness South		Billy Joe MacLean 2,469 46.82%		William MacEachern 2,407 45.65%		Bill Martin 397 7.53%				William MacEachern Inverness
Richmond		Greg MacIsaac 3,173 46.03%		John E. LeBrun 2,821 40.93%		Shirley McNamara 899 13.04%				John E. LeBrun
Victoria		Fisher Hudson 2,357 50.02%		Merrill D. Buchanan 1,952 41.43%		Frank Reid 251 5.33%		Duncan J. Beaton 152 3.23%		Fisher Hudson

References

^ Nova Scotia General Election, 1981 Elections Nova Scotia
^ "Election Returns 1981" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
^ "Election Returns 1981 Recapitulation" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 13, 2021.