Mark Parent

Mark Parent (born August 25, 1954) is a Canadian clergyman, author, academic, and former politician in Nova Scotia.

For the baseball player, see Mark Parent (baseball).
Not to be confused with Marc Parent.

The Honourable
Mark Parent
Ph.D M.Div.
Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Kings North
In office
July 27, 1999 – June 9, 2009
Preceded byGeorge Archibald
Succeeded byJim Morton
Minister of Environment and Labour
In office
June 26, 2006 – April 24, 2008
PremierRodney MacDonald
Preceded byCarolyn Bolivar-Getson
Succeeded byDavid Morse
Minister of the Environment
In office
April 24, 2008 – January 8, 2009
PremierRodney MacDonald
Preceded byMinistry Created
Succeeded bySterling Belliveau
Minister of Labour and Workplace Development
In office
April 24, 2008 – January 8, 2009
PremierRodney MacDonald
Preceded byMinistry Created
Succeeded byMarilyn More
Minister of Agriculture
In office
January 8, 2009 – June 9, 2009
PremierRodney MacDonald
Preceded byBrooke Taylor
Succeeded byJohn MacDonell
Personal details
Born (1954-08-25) August 25, 1954
Port Williams, Nova Scotia
Political partyProgressive Conservative
Spouse(s)Cathy
Margie Jenkins
OccupationPastor

Parent is the son of Baptist missionaries Hazen Coles Parent and Hazel Mildred Anderson. Parent was raised in Bolivia, South America before returning to Canada for post secondary studies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, a Master of Divinity from Acadia Divinity College, and a Doctor of Philosophy from McGill University.

Parent is married to his second wife Margie Jenkins and together they have five grown children. His first wife, Cathy, died in 1998.

Parent served in various churches in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before returning home in 1994 to serve as pastor of the Pereaux United Baptist Church. During the late 1990s he was an associate professor of Religious Studies at Mount Allison University.

Political career

"Politics is the art of doing the impossible, with the unwilling, for the ungrateful."

Mark Parent
The Daily News
October 2, 1999

In 1997, Parent volunteered as the Policy Chair for the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.

In 1999 Parent successfully ran for the Progressive Conservative nomination in the riding of Kings North.[1] He was elected in the 1999 provincial election with 49.05% of the vote.[2]

As a legislator, Parent became known for speaking frankly both in the House of Assembly and to the media,[3][4] and expressed dissatisfaction with how the legislature conducted its business.[5]

Parent was re-elected in the 2003 provincial election with 50.2%.[6] In the 2006 election, Parent was re-elected with 50.07%.[7]

In 2006 Parent was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where he served as Minister of Environment and Labour.[8][9] While Minister, Parent oversaw the division of the Department of Environment and Labour into two portfolios in April 2008, consisting of a separate Department of Environment and a separate Department of Labour and Workforce Development.[10] Parent served as Minister for those portfolios until January 2009, when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture,[11] just days before he was to release Nova Scotia's climate change plan.[12][13] During his time in cabinet, Parent was also responsible for Part II of the Gambling Control Act, the Workers' Compensation Act (except Part II) and the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act.

Parent was defeated in the 2009 provincial election, with 36.08% of the vote in his riding.[14][15][16]

Electoral record

Federal
2021 Canadian federal election: Kings—Hants
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalKody Blois20,19244.92+1.61
ConservativeMark Parent13,23429.44+4.66
New DemocraticStephen Schneider8,64519.23+2.05
People'sSteven Ford1,9454.33+2.69
GreenSheila G. Richardson9402.09-10.46
Total valid votes 44,956100.00
Total rejected ballots 251
Turnout 45,20763.42-5.34
Registered voters 71,285
Source: Elections Canada[17]
Liberal hold Swing -1.53

Provincial
2009 Nova Scotia general election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  New Democrat Jim Morton 3,535 41.43
  Progressive Conservative Mark Parent 3,079 36.08
  Liberal Shirley Fisher 1,541 18.06
GreenAnna-Maria Galante-Ward3784.43–
2006 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes%
  Progressive Conservative Mark Parent 4153 50.07
  New Democrat Jim Morton 2190 26.40
  Liberal Madonna Spinazola 1757 21.18
GreenChris Alders1952.35
2003 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  Progressive Conservative Mark Parent 4063 50.2
  New Democrat Jim Morton 2340 29.91
  Liberal Michael Landry 1533 18.94
MarijuanaBen "Budman" Friesen1571.94
1999 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  Progressive Conservative Mark Parent 4321 49.05
  New Democrat Neil H. McNeil 2513 28.53
  Liberal Peter Hill 1975 22.42

Bibliography
  • Parent, Mark (1998). Spiritscapes. Northstone. ISBN 3-540-63293-X.
  • Parent, Mark (17 October 2009). "Health care system must change or collapse". The Chronicle Herald. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.

References
  1. "Parent Tory choice in Kings North". The Chronicle Herald. 30 June 1999. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  2. "Election Returns, 1999 (Kings North)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  3. "Parent contemplates quitting". CBC. 2 November 2000. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  4. "Teacher layoffs prompt debate in legislature". CBC. 25 April 2000. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  5. "MLA's "just bums in chairs," says politician". CBC. 1 December 2000. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  6. "Election Returns, 2003 (Kings North)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  7. "Election Returns, 2006 (Kings North)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  8. "Premier Announces New Cabinet Lineup". NS Government News Release. 26 June 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  9. "MacDonald's expanded cabinet has 3 rookies". CBC. 26 June 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  10. "Government Introduces New Department of Labour and Workforce Development". NS Government News Release. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  11. "Cabinet shuffled". Canadian Press. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  12. "Morse's environmental shakeup". The Coast. 22 January 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  13. "Provincial cabinet gets long-awaited shuffle". Metro. 7 January 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  14. "More than half of Tory cabinet defeated". CBC. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  15. "Nova Scotia Votes - Kings North". CBC. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  16. "Election Returns, 2009 (Kings North)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  17. "September 20, 2021 General Election Election Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  18. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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