Nova Scotia premier’s drunk-driving acknowledgement could set stage for an East Coast election - Toronto Star

HALIFAX—A politician airing out their dirty laundry, a veritable barrage of funding and infrastructure announcements, coupled with a respite from COVID-19 — it smells a lot like a Nova Scotia election might be in the air.

On Monday, off the top of the regular pandemic briefing, Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin paused, unusually, for a personal announcement.

In 2003 and 2005, Rankin said, he had twice been charged with drunk driving. The first time, he was fined and had his licence suspended for a year. On the second occasion, he said, he was eventually found innocent.

“I make no excuses for my behaviour,” said Rankin. “I was wrong. And I made a bad decision. I’m very, very sorry for my actions half a lifetime ago. I was selfish. It has not happened since.”

Rankin said he told then-premier Stephen McNeil and the Nova Scotia Liberal party about the DUIs when he first ran for office in 2013, then again when he ran for the leadership after McNeil stepped down in August 2020.

On first glance, it may appear that Rankin is merely coming clean about an incident in his past, triggered, he said Monday, by questions being asked about those charges.

But to those who watch politics, it looked a lot like someone dealing with a distasteful issue early to prevent it become a talking point later — like during a campaign.

That coupled with a flurry of infrastructure and funding announcements — nine Monday alone — and a higher-visibility itinerary on Rankin’s part, are strong indicators that a trip to the polls is in the near future, some say.

Lori Turnbull, an associate professor of political science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, had a nuanced answer when asked if a Nova Scotia election is in the works.

“Yes,” she said.

Rankin now stands less than a year shy of a mandated election for the government he inherited from Stephen McNeil. He’s passed his last budget, and though he lost his majority when McNeil retired and veteran MLA Margaret Miller resigned, he doesn’t have to face the House with that minority government until the fall.

And it’s a favourable time for an election. Vaccine rates are high and COVID-19 cases low in Nova Scotia, so Rankin isn’t likely to tempt controversy over health concerns if a vote is called.

He’ll want to avoid clashing with a federal election widely expected in the fall, said Turnbull. And since voters typically don’t appreciate going into an election in the winter, it seems likely that Rankin would choose late summer for an election day.

“One thing I’m concerned about is that voter turnout is going to be really bad,” said Turnbull, who is also director of the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie. “And I think, given that this election is (likely) in the summer, a lot of people are going to be really interested in doing all sorts of things that they haven’t been able to do. And I’m not sure they’re going to be able to get anyone to tune into an election.”

That could work out well for Rankin. His polling numbers are high, controversies are few and the DUI revelation is not likely to cause him a major headache, Turnbull said. For him, the lack of attention during a campaign is a good thing.

“It’s not like there’s really a huge issue driving the election. It’s not like people are dying to cast their ballot on something,” said Turnbull.

But that’s problematic for Conservative Leader Tim Houston, who appeared at one time — pre-pandemic — to be poised to replace the generally unpopular McNeil at the helm of the province. Fundamentally, said Turnbull, he lacks a wedge issue with which to control of the narrative of a campaign.

Loading...

Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...

“If the whole thing is a referendum on how the Liberals handled COVID — whether you like Stephen McNeil or not, we did pretty well,” said Turnbull, adding that the Nova Scotia parties have a lot in common in terms of their priorities.

“They’re not totally overlapping, but they’re all talking about having to fix long-term care. They’re all talking about the importance of a green economy. So, the election will become about, ‘Who do you want to be the premier?’”

Adblock test (Why?)

Nova Scotia premier’s drunk-driving acknowledgement could set stage for an East Coast election - Toronto Star
Read More