Latest news with #DerekMombourquette
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Interim Liberal leader unsure if he wants job permanently as party releases leadership rules
Social Sharing Nova Scotia's interim Liberal leader said Monday he hasn't given much thought to whether he wants the job on a permanent basis, as the party released the rules for next year's leadership race. The new leader will be selected at a convention on Nov. 28, 2026 — two years after the party suffered its most devastating election performance ever and returned to Province House with just two MLAs. Candidates have until July 28, 2026, to submit their nomination package, but whether that shortlist will include interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette remains to be seen. "That would be a conversation I would have with my family, which we haven't really talked about at length to date," the MLA for Sydney-Membertou told CBC News. Electronic and telephone voting for the party's next leader will run Nov. 21-28, 2026, using a preferential ballot. Leadership candidates must be at least 18 and a member of the Liberal Party — and no other party — and submit a non-refundable nomination fee of $25,000, paid in three instalments, plus a $5,000 compliance deposit. The deposit is returned to the candidate following the election as long as all required financial filings have been made. The nomination package must include at least 100 signatures from members in good standing, at least 10 of whom are young Liberals. The signatures must also include members from at least 10 different electoral districts and 15 new members of the Angus L. Club, the party's monthly donor program. All would-be candidates are subject to a greenlighting process before they can be officially considered in the race for leader. 1-member, 1-vote system Campaigns are subject to a $250,000 expense limit, which includes the value of donated goods and services, but not the nomination fee, compliance deposit or expenses related to accessibility or family. The borrowing limit for each campaign is $30,000. The election of the new leader will use a one-member, one-vote system, weighted by provincial district. Each district is worth 100 points, meaning there is a total available 5,500 points based on there being 55 electoral districts. A candidate requires 2,751 points to win the leadership. If no candidate has that total after the first tabulation, the candidate with the lowest total is dropped and their points are reassigned to another candidate based on the second selection on the ranked ballot. That process will continue until a candidate reaches 2,751 points. Former Liberal MLAs Patricia Arab and David Wilton are co-chairing the leadership committee. Rankin not running Mombouquette has served as the party's interim leader since last December when Zach Churchill stepped down after losing his seat in the provincial election. The party's bylaws state that whoever holds the role of interim leader must agree in writing to remain neutral and not run in the election of the party leader. When Mombourquette took the helm on an interim basis, it was understood he would do so temporarily and at some point the role would shift to Timberlea-Prospect MLA Iain Rankin, the party's other member in Province House. Rankin, who previously served as premier and party leader until the Progressive Conservatives defeated the Liberals in the 2021 provincial election, told CBC News on Monday that he's not interested in another run at the job.
CBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
N.S. Liberals call for emergency meeting on Nova Scotia Power ransomware attack
Politicians are demanding action following the Nova Scotia Power ransomware attack, with the Liberals calling for an emergency meeting with the utility's executives. Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said Thursday the matter is an urgent one considering the personal information of 280,000 customers has been compromised. Mombourquette said Nova Scotians deserve answers and the utility's executives should appear before the all-party public accounts committee to provide them. "This is an opportunity for Nova Scotia Power to speak publicly on what took place and explain to Nova Scotians — as [Nova Scotia Power] asks for more money on their rates — what happened," Mombourquette told reporters in Halifax. Nova Scotia Power confirmed last week it was the victim of a ransomware attack and that hackers who stole data published it on the dark web. The roughly 280,000 customers it has sent letters to warning about the attack represents more than half of the utility's customers in the province. The president of Nova Scotia Power said no ransom has been paid and the utility is working with cybersecurity experts as it investigates the situation. In a letter to the chair of public accounts, Mombourquette requested that Nova Scotia Power leadership appear before the committee for an examination into what he has described as "one of the most significant privacy breaches in Nova Scotia's history." NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the cyber attack is "scary" and another reminder people need to take steps to protect their personal information. She is in favour of a comprehensive examination of what happened. "We absolutely support a deeper probe from government into how this happened, how it is being dealt with, and making sure it never happens again," Chender said. The chair of the committee, NDP MLA Susan Leblanc, agreed the matter is urgent "and deserves discussion." Committee members are now being asked to vote on whether to try to schedule a meeting for next week. It needs to be unanimous for that to happen. Nova Scotia Cyber Security Minister Jill Balser is encouraging those who received alerts from Nova Scotia Power to sign up for the credit monitoring service and do things like change passwords to their accounts. Balser said resources and help are also available from her department. "I want us to be a place where Nova Scotians can get that support," Balser said.
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Nova Scotia government refuses to release environmental racism panel recommendations
Social Sharing Opposition leaders say it's disgraceful that the Nova Scotia government is refusing to release the recommendations of a report it received on environmental racism. Justice Minister Becky Druhan is also refusing to say if she's even read those recommendations. "Obviously, they're not releasing it for a reason. We have major concerns over that," interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette told reporters in Halifax. "It's disgraceful what I heard today." The creation of the panel and its subsequent report was the product of an amendment proposed by NDP MLA Suzy Hansen to the Progressive Conservative government's Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act in 2022. reported on Wednesday that the province has received the report but is withholding its recommendations. Minister provides no explanation Speaking to reporters following a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Druhan would not provide any explanation for that decision. "That work happened at [the Office of Equity and Anti-racism] prior to my tenure here. We are moving forward with those recommendations in mind." The minister said she is "personally committed to transparency and to the sharing of information." Druhan refused to answer repeated questions about why the government is not making the recommendations public, whether the panel recommended reparations and whether she's even read the recommendations. "It predated my time at the office," she said. 'They don't want to be held accountable' NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the government's decision to withhold the recommendations is "disheartening" for the people who worked on the panel and the communities that have experienced environmental racism. "The only conclusion I can draw is that they don't want to be held accountable to [the report's] recommendations," she told reporters. "The reason that they did this panel was to understand the legacy — the harmful legacy of environmental racism in this province — and understand how not to repeat it. So let's see what those recommendations were and let's all work together to make sure that we don't repeat that legacy, that we don't perpetuate it." Druhan said a "key insight" to come from the report is the need for "systemic and foundational change" to the way the province handles and addresses discrimination and racism. One step toward doing that is a previously announced plan to modernize and improve the province's Human Rights Commission, she said. "We're really excited about that work, which will support addressing racism, addressing discrimination in all its forms across Nova Scotia — including issues around land use and environmental racism." The minister noted that municipalities are also developing equity and anti-racism plans following a provincial directive.
