View source for Nova Scotia New Democratic Party

{{Infobox political party
| name             = Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
| logo             = File:NSNDP New Logo.png
| logo_size        = 150
| colorcode        = #FF9900
| leader           = [[Claudia Chender]]
| president        = Carol Ferguson
| chairman         = 
| spokesperson     = 
| foundation       = 1932 (NS CCF)<br />1961 (NS NDP)
| ideology         = [[Social democracy]]
| headquarters     = {{nowrap|5151 George Street}}<br />Suite 603<br />{{nowrap|[[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]}}<br />B3J 1M5
| international    = 
| website          = {{URL|https://nsndp.ca}}
| country          = Canada
| abbreviation     = Nova Scotia NDP<br />NSNDP
| native_name      = 
| chairperson      = 
| leader1_title    = 
| leader1_name     = 
| dissolution      = 
| merger           = 
| split            = 
| predecessor      = 
| merged           = 
| successor        = 
| position         = [[Centre-left politics|Centre-left]]
| national         = {{nowrap|[[New Democratic Party]]}}
| student_wing     = 
| youth_wing       = 
| membership       = 
| membership_year  = 
| colours          = [[Orange (colour)|Orange]]
| colors           = 
| blank1_title     = Fiscal policy
| blank1           = 
| blank2_title     = Social policy
| blank2           = 
| seats3_title     = Seats in [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly|House of Assembly]]
| seats3           = {{Composition bar|9|55|hex=#FF9900}}
| state            = Nova Scotia
| parties_dab1     = List of political parties in Nova Scotia
| elections_dab1   = List of post-confederation Nova Scotia general elections
| footnotes        = 
}}

The '''Nova Scotia New Democratic Party''' ('''Nova Scotia NDP''') is a [[social democracy|social democratic]] [[List of political parties in Nova Scotia|political party in Nova Scotia]], Canada. It is the provincial section of the federal [[New Democratic Party]]. 

It was founded as the [[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) in 1932, and became the New Democratic Party in 1961. It became the governing party of Nova Scotia following the [[2009 Nova Scotia general election|2009 Nova Scotia election]], winning 31 seats in the [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly|Legislature]], under the leadership of [[Premier]] [[Darrell Dexter]]. It is the only New Democratic Party in [[Atlantic Canada]] to form a government, and the second to form a government in a province east of [[Manitoba]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-voters-elect-1st-ndp-government-1.786809|work=CBC News|title=N.S. voters elect 1st NDP government|date=June 9, 2009|access-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> The party lost government at the [[2013 Nova Scotia general election|2013 election]], losing 24 seats, including Dexter's seat.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/nova-scotia-liberals-win-majority-government-dexter-loses-seat/|title=Nova Scotia Liberals win majority government; Dexter loses seat|last=Patten|first=Melanie|date=2013-10-08|work=CTVNews|access-date=2017-12-03|language=en-CA}}</ref> [[Gary Burrill]], the party’s leader from 2016 to 2022, is credited with bringing the party back to its [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] roots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/christophermajka/2016/02/nova-scotia-new-democrats-elect-gary-burrill-new-leader|title=Nova Scotia New Democrats elect Gary Burrill as new leader {{!}} rabble.ca|website=rabble.ca|date=28 February 2016|language=en|access-date=2017-12-03}}</ref> The party currently holds nine seats in the [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly|Legislature]] and has been led by [[Claudia Chender]] since June 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coastreporter.net/national-news/tories-surge-to-upset-majority-win-in-ns-election-with-a-campaign-focused-on-health-4227952 |title=Tories surge to upset majority win in N.S. election with a campaign focused on health |publisher=Coast Reporter |date=2021-08-17 |accessdate=2022-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/claudia-chender-officially-at-helm-of-the-nova-scotia-ndp-1.6501832|title=Claudia Chender officially at helm of Nova Scotia NDP|publisher=CBC News|date=June 25, 2022|access-date=2023-03-28}}</ref>

==Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (1933–1961)==
Since shortly after [[Canadian Confederation]], Nova Scotia has had a  [[two-party system]] in which power alternated between the [[Nova Scotia Liberal Party]] and [[Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia|Progressive Conservatives]]. In the [[1920 Nova Scotia general election|1920 provincial election]] the [[left-wing politics|left]] had a breakthrough when the [[United Farmers of Nova Scotia|United Farmers]] won six seats and the [[Labour candidates and parties in Canada#In Nova Scotia|Independent Labour Party]] won five. The two forces joined to form an 11-member [[official opposition]] under Daniel G. Mackenzie, but the group was undermined by the Liberals (who tarnished the image of the opposition MLAs by offering them payments) and the United Farmers/Labour grouping was wiped out in 1925.

