1988 Nova Scotia general election facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
1988 Nova Scotia general election

← 1984 September 6, 1988 1993 →
← 54th General Assembly of Nova Scotia members →
52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly 27 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   PC Lib Leader John Buchanan Vince MacLean Alexa McDonough Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic Leader since March 6, 1971 February 22, 1986 November 16, 1980 Leader's seat Halifax Atlantic Cape Breton South Halifax Chebucto Last election 42 6 3 Seats won 28 21 2 Seat change 14 15 1 Popular vote 204,150 186,007 74,038 Percentage 43.4% 39.6% 15.8% Swing 7.2% 8.3% 0.0
Premier before election John Buchanan Progressive Conservative Premier after election John Buchanan Progressive Conservative

The 1988 Nova Scotia general election was an important event in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It took place on September 6, 1988. During this election, people voted for members to join the 55th House of Assembly. This group of elected members helps make decisions for the province.

The election was won by the Progressive Conservative party. This meant they would form the government.

Who Ran in the Election?

Many people ran to become members of the House of Assembly. One notable candidate was John Dunsworth. He ran for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the Halifax Bedford Basin area.

John Dunsworth finished in third place in his riding. He received just over 19% of the votes there. His campaign was later featured in a short documentary film.

Election Results: Who Won?

The 1988 Nova Scotia general election decided which political parties would hold seats in the province's government. There were 52 seats available in total. To form a majority government, a party needed to win at least 27 seats.

Party Performance Overview

• The Progressive Conservative Party was led by John Buchanan. They won 28 seats. This was a decrease from the 42 seats they held before the election. They received 43.4% of the total votes.
• The Liberal Party was led by Vince MacLean. They won 21 seats. This was a big increase from the 6 seats they had before. They received 39.6% of the total votes.
• The New Democratic Party (NDP) was led by Alexa McDonough. They won 2 seats. This was a decrease from the 3 seats they held previously. They received 15.8% of the total votes.
• Other candidates, not part of these main parties, won 1 seat. They received 1.2% of the total votes.

What the Results Meant

Even though the Progressive Conservative Party lost some seats, they still won the most. This allowed their leader, John Buchanan, to remain the Premier of Nova Scotia. The Liberal Party gained many seats, becoming a stronger opposition. The New Democratic Party saw a slight decrease in their number of seats.

Images for kids

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  Alexa McDonough, leader of the New Democratic Party