Kevin Deveaux

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kevin Deveaux (born 24 September 1966) was 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.

Kevin was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 24, 1966. The youngest of five children, he attended school in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia and Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, graduating from Cole Harbour District High School in 1984. His Father, Eugene "Jeep" Deveaux was the municipal councillor for the community for 24 years, from 1972 to 1996.

From 1984 to 1986, Kevin attended St. Mary's University, studying for a Bachelor in Commerce. Prior to finishing his degree, Kevin was accepted at Osgoode Hall Law School and graduated from York University in 1989. He articled with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, with the Ministry of Labour Legal Services Branch, between 1989 and 1990 and continued to work at that location until 1992.

In 1992, Kevin returned to Nova Scotia where he worked first with the City of Halifax, and then with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice where he worked as a Crown Attorney. From 1993 to 1996, Kevin 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, Kevin 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 Kevin worked with the Nova Scotia Workers' Adviser Program, representing injured workers who had claims with the Workers' Compensation Board.

Kevin has also worked more recently in the field of international democratization and good governance with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI). He has worked in Kosovo, Cambodia and the Middle East. He has drafted parliamentary rules of procedure and legislation and has provided consultations to MPs and senior government officials in those countries where he has worked.

Kevin is the NDP critic for Justice, Acadian Affairs and the Treasury and Policy Board. He is also the Official Opposition House Leader. From 1999 to 2003 he was the Deputy Speaker in the House of Assembly.

Kevin is married to Megan (nee: McKay) and they have a son, Ewan and a daughter, Flavie. They reside in Cow Bay.

On Jan. 24, 2007, Kevin announced he was resigning his position as an NDP MLA to work in Vietnam for the United Nations. He was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme as the Senior Technical Adviser to the Vietnam National Assembly. This work is a natural extension of the work Kevin had been doing overseas.