Though the CCF/NDP has a long history in Nova Scotia, it was unable to break the two-party system and win more than a handful of seats (if any) in the [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly]] until the 1990s.

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was formed in 1932 and ran its first candidates in the [[1933 Nova Scotia general election|1933 general election]] but failed to win any electoral representation. The party did not contest the [[1937 Nova Scotia general election|1937 general election]].

In the 1939 [[Cape Breton Centre]], [[by-election]] [[Douglas MacDonald]] won the CCF's first seat in the legislature.

In 1941, the future [[Canadian Labour Congress]] (CLC) president [[Donald MacDonald (Nova Scotia politician)|Donald MacDonald]] was elected from the [[Cape Breton South (provincial electoral district)|Cape Breton South]] constituency. He was joined by [[Douglas Neil Brodie]], who was elected in [[Glace Bay-Dominion|Cape Breton East]] constituency, bringing the CCF up to a total of three MLAs. Donald MacDonald was the party's leader in the Assembly until 1945.<ref name="archives">{{cite web
 |title        = Donald MacDonald
 |publisher    = Government of Canada
 |url          = http://mikan3.archives.ca/pam/public_mikan/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=101747&rec_nbr_list=101747,183292,183286,2889586,2861304,2861231
 |access-date   = 2007-02-11
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930215933/http://mikan3.archives.ca/pam/public_mikan/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=101747&rec_nbr_list=101747,183292,183286,2889586,2861304,2861231
 |archive-date = 2007-09-30
 |url-status     = dead
}}</ref> He lost a close campaign in the 1945 election, but the party still retained two seats on [[Cape Breton Island]].<ref>{{cite web| title =Elections Returns, 1945| publisher =Elections Nova Scotia| url =http://electionsnovascotia.ns.ca/electionsstatistics.asp| format =PDF| access-date =2007-02-11| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070216031149/http://electionsnovascotia.ns.ca/electionsstatistics.asp| archive-date =2007-02-16}}</ref> MacDonald then transitioned into working full-time with the Canadian Congress of Labour, a predecessor of the CLC.<ref name="archives"/> 
A lot of the early organization of the CCF in Nova Scotia was done by Maritime Organizer [[Fred Young (Ontario politician)|Fred Young]].<ref name="Young Obit 1993">{{cite news|last=Barnes|first=Allan|title=Fred Young, 86 longtime MPP Represented Yorkview riding from '63 to '80|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/519107531.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+16%2C+1993&author=Allan+Barnes+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.24&desc=Fred+Young%2C+86+longtime+MPP+Represented+Yorkview+riding+from+%2763+to+%2780|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131165454/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/519107531.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+16,+1993&author=Allan+Barnes+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.24&desc=Fred+Young,+86+longtime+MPP+Represented+Yorkview+riding+from+'63+to+'80|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=2011-10-30|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=1993-12-16|location=Toronto|page=A24}}</ref> Young would go on to continue his work in Ontario and eventually sit as a member of the Ontario Legislature, however, his early work laid the groundwork for any future advancements the party would make during this period.<ref>[[Donald C. MacDonald|MacDonald, Donald C.]], "The Happy Warrior: Political Memoirs," Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1988: 38-48.</ref> This was evident in [[1945 Nova Scotia general election|1945]] when two CCF members elected from Cape Breton.<ref>Elections Returns, 1945: Both Cape Breton ridings were won with massive majorities: Russell Cunningham with a 2613 majority and 58.9% of the vote, in [[Glace Bay-Dominion|Cape Breton East]]; and Michael McDonald with a 1,134 majority in [[Cape Breton Centre]] with 55.7% of the vote.</ref>

