{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{for|the baseball player|Mark Parent (baseball)}} {{distinguish|Marc Parent (disambiguation){{!}}Marc Parent}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Mark Parent | image = <!-- only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people - see WP:NONFREE --> | image_size = 150px | caption = | honorific_suffix = ECNS | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|25|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Port Williams, Nova Scotia | assembly = Nova Scotia House of | constituency_AM = Kings North | term_start = July 27, 1999 | term_end = June 9, 2009 | predecessor = George Archibald | successor = Jim Morton | office2 = Minister of Environment and Labour | premier2 = Rodney MacDonald | term_start2 = June 26, 2006 | term_end2 = April 24, 2008 | predecessor2 = Carolyn Bolivar-Getson | successor2 = David Morse | office3 = Minister of the Environment | premier3 = Rodney MacDonald | term_start3 = April 24, 2008 | term_end3 = January 8, 2009 | predecessor3 = ''Ministry Created'' | successor3 = Sterling Belliveau | office4 = Minister of Labour and Workplace Development | premier4 = Rodney MacDonald | term_start4 = April 24, 2008 | term_end4 = January 8, 2009 | predecessor4 = ''Ministry Created'' | successor4 = Marilyn More | office5 = Minister of Agriculture | premier5 = Rodney MacDonald | term_start5 = January 8, 2009 | term_end5 = June 9, 2009 | predecessor5 = Brooke Taylor | successor5 = John MacDonell | party = Progressive Conservative | spouse = Cathy<br /> Margie Jenkins | occupation = Pastor }}
'''Mark Parent''' (born August 25, 1954) is a Canadian clergyman, author, academic, and former politician in Nova Scotia.
Parent is the son of Baptist missionaries Hazen Coles Parent and Hazel Mildred Anderson. Parent was raised in Bolivia, South America before returning to Canada for post secondary studies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, a Master of Divinity from Acadia Divinity College, and a Doctor of Philosophy from McGill University.
Parent served in various churches in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before returning home in 1994 to serve as pastor of the Pereaux United Baptist Church. During the late 1990s he was an associate professor of Religious Studies at Mount Allison University.
==Political career==
{{Quote box | quote = "Politics is the art of doing the impossible, with the unwilling, for the ungrateful." | source = Mark Parent<br />The Daily News<br />October 2, 1999 | width = 250px | align = left }} In 1997, Parent volunteered as the Policy Chair for the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.
In 1999 Parent successfully ran for the Progressive Conservative nomination in the riding of Kings North.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999/06/30+235.raw+PE99Jun30+2 |title=Parent Tory choice in Kings North |work=The Chronicle Herald |date=June 30, 1999 |accessdate=October 20, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124081152/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999%2F06%2F30%2B235.raw%2BPE99Jun30%2B2 |archivedate=January 24, 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was elected in the 1999 provincial election with 49.05% of the vote.<ref name=election99>{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/99KINGSN.pdf|title=Election Returns, 1999 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref>
As a legislator, Parent became known for speaking frankly both in the House of Assembly and to the media,<ref name="quitting">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/parent-contemplates-quitting-1.197721 |title=Parent contemplates quitting |publisher=CBC |date=November 2, 2000 |accessdate=November 4, 2023}}</ref><ref name="teachers">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/teacher-layoffs-prompt-debate-in-legislature-1.244851 |title=Teacher layoffs prompt debate in legislature |publisher=CBC |date=April 25, 2000 |accessdate=November 4, 2023}}</ref> and expressed dissatisfaction with how the legislature conducted its business.<ref name="bums">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mla-s-just-bums-in-chairs-says-politician-1.253249 |title=MLA's "just bums in chairs," says politician |publisher=CBC |date=December 1, 2000 |accessdate=November 4, 2023}}</ref>
Parent was re-elected in the 2003 provincial election with 50.2%.<ref name=election03>{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/03dist35.pdf|title=Election Returns, 2003 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref> In the 2006 election, Parent was re-elected with 50.07%.<ref name=election06>{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35_0.pdf|title=Election Returns, 2006 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref>
In 2006 Parent was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where he served as Minister of Environment and Labour.<ref name="cabinet">{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20060626001 |title=Premier Announces New Cabinet Lineup |date=June 26, 2006 |publisher=NS Government News Release |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="cabinet1">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/macdonald-s-expanded-cabinet-has-3-rookies-1.590233 |title=MacDonald's expanded cabinet has 3 rookies |date=June 26, 2006 |publisher=CBC |accessdate=November 4, 2023}}</ref> While Minister, Parent oversaw the division of the Department of Environment and Labour into two portfolios in April 2008, consisting of a separate Department of Environment and a separate Department of Labour and Workforce Development.<ref name="labour">{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20080424008 |title=Government Introduces New Department of Labour and Workforce Development |publisher=NS Government News Release |date=April 24, 2008 |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}</ref> Parent served as Minister for those portfolios until January 2009, when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture,<ref name="cabinet2">{{cite web |url=http://www.trurodaily.com/index.cfm?sid=208242&sc=518 |title=Cabinet shuffled |publisher=Canadian Press |date=January 8, 2009 |accessdate=November 4, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717110542/http://www.trurodaily.com/News/2009-01-08/article-343927/Cabinet-shuffled/1|archivedate=July 17, 2011}}</ref> just days before he was to release Nova Scotia's climate change plan.<ref name="cabinet3">{{cite web |url=http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/enviro-shakeup/Content?oid=1070548 |title=Morse's environmental shakeup |date=January 22, 2009 |publisher=The Coast |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="cabinet4">{{cite web |url=http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/163513 |title=Provincial cabinet gets long-awaited shuffle |date=January 7, 2009 |publisher=Metro |accessdate=December 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604225810/http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/163513 |archivedate=June 4, 2011 }}</ref> During his time in cabinet, Parent was also responsible for Part II of the Gambling Control Act, the Workers' Compensation Act (except Part II) and the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act.
