Nova Scotia voters handed Tim Houston's Progressive Conservatives a second consecutive majority government in Tuesday's provincial election, a formidable outcome aided in part by the stunning collapse of Liberal support.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston led the Progressive Conservatives to an overwhelming majority win Tuesday, bucking a trend in recent provincial elections that saw incumbents roughed up by the electorate or soundly defeated.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he needed a strong, fresh mandate to negotiate with the federal government on issues such as carbon pricing.