[[Russell Cunningham (Canadian politician)|Russell Cunningham]] was the only CCF leader to serve as [[Leader of the Opposition (Nova Scotia)|Leader of the Opposition]] after the [[1945 Nova Scotia general election|1945 provincial election]] in which Premier [[Angus Lewis Macdonald|Angus L. Macdonald]]'s Liberal Party swept 28 of the 30 seats and the Tories were wiped out. CCFers Cunningham and fellow Cape Bretoner [[Michael James MacDonald]] were the only opposition MLAs elected. Cunningham and MacDonald were re-elected in [[1949 Nova Scotia general election|1949]] but were reduced to third party status behind [[Robert Stanfield]]'s Progressive Conservatives.

MacDonald led the CCF from 1953 to 1963 and was the party's sole MLA in that period, even though he won 8.9% of the popular vote for the CCF in the [[1960 Nova Scotia general election|1960]] election.

==Nova Scotia NDP (1961–present)==

Following the creation of the federal and provincial [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]] (NDP), MacDonald stepped down as leader and the locus of authority in the party moved to Halifax under the leadership of Professor [[James H. Aitchison]]. MacDonald lost his seat in the [[1963 Nova Scotia general election|1963 provincial election]]. The NDP would not win another until [[Jeremy Akerman]] became party leader and won the riding of [[Glace Bay-Dominion|Cape Breton East]] in the [[1970 Nova Scotia general election|1970 election]]. NDP representation in the House of Assembly grew slowly in throughout the 1970s, but never rose above four seats. The CCF had only been able to win seats on [[Cape Breton Island]] and the NDP did not win seats outside of Cape Breton until 1981. With the election of the 26-year-old Akerman as party leader in 1968, and his subsequent election to the legislature two years later, the party regained and developed its strong base in industrial Cape Breton, and won four seats in the election of [[1978 Nova Scotia general election|1978]]. However, the party failed to win any seats on the mainland, and this exacerbated tensions between the Akerman-dominated Cape Breton wing of the party and the university-based party establishment in Halifax.<ref name=akerman>Canadian Press, "Void facing N.S. New Democrats...", ''Globe and Mail'', May 19, 1980</ref> Following increasingly bloody internal battles Akerman resigned and the NDP lost all four Cape Breton seats in the following election.<ref name=akerman/>

===Alexa McDonough===

In 1980, Haligonian [[Alexa McDonough]] became leader of the Nova Scotia NDP,<ref>"Woman elected to lead NDP in Nova Scotia," ''Globe and Mail'', November 17, 1980</ref> the first female leader of a major recognized party in Canada. She was the only NDP candidate elected in [[1981 Nova Scotia general election|1981]].<ref name=harris/>  During her 14-year leadership, the NDP never had more than three [[Member of the Legislative Assembly|Members of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLAs).  Nonetheless, she raised the party's profile and become a well known advocate for the poor and disadvantaged. In a reversal of earlier times, while the NDP under McDonough won seats on the mainland for the first time, it lost all of its Cape Breton seats in the 1981 election<ref name=harris>Harris, Michael, "Official party status lost N.S. NDP leader faces lonely road," ''Globe and Mail'', October 20, 1981</ref> and never regained them during McDonough's leadership. She resigned as Nova Scotia NDP leader in 1994 and went on to be elected leader of the federal NDP in 1995.

===Robert Chisholm	===

Under [[Robert Chisholm (Canadian politician)|Robert Chisholm]]'s leadership, in [[1998 Nova Scotia general election|1998]] the party vaulted from third place to ahead of the Progressive Conservatives (PCs), and won 19 seats in the [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly]], the same number of seats as won by the Liberals. The Liberals formed a [[minority government]] with the support of 14 Progressive Conservatives (Tories), the latter who had also improved their standings. An NDP government seemed imminent.

However, the party was unable to improve on its standings in the [[1999 Nova Scotia general election|1999 election]]. But with 11 seats in the legislature with 29.9% of the vote, it edged out the Liberals and were able to retain "Official Opposition" status when the PCs formed a [[majority government]] under [[John Hamm]]. Chisholm's unexpected resignation immediately following the election led to a period of internal party strife, with new leader Helen MacDonald, a former Cape Breton MLA, resigning after barely a year.

