A gamble by incumbent Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston to discard the first law his government passed and swap a July election for a snap poll at the end of November has paid off.
After months of telegraphing his early election plan, Houston made the call on Oct. 27, triggering a short one-month campaign period he said was necessary to get more from the federal government.
Advance polling showed a drop in the number of people turning out to vote in the election — something Liberal Party Leader Zach Churchill said was likely due to “election fatigue” after the U.S. presidential election.
The Progressive Conservatives’ gamble, however, has rewarded him with a sizeable win across the province.
By late Tuesday night, the Progressive Conservatives remained in the 40-seat range, with 10 going to the NDP. The Liberals were between two and four seats, with one Independent.
At dissolution, the PCs held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature. The Liberals held 14 seats, the NDP had six and there was one Independent.
“This is an incredible night,” Houston told supporters on Tuesday night.
“So much is possible for this province, and I promise you I will do everything I can to make it happen for this province, to make it happen for you and for your family.”
A successful gamble with a cost
In October 2021, Houston’s government introduced a law to set the election for July 15, 2025, a move that he promised would bring “confidence” for voters in the province’s electoral system.
“Having a fixed date will mean predictability, transparency and it will limit any perceived advantage by the government to control the timing of the next election,” Houston said at the time.
“The changes we are proposing will also allow Elections Nova Scotia to better plan for future elections, which can result in significant cost savings.”
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Three years later, Houston threw out that promise without a fixed-term election ever being held in the province.
The move brought forward Nova Scotia’s election by more than half-a-year and left the province’s elections body scrambling to plan a snap ballot and likely wiped out…
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