Gerry Fogarty
Encyclopedia
Gerry Fogarty is a former sportscaster and politician. He was the last Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
to be appointed by the Premier rather than elected by his peers.
Fogarty was a Halifax, Nova Scotia based sportscaster for the CBC Radio
in the 1970s and 1980s and was known nationally for his on-air role during international hockey broadcasts carried on CBC.
He was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
representing Halifax Bedford Basin
as a Liberal
in the 1993 provincial election
and was appointed chairman of the legislature's community services committee which studied the introduction of casino
s to the province. In 1997, Fogarty was appointed Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
.
He was re-elected in the 1998 provincial election
The election resulted in a minority government
with the Liberals and NDP both winning 19 seats and the Progressive Conservatives winning 14. The choice of Speaker became a contentious issue with Liberal Premier Russell MacLellan
supporting Fogarty to continue in the position while the Opposition parties demanded that the Speaker be elected by the legislature rather than appointed by the Premier which had been the practice until then. The Liberals agreed to an election and the opposition Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats combined to defeat Fogarty and elect Conservative MLA Ronald Russell
as the new Speaker. Fogarty was also defeated in his attempt to win the position of Deputy Speaker by NDP MLA Donald Chard.
The government was defeated within a year and Fogarty did not re-offer in the 1999 provincial election
.
Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
The Speaker for the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia is the presiding Officer of the House of Assembly. Gordie Gosse is the current Speaker of the 61st General Assembly of Nova Scotia....
to be appointed by the Premier rather than elected by his peers.
Fogarty was a Halifax, Nova Scotia based sportscaster for the CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
in the 1970s and 1980s and was known nationally for his on-air role during international hockey broadcasts carried on CBC.
He was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...
representing Halifax Bedford Basin
Halifax Bedford Basin
Halifax Bedford Basin was a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elected one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. It existed from 1978 to 2003....
as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Nova Scotia
The Liberal Party of Nova Scotia is a political party in Nova Scotia, Canada.-Origins:The party is descended from the pre-Confederation Reformers in Nova Scotia who coalesced around Joseph Howe demanding the institution of responsible government...
in the 1993 provincial election
Nova Scotia general election, 1993
The 33rd Nova Scotia general election was held on May 25, 1993 to elect members of the 56th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Liberals under John Savage won a landslide victory over the unpopular Progressive Conservatives under Premier Donald Cameron, while Alexa...
and was appointed chairman of the legislature's community services committee which studied the introduction of casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s to the province. In 1997, Fogarty was appointed Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
The Speaker for the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia is the presiding Officer of the House of Assembly. Gordie Gosse is the current Speaker of the 61st General Assembly of Nova Scotia....
.
He was re-elected in the 1998 provincial election
Nova Scotia general election, 1998
The 34th Nova Scotia general election was held on March 24, 1998 to elect members of the 57th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Liberal party and the New Democratic Party tied in the seat count, with 19 each, while the Progressive Conservatives won 14 seats...
The election resulted in a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
with the Liberals and NDP both winning 19 seats and the Progressive Conservatives winning 14. The choice of Speaker became a contentious issue with Liberal Premier Russell MacLellan
Russell MacLellan
Russell Gregoire MacLellan is a Canadian politician who served as the 24th Premier of Nova Scotia from 1997 to 1999.MacLellan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
supporting Fogarty to continue in the position while the Opposition parties demanded that the Speaker be elected by the legislature rather than appointed by the Premier which had been the practice until then. The Liberals agreed to an election and the opposition Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats combined to defeat Fogarty and elect Conservative MLA Ronald Russell
Ron Russell
Ronald S. Russell is a former politician and pilot living in Nova Scotia, Canada.Russell was a pilot for the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the Second World War, and later joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Russell was educated at the Ryerson Institute of Technology and Queen's University...
as the new Speaker. Fogarty was also defeated in his attempt to win the position of Deputy Speaker by NDP MLA Donald Chard.
The government was defeated within a year and Fogarty did not re-offer in the 1999 provincial election
Nova Scotia general election, 1999
The 35th Nova Scotia general election was held on July 27, 1999, to elect members of the 58th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party, led by Dr...
.