The Savage Years

Published in 2000, this book offers a history of the reforms attempted by John Savage's Nova Scotia Liberal government in the mid-1990s, analyzing his successes and failures.

The short period of Liberal government that began in Nova Scotia in May 1993 was a unique period where major reforms were attempted simultaneously in health, education, municipal structure and economic policy. Under the leadership of former Dartmouth mayor and family physician, John Savage, many popular ideas about reinventing government were given a real-life test. In this book four political scientists record and analyze the experience

The Savage Years is a remarkable portrait of a courageous politician and of the challenges facing those who seek to reform traditional political cultures.