It was becoming difficult to keep track of all the leaders and interim leaders of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party over the past few years. If the party had a vision, it certainly didn't have anyone with a familiar face impressing that vision upon the public.

Maybe the trek through the wilderness is over for the Grits with the election of Annapolis MLA Stephen McNeil as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia. Almost 1,400 delegates spoke at the leadership convention in Dartmouth Saturday, and despite candidates Mike Smith and Kenzie MacKinnon throwing their support behind Metro MLA Diana Whalen, the country boy was the popular choice 718 votes to 650 in the second ballot.

Why did the delegates elect McNeil? Perhaps former Liberal MLA and cabinet minister Ed Lorraine, from Colchester County (Smith's political mentor) said it best:

"Stephen’s from rural Nova Scotia, and he understand the problems," Lorraine said as he threw his support behind McNeil after the first ballot. Lorraine carries a lot of weight.

And so does it come down to urban vs rural? Maybe it does. Rural Nova Scotia has 60 per cent of the vote and McNeil won close to 60 per cent of the delegates' votes. McNeil has certainly voiced his concerns for the rural economy and the way of life he and many others see slipping away as the HRM economy thrives. But it's not all about rural Nova Scotia. McNeil as leader, and McNeil as Premier would deal fairly with both rural and urban communities. And that's not to say Whalen would not have done the same.

But McNeil's election as leader clearly indicates that Nova Scotians want somebody with an inherent knowledge of rural Nova Scotia -- as Lorraine implied. Rural Nova Scotians want to be sure, and McNeil's vision and passion more closely match their own.

"Every time this government turns its back on the people of Nova Scotia, they will hear me roar," McNeil said as he reached out to all Nova Scotians in his acceptance speach. It portends a Liberal 'Leo' leader and a party that has regained its voice.

Now the real work begins for McNeil and Nova Scotia Liberals. From leadership campaign to election campaign immediately isn't out of the question. When McNeil meets with riding association presidents within the next two months, potential candidates for the next election will no doubt be a top issue. And the party has to come up with good choices in a hurry.

At the same time building an election platform is a must, and developing ways to communicate each plank to voters is perhaps the most essential task for McNeil. As he freely admits, articulating the Liberal vision for Nova Scotia just didn't happen last time out -- and he believes Nova Scotians would have welcomed what his party offered had it been properly delivered on their doorsteps.

Of course the biggest hurdle facing McNeil's bid for the office of Premier isn't the Conservatives and Rodney MacDonald, it's Nova Scotians' flirtation with the NDP and their Metro stronghold. But a fiesty Whalen doing battle alongside other Liberal candidates in HRM, within a united Liberal party, could turn out to be one of McNeil's best assets.