Rodney MacDonald

Infobox Prime Minister
honorific-prefix = The Honourable

name = Rodney Joseph MacDonald
honorific-suffix = MLA BSc
small

caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1972|01|02
birth_place = Mabou, Nova Scotia
resides = Mabou, Nova Scotia
death_date =
death_place =
order = 33rd
office = Premier of Nova Scotia
term_start = February 22, 2006
term_end =
lieutenant_governor = Myra Freeman, Mayann E. Francis
predecessor = John Hamm
successor =
party = Progressive Conservative
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Lori-Ann MacDonald

Rodney Joseph MacDonald MLA (born January 2, 1972) is a politician and educator and the current Premier of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Background

MacDonald is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University and received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education while continuing to build a career as a professional musician. MacDonald has taught for the Strait Regional School Board, the Mi'kmawey school at Chapel Island, and pursued a Masters in Education.

In 1994, he married Lori-Ann Gillis, they have one son, Ryan.

Music career

MacDonald is an accomplished musician and has toured his fiddle music throughout Atlantic Canada, Central Canada and the northeastern United States. He is also an accomplished step dancer; he began dancing at age four after learning the skill from his parents. MacDonald's first public performance was reportedly at age eight at the Mayflower Shopping Mall in Sydney and he began taking fiddle lessons from his uncle, Kinnon Beaton, at age 12. MacDonald has recorded two albums - "Dancer's Delight" (1996) and "Traditionally Rockin"' (1997, with his cousin Glenn Graham) and he was also included on the 2004 Smithsonian release "The Beaton Family of Mabou: Cape Breton Fiddle and Piano Music". In 1998 he received two nominations for the East Coast Music Awards. He was also vice-president of GlennRod Music Incorporated.

Political career

MacDonald has served in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia since the 1999 provincial election, representing the riding of Inverness in western Cape Breton Island. He was re-elected in 2003 and has served in cabinet with various portfolios as Minister of Tourism, Culture & Heritage, Minister of Health Promotion and Minister of Immigration, he has also been responsible for the Heritage Property Act and was formerly responsible for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and the Nova Scotia Youth Secretariat.

Following Premier John Hamm's September, 2005 announcement of his intention to retire, MacDonald committed to running for the leadership of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party. The leadership race culminated in MacDonald winning the party's leadership on a second ballot on February 11, 2006. He was sworn in as Premier of Nova Scotia on February 24, taking over the leadership from outgoing Premier, John Hamm. MacDonald is the second youngest premier in Nova Scotia's history, and is currently the second youngest premier in Canada.

MacDonald's Progressive Conservative Party won a minority government in the 2006 general election. Since then, the legislative assembly has unanimously approved two successive balanced budgets tabled by the MacDonald administration which included promised action on debt reduction; however, it should be noted that total long term debt for the province has increased under both budgets.

MacDonald's administration has passed legislation on election finance reform that will limit contributions, as well as legislation to set goals for reductions in greenhouse gases, reserves for protected spaces, clean air goals as well as green energy sources. His administration has also embarked on a program of attracting the global finance community to locate in Nova Scotia.

External links

* [http://www.rodneymacdonald.com/biography.html Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia website]
* [http://www.gov.ns.ca/premier Official website]
* [http://www.gov.ns.ca/premier/about.asp Official biography]