Nova Scotia Tory leader Houston strives to balance combative and personable sides

HALIFAX — Tim Houston was on his way to his big, blue campaign bus outside a Halifax hotel earlier this week when he spotted a small group of construction workers passing by on the sidewalk.

“How are things going,” Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative leader said with an easy smile as he walked over to shake hands with the hard-hatted workers.

“Oh, just busy building Nova Scotia, Tim,” one of the group replied with a chuckle.

The relaxed campaign encounter demonstrated one side of the man who is seeking a second term in office as Nova Scotia’s premier — a side that even he concedes might not be that well known to the public.

“It’s interesting that when I meet people, there’s a couple of things they generally say,” he said in an interview Monday as he sat back on the bus ahead of a day of knocking on doors in the nearby suburb of Cole Harbour.

“Number 1 thing they say is, ‘You are taller than I thought,’ and the number 2 thing is, ‘You are nicer than I thought,’ ” Houston said.

Since first being elected to the provincial legislature in 2013 representing the riding of Pictou East, the 54-year-old Houston has largely come across as a combative politician. He first rose to prominence as a fierce critic of former Liberal premier Stephen McNeil, and he seemed to relish the role of being a thorn in McNeil’s side during debates in the legislature.

Elected party leader in 2018, Houston became premier three years later when the Tories won a majority. He has since cemented his public image as a partisan defender of his government’s record.

Houston called a provincial election for Nov. 26 late last month, saying he needed a fresh mandate to deal with a federal government he maintains has sold Nova Scotia short.

High on his list of grievances are Ottawa’s imposition of carbon pricing and its refusal to pay the entire cost of the expensive work needed to protect the Chignecto Isthmus, the low-lying land link between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that is increasingly at risk of severe flooding.

Houston makes no apologies for his rocky relationship with the federal Liberals and says he will continue to stand up for his province if re-elected, regardless of who ends up in power after the next federal election.

“Whoever is in Ottawa, they are going to see the same Tim Houston as Prime Minister Trudeau (sees),” he said. “On issues where we can work together … then we’re going to get along great, but on issues where they try to short-change Nova Scotians, they will hear from me on that.”

Houston and his wife Carol have two children, Paget and Zachary. He was born in Halifax but grew up in a military family and spent his early years moving around various parts of the country, including Prince Edward Island, Ontario and British Columbia, before his family settled in Halifax. He said the experience of being a so-called “base brat” has played a significant role in his outlook.

“I do think growing up in a military family teaches you a lot about resilience, you are moving around a lot, you’re making new friends … it just teaches you a lot about structure and how to get along with people.”

He said he didn’t grow up in a political household and didn’t become interested in politics until he and his wife returned to Nova Scotia in 2007, after spending more than a decade living in Bermuda, where he worked as a chartered accountant in international finance.

Attracted to the give-and-take of political jousting, Houston said there have been times where he’s had to tell himself “OK, you’ve made your point.”

“I think as premier I’ve shown that I will listen,” he said. “Sometimes we get it wrong and when somebody can show you that you’re wrong, then I have an obligation to be an adult and acknowledge that.”

One example was during the recent fall sitting of the legislature when the government passed proposed NDP legislation declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic in the province. The swift reversal came less than an hour after Houston told reporters he didn’t think the legislation was necessary and also after a tense conversation involving four women from the private-sector union Unifor who were advocating for the bill.

Polls point toward a return to power on Tuesday for the Progressive Conservatives after a campaign dominated by issues such as health care, a lack of affordable housing and the high cost of living. Looking ahead, Houston said he recognizes the world political situation could pose challenges for the province, particularly in its relationship with the United States and its president-elect Donald Trump.

Despite the political uncertainty, Houston pointed to Trump’s pledge to make countries such as Canada increase their NATO contribution to two per cent of GDP as a potential opportunity for Nova Scotia, which has a strong military presence. He said it’s likely there will be more defence spending in Canada.

“If we properly navigate, that could be incredibly beneficial to our economy,” said Houston. “The (political) water will get choppy, but with some vision and some clarity and strong leadership, we can do just fine.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024.

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press