Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Zach Churchill loses seat in provincial election

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Zach Churchill has lost his seat in the provincial election, and his party was booted out of official Opposition status by the NDP.

Elections Nova Scotia says Churchill lost to Progressive Conservative Nick Hilton by 14 votes in the riding of Yarmouth.

The Tories swept back to power Tuesday night with an expanded majority government, the second majority since 2021.

With all polls reporting, the Tories led by Premier Tim Houston won 43 seats in the 55-seat legislature, the NDP won nine, the Liberals had two and there was one Independent.

Houston says his new mandate will put him in a strong position to represent the province as it tries to negotiate a new deal with the federal government on the price of carbon.

He says Nova Scotia also needs to stand tall against Ottawa’s refusal to pay the entire cost of shoring up the Chignecto Isthmus, the strip of land between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that is increasingly at risk of severe flooding.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.