# Iain Rankin

Iain Thomas Rankin MLA (born April 9, 1983) is a Canadian politician who served as the 29th premier of Nova Scotia from February 23, 2021, to August 31, 2021. He serves in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, representing the electoral district of Timberlea-Prospect . Rankin was first elected in the 2013 Nova Scotia general election and was re-elected in the 2017, the 2021 and the 2024 general elections. On February 6, 2021, Rankin was announced the Leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party after a competitive leadership race.
On February 23, 2021, Rankin became the 29th premier of Nova Scotia. Rankin called an election for August 17, 2021, which his Liberal Party lost to the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia led by Tim Houston. Rankin left office as Premier on August 31, 2021.
Rankin thereafter served as Leader of the Opposition in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. On January 5, 2022, Rankin announced that he will resign as leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party once a new leader is chosen. He was succeeded as leader by Zach Churchill in the 2022 leadership election. He currently serves as the House Leader for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.
He, MLAs John Lohr and current premier Tim Houston are the longest serving current members of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, all three having first been elected at the 2013 provincial election.

## Early life and education

Iain Thomas Rankin was born in Inverness, Nova Scotia, and grew up in Timberlea. He is the son of long-term Halifax city councillor Reg Rankin. Rankin graduated from Sir John A. Macdonald High School in 2001. He received a diploma in Professional Golf Management from Holland College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mount Saint Vincent University in 2006 and a Masters of Arts in International Politics at CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels.
Before entering politics, Iain was employed as an operations manager and as a project manager. He was the Director of Operations for Dymon Storage Corporation, in Ottawa, Ontario. After returning to Nova Scotia in 2011, Iain successfully managed the launch, as an operating partner, of Premiere Self Storage, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He went on to work as a project manager in the commercial division of Armco Capital.

## Advocacy

Rankin, a rescue dog owner, supported the Nova Scotia government's plan to outlaw tying pets up for longer than 12 hours. In 2014 with the support of local residents, Rankin participated in a campaign with lawn signs targeting speeders with a message to slow down. Through a private member's bill and was passed by the legislature, Rankin submitted Bill 176 which will restrict Otter Lake Waste Facility to its current height and size.
In 2015, Rankin chaired an all-Party working group established by the Committee on Assembly Matters. He introduced a motion to approve the Nova Scotia House of Assembly policy on prevention and resolution of harassment in the workplace, drafted by the all-Party working group established by this committee on September 28, 2015.
In April 2016, Rankin participated at the Community Services Standing Committee and introduced a motion asking that full funding for the Nova Scotia Association for Community Living (NSACL) be reinstated.
In November 2016, after the submissions were heard at Law Amendments Committee, Rankin proposed a motion to stand The Accessibility Act for further consultation, quoted as saying "We have a moral obligation to get this bill right."
During Rankin's time at Law Amendments Committee, Bill 59 (the Accessibility Act) was amended after witnesses appeared and staff consulted with representatives of persons with disabilities. It was moved to the Department of Justice and passed, in April 2017, with the intent of making the province accessible by 2030.
Rankin participated in a virtual event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children in June 2021, speaking alongside MLA Tony Ince, Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, Judge Corrine Sparks and Rev. Rhonda Britton.

## Political career

Rankin first ran for public office in the 2013 Nova Scotia general election and was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. During his first term, he served as the Liberal caucus chair. He was vice-chair of the public accounts committee, and a member of the assembly matters and the private and local bills committees. He was also a member of the House of Assembly Management Commission.
On June 15, 2017, Rankin was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Environment. Rankin hired the first dedicated crown prosecutor to handle cases related to the Environment Act, food safety, public health, meat inspection, fisheries and aquaculture, animal welfare, natural resources and the fur industry. Rankin passed legislation to introduce a cap and trade system in Nova Scotia. As Minister of Environment, Rankin joined other leaders across the continent agreeing to regional cooperation on carbon pricing in the Americas.
On July 5, 2018, Rankin was moved to Minister of Lands and Forestry in a cabinet shuffle. While Minister of Lands and Forestry, Rankin secured $47.9 million to clean up two former gold mines in what was the beginning of a project to evaluate and clean up all of the abandoned mine sites in Nova Scotia. Rankin signed the first ever Mi'kmaq Forest Initiative giving the Mi’kmaq forest planning and management responsibility on two blocks of Crown land, totalling about twenty-thousand hectares.
Rankin resigned from cabinet in October 2020 and announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

