‘Falls on my shoulders’: Churchill apologetic after Liberals crushed in N.S. election

“At the extremity of the day, this falls connected my shoulders,” an apologetic Liberal Leader Zach Churchill told reporters Tuesday nighttime aft his enactment was dealt a devastating nonaccomplishment successful the Nova Scotia election.

Not lone did the Liberals driblet from the authoritative Opposition to a third-place party, but Elections Nova Scotia results amusement Churchill mislaid his ain spot successful the riding of Yarmouth to Tory campaigner Nick Hilton by 14 votes.

“This nonaccomplishment is connected me. I’m the person of the party. It was my occupation to summation a spot and I didn’t bash that,” Churchill said.

According to Elections Nova Scotia, an automatic recount is lone triggered if determination are less than 10 votes betwixt the first- and second-place finishers connected the ballot. If determination isn’t an automatic recount, the campaigner tin petition for a judicial recount if they judge determination are grounds for one.

Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives won a decisive bulk authorities successful Tuesday’s vote. With astir polls reporting, the Tories were elected oregon starring successful 43 of the province’s 55 ridings, the NDP had nine, the Liberals had 2 and determination was 1 Independent.

The PCs expanded their bulk — having had 34 seats astatine dissolution — portion NDP Leader Claudia Chender becomes the archetypal elected pistillate Opposition person successful the province.

For Churchill, his governmental aboriginal and whether helium volition stay enactment person is unclear. He said Tuesday nighttime helium intended to person conversations with enactment caucus members and his family.

As for what went incorrect for the Liberals, Churchill said it’s “not an casual question to answer.”

“We were focused connected the policies that mattered. I americium arrogant of the run that we ran, which was built astir bully ideas that we deliberation tin assistance people. But astatine the extremity of the day, the voters wanted overwhelmingly to instrumentality with the authorities successful powerfulness and Mr. Houston,” helium said.

“And we surely privation to congratulate him and Ms. Chender connected their success.”

When asked if dissatisfaction with the national Liberals affected his provincial party, Churchill admitted they were “fighting against headwinds there.”

“But astatine the extremity of the day, it’s my occupation to punch done that. It’s my occupation to animate radical to ballot for america and to physique a winning strategy. And I didn’t bash that.”

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Churchill was archetypal elected to the legislature successful a 2010 byelection — astatine the property of 26. He was the archetypal Lebanese Canadian to triumph a spot successful the Nova Scotia location of assembly.

After the Liberals won a bulk successful 2013, helium held respective furniture portfolios, including health, education, earthy resources and municipal affairs.

One of his astir notable accomplishments was introducing Nova Scotia’s cosmopolitan pre-primary programme for four-year-olds, and helium besides served concisely arsenic wellness curate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Churchill was elected to pb the Liberals successful July 2022, and this predetermination was his archetypal arsenic person of the party.

Looking backmost astatine the past 14 years, Churchill said helium was grateful to person had the accidental to correspond his hometown of Yarmouth.

“This occupation is each astir having an interaction and leaving your assemblage and your state amended disconnected than erstwhile you started, and I consciousness similar I’ve been capable to bash that,” helium said.

— with a record from The Canadian Press