Parent was defeated in the 2009 provincial election, with 36.08% of the vote in his riding.<ref name="cabinetdef">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/more-than-half-of-tory-cabinet-defeated-1.776502 |title=More than half of Tory cabinet defeated |date=June 9, 2009 |publisher=CBC |accessdate=March 18, 2014}}</ref><ref name="kingsnorth">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nsvotes2009/ridings/035/ |title=Nova Scotia Votes - Kings North |publisher=CBC |date=June 9, 2009 |accessdate=December 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name=election09>{{cite web|url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35.pdf|title=Election Returns, 2009 (Kings North)|publisher=Elections Nova Scotia|accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref>
==Electoral record==
===Federal=== {{2021 Canadian federal election/Kings—Hants}}
===Provincial=== {{Election box begin | title=2009 Nova Scotia general election<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=17 September 2014 |archive-date=11 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211162917/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist35.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}} |New Democrat |Jim Morton |align="right"|3,535 |align="right"|41.43 |align="right"| |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}} |Progressive Conservative |Mark Parent |align="right"|3,079 |align="right"|36.08 |align="right"| |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}} |Liberal |Shirley Fisher |align="right"|1,541 |align="right"|18.06 |align="right"| |- {{CANelec|NS|Green|Anna-Maria Galante-Ward|378|4.43|–}}
|}
{{CANelec/top|NS|2006|percent=yes}} {{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}} |Progressive Conservative |Mark Parent |align="right"|4153 |align="right"|50.07 |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}} |New Democrat |Jim Morton |align="right"|2190 |align="right"|26.40 |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}} |Liberal |Madonna Spinazola |align="right"|1757 |align="right"|21.18 {{CANelec|NS|Green|Chris Alders|195|2.35}} {{end}}
{{Election box begin | title=2003 Nova Scotia general election}} |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}} |Progressive Conservative |Mark Parent |align="right"|4063 |align="right"|50.2 |align="right"| |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}} |New Democrat |Jim Morton |align="right"|2340 |align="right"|29.91 |align="right"| |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}} |Liberal |Michael Landry |align="right"|1533 |align="right"|18.94 |align="right"| |- {{CANelec|NS|Marijuana|Ben "Budman" Friesen|157|1.94|}} |}
{{Election box begin | title=1999 Nova Scotia general election}} |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|PC|row}} |Progressive Conservative |Mark Parent |align="right"|4321 |align="right"|49.05 |align="right"| |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|NDP|row}} |New Democrat |Neil H. McNeil |align="right"|2513 |align="right"|28.53 |align="right"| |- {{Canadian party colour|NS|Liberal|row}} |Liberal |Peter Hill |align="right"|1975 |align="right"|22.42 |align="right"| |}
==Bibliography== * {{Cite book |last = Parent |first = Mark |authorlink = Mark Parent |title = Spiritscapes |publisher = Northstone |year = 1998 |isbn = 3-540-63293-X |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=W1tfx6Y46s0C&q=%22Mark%20Parent%22%20marries&pg=PP1}} * {{Cite news | last = Parent | first = Mark | title = Health care system must change or collapse | publisher = The Chronicle Herald | url = http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/health-care-system-must-change-or-collapse | date = October 17, 2009 | accessdate = December 7, 2009 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20091120225154/http://michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/health-care-system-must-change-or-collapse | archivedate = November 20, 2009 }}
==References== {{reflist |2}} {{refbegin}} * {{Cite web | author = John Decoste | title = Kings North Tories fete, roast Parent as thanks | publisher = The Advertiser | url = https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/federal-election/kings-north-tories-fete-roast-parent-as-thanks-84015/ | date = November 27, 2009 | accessdate = November 4, 2023 }} {{refend}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090620064648/http://markparent.ca/ Mark Parent's website]
{{Rodney MacDonald Ministry}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parent, Mark}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian non-fiction writers Category:Conservative Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Category:Writers from Nova Scotia Category:Politicians from Kings County, Nova Scotia Category:Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia MLAs Category:Members of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia Category:York University alumni Category:Acadia University alumni Category:McGill University alumni Category:Academic staff of Mount Allison University Category:20th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Category:21st-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly