Residents in the Northside-Westmound riding were surprised to see Fred Tilley, their Liberal MLA of more than three years, standing next to Progressive Conservative Premier Tim Houston on Tuesday.
“I voted for him last time, but I’m not too fussy about the Conservatives,” North Sydney resident Scott Noble said on Wednesday.
Tilley, who was first elected as an MLA in 2021, announced he was crossing the floor to join the PCs on Tuesday.
“It became increasingly difficult for me to criticize the government for things that I felt they were doing that were helping Nova Scotians,” Tilley said.
Tilley said a 2023 health scare caused him to start thinking twice about his future, but some are questioning the timing of the move.
Some residents noted Tilley’s move comes just days after Cecil Clarke – a longtime PC cabinet minister who Tilley publicly endorsed for mayor of the Cape Breton Regional …