1981 Nova Scotia general election
October 6, 1981
52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
27 seats needed for a majority
Turnout74.17% Decrease4.06pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
PC
Lib
Leader John Buchanan A.M. "Sandy" Cameron Alexa McDonough
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since March 6, 1971 June 8, 1980 November 16, 1980
Leader's seat Halifax Atlantic Guysborough Ran in Halifax Chebucto (won)
Last election 31 17 4
Seats won 37 13 1
Seat change Increase6 Decrease4 Decrease3
Popular vote 200,228 139,604 76,289
Percentage 47.28% 32.96% 18.01%
Swing Increase1.80pp Decrease6.20pp Increase3.71pp
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
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
  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
  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
  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
  Popular vote: 0.08% 5.08% – – 0.10% 0.67% 1.18%
Total seats: 14 11 8 7 7 5 52

Retiring incumbents

Liberal

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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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
PCLiberalNDPIndependent
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

  1. ↑ Nova Scotia General Election, 1981 Elections Nova Scotia
  2. ↑ "Election Returns 1981" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Election Returns 1981 Recapitulation" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 13, 2021.

Further reading

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