Kevin Deveaux

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Kevin Deveaux bigraphy, stories - Canadian politician

Kevin Deveaux : biography

September 24, 1966 –

Kevin Deveaux (born September 24, 1966) is a Canadian lawyer and an international expert on parliaments and political parties who worked for the United Nations as the senior global adviser on parliaments and their development from 2008-2012. He served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the constituency of Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. He was first elected in 1998 and was re-elected in 1999, 2003 and 2006. He also worked for the National Democratic Institute in promoting good governance, transparent and accountable parliaments and effective political parties.

Career

Law

In 1989, after completing law school, Deveaux articled with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General at the Ministry of Labour Legal Services Branch, between 1989 and 1990 and continued to work at that location until 1992. As a Crown Attorney for the Ontario Ministry of Labour he prosecuted corporations that violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act. He also represented workers before administrative tribunals commissioned under the Employment Standards Act.

In 1992, Deveaux returned to Nova Scotia where he worked first with the City of Halifax, and then with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice as a Crown Attorney. From 1993 to 1996, he worked with the Nova Scotia Department of Labour as a Legislation and Policy Review Officer. In that position, he worked with labour and management in drafting the new Occupational Health and Safety Act.

In 1995, Deveaux was selected to work with the United Nations International Labour Organization in China. He worked in Beijing with the Chinese Government, employers and unions to draft workplace protection legislation. From 1996 until his election in 1998, Deveaux worked with the Nova Scotia Workers’ Adviser Program, representing injured workers.

Politics

In 1998, Deveaux was one of 19 Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (NDP) MLAs elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the first minority parliament in the history of Nova Scotia. During his second term, Deveaux was appointed Deputy Speaker in the House of Assembly.

Deveaux was re-elected in 2003 http://www.cbc.ca/nsvotes2003/riding/015/ during the second minority government in Nova Scotia history. He was appointed House Leader for the Official Opposition. During this term Deveaux was the author of the significant amendments to the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code,http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/59th_1st/3rd_read/b002.htm#text ensuring the passage of expanded vacation benefits, access to overtime pay, and the establishment of sick leave. In addition, the amendments adopted a minimum wage review committee that has subsequently resulted in a minimum wage within Nova Scotia that has increased significantly.http://www.gov.ns.ca/lae/employmentrights/docs/MinimumWageReportDec09.pdf In 2004 he also worked closely with MLAs from other parties to advocate for the passage of the French-language Services Act,http://nslegislature.ca/legc/index.htm providing for the first time a guarantee of access to provincial services for francophone Nova Scotians.

In 2006, Deveaux was re-elected for the fourth time http://www.cbc.ca/nsvotes2006/riding/015/ and continued his role as House Leader for the Official Opposition. Among other legislative initiatives, Deveaux was an advocate for the community safety, directly resulting in the passage of the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act http://nslegislature.ca/legc/index.htm by the Conservative Government of the day.

During his terms in office, Deveaux was the NDP critic (shadow minister) for Justice, Acadian Affairs, Education, Finance and the Treasury and Policy Board.

Parliamentary development

In 2001 Deveaux began his first assignment in the field of international democratic governance. Between 2001 and 2006 he worked for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) offices in Kosovo, Cambodia, Egypt and Iraq. There he drafted parliamentary rules of procedure and legislation, including the Kosovo Access to Information Act, and provided consultations and advice to MPs and senior government officials. He was Head of Mission for elections observations in Palestine in 2005.