Local MLA uses social media to defend move

Derek Mombourquette criticized for moving constituency office from Whitney Pier to Kings Road

Cape Breton MLA and cabinet minister Derek Mombourquette has taken to social media to defend the decision to move his constituency office from Whitney Pier to Kings Road.

The Liberal member for Sydney-Whitney Pier and provincial Municipal Affairs Minister has come under fire from a Facebook page of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.

The homepage, under the name of Sydney Whitney Pier-Membertou NDP, posted a picture of Mombourquette’s now-vacant Victoria Road constituency office, with the heading “Where is Derek” written across the top. The photo also stated “Maybe he should petition to change the riding name back to SYDNEY. He is certainly NOT in the Pier.” The message was posted on Nov. 7.

On Sunday, Mombourquette responded to the criticism with a message he posted on his personal Facebook page.

“I wanted to let a few days pass before I responded, but I feel it necessary to respond to this post by the NDP in the constituency,” he wrote at the start of his lengthy message.

“The decision wasn’t easy to leave our current location. I made a business decision based on what I believe represents the entire riding. The new riding of Sydney-Whitney Pier is twice the size of the former Cape Breton Nova constituency. CB Nova was a riding of 10,000 voters. Sydney-Whitney Pier is over 20,000 voters.”

Mombourquette, who won a 2015 byelection before being re-elected earlier this year in the May 30 vote, also stated he plans to hold office hours across the community beginning next week in the Pier.

He also took exception to the suggestion he was abandoning the working-class community.

“I love the Pier and the community has been wonderful to me. I’m looking forward to coming back,” he posted. “This time I will be paying community organizations to use their space. It’s a great way to support the wonderful facilities in the Pier.”

Mombourquette also used his social media posting to question his NDP rivals on a number of issues before he signed off.

“This will be my first and last response to these types of posts — I look forward to returning to Whitney Pier very soon but also having a presence in every community in Sydney-Whitney Pier,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia NDP leader Gary Burrill is in Cape Breton, where he is visiting community groups and attending events with Cape Breton Centre NDP MLA Tammy Martin. His stops include the Whitney Pier Tim Hortons at noon today, the Cape Breton Centre NDP annual general meeting at 7 p.m. at the Dominion Italian Hall, and the Cape Breton University students Pit Lounge at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.