HALIFAX - Less than one week after the Nova Scotia premier dropped her from cabinet, Becky Druhan says she is leaving the Progressive Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent because of differences with the government鈥檚 鈥渓eadership.鈥
Druhan, the former minister of justice and attorney general, said in a news release it has become clear there were 鈥渟ome differences in principle鈥 between her views and 鈥渢hose of leadership.鈥 Druhan did not mention Premier Tim Houston by name.
In an interview, Druhan declined to explain in more detail why she decided to leave the government benches. 鈥淚 have to respect cabinet confidentiality,鈥 she said. 鈥淚n terms of any specific issues my focus right now is really on serving the people of Lunenburg West.鈥
Neither would Druhan say whether she was uncomfortable with the government鈥檚 refusal to release a report on environmental racism or with the recently passed Bill 127, which bans protests on logging access roads and was heavily criticized by Mi鈥檏maq chiefs who said the bill was rushed through the legislature with no consultation.
The report on environmental racism 鈥 instances in which coal plants, toxic waste facilities and other environmentally hazardous activities are located near communities of colour, Indigenous territories and the working poor 鈥 fell under Druhan's watch as the minister responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism. The Criminal Code provisions of Bill 127 fall under the Justice Department.
鈥淚 am confident in and stand behind every decision that I have made while in my role as MLA and in cabinet,鈥 said Druhan.
She also confirmed that when the cabinet shuffle was announced she was offered the opportunity to stay on as minister of opportunities and social development, but turned the portfolio down.
Druhan said becoming an Independent member of the legislature will allow her to place renewed focus on her constituency.
鈥淢y commitment has always been to serve with integrity and diligence.鈥 she said. 鈥淚 will continue to support the government鈥檚 efforts where they align with the needs and interests of Lunenburg West and of Nova Scotians more broadly.鈥
Druhan, who has also served as minister of education, had been a member of Houston鈥檚 cabinet since the Progressive Conservatives came to power in August 2021. She was dropped in last Tuesday鈥檚 shuffle along with another cabinet veteran, Tory Rushton, who had held the natural resources portfolio.
The surprise cabinet shuffle, which was announced through a news release, led interim Liberal leader Derek Mombourquette to speculate about whether there were 鈥減roblems within the Tory caucus.鈥
In an emailed response, Catherine Klimek, a spokeswoman for the premier鈥檚 office, would only say that Druhan had 鈥渋nformed us she would be leaving the PC caucus.鈥
鈥淲e wish her all the best,鈥 was Klimek鈥檚 short reply.
Druhan will join Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin as the legislature鈥檚 only sitting Independent members.聽
Smith-McCrossin is also a former Tory. She was dismissed from the Progressive Conservative caucus by Houston in June 2021 after expressing support for a blockade at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick boundary related to COVID-19 guidelines.
In a news release late Monday, she welcomed Druhan as an Independent.
鈥淭his moment also points to deeper concerns with how the current government operates,鈥 said Smith-McCrossin. 鈥淕overnment MLAs are tightly controlled by a party machine. That limits honest debate and makes it hard to raise local concerns on behalf of their constituents if they don鈥檛 fit the script.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published Oct. 27, 2025.