===First government under Darrell Dexter===
[[File:NSNDP Logo.svg|thumb|upright|Previous logo of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party]]
The [[2003 Nova Scotia general election|2003 election]] resulted in a PC minority government while the NDP maintained Official Opposition status under new leader [[Darrell Dexter]]. In the election, the NDP won 15 seats and 31% of the vote, coming slightly behind the Liberals in the popular vote but winning three more seats than the Liberals' 12. In the [[2006 Nova Scotia general election|2006 election]], the NDP managed to capitalize on its position as the Official Opposition to squeeze the Liberal vote, and the party increased its number of seats from 15 to 20, an all-time high, and won 34.63% of the vote. Unlike in 2003, in 2006 the NDP came in a clear second in the popular vote, far ahead of the Liberals.

On June 9, 2009, Dexter led the NDP to victory, winning a [[majority government]], and was sworn in as [[Premier of Nova Scotia]] on June 19, 2009. His party's victory marked the first time that the NDP had won government in a province east of [[Ontario]], and only the second time the party had won government east of [[Manitoba]]. When the party won in 2009, a major reason for their winning is the way the party used political marketing. The political marketing strategy was used in Manitoba years before the Nova Scotia NDP used the strategy. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Moyes |first=Micheal |date=2016 |title=The Doer/Dexter Model: Political Marketing and The NDP 1988 to 2009 |url=https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/bitstream/handle/1993/31228/Moyes_Michael.pdf?seque |journal=Department of Political Science. University of Manitoba Winnipeg}}</ref> The Dexter government lasted a single term and was defeated in the October 8, [[2013 Nova Scotia general election|2013 provincial election]],. Although it finished second in terms of popular vote with 26.84%, the party collapsed to only seven seats, making it the third party in the legislature.  This was mainly because the NDP's support in Halifax, its power base for two decades, practically melted.  The NDP had gone into the election holding 14 of the capital's 20 seats, but lost all but two. Among them was Dexter, who narrowly lost his own seat. On November 16, 2013, Dexter announced his resignation as NDP leader, effective November 23, 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Darrell Dexter steps down as Nova Scotia's NDP leader|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/darrell-dexter-steps-down-as-nova-scotia-s-ndp-leader-1.2429106|access-date=November 16, 2013|newspaper=CBC News|date=November 16, 2013}}</ref>

[[Maureen MacDonald]] served as interim leader from Dexter's resignation in 2013, until [[Gary Burrill]]'s election as leader, in 2016.

Two members of the party's caucus, [[Gordie Gosse]] and [[Frank Corbett]] resigned for personal reasons in April 2015, triggering two of three provincial [[by-elections]] which were held on July 14. The party lost both of those seats, but [[Marian Mancini]] won the third by-election in a seat that had been held by the Liberals.

===Gary Burrill===

Under Gary Burrill's leadership in the [[2017 Nova Scotia general election|2017 election]], the NDP took seven seats, the same number the party received on election night in 2013 but two more than it held going into the election. Since that election, three NDP MLAs resigned: [[Dave Wilson (Sackville politician)|Dave Wilson]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dave-wilson-steps-down-ndp-mla-sackville-cobequid-1.4908415|title=Dave Wilson steps down as MLA for Sackville-Cobequid}}</ref> [[Lenore Zann]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/politics-province-house-lenore-zann-election-ndp-liberals-1.5281146|title=Lenore Zann wrapping up at Province House to focus on federal run}}</ref> and [[Tammy Martin]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/tammy-martin-resignation-health-ndp-caucus-cape-breton-1.5416048|title=New Democrat MLA Tammy Martin resigns from Cape Breton Centre seat}}</ref>

