Graham Steele

Last updated

Graham J. Steele (July 8, 1964, Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian lawyer, author, and former politician, having represented the constituency of Halifax Fairview in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 2001 to 2013 for the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party. In January 2021, he began service as the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nunavut. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

A native of Winnipeg, Steele graduated with a BA from the University of Manitoba and was recipient of the Governor General's Silver Medal. Steele received a Rhodes Scholarship and attended St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, graduating in 1986 with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. Steele moved to Halifax in fall 1986 to attend Dalhousie Law School and graduated with an LLB in 1989.

Steele practised law with Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales in Halifax from 1989 to 1993 and was General Counsel to the Nova Scotia Workers Compensation Board from 1993 to 1998. Steele was Research Director for the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's caucus office from 1998 to 2001.

Steele has done workshops in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the Middle East for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

Political career

In 2001 Steele successfully ran for the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party nomination in the riding of Halifax Fairview. [2] [3] He was elected in a by-election in March 2001, [4] [5] winning the seat with 58.17% [6] of the vote. Steele was re-elected in the 2003, (45.85% [7] ) 2006 (58.51% [8] ) and 2009 provincial elections (63.71% [9] ).

While in official opposition, Steele served as the NDP's critic for Finance, Environment, Acadian Affairs, Insurance Act, and Treasury and Policy Board. He also served as Deputy House Leader. During this time, Steele also served on the Select Committee on Democratic Participation and was Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

On June 19, 2009, Steele was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where he served as Minister of Finance as well as Minister of Acadian Affairs. [10] On May 30, 2012, Steele resigned from cabinet and announced that he would not be re-offering in the next election. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] Steele was appointed an honorary member of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia on May 31, 2012.

Steele was re-appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia on May 10, 2013 where he took over as Minister of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, as well as Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs following the resignation of Percy Paris. [16] Steele served in the Executive Council of Nova Scotia until October 22, 2013.

Life after politics

He became a broadcaster on CBC Information Morning, providing a weekly political commentary. In September 2014, he released a memoir called What I Learned About Politics: Inside the Rise — and Collapse – of Nova Scotia's NDP Government. [17] The book was a shortlisted nominee for the 2015 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. [18]

Steele taught at the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University from 2016 to 2019.

Personal life

Steele is an Esperantist, having offered part of his legislative website in Esperanto, [19] and has commemorated Nova Scotia Esperantists in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. [20] He is married to Tilly Pillay and they have two children. [21]

Related Research Articles

Howard Michael Epstein is a Canadian politician, lawyer and part-time law professor.

Brooke Taylor is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 2009. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrell Dexter</span> Canadian politician

Darrell Elvin Dexter is a Canadian lawyer, journalist and former naval officer who served as the 27th premier of Nova Scotia from 2009 to 2013. A member of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party, he served as party leader from 2001 to 2013. He became Premier in 2009 after his party defeated the governing Progressive Conservative Party, leading the first NDP government in Atlantic Canada and the second east of Manitoba. His government was defeated in the 2013 election, becoming the first Nova Scotia government in 131 years to be denied a second mandate; Dexter himself was defeated in his constituency by 21 votes. Dexter now serves as a lobbyist for the cannabis industry.

Francis "Frank" Corbett is a former Deputy Premier of Nova Scotia.

David "Dave" Allan Wilson is a Canadian politician and member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, representing the riding of Sackville-Cobequid for the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party. He was first elected in the 2003 election when veteran MLA John Holm did not re-offer. Wilson was re-elected in the 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2017 elections.

Marilyn More is a Canadian retired educator and politician from Nova Scotia.

Maureen MacDonald is a Canadian academic and politician. She represented the riding of Halifax Needham in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2016. She served as the interim leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party from November 23, 2013 to February 27, 2016.

