The winter session at the Nova Scotia Legislature is on track to be the longest since Tim Houston became premier, in part because of the way debate is being extended by the two Independent MLAs, who are both former Progressive Conservative caucus members.

Lunenburg West MLA Becky Druhan and Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin have frequently proposed amendments to legislation and spoken on various parts of bills, often for the maximum allowable time of one hour, throughout the session.

Both women were on their feet repeatedly Monday night at the legislature, at times to the visible consternation of government MLAs.

“I can go as long as I need to,” Druhan said during an interview.

“I’m content to continue and I’m hearing from Nova Scotians and people in Lunenburg West that they want me to continue.”

‘We didn’t set the hours’

Since the day after the government tabled its budget on Feb. 23, it has called extended hours — sitting until 11 p.m. or midnight — many days.

Smith-McCrossin said she’s undeterred and will continue to share the concerns she’s hearing from constituents and people in other parts of the province.

“We didn’t set the hours,” she said in an interview.

The public engagement around the government’s budget and legislation is the most she’s seen as an MLA, said Smith-McCrossin.

“So I think in fairness to people affected, they deserve for us to slow things down, make sure that there’s proper scrutiny.”

Smith-McCrossin was first elected as a Progressive Conservative MLA in 2017 and ran unsuccessfully for the party leadership in 2018. Houston kicked her out of caucus in 2021 — before the party formed government — after she refused to apologize for her connection to a blockade of the Trans-Canada Highway near the New Brunswick border during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Druhan was elected in 2021 and served in Houston’s cabinet until last fall, when she declined to accept a move out of the justice portfolio. A few days later, she announced she was leaving the PC caucus to sit as an Independent, citing a difference in principles between her views and those of the leadership.

On Monday, Druhan said her approach this session has nothing to do with sour grapes.

“My focus is on analysis, consideration and debate of the bills that are in front of us and I have spent hours talking very specifically about those things.”

Her focus was the subject of an ad the PC Party recently purchased on social media that suggested Druhan is ignoring her constituency because the majority of questions she’s asked in the House were not specifically about Lunenburg West. Druhan reposted the ad and countered with commentary illustrating how her questions do relate to the people she represents.

Trying to extend the session

Both women lamented the effect the consistently long hours are having on staff who work at the legislature, as well as the tone and quality of the law-making process. They’ve both advocated for a set schedule that allows business to be conducted in a healthier way.

“My worry is that it’s going to create legislation and laws that maybe aren’t the best for Nova Scotians,” said Smith-McCrossin.

Government House leader Brendan Maguire said the two Independent MLAs have the right to speak as much as they want during the allotted time frame, but he said he’s concerned their efforts at times have strayed off topic or become repetitive, something the committee chair flagged several times during debate Monday night.

“I don’t mind great debate and I don’t mind when we’re speaking about the bills, but when you’re off talking about something else, it kind of defeats the purpose of that bill,” Maguire said in an interview.

He said it seems like there is an effort to stretch out the session and keep the government in the House longer.

“That’s their right to do it, but eventually the bills will go through.”

Session on track to be Houston’s longest

Druhan said she assesses on a day-by-day basis how much she will debate.

While she’d like to see the government be open to suggestions to strengthen legislation, she said having sessions that are not rushed and allow the public to be better informed about and engaged in what’s happening at the legislature would also be measures of success.

“Many of them I think we’ve already accomplished,” said Druhan. “But there’s certainly more success to be had.”

The spring session of 2025 was Houston’s longest as premier at 22 days, according to the legislative library. Monday marked the 21st day of this session, with business all but certain to continue into next week.

Maguire said the government has no plans to use its power to limit the available time for debate during the session.

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