Premier Houston returns from Texas to more heat at Nova Scotia legislature

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston returned to the legislature after a trip in Texas.

Premier Tim Houston, after spending the week in Texas, returned to some political heat in Nova Scotia.

There was another protest Friday outside the legislature which drew hundreds of people, which forced Halifax police to close Granville Street between Prince and George streets.

Houston attended the CERAWeek energy conference in Texas this week, returning to the legislature on Friday morning before meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

After missing Friday’s question period, even his political opponents agreed the prime minister takes priority.

“When the prime minister is town, the premier should take him up on that meeting,” said Nova Scotia Liberal interim Leader Iain Rankin.

Houston has faced criticism from the official opposition for missing time in the legislature while his government works to pass a budget that originally had more than $300 million in spending cuts.

“People are upset with him,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “And he knows it and he has a lot of questions that he clearly doesn’t want to answer.”

Houston defended the Texas trip as a way to promote the province as place for industry to develop natural resources.

“What we need to do is grow the economy and move the province forward,” said Houston. “I don’t know that there’s ever been an example of the economy of this province growing as a result of something in question period.”

The atmosphere in legislature has changed since Houston left, mainly due to the house speaker temporarily banning the public from province house after protests inside the gallery disrupted proceedings earlier this week.

“Unfortunately, the incidents haven’t just ben in the gallery,” said House Speaker Danielle Barkhouse. “They have been outside, they have been inside, they have been downstairs and on the second floor.”

While some protestors broke into song earlier this week and disrupted a vote on key legislation tied to the budget, Houston points to video he says shows more aggressive behaviour from protestors.

“Some of the reports made it seem like it was just a little kumbaya session,” said Houston. “But then the actual videos that come out, show some of the behaviour up there is pretty remarkable.”

Extended video inside and filmed from the floor of the legislature shows protestors in the gallery shouting down at MLAs, including some calling them “fascists.”

The Houston government has yet to pass the Bill 148 – the Financial Measures Act, the final legislative step tied to the budget.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page