Cecil Phillip Clarke is a politician in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality from 2012 to 2020, and represented the riding of Cape Breton North in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, from 2001 to 2011 as a Progressive Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Dunn (politician)</span> Canadian politician

Pat Dunn is a Canadian politician. He has represented the electoral district of Pictou Centre in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 2006 to 2009, and from 2013 to present, as a member of the Progressive Conservatives. He served as Minister of Health Promotion and Protection in the Executive Council of Nova Scotia.

Helen MacDonald is a Canadian politician. She represented the electoral district of Cape Breton The Lakes in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1997 to 1999. She was a member of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.

Kelly Maureen Regan MLA is a Canadian politician who has served in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly since 2009, most recently as the MLA for Bedford Basin. She was first elected as the Member for Bedford-Birch Cove. Since is a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

Maurice Gerard Smith is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in a by-election on October 20, 2009. He represented the electoral district of Antigonish as a member of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party from 2009 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan MacMaster</span> Canadian politician

Allan Gerard MacMaster is a Canadian politician. He represents the electoral district of Inverness in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Nova Scotia general election</span>

The 2013 Nova Scotia general election was held on October 8, 2013, to elect members to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.

Zachariah John Churchill is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia. He serves as the member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for Yarmouth, first elected in 2010.

Thomas Johnson McInnis is a retired Canadian senator. He also represented the electoral district of Halifax Eastern Shore in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1978 to 1993, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Nova Scotia general election</span>

The 2017 Nova Scotia general election was held on May 30, 2017, to elect members to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.

Tony Ince is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2013 provincial election, representing the electoral district of Cole Harbour for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party where he defeated the incumbent, Premier Darrell Dexter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Nova Scotia New Democratic Party leadership election</span> Nova Scotia New Democratic Party leadership election

The election for the leadership of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party was triggered on November 16, 2013, following Darrell Dexter's resignation after losing the seat he contested in the 2013 election. The party elected Gary Burrill as their new leader on February 27, 2016, following a one-member one-vote election held during a convention at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth.

Stephen Allen Craig is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in a by-election on June 18, 2019. A member of the Progressive Conservatives, he represents the electoral district of Sackville-Cobequid.

References

  1. ↑ Patar, Dustin (3 November 2020). "Nunavut MLAs appoint new information and privacy commissioner" . Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Steele to carry banner for NDP in Halifax Fairview". The Daily News. Halifax. 23 January 2001.
  3. ↑ "NDP pick Steele to contest Fairview byelection". The Chronicle Herald. 23 January 2001.
  4. ↑ "Mixed results for NDP in crucial N.S. byelections". CBC News. 7 March 2001. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Steele savours byelection win". The Chronicle Herald. 7 March 2001. Archived from the original on 11 March 2001. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "By-election Returns, 2001 (Halifax Fairview)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Election Returns, 2003 (Halifax Fairview)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Election Returns, 2006 (Halifax Fairview)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Election Returns, 2009 (Halifax Fairview)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Atlantic Canada's 1st NDP government takes office in Nova Scotia". CBC News. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Steele to give up seat". The Chronicle Herald. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "First female finance minister appointed in N.S." CBC News. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "Premier shuffles cabinet, MacDonald takes over finance". Metro. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Cabinet shuffle: Losing some keepers". The Chronicle Herald. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Dexter shuffles cabinet as senior members say farewell". News 95.7. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "N.S. cabinet minister resigns after bathroom fight". CBC News. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "Why he quit: Union contract last straw for Graham Steele". The Chronicle Herald. 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "Shaughnessy Cohen Prize finalists announced". The Globe and Mail , January 27, 2015.
  19. ↑ Graham Steele, MLA - Esperanto Archived 2010-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ "Nova Scotia House of Assembly, Hansard, May 5, 2005". Nova Scotia Legislature. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  21. ↑ Kimber, Stephen (1 May 2012). "Stainless Steele". Atlantic Business Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
The Honourable
Graham Steele
ECNS
GrahamSteele.jpg
Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Halifax Fairview
In office
March 6, 2001 –October 8, 2013
Darrel-Dexter-March-24-2012.jpg
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.