Rodney MacDonald

MABOU– After 10 years as the MLA for Inverness, and three as Nova Scotia’s 26th premier, Rodney MacDonald is stepping away from political life and says he is considering his options for the future.
The Mabou native, who stepped down as Progressive Conservative leader in late June after his party fell from power to third-party status in the June 9 provincial election, was re-elected as the MLA for Inverness with more than 50 per cent of the votes.
At that time he said, “I thoroughly enjoy being an MLA and I’m going to be doing whatever I can in the days ahead to serve my constituents.”
He says his decision to change course and step away from his elected office was based on both professional and personal reasons.
“I’ve spent a lot of time away from my little guy [son Ryan, 11] for the last 10 years and I decided that it was time for a change,” MacDonald said of his resignation.
Despite speculation from his political colleagues, MacDonald says he is not stepping down as MLA to accept another opportunity.
“I don’t know for sure yet what I’m going to be doing. I haven’t made any decisions in that regard to date,” MacDonald said, noting he will spend his remaining days as MLA dealing with ongoing files and considering his career options for the future.
Hours before the press release announcing his impending resignation was sent to media outlets, MacDonald celebrated the grand opening of the museum operated by the Port Hastings Historical Society at its new location along the rotary. MacDonald’s government purchased the former site of The Candy Shop after the confectionery business went into foreclosure. Once purchased, the province offered the site to the historical society.
He says it was an important event to be part of as the museum “reflects the type of thing we want to see at the entranceway of Cape Breton,” and he was pleased to be present for it.
“Those are the types of projects that I thoroughly enjoyed working on and I will continue to try and make our county a better place in the days ahead,” MacDonald said.
As he reflects on the past 10 years as Inverness’ member in the legislative assembly, the 37-year-old former premier says he is pleased with what the county was able to accomplish and will do whatever he can to help the next MLA to bring about more good things for Inverness.
MacDonald says he will continue to be grateful to voters as well as municipal representatives with the Town of Port Hawkesbury and the County of Inverness and other provincial and federal representatives with whom he has worked.
“I just want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of me and to thank them for everything they’ve done for me and my family,” he concluded.
MacDonald first won the Inverness riding in 1999, after besting Liberal Charles MacDonald by only 327 votes. In the 2003 election, MacDonald took 51 per cent of the vote beating his nearest competitor, Liberal Debbie Gillis by more than 1,500 votes. In 2006, just months after succeeding John Hamm as the Progressive Conservative party leader, MacDonald took the riding by about 70 per cent and led his party to victory across the province, becoming Nova Scotia’s 26th premier.
Before his entry into provincial politics MacDonald, 37, was a teacher with the Strait Regional School Board and a professional musician who earned two East Coast Music Awards nominations.