In the [[2021 Nova Scotia general election|2021 provincial election]], the NDP won six seats and Burrill was personally re-elected.<ref name ="2021 Election">
{{cite news
 | last         = Cooke
 | first        = Alex
 | title        = Nova Scotia NDP leader Gary Burrill announces new caucus roles
 | newspaper    = Global News
 | location     = Halifax, Nova Scotia
 | date         = September 8, 2021
 | url          = https://globalnews.ca/news/8174704/ns-ndp-new-caucus-roles/

 | accessdate   = 2022-06-26
 | url-status   = live
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220106002824/https://globalnews.ca/news/8174704/ns-ndp-new-caucus-roles/

 | archive-date = January 6, 2022
}}
</ref> On November 9, 2021, Burrill announced that he will resign as leader once a new leader is chosen.<ref name ="Burrill Steps Down">
{{cite web
 | last          = Doucette
 | first         = Keith
 | title         = Nova Scotia NDP Leader Gary Burrill to step down once party chooses successor 
 | date          = November 9, 2021
 | newspaper     = CTV News  
 | location      = Halifax, Nova Scotia
 | agency        = The Canadian Press
 | url           = https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/article/nova-scotia-ndp-leader-gary-burrill-to-step-down-once-party-chooses-successor/
 | access-date    = 2022-06-26
 | url-status    = live
 | archive-url   = https://web.archive.org/web/20211110082206/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nova-scotia-ndp-leader-gary-burrill-to-step-down-once-party-chooses-successor-1.5658565
 | archive-date  = November 10, 2021
}}
</ref> He was succeeded by [[Claudia Chender]] on June 25, 2022 at a leadership convention held in Dartmouth to confirm her as leader.<ref name="Chender Confirmed Leader">
{{cite news
 | last         = Doucette
 | first        = Keith
 | title        = Nova Scotia NDP officially confirms Claudia Chender as new party leader
 | date         = June 25, 2022
 | newspaper    = Toronto Star 
 | agency       = The Canadian Press
 | url          = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/06/25/nova-scotia-ndp-officially-confirms-claudia-chender-as-new-party-leader.html
 | access-date  = 2022-06-26
 | url-status   = live
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220626201806/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/06/25/nova-scotia-ndp-officially-confirms-claudia-chender-as-new-party-leader.html
 | archive-date = June 26, 2022
}}</ref> Chender was the sole candidate to register to replace Burrill.<ref name="Confirmation June">
{{cite news
 | last         = Ramesar
 | first        = Vernon
 | title        = Claudia Chender unopposed in run for Nova Scotia NDP leadership
 | date         = May 21, 2022
 | newspaper    = CBC News
 | location     = Halifax, Nova Scotia
 | url          = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/claudia-chender-nsndp-sole-candidate-leadership-1.6462245
 | access-date  = 2022-05-23
 | url-status   = live
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220523122329/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/claudia-chender-nsndp-sole-candidate-leadership-1.6462245
 | archive-date = May 23, 2022
}}</ref>

===Claudia Chender===
On February 14, 2022, Claudia Chender declared her candidacy to replace Gary Burrill as leader.<ref name = "leadership bid">
{{cite news
| last          = Renić
| first         = Karla
| title         = Claudia Chender announces her bid for leadership of Nova Scotia NDP Party 
| newspaper     = Global News|date = February 14, 2022 
| url           = https://globalnews.ca/news/8617815/claudia-chender-nova-scotia-ndp-leadership/
| access-date   = February 14, 2022
| url-status    = live 
| archive-url   = https://web.archive.org/web/20220513025955/https://globalnews.ca/news/8617815/claudia-chender-nova-scotia-ndp-leadership/
| archive-date  = May 13, 2022
}}</ref> On May 21, 2022, registration closed for the leadership race, with Chender being the sole candidate.<ref name="Registration Closed">
{{cite news
 | author       = The Canadian Press
 | title        = Claudia Chender sole candidate running as leader of Nova Scotia's NDP
 | date         = May 21, 2022
 | newspaper    = Toronto Star 
 | url          = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/05/21/claudia-chender-sole-candidate-running-as-leader-of-nova-scotias-ndp.html
 | access-date  = 2022-05-23
 | url-status   = live
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220523110948/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/05/21/claudia-chender-sole-candidate-running-as-leader-of-nova-scotias-ndp.html
 | archive-date = May 23, 2022
}}</ref> She was confirmed as leader after a general membership vote on June 25, 2022.<ref name="Confirmation Vote">
{{cite news
 | last         = Fairclough
 | first        = Ian
 | title        = Chender comes out swinging in first speech as Nova Scotia's NDP leader
 | date         = June 25, 2022
 | newspaper    = The Chronicle Herald
 | url          = https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/news/chender-comes-out-swinging-in-first-speech-as-nova-scotias-ndp-leader-100747384/
 | access-date  = 2022-06-25
 | url-status   = live
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220626023740/https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/news/chender-comes-out-swinging-in-first-speech-as-nova-scotias-ndp-leader-100747384/
 | archive-date = June 26, 2022
}}</ref> She is the third female leader of the NSNDP, with the previous female leaders being [[Alexa McDonough]] and [[Helen MacDonald (Nova Scotia politician)|Helen MacDonald]]; fourth leader, if interim leader [[Maureen MacDonald]] is included.<ref name="Chender Confirmed Leader"/> The [[2024 Nova Scotia general election|2024 election]] resulted in a PC majority government while the NDP gained Official Opposition status.

