Diana Whalen

Diana Whalen
Diana Whalen, MLA
MLA for Halifax Clayton Park
Incumbent
Assumed office  2003
Preceded by	new riding
Political party	Liberal
Occupation	accountant

Diana Whalen is a politician in Nova Scotia, Canada. She is the MLA for Halifax Clayton Park and the Deputy Leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

She graduated from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

In 1990, Whalen moved back to Halifax after living abroad for much of the 1980s. In 1995, she was part of the planning team for the G-7 Summit which took place in Halifax.

Whalen was a management consultant for 15 years.

In 2000, Whalen was elected to the Regional Council of the Halifax Regional Municipality for District 16: Clayton Park West, Rockingham, Prince's Lodge. She held this position until the summer of 2003 when she was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for the riding of Halifax Clayton Park as a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. [1] In 2004, Whalen's private members bill for mandatory booster seats was passed by the legislature. [2]

In the 2006 election, Whalen successfully held her seat and was re-elected, despite a strong campaign by NDP candidate Linda Power. [3]

On January 18th, 2007, Whalen confirmed after much speculation that she would run for the leadership of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. ^[1] She lost on the second ballot of the leadership to Annapolis MLA Stephen McNeil by 68 votes, despite the support of the two other candidates in the race, Kenzie MacKinnon and Mike Smith. ^[2] She is currently Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, and the critic for Health and Health Promotion. [4]

Whalen was re-elected in the 2009 election.

Whalen is married and has two children.

References

See also

Liberal Party of Nova Scotia leadership convention, 2007

External links

• Members of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly
• Liberal caucus profile