Mark Parent

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Mark Parent
Mark Parent

Mark Parent, MLA


Incumbent
Assumed office 
1999
Preceded by George Archibald

Born August 25, 1954
Port Williams, Nova Scotia
Political party Progressive Conservative
Occupation Pastor

Mark Parent (August 25, 1954-) is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, Canada for the constituency of Kings North. He sits as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia. Since June 27, 2006 he has served as Minister of Environment and Labour.

Parent was born in Port Williams on Aug. 25, 1954. 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.

The son of missionary parents, Parent grew up in Bolivia, South America. He is fluent in Spanish. 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.

Parent is the published author of two books and four academic journal articles and has also written as a newspaper columnist and volunteered with the Rotary Club of Kentville and the Canning and Area Lions Club.

Parent's first wife died in 1998, after which he decided to enter public life and sought the PC Party nomination for the electoral district of Kings North. He was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2006 with majorities.

He has served on the Legislature’s Human Resources and Community Services Committees and was recently Vice Chair of the Economic Development and a member of the Public Accounts and Law Amendments Committees. Early in 2006, Premier Rodney MacDonald appointed Parent as Deputy House Leader. Has has since been appointed to cabinet in the new Legislature.

Parent is married to his second wife Margie Jenkins and together they have five grown children.

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