Once-dominant Nova Scotia Liberals facing divisions at annual meeting

A camera operator waits for the start of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's event in Montreal on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

HALIFAX -

Nova Scotia's Liberal party appears to be facing internal strife as its annual general meeting begins Friday.

Lori Turnbull, political science professor at Dalhousie University, says the party has gone from bidding for a third-consecutive majority government in last summer's election to a "really divided state internally."

She says one of the signs of dissent is a movement billing itself as grassroots that has created a website demanding the annual general meeting be delayed until a new leader is chosen.

Party president Joseph Khoury emailed a statement Friday indicating the dissident website should be taken down as it is defaming him and other party members.

He also alleges party members' confidential information was used without their consent to circulate the criticisms.

Turnbull says it's hard to discern what's driving the infighting, adding that it's a sign this summer's leadership race to replace Iain Rankin, who stepped down in January, may also prove divisive.

The Liberals, who have won more Nova Scotia elections than any other party over the past 150 years, lost decisively to the rival Progressive Conservatives last Aug. 17, seeing their seat count reduced from 24 to 17 in the 55-seat legislature.

Since then, Premier Tim Houston has been gaining in popularity in the polls.

Former Liberal cabinet minister Zach Churchill announced on Feb. 22 he is running to replace Rankin. He is the second candidate in the race, joining fellow caucus member Angela Simmonds, who is the first Black woman to run for leadership of the party.

The Liberal party has set a March 21 deadline for candidates to enter the race, with a leadership convention scheduled for July 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2022.