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Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin

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Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin
MLA BScN MBA
Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Cumberland North
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 30, 2017
Preceded byTerry Farrell
Personal details
Born
Elizabeth Anne Smith

(1969-09-07) September 7, 1969 (age 55)
Linden, Nova Scotia
Political partyIndependent (2021–)
Other political
affiliations		Progressive Conservative (2017–2021)
SpouseMurray McCrossin
ResidenceAmherst, Nova Scotia
Alma materDalhousie University (BScN) Saint Mary's University (MBA)
OccupationPolitician • Businesswoman Nurse
Websitehttps://elizabethsmithmccrossin.ca/

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin (born September 7, 1969) is a Canadian politician. She was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2017 provincial election.[1] She is an Independent member and represents the electoral district of Cumberland North.[2]

Early life and education

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Smith-McCrossin was born and raised on a dairy farm in Linden, Nova Scotia. She graduated from Dalhousie University in 1991 with a bachelor of science in nursing. She earned an executive MBA from Saint Mary's University in 2013.[3]

Politics

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Smith-McCrossin was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2017 provincial election.[1][2] She was a member of the Progressive Conservative party until ousted on June 24, 2021, for failing to accept responsibility and apologize for her role in an illegal blockade of the Trans-Canada Highway.[4]

Smith-McCrossin launched a bid for the leadership of the PC Party of Nova Scotia on February 6, 2018.[5] Her leadership campaign was co-chaired by Halifax-businessman Rob Batherson and former Member of Parliament Scott Armstrong.[6] She lost to Tim Houston.[7]

Smith-McCrossin was re-elected as an Independent in the 2021 provincial election.[8] Smith-McCrossin’s victory in Cumberland North marked the first occasion since 1988 that an independent candidate won election to the Nova Scotia legislature.[9] She was re-elected in 2024, marking the first time an independent was re-elected to the Nova Scotia legislature in history.

Controversies

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In February 2020, during the 2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests, McCrossin tweeted: “The rail blockades must be removed today. Businesses are being affected in Cumberland North and layoffs are coming soon for many if they are not removed immediately,” said the MLA at the time, calling those blockades “illegal”.[10]

On June 22, 2021, Smith-McCrossin was accused of inciting a blockade of the Trans-Canada Highway in protest to the ongoing closures of the border. This led to her being ejected from the Progressive Conservative caucus and barred from running for the party in the upcoming election. Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston said "As colleagues for the past four years, I owed her an opportunity to explain her actions, and the efforts she took to conceal those actions from her caucus colleagues. Ms. Smith-McCrossin refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing and — when explicitly asked by her caucus — refused to apologize to Nova Scotians as she didn't take part in the border blockade."[11]

In April 2023, Smith-McCrossin asserted that a woman who once worked in her constituency office was persuaded into signing a non-disclosure agreement with the Progressive Conservative caucus when she worked there in 2018. MLA and Minister Karla MacFarlane tabled a motion to expel Smith-McCrossin from the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, a legislative concept never before heard of in Westminster-style Parliaments of Commonwealth countries, the government later relenting.[12] Smith-McCrossin is pursuing legal action.[13] This matter is currently before the courts and is set to be heard in November 2024. Following the Resignation of Karla McFarlane the Notice of Motion became moot and the case was dropped.

Electoral record

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2024 Nova Scotia general election: Cumberland North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin 3,533 55.2%
Progressive Conservative Bill Dowe 2,182 34.1%
Liberal Kurt Ditner 414 6.5%
New Democratic Tyson Boyd 277 4.3%
Total valid votes
Total rejected ballots
Turnout 6,406
Eligible voters
Independent hold Swing
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[14]
2021 Nova Scotia general election: Cumberland North
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Independent Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin 4,235 53.87 +2.161 $61,145.93
Liberal Bill Casey 2,488 31.65 -6.90 $51,915.80
Progressive Conservative David Wightman 569 7.24 -44.471 $16,693.84
New Democratic Lauren Skabar 569 7.24 +0.19 $23,023.94
Total valid votes/expense limit 7,861 99.43 -0.06 $79,940.53
Total rejected ballots 45 0.57 +0.06
Turnout 7,906 58.59 +5.29
Eligible voters 13,494
Independent gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +4.53
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[15][16]
2017 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin 3,639 51.71
Liberal Terry Farrell 2,713 38.55
New Democratic Earl Dow 496 7.05
Independent Richard Plett 106 1.51
Atlantica Bill Archer 84 1.19
Total valid votes 7,038 100.0  

References

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  1. ^ a b "McCrossin, Baillie cruise to election wins in Cumberland County". Amherst News. May 30, 2017. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  2. ^ a b "Who won in your riding? See the list of elected MLAs". CBC News. May 30, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  3. ^ "Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin - PC Party biography". Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  4. ^ "N.S. MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin kicked out of Tory caucus after border blockade". CBC News. June 24, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  5. ^ "Smith-McCrossin officially joins race for PC leadership". The Chronicle Herald. February 6, 2018. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  6. ^ "MacPolitics: Batherson A Significant 'Get' For Smith-McCrossin | The Macdonald Notebook". www.themacdonaldnotebook.ca. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  7. ^ "Houston surges to victory in PC leadership race". CBC News. October 27, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  8. ^ "Smith-McCrossin says 'our voices have been heard' in re-election win as independent". Global News. August 17, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  9. ^ "Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin elected as Independent in Cumberland North". CBC News. August 18, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  10. ^ Walton, Victoria. "Article: "Border blockade politician takes her bias on the road"". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  11. ^ "N.S. MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin removed from Tory caucus after border blockade". CBC News. June 24, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  12. ^ "N.S. government backs down on move to oust independent MLA from Province House". CBC News. 2023-04-05. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08.
  13. ^ "Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin challenges constitutionality of motion to oust her". CBC News. 2023-04-05. Archived from the original on 2023-04-09.
  14. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/10865513/nova-scotia-election-2024-cumberland-north/
  15. ^ "Provincial General Election 2021-08-17- Official Results". Elections Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on 2021-10-07. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "41st Provincial General Election". Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
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