The Progressive Conservatives have won a landslide victory in Nova Scotia, with Tim Houston securing a second term as premier after making the decision to call a snap election.
Global News has declared a Tory majority government, with results showing the Tories are leading or elected in 41 seats.
Meanwhile, the Liberals are ahead in three ridings and the NDP are elected or leading in 10 ridings.
“It’s the greatest honour of my life, to take this stage tonight and serve every Nova Scotian as their premier for four more years,” Houston said during his victory speech in Pictou, N.S.
During a jubilant speech where he thanked his family, candidates and supporters, Houston said he would continue to “stand up” and speak out for Nova Scotians.
“When they try to rip Nova Scotians off with funding on the isthmus or a carbon tax, that doesn’t make sense. I will never let Ottawa take advantage of us without hearing from us,” he said to the crowd.
“I will never apologize for standing up for Nova Scotia or for standing up for you. So thank you to the Nova Scotians out there tonight listening. Thank you. We’re on a good roll. Let’s keep it rolling.”
The latest results mean Claudia Chender’s NDP are poised to form the Official Opposition, replacing the Liberals led by Zach Churchill.
During her speech to supporters Tuesday night, Chender thanked her team of candidates, campaign workers and supporters — as well as “Nova Scotians across this province for putting your faith in our amazing team.”
“Make no mistake, our vision for a different kind of government has struck a nerve. And I am here to tell you that the Nova Scotia NDP is on the rise,” she said to the crowd in Halifax.
Chender said she was proud to be the first woman to be elected leader of the Official Opposition in the province, and vowed to hit the ground running.
“Our caucus will be there. We will show up to work next week, and every day to work towards better, to fight for you and to hold Tim Houston and his giant band of MLAs to account,” she said.
Churchill was the last party leader to make a speech Tuesday night.
He said the Liberals fought hard and that he was proud of his candidates, but that “sometimes you lose.”
“We respect the voters’ decisions and accept with humility in our hearts and with peace in our hearts what they’ve decided tonight,” he said.
“This loss belongs to me and me alone. And I’m okay with that. But we’ve got to move forward as a party and as a community.”
He said he was proud of the campaign the Liberals ran, because it “wasn’t about mudslinging, it was about ideas that can really help people.”
Churchill added that he would be discussing his future as leader of the party with the local association and remaining caucus in the days to come.
At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature, the Liberals held 14 seats, while the NDP had six and there was one Independent.
Houston opted to call a snap election on Oct. 27 — ignoring his government’s election law, which for the first time in Nova Scotia set a fixed election date: July 15, 2025.
In 2021, Houston said the new law would “limit any perceived advantage by the government,” but told voters at the beginning of this snap election he needed a new mandate to send a strong message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It was a move that was criticized by both Churchill and Chender.
“It seems like the Liberals’ vote has collapsed, and we don’t know yet whether the Liberal voters decided to stay home or the Liberal voters decided to reallocate to other parties,” said Dalhousie University’s Lori Turnbull on Global News’ election special.
“But it looks like both the PCs and the NDP are benefiting from this collapse in the Liberals. And so that’s clearly the case inside the HRM.”
Global News Chief Political Correspondent David Akin says the NDP are looking at this election as a springboard to the next one.
“Someone is going to have to challenge Tim Houston for government, in four years and the NDP wants to set the table that they’re the government in waiting,” said Akin.
“And obviously the Liberals (…) they’ve got to rebuild. That is probably going to be a couple elections at least.”
— with a file from The Canadian Press