Moldy Peaches

Nova Scotia's Conservative party chose Cape Bretoner, and professional fiddler, Rodney MacDonald, 34, as their leader and the province's new premier following a dramatic convention tonight in Halifax.

MacDonald - is a former gym teacher, a St. Francis Xavier graduate and tourism minister - will officially be sworn in as premier later this month. He will become the youngest premier in Canada.

Mr. MacDonald won a second-ballot victory at the Halifax Metro Centre over former insurance executive Bill Black, a 54-year-old political neophyte and former CEO of Maritime Life. Mr. MacDonald received 1,263 votes to Mr. Black's 855. Former Finance Minsiter Neil LeBlanc, who finished third, was the kingmarker throwing his support behind MacDonald.

MacDonald will inherit a somewhat stable minority government from outgoing Premier John Hamm, who announced his retirement last fall after a decade in public life.

If MacDonald wanted to move Nova Scotia into the 20th century, he could allow Sunday shopping. It is time to get past the judo-Christian bent.

FYI - Hamm, a former doctor, is rumoured to go to Ottawa to head Stephen Harper's wait time reduction project.