HANTS EAST (32)

Candidates:

Current MLA: John MacDonnell (NDP)

Riding Profile: Hants East includes both rural and urban areas. The "corridor" north of Halifax airport between Enfield and Shubenacadie has the fastest growing population in the province and is considered an "urban" area by Statistics Canada. Pratt & Whitney, Litton, lumber yards, schools and grocery stores are the main employers. Mount Uniacke is also a growing suburban community on the southern flank of this riding.

The rest of this Hants County riding is rural and includes Upper Rawdon, Gore and the Noel Shore where agriculture, forestry and tourism are important. It also includes the First Nations community of Indian Brook. Outmigration and recruiting family doctors are big issues in the rural part of the riding where population is declining. By contrast, the Municipality of East Hants is challenged to deal with growing demand in the corridor area for better services in the areas of blood collection, diagnostic tests and mental health.

Plans to build a new resource centre to house these services and a library are underway.

The population is 22,660 and the average income is $24,200. Unemployment is running at about 7.5 per cent and the number of people who have some post-secondary training is above the provincial average.

The riding includes the Shubenacadie Wildlife park, Lawrence House in Maitland and the Uniacke House in Mount Uniacke.

Issues: Access to health services in both rural and urban areas, roads, car insurance.

Political History: Hants East has traditionally swung back and forth between the Liberals and PCs since 1970 when Jack Hawkins won it for the Liberals– the first of several times. In 1998, high school teacher and Christmas tree farmer John MacDonnell won the riding for the NDP for the first time. This riding has often been won by close margins: a real horse race.

1999: NDP John MacDonnell defeated PC Reese Morash by 906 votes to win 43 per cent of the vote. LIB Sara Stewart was third. 1998: NDP John MacDonnell defeated LIB Jim W.Smith by 798 votes. 1993: LIB Bob Carruthers defeated LIB Steve MacKeil by 638 votes. 1988: LIB Jack Hawkins defeated PC Cora Etter by 525 votes. 1984: PC Cora Etter defeated LIB Jack Hawkins by 538 votes. 1981: LIB Jack Hawkins defeated PC Patrick Hunt by 58 votes. 1978: PC Patrick Hunt defeated LIB Jack Hawkins by 741 votes.

Voter Turnout: 67 per cent in 1999.