HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia legislature president confirmed Thursday that he had signed a resignation letter at the request of Premier Tim Houston, although he said he did not want to leave his job.
Keith Bain was questioned by reporters after the Progressive Conservative Caucus said in a press release that he had resigned as President of the Legislative Assembly starting April 1.
His future was uncertain as Thursday approached the opening of the fall session of the legislature after members of the Conservative government and Mr. Houston’s office confirmed last week that there had been discussions on “succession planning” for the Mr. Bain’s work.
Visibly shocked, the latter admitted he was taken aback by the statement announcing his resignation, adding that he signed the letter Wednesday during a meeting with Prime Minister Houston. He said he didn’t expect his intentions to be made public.
Last week he said he didn’t want to resign.
Mr. Bain explained Thursday that he had signed the letter to say that “if necessary” he would resign. “But I was hoping there was still room for negotiations,” he said.
Asked if he would like to leave his post, Mr. Bain replied “of course not”.
According to him, it was some of his decisions that put the government in a difficult position that were mentioned when the Prime Minister initially asked him to step down.
These include, he says, his rigorous handling of health protocols when he reduced access to the legislature last spring due to the pandemic, as well as his call for an independent review of the salaries of assembly members, as required after the elections of the United States. ‘August 2021.
Mr. Houston has repeatedly refused to discuss the details of the resignation letter or even if he had asked Mr. Bain to step down as president, although he claimed to have met the latter.
“Discussions on the succession are underway,” the Prime Minister said.
On Thursday, the oppositions continued to express support for Bain, who they had previously described as fair and highly respected.
Liberal leader Zach Churchill said the prime minister put Mr. Bain in an unfair position.
“He is forced to resign because he has sometimes spoken out in favor of the opposition,” Churchill said. We must ensure that the rules of the legislator go beyond partiality for all of us and for the good of the institution itself ”.
The new Democratic leader Claudia Chender has called the latest developments around the President of the Legislative Assembly “deeply disturbing”.
“I think it’s clear that the Prime Minister is trying to force the independent Speaker of the House to step down and make up a new story every day about what’s really going on and why,” Chender said.
Keith Bain, a veteran of the progressive Conservative caucus, was elected president shortly after the Conservatives took office in August 2021.