==Party leaders==
"{{dagger}}" denotes acting or interim leader.

===CCF===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Party Leader
! Tenure
! style="width: 40%" | Notes
|-
| 1
|[[Donald MacDonald (Nova Scotia politician)|Donald MacDonald]] 
| 1941–1945 
|
|-
| 2
|[[Russell Cunningham (Canadian politician)|Russell Cunningham]]
|1945–1953
| Leader of the Opposition, 1945-1949
|-
| 3
|[[Michael James MacDonald]] 
| 1953–1963
|
|}

===NDP===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Party Leader
! Tenure
! style="width: 40%" | Notes
|-
| 1
| [[James H. Aitchison]]
| 1963–1968
|
|-
|2
| [[Jeremy Akerman]]
| 1968–1980
|
|-
| {{dagger}}
| [[Buddy MacEachern|James 'Buddy' McEachern]]
| 1980 
| ''interim leader''
|-
| 3 
| [[Alexa McDonough]]
| 1980–1994
|
|-
| {{dagger}}
| [[John Holm]]
| 1994–1996 
| ''interim leader''
|-
| 4
| [[Robert Chisholm (Canadian politician)|Robert Chisholm]]
| 1996–2000
| Leader of the Opposition, 1998-1999
|-
| 5
| [[Helen MacDonald (Nova Scotia politician)|Helen MacDonald]]
| 2000–2001
| 
|-
| 6
| [[Darrell Dexter]]
| 2001–2013 
| Leader of the Opposition, 2001–2009 <br /> First NDP Premier, 2009–2013
|-
| {{dagger}}
| [[Maureen MacDonald]]
| 2013–2016
| ''interim leader''
|-
| 7 
| [[Gary Burrill]]
| 2016–2022
|
|-
| 8 
| [[Claudia Chender]]
| 2022–present
| Leader of the Opposition since 2024
|- 
|}

==Provincial secretaries==
* [[Lloyd R. Shaw]] (-1949)
* Dr. L. P. Rutherford (1949–1950)
* [[Florence E. Welton]] (1950–1961)
* John McKinnon (1961–1963)
* Nancy Doull (1963–1965)
* Rae Gilman (1965–1969)
* Peggy Prowse (1969–1971)
* Gordon Flowers (1971–1974)
* Karen Vance (1974–1977)
* Bev Ivan (1978)
* Serena Renner (1979–1981)
* Mary Morrison (1982)
* Brian MacNaulty (1983)
* Rod Dickinson (1984–1986)
* Gayle Cromwell (1986–1987)
* [[Dennis Theman]] (1987–1990)
* Sandra Houston (1990–1992)
* Ross Fisher (1992–1996)
* Ron Cavalucci (1996–1997)
* Bruce Cox (1997–1999)
* Joe Fraser (1999–2001)
* Matthew Hebb (2001 – June 2005)
* [[Karen Haslam]] (October 2005 – March 2006)
* Ed Wark (2006–2010)
* Joanne Lamey (acting, 2010)
* Mike MacSween (2010–2012)
* Jill Marzetti (2012–2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bcndp.ca/jobs/5769|title=Provincial Secretary - Nova Scotia NDP - BC NDP|work=bcndp.ca|access-date=18 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307142311/http://www.bcndp.ca/jobs/5769|archive-date=7 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>)
* Mike Poworoznyk (2013–2017)
* Jamie Masse (2018–present)<ref name=Flinn>{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Flinn|url=https://allnovascotia.com/news?lineup=1&pastIssueDate=2018-02-06|title=Nova Scotia NDP names new provincial secretary|newspaper=[[AllNovaScotia]]|date= February 6, 2018|access-date=April 20, 2018|location=Halifax, Nova Scotia}}{{subscription required|s}}</ref>