### 2021 Liberal leadership contest

On October 5, 2020, Rankin launched his campaign for Leadership of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, following Premier Stephen McNeil's announcement that he would be stepping down from his office. The other candidates in this contest were fellow former cabinet ministers Randy Delorey and Labi Kousoulis.
On February 6, 2021, Rankin was announced the Leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, and premier-designate of Nova Scotia.

### Premier of Nova Scotia

On February 23, 2021, Iain Rankin became the 29th Premier of Nova Scotia, succeeding Stephen McNeil following a competitive leadership election. Following his election, he called a legislative session to pursue his legislative agenda, including an increase of $100 a month for all adults on income assistance, the largest single increase in the program's history, and efforts to address systemic racism and advance equality issues. These included passage of the Emancipation Day Act, which formally recognizes the day the British Parliament abolished slavery, and the Land Titles Initiative Acceleration Act, a bill that will help speed up the process of settling land titles for people living in historically Black communities. Rankin also appointed Andrea Anderson as the province's public service commissioner, the first person of colour to head the commission. Rankin created new Offices for Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, as well as Mental Health and Addictions. Rankin signed a $605 million agreement with the federal government to establish $10 per day childcare in Nova Scotia, by 2026.
Through the new Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, Rankin announced the creation of a working group that would help with race-based data collection. The data would be used to help improve equity, inclusion and diversity in health care and address racism. To help address systemic racism in the justice system Rankin announced $4.8 million to establish the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute.
On his first day in office, Rankin announced incentives for the purchase of new and used electric vehicles as well as energy efficiency support for low-income Nova Scotians. In his throne speech, Rankin announced a commitment to get Nova Scotia off coal by 2030, ten years earlier than previously planned. The Environment Department was renamed Environment and Climate Change to highlight Rankin's commitment to the issue, and all mandate letters to ministers noted the need to consider climate change and for it to factor into their respective policy and program decisions. The Rankin government announced 61 more wilderness areas, nature reserves and provincial parks.
In recognition of Mi’kmaq people, language, and the significant geographical location, Rankin unveiled a new sign in Mi’kmaq, labelled "Pjila’si Unama’kik", at the causeway in Cape Breton, along with Mi’kmaq elders and chiefs.
The Rankin government invested $5 million to help make the sports more inclusive and accessible. The biggest investment in community and amateur sport in recent history.
Former premier Rodney MacDonald joined Rankin, in Mabou, to announce the creation of a satellite campus in Mabou for the Gaelic College, called Beinn Mhabu. The province invested 1.92 million to renovate St Joseph’s convent. It opened in September, of 2023. Rankin was also responsible for launching a new Forest innovation Centre at the Nova Scotia Community College. The first forestry training facility in the province.
In April 2021, following a spike in COVID-19 cases, Rankin enacted lockdown measures which brought case numbers down, and case numbers remained low for the remainder of his tenure. Nova Scotia maintained the highest vaccination rates in Canada. Rankin launched a plan to add 264 new long-term care beds and replace 1,298 beds at 14 nursing homes and three residential care facilities across the province.
In June 2021, with the Liberal government enjoying a 75% approval rating, Rankin called for an election. While the Liberals focused on their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Progressive Conservatives ran a campaign that was largely focused on the ongoing Healthcare crisis in Nova Scotia. Despite starting the campaign with a lead of 8 points in the polls, the Progressive Conservatives, led by Tim Houston, won a majority government. This marked the first time since 2006 that the Progressive Conservatives had won an election in Nova Scotia. Rankin claimed full responsibility for the loss. Rankin left office as Premier on August 31, 2021.

