Residents react to Cape Breton MLA crossing the floor

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 Municipality (CBRM) - won this past weekend's municipal election.

Tilley says that outcome had nothing to do with his decision.

"No, not at all actually, mere coincidence. For me, it's about the community,” Tilley said.

Cape Breton University political scientist Tom Urbaniak said it's a move Tilley will have to explain to people on doorsteps after the writ drops, adding he hasn't seen any dramatic changes in policy from the PCs or Liberals that would lead to a defection.

"This leaves a bad taste, so late in the government's mandate, on the eve of an election,” Urbaniak said. "Surely, party allegiance is more than just a raw calculation of one's winning prospects. Surely it has something to do with one's values."

Outgoing CBRM councillor and North Sydney resident Cyril MacDonald said having an MLA on the government side should only help the area.

"Good for him for doing something that's going to better all of us. I don't understand, really, why this is anything more,” MacDonald said.

"I would like to find out his reasoning,” Noble said. “I was thinking of going into his office there in Sydney Mines and talking to him or somebody just to find out more."

"There's going to be an election between now and July, so we're at the end of this first term,” Tilley said. “So my feeling is that if you're going to make a change, now is the time to do it."

The PCs will head into that election holding one extra seat – 34 in total - with their already-solid majority. 

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