Liberal Premier Stephen McNeil: Nova Scotia’s soft-spoken fiscal hawk
HALIFAX — Stephen McNeil is a soft-spoken man with a lower-register voice and a somewhat imposing 6-foot-5 frame. He doesn’t always exude warmth on TV, and he understands that.
“Some might see me as a bit stiff and not as jovial as I really am,” said the 52-year-old Liberal premier. “For most Nova Scotians, that’s how they know me, through the television screen.”
David Johnson, a political science professor at Cape Breton University, said that is McNeil’s biggest challenge as he seeks a second straight majority in the May 30 election: his image, as conveyed through the mainstream media.
“I’ve always sensed that for a Nova Scotia premier to do well, they need to be seen as avuncular — everyone’s favourite uncle,” Johnson said.