Central Nova

Infobox Canada electoral district
province = Nova Scotia


caption = Central Nova in relation to the other Nova Scotia federal electoral districts
fed-status = active
fed-district-number = 12002
fed-created = 1966
fed-abolished =
fed-election-first = 1968
fed-election-last = 2008
fed-rep = Peter MacKay
fed-rep-link =
fed-rep-party = Conservative
fed-rep-party-link = Conservative Party of Canada
demo-census-date = 2006
demo-pop = 72966
demo-electors = 61137
demo-electors-date = 2006
demo-area = 8439
demo-cd = Antigonish
Guysborough
Halifax
Pictou
demo-csd = Halifax, New Glasgow, Stellarton, Antigonish, Pictou, Westville, Trenton, St. Mary's

Central Nova ( _fr. Nova-Centre) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997 and since 2004. Its population in 2001 was 73,722.

The best-known person to represent this riding is Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister.

Demographics

* Ethnic groups: 96.8% White, 1.6% Native Canadian, 1.0% Black
* Languages: 96.0% English, 1.7% French, 2.0% Other
* Religions: 47.1% Protestant, 42.3% Catholic, 9.2% No affiliation
* Average income: $52,911

Geography

The district includes the counties of Pictou, and Antigonish, the District Municipality of St. Mary's and the extreme eastern part of theastern part of the Regional Municipality of Halifax. Communities include Halifax (part), New Glasgow, Stellarton, Antigonish, Westville, Pictou, St. Mary's and Trenton. The Area is 8,439 sq. km.

History

The district was created in 1966 from Antigonish—Guysborough, Colchester—Hants, and Pictou. In 1966, it consisted of Pictou County, southern Colchester County, eastern Halifax County, and western Guysborough County. In 1976, it gained some territory in Halifax County (eastern central portion), and it lost its territory in Colchester County. In 1987, it lost most of Guysborough County except for the most extreme western point, and gained all of central and central western Halifax County. In 1996, it was merged into Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, and Sackville-Eastern Shore.

The electoral district was re-created in 2003: 93.3% of the riding came from Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough riding, and 6.7% came from Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore. In the 2004 election, Conservative Party candidate Peter MacKay, who had represented Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, was returned to the House of Commons from Central Nova. He was re-elected in the 2006 election.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May is contesting the seat in the current federal election. In a move that startled political observers, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion announced on April 13, 2007, that his party would not contest the seat in order to give May a better chance of winning, a move that will mark the first time in decades that the Liberals do not field a full slate of candidates in a general election. In return, the Greens (who also fielded a full slate in the last election) will not contest Dion's Montreal riding.

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following Members of Parliament:

Election results

2004- present

Change from 2000 is based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.

1968 - 1997

See also

* List of Canadian federal electoral districts
* Past Canadian electoral districts

External links

* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=126 Riding history for Central Nova (1966–1996) from the] Library of Parliament
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=1316 Riding history for Central Nova (2003– ) from the] Library of Parliament