Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Birth Name: | Kelly Maureen Smith |
Kelly Regan | |
Honorific-Suffix: | MLA |
Office1: | Deputy Premier of Nova Scotia |
Term Start1: | February 23, 2021 |
Term End1: | August 31, 2021 |
Premier1: | Iain Rankin |
Predecessor1: | Karen Casey |
Successor1: | Allan MacMaster |
Assembly2: | Nova Scotia House of |
Constituency Am2: | Bedford Basin Bedford (2009-2021) |
Term Start2: | 9 June 2009 |
Predecessor2: | Len Goucher |
Successor2: | incumbent |
Office3: | Minister of Community Services |
Premier3: | Stephen McNeil Iain Rankin |
Term Start3: | 15 June 2017 |
Term End3: | 31 August 2021 |
Predecessor3: | Joanne Bernard |
Successor3: | Karla MacFarlane |
Office4: | Minister of Labour and Advanced Education |
Premier4: | Stephen McNeil |
Term Start4: | 22 October 2013 |
Term End4: | 15 June 2017 |
Predecessor4: | Marilyn More |
Successor4: | Labi Kousoulis |
Office5: | Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act |
Premier5: | Stephen McNeil |
Term Start5: | 22 October 2013 |
Term End5: | 31 August 2021 |
Predecessor5: | Marilyn More |
Successor5: | Karla MacFarlane |
Office6: | Chief Opposition Whip |
Term Start6: | 12 January 2012 |
Term End6: | 22 October 2013 |
Office7: | Liberal Caucus Chair |
Term Start7: | 17 March 2010 |
Term End7: | 12 January 2012 |
Birth Date: | 4 February 1961 |
Birth Place: | Chatham, Ontario |
Website: | Official website |
Party: | Nova Scotia Liberal Party |
Profession: | Journalist |
Spouse: | Geoff Regan |
Children: | Caitlin, Nicole, and Harrison |
Residence: | Bedford, Nova Scotia |
Alma Mater: | University of Waterloo |
Kelly Maureen Regan (née Smith) MLA (born 4 February 1961) is a Canadian politician who has served in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly since 2009, most recently as the MLA for Bedford Basin. She was first elected as the Member for Bedford-Birch Cove. Since is a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.[1]
A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Regan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo in 1984.
Regan moved to Nova Scotia in 1984 where she began working at CFDR-AM as a reporter covering municipal politics. Her journalism career continued as news director at ATV / ASN for seven years where she won two awards for health documentaries. This was followed by various media and public relations projects.
Regan has been active in many community organizations, serving as a library volunteer at Sunnyside Schools, a member of the organizing committee of the annual Bedford volunteer awards, as executive member of Ridgevale Homeowners’ Association, and as an elder of Bedford United Church. She also serves as a judge for the Atlantic Journalism Awards. She is also a founding member of the Nova Scotia chapter of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan group dedicated to increasing the number of women elected in Canada.
In 2009 Regan successfully ran for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party nomination in the riding of Bedford-Birch Cove. She was elected in the 2009 provincial election, defeating Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Len Goucher.[2] [3] [4] The riding was renamed Bedford in 2012 and she was re-elected in this riding in the 2013 provincial election.[5]
On October 22, 2013, following the Liberal victory in the 2013 Nova Scotia general election Regan was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia to serve as Minister of Labour and Advanced Education and Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act.[6] On July 24, 2015, Regan was given an additional role in cabinet as minister responsible for youth.[7]
On June 15, 2017, following the Liberal re-election in the 2017 Nova Scotia general election Premier Stephen McNeil shuffled his cabinet, moving Regan to Minister of Community Services, while keeping her as Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act.[8] [9] Regan was Deputy Premier of Nova Scotia in the Rankin government from February 23, 2021 until August 31, 2021. Regan was re-elected in the 2021 election, however the Rankin Liberals lost government becoming the Official Opposition.[10] [11] In August 2022, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill appointed her Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition, Chair of the Legislature’s Public Accounts, and shadow minister for Skills and Labour. She is a member of the Legislature Internal Affairs Committee.
|-|Nova Scotia Liberal Party|Liberal|Kelly Regan|align="right"|5,831|align="right"|52.69|align="right"||-|Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive Conservative|Valerie White|align="right"|3,388|align="right"|30.61|align="right"||-|New Democratic Party|Mike Poworozynk|align="right"|1,362|align="right"|12.30|align="right"||-
|}
|-|Nova Scotia Liberal Party|Liberal|Kelly Regan|align="right"|6,081|align="right"|60.66|align="right"||-|Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive Conservative|Joan Christie|align="right"|2,026|align="right"|20.21|align="right"||-|New Democratic Party|Mike Poworozynk|align="right"|1,701|align="right"|16.97|align="right"||-
|}
|Nova Scotia Liberal Party|Liberal|Kelly Regan|align="right"|4,861|align="right"|44.48|align="right"||-|New Democratic Party|Brian Mosher|align="right"|3,552|align="right"|32.50|align="right"||-|Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive Conservative|Len Goucher|align="right"|2,268|align="right"|20.75|align="right"||-
|}
Regan married her husband Geoff, who was the Member of Parliament for Halifax West, in December 1993, and has three children, Caitlin, Nicole, and Harrison. She resides in Bedford.[12]
She is the granddaughter in law of John Harrison, daughter in law of Gerald Regan and sister in law of the longest host of CTV News at 5 (previously Live at 5) Nancy Regan and actress Laura Regan, of FOX's Minority Report.