Cecil O'Donnell

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]

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

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. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  2. "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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