Robert Chisholm (Canadian politician)

Robert Chisholm is a former politician from Nova Scotia, Canada.

Chisholm represented the Halifax Atlantic riding in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1991 to 2003. He succeeded Alexa McDonough as leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1995.

The surprise successful performance of the NDP in Halifax metro-area districts during the 1997 federal election boded well for their provincial affiliates who were able to take advantage of the new wave of popularity. Prior to this, the Nova Scotia NDP had not been considered contenders to form a provincial government.

Chisholm's greatest accomplishment was leading his party to victory in 19 seats in the 1998 provincial election, putting the NDP in a tie with the incumbent Liberals. The Liberals were able to continue ruling as incumbents and they had support from the third-place Progressive Conservatives who held 14 seats.

The Liberal government was defeated by a motion of non-confidence from the Conservatives, forcing an election in 1999 and offering Chisholm's NDP another chance for power. The NDP lost eight seats during the campaign, which saw the third-place Conservatives elected to a majority government. The NDP under Chisholm retained official opposition status, having edged out the Liberals.

Some attribute the NDP's loss in 1999 to the revelation of Chisholm's drunk driving conviction which he had not previously disclosed. Another reason was the campaign run by the NDP that year, which many saw as too scripted in an attempt to run a safe campaign.

Chisholm unexpectedly resigned the leadership after the campaign, and was succeeded by Helen MacDonald. He did not run for re-election as an MLA in 2003.

Chisholm is currently the Regional Director for the Atlantic Region for the Canadian Union of Public Employees. [ [http://cupe.ca/communications/Robert_Chisholm_name] ]