Ronald S. Russell (22 July 1926, Auckland, New Zealand) is a former politician and pilot living in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Russell was a pilot for the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the Second World War, and later joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Russell was educated at the Ryerson Institute of Technology and Queen's University. He retired from the RCAF in 1973, and then worked several years as the Manager of Halifax International Airport.
Russell served five years on the municipal council for West Hants before entering provincial politics. He was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 1978 general election and was re-elected in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1998, 1999, and 2003; holding the seat until his retirement in 2006.
Russell was Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia on three occasions, from 1978 to 1980, from 1991 to 1993 and again from 1998 until 1999. He was the first Speaker to be elected by his peers rather than be appointed by the Premier. He served in the Executive Council of Nova Scotia holding various portfolios under four different Premiers. He was Minister of Consumer Affairs from 1980 to 1981, of Health from 1985 to 1987, and was Solicitor General from 1987 to 1989 under Premier John Buchanan. He was Labour Minister from 1989 to 1991 under Roger Stuart Bacon.
Russell married Anna Isfeld.
Famous quotes containing the word russell:
“Dear common flower, that grow’st beside the way,
Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold,
First pledge of blithesome May,
Which children pluck, and, full of pride, uphold,
Hight-hearted buccaneers, o’erjoyed that they
An Eldorado in the grass have found,
Which not the rich earth’s ample round
May match in wealth—thou art more dear to me
Than all the prouder summer-blooms may be.”
—James Russell Lowell (1819–1891)