==Election results ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: left;"
|-
! Election
! Leader
! Seats
! +/−
! Votes
! %
! Place
! Position
|-
! [[1933 Nova Scotia general election|1933]]
| rowspan=2|None
| {{Composition bar|0|30|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 2,336
| 0.7
| {{steady}} 
| {{eliminated|No Seats}}
|-
! [[1937 Nova Scotia general election|1937]]
| {{Composition bar|0|30|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 0
| 0 
| {{steady}} 
| {{eliminated|No Seats}}
|-
! [[1941 Nova Scotia general election|1941]]
| rowspan=2|[[Donald MacDonald (Nova Scotia politician)|Donald MacDonald]]
| {{Composition bar|3|30|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{increase}} 3
| 18,583
| 7.0
| {{increase}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1945 Nova Scotia general election|1945]]
| {{Composition bar|2|30|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| 39,637
| 13.6
| {{increase}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1949 Nova Scotia general election|1949]]
| rowspan=2|[[Russell Cunningham (Canadian politician)|Russell Cunningham]]
| {{Composition bar|2|37|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 32,869
| 9.6
| {{decrease}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1953 Nova Scotia general election|1953]]
| {{Composition bar|2|37|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 23,700
| 6.8
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1956 Nova Scotia general election|1956]]
| rowspan=2|[[Michael James MacDonald]]
| {{Composition bar|1|43|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| 9,932
| 3.0
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1960 Nova Scotia general election|1960]]
| {{Composition bar|1|43|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|CCF}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 31,036
| 8.9
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1963 Nova Scotia general election|1963]]
| rowspan=2|[[James H. Aitchison]]
| {{Composition bar|0|43|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| 14,076
| 4.1
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{eliminated|No Seats}}
|-
! [[1967 Nova Scotia general election|1967]]
| {{Composition bar|0|46|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 17,873
| 5.2
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{eliminated|No Seats}}
|-
! [[1970 Nova Scotia general election|1970]]
| rowspan=3|[[Jeremy Akerman]]
| {{Composition bar|2|46|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| 25,259
| 6.6
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1974 Nova Scotia general election|1974]]
| {{Composition bar|3|46|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| 55,902
| 13.0
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1978 Nova Scotia general election|1978]]
| {{Composition bar|4|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| 63,979
| 14.4
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1981 Nova Scotia general election|1981]]
| rowspan=4|[[Alexa McDonough]]
| {{Composition bar|1|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| 76,289
| 18.1
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1984 Nova Scotia general election|1984]]
| {{Composition bar|3|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| 65,876
| 15.9
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1988 Nova Scotia general election|1988]]
| {{Composition bar|2|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| 74,038
| 15.7
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1993 Nova Scotia general election|1993]]
| {{Composition bar|3|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| 86,743
| 17.7
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[1998 Nova Scotia general election|1998]]
| rowspan=2|[[Robert Chisholm (Canadian politician)|Robert Chisholm]]
| {{Composition bar|19|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 16
| 155,361
| 34.4
| {{increase}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1999 Nova Scotia general election|1999]]
| {{Composition bar|11|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{decrease}} 8
| 129,474
| 29.7
| {{steady}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2003 Nova Scotia general election|2003]]
| rowspan=4|[[Darrell Dexter]]
| {{Composition bar|15|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| 126,479
| 30.9
| {{steady}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2006 Nova Scotia general election|2006]]
| {{Composition bar|20|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 5
| 140,128
| 34.6
| {{steady}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2009 Nova Scotia general election|2009]]
| {{Composition bar|31|52|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 11
| '''186,556'''
| '''45.2'''
| {{increase}} 1st
| {{yes|'''Majority''' }}
|-
! [[2013 Nova Scotia general election|2013]]
| {{Composition bar|7|51|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{decrease}} 24
| 112,389
| 26.9
| {{decrease}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[2017 Nova Scotia general election|2017]]
| rowspan=2|[[Gary Burrill]]
| {{Composition bar|7|51|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| 85,389
| 21.4
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[2021 Nova Scotia general election|2021]]
| {{Composition bar|6|55|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| 88,477
| 20.93
| {{steady}} 3rd
| {{no2|Third Party}}
|-
! [[2024 Nova Scotia general election|2024]]
| [[Claudia Chender]]
| {{Composition bar|9|55|hex={{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP}}}}
| {{increase}} 3
| 79,079
| 22.29
| {{increase}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|}