### Post-premiership

Rankin thereafter served as Leader of the Opposition. On January 5, 2022, Rankin announced that he will resign as leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party once a new leader is chosen. He was succeeded as Liberal leader and Leader of the Opposition by Zach Churchill after the 2022 leadership election.
As of September 22, 2024, Rankin serves as the Official Opposition critic for Environment and Climate Change, Justice, and Gaelic Affairs.
In the 2024 general election, the Liberals lost twelve seats including that of party leader Churchill, as Rankin and Derek Mombourquette were the only Liberal candidates elected.

## Personal life

Rankin was convicted of impaired driving in 2003.
He is married to Mary Chisholm. Rankin and Chisholm have a daughter, Freya Rose Rankin, born in November 2021.

## Bills introduced

| Assembly | Act Title | Date |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Carbon Rebate Act | November 4, 2021 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Clean Electricity and Technology Tax Credit Act | April 3, 2023 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit Act | April 12, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Energy Efficiency Leader Act | April 3, 2023 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (amended) | April 6, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Green Fund Protection Act | November 1, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Health Protection Act (amended) | April 19, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Judicial Appointments Act | April 12, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Public Utilities Act (amended) | November 4, 2021 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Ratepayers Protection Act | March 31, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Redressing Harm and Environmental Racism Act | October 18, 2021 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Sales Tax Act (amended) | October 27, 2022 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Time Definition Act(amended) | November 3, 2021 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Workers' Compensation Act (amended) | October 14, 2021 |
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Youth Food Security Act | March 23, 2022 |
| Assembly 63, Session 2 | Biodiversity Act | March 25, 2019 |
| Assembly 63, Session 1 | Environment Act (amended) | September 29, 2017 |
| Assembly 62, Session 3 | Halifax Rifles Armoury Association (repealed) | November 10, 2016 |
| Assembly 62, Session 2 176 | Otter Lake Landfill Act * | May 20, 2016 |

## Electoral record

2021 Nova Scotia Liberal Party Leadership Election :
| Candidate | Ballot 1 | Ballot 1 | Ballot 2 | Ballot 2 |
| Name | Votes | Points | Votes | Points |
| Iain Rankin | 3,075 39.02% | 2,206.00 40.11% | 3,988 52.31% | 2,882.31 52.41% |
| Labi Kousoulis | 2,904 35.71% | 2,023.69 36.79% | 3,636 47.69% | 2,617.69 47.59% |
| Randy Delorey | 1,895 24.05% | 1,270.31 23.10% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| TOTAL | 7,881 | 5,500 | 7,624 | 5,500 |
2021 Nova Scotia general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Iain Rankin | 5,181 | 54.38 | +4.48 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Bill Healy | 2,320 | 24.35 | +0.64 |
| | New Democratic | Raymond Theriault | 1,647 | 17.29 | -3.78 |
| | Green | Harry Ward | 250 | 2.62 | -1.32 |
| | Independent | Dawn Edith Penney | 90 | 0.94 | |
| | Atlantica | Dessire G. Miari | 40 | 0.42 | -0.96 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 9,528 | 99.69 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 30 | 0.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,558 | 55.68 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 17,165 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +1.92 |
2017 Nova Scotia general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Iain Rankin | 4,272 | 49.90 | -2.03 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tim Kohoot | 2,030 | 23.71 | +4.85 |
| | New Democratic | Linda Moxsom-Skinner | 1,804 | 21.07 | -4.83 |
| | Green | Kai Trappenberg | 337 | 3.94 | +0.44 |
| | Atlantica | Matt Mansfield | 118 | 1.38 | +1.38 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 8,561 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 37 | 0.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,598 | 53.87 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 15,962 |
2013 Nova Scotia general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | Iain Rankin | 4,471 | 51.93 | +33.78 |
| New Democratic | Linda Moxsom-Skinner | 2,230 | 25.90 | -44.31 |
| Progressive Conservative | Bruce Pretty | 1,608 | 18.86 | +10.17 |
| Green | Thomas Trappenberg | 300 | 3.50 | +0.55 |