Mat Whynott was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2009 for the constituency of Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville. At the age of 23 he was elected as the the youngest MLA in Nova Scotia history*. In June of 2009 he was named the Government Caucus Whip and serves on the legislative committees of Public Accounts, Human Resources and Assembly Matters.

Before becoming an MLA, Mat was an Outreach Assistant at the NDP Caucus office. He was a guest speaker at an international conference in Trinidad and Tobago and he has represented Canada at the United Nations, speaking at the UN's World Program of Action for Youth. From 2004-2008 he was appointed by the Government of Nova Scotia to be the Co-Chair of the Nova Scotia Youth Advisory Council. He has also served on federal and provincial government committees for tobacco control.

In 2006 Mat was selected for an all-party group to travel to the Middle East in conjunction with the Canada Israel Committee to learn, first-hand, about the conflict.

Mat has been involved with many groups and organizations including the Knox United Church Council in Lower Sackville, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Dal/IWK Adolescent Mental Health Committee and the Sherbrooke Lake United Church Camp. Mat has also been working with the Cobequid Community Health Board in conjunction with the Youth at Risk Network to establish a Youth at Risk Centre for the Cobequid Health Region.

Mat is also currently majoring in political science at St. Mary's University. He lives in Lucasville with his fiancee Charlotte.

*note: confirmed by the Nova Scotia Legislative Library