Chuck Porter, former Progressive Conservative MLA, joins Liberals

A former Progressive Conservative MLA, who has been sitting as an independent for almost two years, has joined Nova Scotia's Liberal caucus.

Chuck Porter, who was first elected to represent Hants West in 2006, officially took his seat at the Liberal caucus table on Wednesday morning just after Premier Stephen McNeil made the official announcement.

"I am absolutely thrilled that he is joining us," McNeil told reporters at his party's caucus office.

"The fact that he's joining us is, to me, just another solid person that we have around the table that can help us deliver good government to the people of Nova Scotia."

The premier said Porter wasn't promised anything to join the Liberal fold.

Just last month, Porter was front and centre when McNeil announced his government was ready to spend $3 million on an arena complex for Windsor. It's a project that Porter has spent years lobbying for.

Porter denied that decision was behind his jump to the Liberals.

'I've worked hard over the years'

"This decision had nothing to do with that, per se. I mean, this is a project that's been on the go for a long time," he said.

Porter left the Progressive Conservative caucus in June 2014 and cited Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie's leadership as a factor in the move.

At the time, he said he disagreed with the party leader's management style and Baillie said Porter was "neglecting" his duties.

Porter responded to that accusation on Wednesday.

"I think my constituents certainly know that I've worked hard over the years and that won't change," he said.

Porter is now joining Karen Casey, who was the interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives before crossing the floor in 2011.

The governing Liberals now hold 34 seats in the Nova Scotia Legislature one more than they won in the last provincial election.

That also leaves the party just one seat short of a two-thirds majority in the House. Having that large a majority would allow the party in power to unilaterally set or change the sitting hours, or to limit debate.