Hello! I’m Robert Chisholm. This page was created so you can get to know me a little bit better. As a candidate for the leader of the NDP, I think it’s important that you understand both my past experience with leadership as well as some more personal aspects of my life. Below, you’ll find a timeline, a short video and a written biography. I’m also around on Twitter and Facebook if you want to connect with me personally!
I’d been an MLA since 1991, and leader of the Nova Scotia NDP for two years when we had our first big breakthrough. In the 1998 election we went from 4 to 19 seats. For the first time ever, the Nova Scotia NDP became the Official Opposition. People wondered how we did it, but it was quite simple: a handful of hardworking, dedicated people and I crisscrossed the province, attending meetings in church basements or living rooms or anywhere there were folks to talk to. Sometimes it was only four or five people, but that did not matter. I believe that every single New Democrat has ideas to share, and it was my duty to be accessible to them and to listen to what they had to say.
I’m proud of the role I played in helping lay the groundwork for a strong, stable NDP presence in Nova Scotia. The experience of leading that diverse and eager team of people – and of learning how to work together as an Official Opposition that could be reasonable with the government and resonate with people – was beyond compare.
When I left provincial politics in 2003, having stepped down as leader in 2000, my family was at the heart of my decision. My daughter, Jessie, and my wife, Paula had been so supportive and patient with my political career, but after 12 years, we needed our time together. Jessie was growing up quickly and I didn’t want to miss any more of her childhood. I knew how precious that time really was. The party was on solid ground, and the time was right for a change.
I soon found that there was important work to be done on behalf of the trade union movement. As a researcher, servicing rep, and finally Atlantic Regional Director for CUPE, I was able to use my deep commitment to fairness, respect and problem-solving to help working people throughout the region. In 2009, Paula and I founded our own business, Simon Chisholm Consulting, and shared our experience with clients in many sectors, all over the country.
When it became clear that we were heading for an election in early 2011, I knew I couldn’t sit back and watch the Conservatives dismantle all the things that we, as New Democrats, hold dear. I ran in the riding of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour and was the only candidate in Nova Scotia to defeat an incumbent. Jack Layton appointed me International Trade critic in our caucus, as well as critic for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Atlantic Gateway.
Now, we are at a pivotal moment in history, when so much is riding on the decisions we make and the actions we take. The NDP has to choose a new leader. Someone who can not only build on the great work and the legacy of people like Tommy Douglas, Alexa McDonough and Jack Layton, but someone who can lead and inspire a new generation of Canadians who care about the future, and want to see politics done differently. Done better. Someone who is real, and ready, and looking to bring people together, to build a party and a country and a world that is more compassionate, more just, and more committed to helping every person thrive.
So, I’m ready to get to work. And I want to start by having conversations with people all across Canada about the difference that a real leader can make.