Howard Michael Epstein (born January 17, 1949) is a Canadian politician, lawyer and part-time law professor.[1]

Howard Epstein
MLA for Halifax Chebucto
In office
March 24, 1998 – October 8, 2013
Preceded byJay Abbass
Succeeded byJoachim Stroink
Personal details
Born (1949-01-17) January 17, 1949 (age 75)
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Political partyNDP

Early life and career

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Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he is an environmentalist, serving as the director of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax from 1991-1994. Epstein was a student of the Halifax Grammar School.

Political career

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First elected to Halifax City Council in 1994, he was re-elected in 1996 with the formation of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Epstein sat as the Councillor for District 14 (Connaught-Quinpool), representing the city's West End. On March 24, 1998, Epstein was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for the New Democratic Party representing the provincial riding of Halifax Chebucto.[2] He was re-elected in the 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2009 general elections.

Prior to June 2009, he was the NDP Critic for Conserve Nova Scotia, Intergovernmental Affairs, Gaming and the Heritage Property Act.

Epstein was shut out of the Cabinet by Premier Darrell Dexter when the NDP first formed government in June 2009. He was shut out of Cabinet a second time when Dexter shuffled his cabinet on May 30, 2012.[3]

Epstein was the Ministerial Assistant for the Department of Community Services, specifically co-operative housing and other housing programs.[4]

On January 15, 2013, Epstein announced that he would not be re-offering in the next Nova Scotia general election.[5][6]

On March 20, 2015, Empty Mirrors Press published Epstein's political memoir "Rise Again: Nova Scotia's NDP on the Rocks" an account of his 15 years in provincial politics, the history of the New Democratic Party in Nova Scotia, and his analysis of the successes and failures of the Dexter NDP government during its term in office.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Simpson, Kieran (August 1990). Canadian who's who, 1990. ISBN 9780802046550.
  2. ^ "NDP takes metro". The Chronicle Herald. 25 March 1998. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  3. ^ "First female finance minister appointed in N.S." CBC News. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ^ "Premier Appoints Ministerial Assistants" (Press release). Government of Nova Scotia. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  5. ^ "MLA Howard Epstein not reoffering in next election". CBC News. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  6. ^ "MLA Epstein won't reoffer". The Chronicle Herald. 15 January 2013. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Rise Again: Nova Scotia's NDP on the Rocks".
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