Purves New Chief of Staff

Longtime journalist and former provincial cabinet minister Jane Purves is Premier John Hamm's new chief of staff.

"I am delighted that Jane Purves has agreed to leave the private sector to return to government to help make a positive difference as my chief of staff," said Premier Hamm. "For many years she has made major contributions for a better province through her work in the media and as a key member of my cabinet. Her experience will be a major asset as our team continues to work with others to make minority government work for Nova Scotians."

Born in Halifax and a graduate of Dalhousie University, Ms. Purves worked for close to 20 years for the Halifax Herald Limited as a reporter and editor. From 1991 to 1999, she oversaw daily editorial operations for The Chronicle-Herald/Mail-Star as managing editor. She also served a term as a member of the national board of the Canadian Press.

In the July 1999 provincial general election, she was elected as the member of the legislative assembly for Halifax Citadel. She served as Minister of Education from August 1999 to December 2002, during which time she: -- worked with parents, educators and students to develop Learning for Life, the province's comprehensive plan to improve public education by putting a greater emphasis on the basics, such as math and literacy; -- made Canadian history a mandatory requirement for students to graduate from high schools; -- worked with the Finance Department to strengthen legislation to ensure greater accountability for tax dollars spent by school boards; -- ended the costly P3 method of constructing new schools; -- established the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning, helping thousands of Nova Scotians to upgrade their skills, working towards the completion of their high school education.

Following her appointment as Minister of Health in December 2002, Ms. Purves represented Premier Hamm during a meeting of Canada's premiers in January 2003 and a First Ministers' Meeting in February 2003. In March 2003, she introduced Your Health Matters, Nova Scotia's multi-year plan to hire more doctors, nurses and other health professionals, reduce wait times, expand support for seniors and encourage Nova Scotians to become healthier. After the 2003 provincial general election, Ms. Purves joined the Halifax Daily News as editor-in-chief and occasionally acted as a political commentator for CBC Radio and Television.

"It was an extremely difficult choice to leave journalism for the second time in my career, but I still believe in the importance of public service," said Ms. Purves. "I look forward to working with Premier John Hamm on delivering on his agenda for co- operation for building a better Nova Scotia."

Ms. Purves's appointment is effective Oct. 18. She replaces Jamie Baillie, who is leaving government to return to the private sector.