Dartmouth North and my personal struggle

This election is about who can provide the best vision for Nova Scotia to help us get through tough economic times, i.e. do we stay the course with the government we currently have, or do we roll the dice with another party and see if they can do better? This election is also about whether Nova Scotians are truly prepared to give the reins of command over to the NDP, a party that has never formed a provincial government east of Ontario, or whether it sticks with the Liberal/Conservative option that the majority of Canada's provinces, and Canada itself, uses.

Beyond those two major things to consider, or actually in addition to it, the people in each riding, as usual, have to consider whether to stick with its representative on polling day or un-elect them and give the seat to somebody else. With that having been said, there are a lot of races during the 2008 Nova Scotia election that many consider "ones to watch". People are particularly interested in those whose PC incumbent isn't running again, such as Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley or Truro-Bible Hill. Will they elect another PC incumbent, or will they give the NDP or Liberal Party a chance to hold the seat? Then there's the riding of Cumberland North where the incumbent was ejected from the party due to scandal and is running as an Independent. Will he win re-election on his personal popularity, or will they elect a party member to replace him? Many are also interested in Halifax Clayton Park which remains the only non-NDP riding in the Halifax/Dartmouth area. Will the Liberals hold on, or will the NDP finally sweep the area?

A riding that many may not think would be one to watch is my own riding of Dartmouth North. A riding that is comprised of the large industrial park in Burnside, many middle-income homes by the Albro Lake beach and MicMac Mall, a few upper middle income areas, and a large, LARGE amount of lower-income rentals. In fact, I would venture to say that the biggest stand-out for Dartmouth North is the latter. The riding has, for the past 11 years, been represented by the NDP, currently in the form of Trevor Zinck.



Trevor is, without a doubt, a fantastic guy. I met him for the first time when he was the Assistant Manager for the Shopper's Drug Mart on Wyse Road. At the time, I was NDP and he and I both served on the Dartmouth North NDP Riding Association Executive. His passion for social justice and the needs of the community were undeniable. He served on the District 9 Citizen's Association and volunteered at the local food bank, where I was, at the time, an occasional visitor due to money troubles. When the MLA at the time retired, Trevor sought and won the nomination to run in the next election for the NDP and, in the 2006 election, he easily won the seat. Since then, he's been a phenomenal MLA, but more than that. When I needed his help or guidance, he never hesitated to return my calls or stop by for a chat. When I was down and out, he'd offer whatever help, tangible or otherwise, that he could muster. When my daughter's toys got stolen by a rotten landlord and we held a car wash to raise money for her to buy new ones, Trevor attended with two cars for us to wash. I consider Trevor to be a personal friend of mine and I'm sure he'd support that belief. I always told Trevor that he'd make a great Minister of Community Services (the NS department that handles EI and social assistance) given his strong passion for helping out the most vulnerable.

Since 2006, though, I've left the NDP and found a new home with the Liberal Party of Canada. The reasons are many and quite detailed, but centre on the fact that the NDP has shown, in many cases, to no longer stand for the things that I believe in. Over the years, I've unquestioningly fought for NDP principles, even when I had personal reservations. I've done what I felt was right, while feeling that I was fighting for a lost cause. The last straw for me was when Jack Layton chose to bring down the Martin Government and actively help Stephen Harper win power. A man who claims to fight for social justice helped to elect one of the most right-wing governments in Canadian history. At first, I joined the Liberal Party out of protest, but then I found myself feeling like I was finally part of a cause that I could support. The Liberal Party has allowed me to fight for social justice combined with a strong desire for economic accountability. Also, from a very personal standpoint, the Liberal Party is the party that fights the strongest for the causes of Jewish people and the defense of the State of Israel. On Passover, Michael Ignatieff issued a personal message on the Liberal website; the NDP, not so much. That spoke volumes to me.

But I digress...

Dartmouth North has been well-served provincially by the NDP for over a decade, and a large portion of it, the municipal district 9 (Albro Lake-Harbourview), has been equally well-served for several years by the local Councillor, Jim Smith.



Jim is, like Trevor, a strong believer in social justice and doing what he can to help out the less fortunate. He was elected to City Council in 2000 and re-elected twice, both times on his record of standing up for District 9's causes. I first met Jim, interestingly enough, at the same time that I met Trevor, as Trevor, Jim and I all served on the Dartmouth North NDP Executive (Jim and Trevor as Vice Presidents and I as a Member at Large). Just like Trevor, I was always struck by the attention that Jim gives to the residents of the area, especially given their unique needs as predominately low-income renters. When Council approved a fare increase for the public transit system in Halifax, Jim was one of the few Councillors who voted against it; he did so on the grounds that low-income Haligonians like those in his district already find it hard sometimes to come up with bus fare and a further increase would exaserbate that. In every way, he is a true man of the people. When I was down and out, just like Trevor, Jim always returned my calls and helped out where needed. He was always available, both in person and on the phone, to chat with about whatever I needed. And, just like Trevor, I consider Jim a personal friend and an invaluable representive for the area.

Around the same time as me, I suppose, Jim also left the NDP and joined the Liberal Party. I'm sure there's a story there, but I haven't heard it. What I do know, though, is that in the Nova Scotia election of 2009, Trevor Zinck's Liberal opponent in Dartmouth North is Councillor Jim Smith.

Two awesome representatives, both personal friends, are running in Dartmouth North and, beyond me, there are many who appreciate what both men have done for the area. This is definitely a race to watch. The advantage still goes to Trevor as the incumbent, but I believe Jim stands a good shot. And, despite my Liberal affiliation, I would be proud to live in a riding representated by either Trevor or Jim and the riding would be lucky to have either.