Spring session highlights Houston’s lack of vision for Nova Scotia

Halifax— The spring sitting of the legislature is set to wrap-up today. Tim Houston and his government have failed to show a clear vision or path to address the major issues of concern for Nova Scotians.

“This session the Premier has shown his true colours, supporting programs and spending on things like the Health app, Hogan Court, and a program that threatens the farm wine sector. These initiatives enrich his friends while leaving everyday Nova Scotians on their own to find appropriate health care, fight for jobs, and afford the basics,” said NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender. “Houston’s budget was a disappointment and fails to address the skyrocketing costs of everything from food to energy, and housing, while creating a dangerous opportunity for the Minister of Health to access personal medical records.”

“While we’re glad to see a school lunch program, diabetes care, and the indexing of income assistance rates finally become a reality in our province, much of what’s in the budget does little to move the needle for everyday Nova Scotians.”

During the Spring sitting, the doctors' waitlist hit a record high, with over 156,000 Nova Scotians now looking for a primary care provider. And while the Premier has given his Health Minister access to Nova Scotians' private health records he wants to limit reporting on how many people are without primary care.

The NSNDP tabled a dozen pieces of legislation this session, including an anti-scab bill to protect workers’ right to bargain fairly and a new Coastal Protection Act that would mandate the law be enacted by June of this year.

“The Houston government tabled only four bills this sitting, and of those just two will pass, each with substantial government amendments. The biggest legislative decision this session was the decision not to enact the Coastal Protection Act, abandoning the people, communities and municipalities along our coastline that want and expect a cohesive plan for how our province addresses climate change and coastal protection,” said Chender. “While Nova Scotians want to do their part, the Houston government has chosen to abandon the Coastal Protection Act and fight with Ottawa instead of doing the hard work of helping Nova Scotians protect themselves and their communities from rising rise levels and severe storms.” -30-