Five facts about Nova Scotia NDP leadership rivals Gary Burrill and Dave Wilson – CP

Source: The Canadian Press
Jan 20, 2016

HALIFAX _ Gary Burrill and Dave Wilson are also vying to be the next leader of the Nova Scotia NDP. Here are five things to know about each candidate:

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Gary Burrill:

_ The 60-year-old ordained United Church minister is a New Brunswick native who has also worked as an author and an educator.

_ Burrill has been married for more than three decades to his wife, Debra Perrott, with whom he has four grown children.

_ He was elected in the 2009 provincial election to the riding of Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, a long-time Progressive Conservative stronghold.

_ Burrill was appointed chairman of the legislature’s veteran’s affairs committee during his time in government.

_ After his defeat by Progressive Conservative candidate Larry Harrison in 2013, Burrill helped establish a congregation at the United Heritage Church in Sydney, N.S., where he serves as a minister.

Quote: “We need to make a long-term investment in our people and their skills knowing that it will not pay us back within the electoral cycle but that it will begin to pay serious dividends within the space of a generation.”

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Dave Wilson:

_ Wilson was born in small-town Quebec but moved as a child to Sackville, N.S., just outside of Halifax.

_ The 45-year-old has been married to his wife, Penney Wilson, for 20 years. They have two teenage children.

_ A former paramedic who says he’s passionate about accessible health care, Wilson also served as a volunteer firefighter for 10 years.

_ Wilson has the most experience of his leadership rivals, having first been elected to the riding of Sackville-Cobequid in 2003.

_ He held several cabinet portfolios in the former NDP government, including Health, Acadian Affairs, and Communities, Culture and Heritage.

Quote: “We need to get the confidence back of Nova Scotians and that’s, I believe, going to be a hard road and it could be a long road. But I think working together in party renewal is a key component to the new leader, making sure that our members believe in ourselves again.”

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