“The situation has gotten demonstrably worse no matter how you look at it,” the Yarmouth MLA told reporters after a leadership conference at the Halifax Convention Center on Saturday night. “[Premier] Tim Houston used to say there was a crisis when we had 60,000 people without a family doctor — that number, since he took office, is up to 90,000. We want to know when the change is going to happen. I haven’t seen it so far.” First elected in a by-election in 2010, Churchill replaces Iain Rankin at the helm of the party. Rankin announced his intention to step down in January after the party’s election defeat last summer. The Timberlea Prospect MLA said he will continue to represent his district in the Legislature. Preston MLA Angela Simmonds speaks to reporters shortly after the result was announced. (Liberal Party of Nova Scotia) Churchill took 65 per cent of the leadership vote, beating Angela Symonds, MLA for Preston, the other athlete in the race. After the result was announced in front of a crowd of around 400, Churchill paid tribute to Simmonds and the campaign she and her team had waged. “Just think of the courage of this person: to be elected in the last election, to jump in with both feet and run for leader, and to do it by showing his authentic self, representing his principles and values, and running a hell of a campaign.” Churchill later told reporters that Symonds would play a “critical role” in the caucus. He said he would spend the next few days determining what roles the party’s MLAs would take up. Throughout the leadership race, Churchill was presented as the experienced candidate ready to hit the ground running and give the party its best chance of returning to power when voters go to the polls in July 2025. Simmonds, the who was first elected last summer, argued that it was time for the party to head in a new direction and that her life and professional experience would help attract new people to the party. Simmonds, who was the first person of color to run for leadership and only the second woman to seek the Liberal leadership, said she was proud of the work she and her team did throughout the campaign. “If my grandson feels he can put his name forward, then I’ve done my job,” he told reporters after the result.
Create a base
About 3,400 people registered as delegates and could vote online or by phone, 96 percent of whom voted. That’s less than half of the 8,100 delegates who signed up for last year’s convention, which Rankin won. That race involved three contenders, with the winner coming out on top – which would naturally generate interest. But Churchill admitted Saturday that the party he now leads has work to do if it is to regain voter support ahead of the next provincial election. This work involves finding ways to appeal to the general electorate as well as party members and volunteers. A report commissioned by the party after last summer’s election called for an overhaul of the organisation. “We’re going to have to build local organizations in every riding in this province and recruit really capable, strong candidates in every riding and build a platform to take on the big issues of our time and sell them to Nova Scotians,” said Churchill. . Simmonds said she is committed to the caucus and is working to unite members and volunteers who worked on both campaigns. “I’ve been a tough competitor, as Zach has mentioned to a lot of people, but I think what he’ll find is that I’m an even better colleague and friend,” she said. Churchill said he was ready to push the government on a range of issues, including affordability and the housing crisis, but said healthcare would be a central focus. Following an announcement earlier this week that the province was scrapping almost all remaining COVID-19 protocols, Churchill criticized the Tories for moving to a monthly update on epidemiology information. “The public needs information. I think they need that information every day, especially if we’re in the middle of another wave,” he said. With Saturday’s result, both opposition parties in Nova Scotia will head into the fall session at Province House with new leaders. NDP MLA Claudia Chender was confirmed as her party’s new leader during an event last month. MORE TOP STORIES
