It’s been bandied about by insiders for years, but was made official on Sunday: Pictou East MLA Tim Houston is running to become the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.
“Now is the time for this party to engage with many Nova Scotians who are Progressive Conservatives but just haven’t realized it yet,” he told a crowd of about 200 people on Sunday.
“With the right leader, they will join us.”
The afternoon event, held at Glasgow Square in New Glasgow, N.S., was also live-streamed on Houston’s Facebook page.
Earlier in the month, Jamie Ballie announced he would end his run as the party’s leader, a position he held for a little more than seven years, once a successor was chosen.
Although the party gained seats in this year’s provincial election, the increase wasn’t enough to form government.
Houston, who has won his riding two provincial elections in a row, serves as his party’s critic of finance, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, and regulatory affairs and service effectiveness.
If the posters erected in the room were any indication, his campaign slogan is: “Time to win.”
Bookended by his wife and children onstage, Houston said, “I will not sugarcoat problems, and I will not propose Band-Aid solutions.”
During the beginning of his speech, he discussed the need for family doctors, and what he called a health care “crisis.”
Houston also told the crowd that being a member of the party means believing, among other things, “that our better nature shines through when the cloud of government gets out of the way.”