Cecil O'Donnell
MLA for Shelburne
In office
1999–2006
Preceded byClifford Huskilson
Succeeded bySterling Belliveau
Personal details
Born (1944-06-10) June 10, 1944
East Jeddore, Nova Scotia
Political partyProgressive Conservative
ResidenceShelburne, NS

Cecil Edward O'Donnell (born June 10, 1944) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Shelburne in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1999 to 2006. He was a member of the Progressive Conservatives.[1]

Early life

O'Donnell was born in 1944 at East Jeddore, Nova Scotia.[2]

Political career

He served as a municipal councillor and then warden for the Municipality of the District of Barrington.[2] O'Donnell first attempted to enter provincial politics in the 1998 election, but lost to Liberal incumbent Clifford Huskilson by 309 votes.[3] He ran again in 1999,[4] but election night returns had O'Donnell losing to Huskilson by one vote.[5] A judicial recount was held on August 17 resulting in a tie which was broken when the ridings returning officer picked O'Donnell's name from a box.[6][7][8]

A backbench member of John Hamm's government, O'Donnell broke party ranks in June 2001 to vote against Bill 68, the government's anti-strike legislation.[9][10][11] The law ended the right to strike for health-care workers and gave cabinet the power to impose a wage settlement on nurses.[12] O'Donnell voted the way he believed "the majority of people in Shelburne County would want."[13] He was later replaced as head of the Community Services Committee, which the opposition Liberals said was a result of voting against the government.[14][15] On February 17, 2003, O'Donnell announced that he would not reoffer as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the next election, but that he was considering seeking re-election as an independent.[16] On April 8, after re-thinking his decision at the request of Hamm, O'Donnell announced he would re-offer for the Tories after all.[17][18]

In the 2003 election, O'Donnell faced a challenge from former MLA Clifford Huskilson,[19] but was re-elected by almost 600 votes.[20] In the 2006 Progressive Conservative leadership race, O'Donnell was a supporter of Rodney MacDonald, and was named caucus whip shortly after MacDonald took over as premier in February 2006.[21] On May 1, 2006, O'Donnell announced he was leaving politics and would not be running in the 2006 election.[22]

O'Donnell returned to municipal politics in 2008 when he was elected a councillor in the Municipality of Barrington.[23] He was defeated when he ran for re-election in 2012.[24]

Personal life

He married Christina Marie O'Donnell, and was the owner of a local grocery store.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Electoral History for Shelburne" (PDF). Nova Scotia Legislative Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "MLA biography". Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on 26 June 2003. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Election Returns, 1998 (Shelburne)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "O'Donnell to carry Tory banner". The Chronicle Herald. 24 June 1999. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Two recounts in the works". The Chronicle Herald. 29 July 1999. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Recounts shuffle mla's". CBC News. 18 August 1999. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Tories pull one out". The Chronicle Herald. 18 August 1999. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Election Returns, 1999 (Shelburne)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Bill 68 passes; workers promise defiance". CBC News. 27 June 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Lone Tory casts vote against Bill 68". The Chronicle Herald. 28 June 2001.
  11. ↑ "Single Tory breaks ranks with no vote". The Daily News. Halifax. 28 June 2001.
  12. ↑ "Tories miss renegade MLA O'Donnell". CBC News. 4 July 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Defiant workers ignore back-to-work legislation". CBC News. 28 June 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Tory MLA "punished" after opposing Bill 68". CBC News. 18 July 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "O'Donnell loses committee chairmanship". The Daily News. Halifax. 18 July 2001.
  16. ↑ "MLA O'Donnell rules out Tory bid: considers independence". Halifax Daily News. 18 February 2003.
  17. ↑ "MLA opts to remain Conservative". The Daily News. Halifax. 9 April 2003.
  18. ↑ "O'Donnell will re-offer after all". The Chronicle Herald. 9 April 2003.
  19. ↑ "Shelburne 'very close, three-way race'". The Chronicle Herald. 23 July 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Election Returns, 2003 (Shelburne)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "Fresh faces at the table". The Daily News. Halifax. 24 February 2006.
  22. ↑ "Two Nova Scotia Conservatives not running in next provincial election". The Chronicle Herald. 2 May 2006.
  23. ↑ "Election sees lots of changes in Shelburne county municipalities". The Coastguard. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Big surprises in Shelburne County elections". The Coastguard. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
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