Brendan Maguire leaves Liberals to join PC’s, named Community Services minister

CITYnews halifax / By Dan Ahlstrand

Thursday was a bombshell day in Nova Scotia politics, as a long-time Liberal MLA has crossed the floor to join the premier’s cabinet.

Halifax Atlantic MLA Brendan Maguire is now a member of the PC party and is taking on the role of Community Services Minister from Trevor Boudreau, who is stepping down from cabinet citing health reasons.

“The real discussions started Sunday evening,” Maguire told reporters alongside the premier on Thursday morning. “There was an opening there and I feel like with the premier’s leadership and my experience, it’s a perfect fit.”

Maguire, who was first elected as a Liberal in 2013 and re-elected twice under that banner, is taking on the top job in Community Services at a time when the affordability crisis is top of mind for many Nova Scotians.

“With the issues that we’re facing in the province, and affordability is one of them for sure and we know the housing and homelessness issues, his life has brought him to this moment,” Premier Tim Houston said of Maguire, who was raised in foster care and experienced homelessness as a teen.

Maguire said he has often spoken with cabinet ministers and offered ideas.

“It became increasingly difficult for me to be critical of this government when I saw the hard work, when I saw the ideas being implemented,” he said.

In a statement, Liberal leader Zach Churchill said he a admires Maguire’s passion for his community.

“While I’m sad to see him leave our caucus, I know he shares our concerns about the affordability crisis,” Churchill said. “To date, the Houston government has made decisions to worsen food insecurity and poverty and I hope in his new role, Brendan is able to reverse that trend to help low- and middle-income Nova Scotians.”

Maguire said he has “nothing but respect” for Churchill and the Liberal party, and said he plans to work to show his constituents in Halifax Atlantic that it doesn’t matter what party he represents.

“I’m going to do everything I can to earn thier trust, I’m a constituency MLA, I work hard for those people,” Maguire said. “And I will say, the number one thing I heard during the last election was ‘I’m voting for you in spite of your party’.”

Former minister Boudreau’s other file, L’Nu affairs, is being taken over by Advanced Education minister Brian Wong.