*Election results between 1933 and 1963 represent the party during its time as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Since 1963, the party has been called the New Democratic Party.

''Sources:''
*To 1984: ''Politics of Nova Scotia: Vol. Two 1896-1988'' by [[J. Murray Beck]]. Four Post Publications: Tantallon, Nova Scotia, 1988.
*After 1984: [http://www.gov.ns.ca/elo/elections/ Elections Nova Scotia]

==Current Nova Scotia New Democrat MLAs==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name
! Riding
! Year elected
|- style="text-align:center;"
| '''[[Claudia Chender]]'''
| '''[[Dartmouth South]]'''
| '''2017'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Kendra Coombes]]
| [[Cape Breton Centre]]
| 2020
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Krista Gallagher]]
| [[Halifax Chebucto]]
| 2024
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Lina Hamid]]
| [[Fairview-Clayton Park]]
| 2024
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Suzy Hansen (politician)|Suzy Hansen]]
| [[Halifax Needham]]
| 2021
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Lisa Lachance]]
| [[Halifax Citadel-Sable Island]]
| 2021
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Susan Leblanc]]
| [[Dartmouth North]]
| 2017
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Rod Wilson (politician)|Rod Wilson]]
| [[Halifax Armdale]]
| 2024
|- style="text-align:center;"
| [[Paul Wozney]]
| [[Sackville-Cobequid]]
| 2024
|}

==Youth wing==
{{Unsourced section|date=May 2025}}
The youth wing of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is the Nova Scotia Young New Democrats (NSYND). Founded in the early 1960s, it was not incorporated with a full constitution - aligned with that of the party proper - until 1969.

The youth wing was partially responsible for the election of Jeremy Akerman, as leader, at the 1968 Leadership Convention.

In 1994, the NSYND was renamed "The Nova Scotia NDP Youth Wing". At this time the youth wing was quite moderate, encouraging the main party to focus on government and embrace mainstream values such as fiscal responsibility, "one member one vote" and banning corporate and union donations. They also successfully lobbied the party to include more youth members in the party structure. Members and alumni of the youth wing were instrumental in forming [[NDProgress]] in 2000.

In a controversial move, the youth wing was renamed the “New Party Youth Movement” (NPYM) in 2001. The name change was made to advocate a renewal of the NDP similar the one in 1961 when the [[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) became the NDP. The “New Party” name was taken from the “New Party” groups formed before the creation of the NDP. The NPYM made a positive impact at the 2001 NSNDP convention pushing the party to adopt a “one member one vote” style of electing its leader, successfully distributed home-made buttons to satire an organized attempt to shame members of the NDP caucus who did not support former leader Helen MacDonald and gaining over 2/3 support from convention delegates for their name change.

The youth wing was reconstituted in 2004 under its current name, the Nova Scotia Young New Democrats (NSYND); the wing has remained ideologically in step with that of the party proper.

==References and notes==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Nova Scotia|Politics}}
*[[List of articles about Nova Scotia CCF/NDP members]]
*[[List of political parties in Canada#Nova Scotia|List of Nova Scotia political parties]]
*[[Nova Scotia New Democratic Party leadership elections]]

==External links==
*[http://nsndp.ca/ Nova Scotia NDP]

{{Nova Scotia provincial political parties}}
{{NDP}}
{{Nova Scotia NDP Leaders}}
{{Nova Scotia politics}}
[[Category:Nova Scotia New Democratic Party| ]]
[[Category:Provincial political parties in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:New Democratic Party by province or territory|Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Social democratic parties in Canada]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1932]]
[[Category:1932 establishments in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Socialism in Nova Scotia]]