Michael Baker (politician)

Michael Gilbert Baker, ONS QC (January 28, 1957 – March 2, 2009) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Lunenburg in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly between 1998 and 2009. He was a Progressive Conservative.[1]


Michael Baker

Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
for Lunenburg
In office
March 24, 1998  March 2, 2009
Preceded byLila O'Connor
Succeeded byPam Birdsall
Minister of Finance
In office
February 23, 2006  February 22, 2009
PremierRodney MacDonald
Preceded byPeter G. Christie
Succeeded byChris d'Entremont
Minister of Justice and
Attorney General of Nova Scotia
In office
August 16, 1999  February 23, 2006
PremierJohn Hamm
Preceded byRobbie Harrison
Succeeded byMurray Scott
Personal details
Born(1957-01-28)January 28, 1957
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
DiedMarch 2, 2009(2009-03-02) (aged 52)
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Political partyProgressive Conservative
Occupationlawyer

Early life and career

Born in 1957 at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Baker was a graduate of Dalhousie Law School.[2] He practiced law at Hennigar, Wells, Lamey & Baker in Mahone Bay and Chester and as a solicitor for the Town of Mahone Bay.[3] He was past president of Lunenburg County Barristers Association, member of Nova Scotia Barristers Society Council, and Director of Marine Atlantic.[2] Baker was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1999.[2]

Political career

Baker entered provincial politics in 1998, defeating Liberal incumbent Lila O'Connor by 132 votes in the Lunenburg riding.[4][5] In the 1999 election, Baker was re-elected, defeating O'Connor by over 2200 votes.[6] In August 1999, Baker was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.[7] In December 2001, Baker was given an additional role in cabinet as Chair of Treasury and Policy Board.[8] In a December 2002 cabinet shuffle, Baker was moved to Minister of Transportation and Public Works.[9] He was re-elected in the 2003 election,[10] and was re-appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, retained Chair of Treasury and Policy Board, and given a new role as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs in a post-election cabinet shuffle.[11]

When Rodney MacDonald took over as premier in February 2006, Baker was named Minister of Finance, and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.[12] In May 2006, Baker underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor,[13] but still ran for re-election in June 2006, winning his seat by 1300 votes.[14] Following the election, Baker retained his cabinet positions,[15] and continued to serve despite facing more serious health issues.[16] As of January 2009, Baker was still planning on reoffering in the next election, but his condition worsened and he stepped down from cabinet in February.[17] Baker died of cancer on March 2, 2009, at his home in Lunenburg. He was 52.[18]

In 2009, he was a posthumous recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia.[19][20]

References

  1. "Electoral History for Lunenburg" (PDF). Nova Scotia Legislative Library. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  2. "Cabinet biography". Nova Scotia Legislature. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  3. "Nova Scotia Tory was committed to public life". The Globe and Mail. March 16, 2009.
  4. "Election Returns, 1998 (Lunenburg)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-26. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  5. "Grit veterans swept away by 'orange tide'". The Chronicle Herald. March 25, 1998. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  6. "Election Returns, 1999 (Lunenburg)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  7. "Hamm shrinks cabinet". The Chronicle Herald. August 14, 1999. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  8. "Ron Russell named Deputy Premier, Michael Baker gains duties". Government of Nova Scotia. December 18, 2001. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  9. "Purves new health boss". The Chronicle Herald. December 20, 2002. Archived from the original on May 9, 2003. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  10. "Election Returns, 2003 (Lunenburg)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  11. "New faces, new jobs among 15 in cabinet". The Chronicle Herald. August 16, 2003. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  12. "MacDonald mixes cabinet with old and new". CBC News. February 23, 2006. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  13. "N.S. Finance Minister Michael Baker to undergo cancer surgery on neck". The Daily News. Halifax. May 3, 2006.
  14. "Election Returns, 2006 (Lunenburg)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  15. "MacDonald's expanded cabinet has 3 rookies". CBC News. June 26, 2006. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  16. "Michael Baker to continue treatment for cancer". Government of Nova Scotia. March 21, 2007. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  17. "Provincial finance minister Michael Baker steps down". Metro. Halifax. February 22, 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  18. "Nova Scotia's finance minister dies of cancer". CBC News. March 3, 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  19. "2009 Order of Nova Scotia recipients". Government of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  20. "Five awarded Order of N.S." Metro. Halifax. October 8, 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-24.


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