19 Jun Howard’s end

Howard Epstein will not be in Darrell Dexter’s first cabinet, nor will he be offered the Speaker’s chair. He may or may not be offered some sort of assistant ministerial position, akin to a parliamentary secretary in the federal cabinet, but it appears unlikely he will accept this. Word of the slight is rocketing around left circles in Halifax.

The only Jew currently serving in the legislature, Epstein is best known for his storng, somewhat inflexible, environmentalist views. He was director of the Ecology Action Centre from 1991 to 1994, the year he first won election to Halifax City Council, representing the city’s West End.

Epstein was one of 19  New Democrats elected in 1998, when then-leader Robert Chisholm came within a whisker of knocking off Premier Russell MacLellan’s Liberals. He has represented  Halifax Chebucto ever since.

Epstein was NDP critic for Conserve Nova Scotia, Intergovernmental Affairs, Gaming, and the Heritage Property Act in the last house.