Former Nova Scotia premier John Hamm, the Pictou County physician who prescribed belt-tightening for the province's books, has died at age 88.

Straight-laced and soft spoken, he was first elected in 1993 and served as Nova Scotia's 25th premier from 1999 to 2006. He first lead a majority government before being held to a minority four years later.

But away from ballot boxes and budget debates, his personality was perhaps best captured by a single photo op: Smiling politicians posing at Halifax's …