Amanda Mombourquette is making her experience in municipal government and rebuilding organizations the centre of her campaign to lead the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.
The Richmond County deputy warden is one of two candidates in the race, alongside Lunenburg West MLA Becky Druhan. Liberals will select their new leader Nov. 21.
Mombourquette was elected to Richmond County council in 2020 and later served as warden. Before entering municipal politics, she spent more than two decades working in community and economic development.
She says that background fits what she believes the Liberal Party needs now.
“Many people would run away from this type of a situation,” Mombourquette said in an interview. “My reaction is to run towards it because it’s also a huge opportunity for us to rebuild something even stronger.”
Mombourquette points to her time leading Richmond County following a period when she says public trust in the municipality had fallen, as well as previous work with the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce.
She says rebuilding Liberal membership, strengthening local riding organizations and preparing for the next election need to happen alongside the party’s work as opposition.
“If we’re going to truly talk about leadership, we cannot have that conversation unless we talk about the rebuild because that’s what needs to happen,” she said. Pasted text
Health care
Mombourquette is also beginning to fill out the policy side of her campaign.
She is calling for regional health-care teams, more community-based collaborative clinics and a women’s health strategy.
One of her larger proposals is a public inquiry into Nova Scotia’s health-care system, which she says should be completed within six months.
“There are immediate solutions we need to apply in terms of ER situations and a host of other things, but then there are long-term solutions we need to look at,” she said.
Mombourquette says the goal would be to examine whether the province’s health spending is producing better results, while allowing immediate changes to continue rather than waiting for the inquiry to finish. Pasted text
Critical of bridge toll decision
Mombourquette is sharply critical of the Houston government’s decision to eliminate tolls from the Halifax Harbour bridges.
The province stopped collecting tolls on the Macdonald and MacKay bridges in March 2025.
Mombourquette argues the money is needed at a time when transportation infrastructure across both Halifax and rural Nova Scotia requires significant investment.
“Could we afford to take the tolls off the bridges? Absolutely not,” she said, later describing the move as a “major, major faux pas.”
The province is now developing a business case examining long-term options for the 55-year-old MacKay Bridge.
Open to data centres with conditions
Mombourquette is taking a more open position on large data centres, including potential development in her home region of Richmond County.
She says industrial development can create jobs and help support the provincial economy, but believes projects should only move ahead if water supplies and electricity customers are protected.
“If we’re protecting water supplies and we’re protecting ratepayers from paying additional costs due to a data centre, then I think we need to have an open mind and explore it,” she said.
Mombourquette said Point Tupper, which has long been developed for heavy industry, could be an appropriate location for that type of project if environmental and community protections are met. Pasted text
She also wants Nova Scotia to take a broader regional approach to energy, including greater co-operation with other Atlantic provinces and more locally generated renewable power. Pasted text
Skeptical on uranium
Mombourquette is less convinced about uranium development.
The Houston government repealed Nova Scotia’s uranium exploration and mining prohibition in 2025, initially allowing research into the location and distribution of uranium in the province.
Mombourquette says she has not reached a final position but currently has significant concerns.
“I’m very skeptical that this is in the best interests of Nova Scotians,” she said.
She says more information and greater public involvement would be needed before she could support uranium development. Pasted text
Mombourquette also says Nova Scotia should continue diversifying its trading relationships amid tensions with the United States and argues the province needs to work toward balancing its budget to better withstand future economic shocks.
She says that return to balance would take several years and should not come through cuts that disproportionately affect vulnerable Nova Scotians. Pasted text
Mombourquette and Druhan have two more leadership debates scheduled — Oct. 15 in Yarmouth and Oct. 28 in Membertou — before voting begins in November.
