Gordon Earle

Gordon Earle
Member of Parliament
for Halifax West
In office
June 2, 1997 – November 27, 2000
Preceded byGeoff Regan
Succeeded byGeoff Regan
Personal details
Born (1943-02-27) February 27, 1943 (age 81)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic
SpouseJane Earle

Gordon S. Earle (born February 27, 1943[1]) is a Canadian politician. Earle is a member of the New Democratic Party and a former member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Halifax West from 1997 to 2000.[1] Earle is the first black Member of Parliament elected from Nova Scotia.[1]

Career

Earle was a senior public servant, he was the first employee of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. He served as Chief Human Rights Officer and assistant to the Ombudsman in Nova Scotia and as Ombudsman of Manitoba.[1]

While in Parliament, Earle was the NDP critic of Multiculturalism, Citizenship and Immigration, Indian Affairs and Northern Development, National Defence, and Veterans Affairs. Earle lost his seat in the 2000 Canadian federal election.[2]

In the 2004 federal election, Earle ran in the riding of South Shore—St. Margaret's, in which a small part of the old Halifax West, in which he resided, had been moved under redistricting. He was defeated by the incumbent, Conservative Gerald Keddy, coming third. He ran again in the 2006 federal election, again losing to Keddy, but improving his vote total and placing second.[3] Earle ran against Keddy for a third time in the 2008 federal election, losing by less than one thousand votes.[1]

Earle again contested the riding in the 2011 federal election losing to Keddy. [4]

Personal life

Earle is a martial artist with a black belt in Karate. He founded the Hammonds Plains Karate Club.[5]

Electoral record

2000 Canadian federal election: Halifax West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Geoff Regan 18,327 39.21 +8.32
New Democratic Gordon Earle 14,016 29.99 -4.64
Progressive Conservative Charles Cirtwill 9,701 20.76 -2.70
Alliance Hilda Stevens 4,531 9.70 -0.77
Marxist–Leninist Tony Seed 160 0.34 +0.19
Total valid votes 46,735 100.00
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +6.48

Changes for the Canadian Alliance from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.

1997 Canadian federal election: Halifax West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gordon Earle 16,013 34.63 +26.23
Liberal Geoff Regan 14,284 30.89 -14.73
Progressive Conservative Heather Foley 10,848 23.46 -0.29
Reform Stephen Oickle 4,843 10.47 -8.93
Natural Law John Runkle 179 0.39 -0.42
Marxist–Leninist Gary Zatzman 70 0.15
Total valid votes 46,237 100.00
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +20.48

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Canada Votes - South Shore - St. Margaret's Candidate Profiles". CBC. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  2. ^ Gordon Earle – Parliament of Canada biography
  3. ^ Riding history for South Shore—St. Margaret's (2003– ) from the Library of Parliament
  4. ^ "N.S. MP claims robocalls made to voters during election | CBC News".
  5. ^ Williams, Dawn P. (2002) [1 January 2001]. Who's Who in Black Canada: Black Success and Black Excellence in Canada: A Contemporary Directory. Who's Who in Black Canada. ISBN 978-0-9731384-1-2.