Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Mike Smith (Nova Scotia politician)


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was no consensus. Plenty of sources cited, but lots of honest disagreement about the quality of the sources. I could relist this for another week, but I don't expect any consensus either way would emerge out of that. -- RoySmith (talk) 23:34, 24 March 2016 (UTC)

Mike Smith (Nova Scotia politician)

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WP:BLP of a politician with no strong claim to passing WP:NPOL: he's been the mayor of a small rural municipality not large enough to give him an automatic presumption of notability just for being a mayor, and a non-winning candidate for election to provincial office -- and the volume of reliable sourcing here is not strong enough to claim WP:GNG. Delete. Bearcat (talk) 01:56, 6 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Delete He fails our notability guideline for politicians. Cullen328  Let's discuss it  03:08, 6 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Politicians-related deletion discussions.  Vipinhari  &#124;&#124;  talk  08:58, 6 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Canada-related deletion discussions.  Vipinhari  &#124;&#124;  talk  08:58, 6 March 2016 (UTC)

Keep. There are enough references out there for him to squeak by WP:GNG. Here's a sampling:
 * http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mike-smith-launches-liberal-leadership-bid-1.643383
 * http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mcneil-new-n-s-liberal-leader-1.689242
 * http://www.trurodaily.com/Living/Education/2008-02-02/article-342253/SMITH-SAYS-SO-LONG-TO-POLITICS/1
 * http://www.ctvnews.ca/one-hopeful-so-far-for-n-s-liberal-leadership-1.224210
 * http://www.dailyxtra.com/canada/news-and-ideas/news/truro-rallies-council-rejects-rainbow-flag-53618 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tchaliburton (talk • contribs) 12:41, 6 March 2016‎ (UTC)

Keep - fits criteria #2 of WP:NPOL, as a local politician who has received significant media coverage. Ajraddatz (Talk) 18:59, 6 March 2016 (UTC)
 * This is clearly a tough case, and I can see the arguments against keeping the article. In particular, he is not apparently notable for his time a mayor. However, he received broad provincial coverage as part of his leadership run, and to me he is still notable enough within Nova Scotia to warrant an article, and barely meets the npol and GNG criteria. Ajraddatz (talk) 20:54, 14 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Changing to delete - while WP:ROUTINE is meant for events, not people, I think it makes quite a bit of sense in this case. The subject was only mentioned as part of a campaign, and there is nothing notable in the article other than details about him. That, combined with the lack of notability specifically about his local career, indicates to me that deletion is more appropriate in this case. This has been an interesting thought experiment surrounding this kind of notability, if nothing else. Ajraddatz (talk) 00:48, 23 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Bouncing around all over the place here :). Thanks for finding the extra sources; sounds to me like the subject now meets both WP:NPOL and WP:GNG and the article should be kept as such. Ajraddatz (talk) 19:01, 23 March 2016 (UTC)

Keep - I agree that the article's subject is notable by criteria #2 of wp:npol.--John Cline (talk) 22:08, 6 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Delete - Disagree John Cline & Ajraddatz. Standalone biography should be deleted. No claim for notability as a 'major' local political figure and media coverage above is not significant. As 1st mayor, his name could be added to Colchester County, Nova Scotia and that is all that is needed. Canuckle (talk) 18:31, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Delete. NN small-town politician. -- Necrothesp (talk) 15:18, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Nova Scotia-related deletion discussions. Shawn in Montreal (talk) 21:50, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

 Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
 * Delete at best as he's questionable for the applicable notability, nothing else currently convincing. SwisterTwister   talk  00:53, 14 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Delete - the regional coverage is WP:ROUTINE coverage of a political campaign. Other than that, doesn't meet WP:GNG, and doesn't pass WP:NPOL.  Onel 5969  TT me 12:31, 15 March 2016 (UTC)

Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks,  Sandstein   09:56, 16 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Weak Keep, he's not notable purely by virtue of being a county mayor, but I think the media coverage of his leadership bid might be just enough to squeak him over the line. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lankiveil (talk • contribs)


 * Keep changed to "delete" asserting "The subject was only mentioned as part of a campaign". I spent some time, and added two new paragraphs, and three four new references, that cover two other events, unconnected with his run for leadership of the Province's Liberal Party.  There has been a sea-change in attitudes towards Gay Rights.  Nine years ago his support was brave -- consider neighbouring Truro City Council voted the other way at 6 to 1.  I was struck by how vehement Smith was in denouncing floor crosser Karen Casey.  His language may not shock American readers, but it is pretty strong for Canada.  Geo Swan (talk) 17:38, 23 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Keep per WP:GNG. I count independent, verifiable sources from at least three different publications.--TM 17:44, 23 March 2016 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.