Prior to his election to the legislature, Delorey was a professor of business management at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. He has also worked as an advocate for community-based education in rural Nova Scotia during controversial school closures in rural Nova Scotia, during which over twenty rural schools were in review for possible closure. Delorey received a Bachelor of Information Systems degree from St. Francis Xavier University, an MBA from the Université de Moncton, and he is a PhD candidate in management at Saint Mary's University.
Political career
Delorey entered provincial politics in 2013, defeating Progressive Conservative Darren Thompson and New Democrat cabinet minister Maurice Smith in the Antigonish riding. On October 22, 2013, Delorey was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Environment and Minister of Gaelic Affairs. Since being appointed Minister of Environment, he has passed the Importation of Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater Prohibition Act, and has taken steps to deal with the seven million gallons of wastewater in Debert, Nova Scotia. In March 2014, he provided conditional approval for the Goldboro, Nova ScotiaLiquefied Natural Gas project, which will turn Goldboro into the “energy hub” of Nova Scotia by 2018. The project will lead to a marine terminal and a natural gas liquefaction plant in that community. In July 2014, Delorey signed an agreement with Pictou Landing First Nation after a blockade of the Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility used by the Northern Pulp mill. The agreement allowed Northern Pulp to continue its work to repair a broken pipe that had spilled effluent near a First Nations burial ground, and will lead to a timeline for the closure of the Boat Harbour Effluent Treatment Facility. On July 24, 2015, premier Stephen McNeil shuffled his cabinet, naming Delorey as Minister of Finance. Delorey was re-elected in the Antigonish riding following the 40th Provincial General Election on May 30, 2018. He defeated Progressive Conservative Ray Mattie, New Democrat Moraig MacDonald, and Atlantica candidate Ryan Smyth. Liberals and Progressive Conservatives saw their vote shares increase from the previous election while the NDP saw a decline. On June 15, 2017, premier Stephen McNeil shuffled his cabinet, naming Delorey as Minister of Health and Wellness.
