In February, 1978, pollsters told Nova Scotia premier Gerald Regan that he was facing certain defeat in an election that could no longer be avoided. Despite the rout forecast, Mr. Regan wasn’t discouraged. Blessed with an irrepressible ego and supported by enthusiastic partisans, he believed that beating the Conservatives would be easy. That wasn’t the case. In September of that year, his Liberal government was summarily defeated. “Honest” John Buchanan held the premier’s office for the next 12 years.
