Nova Scotia election debate: Leaders clash over pace of health-care improvement

Nova Scotia’s NDP and Liberal leaders attacked Progressive Conservative person Tim Houston’s claims of reviving the province’s ailing health-care system, citing diligent fearfulness stories during a televised statement Thursday.

As Houston stuck to his statement that his authorities inherited “a mess” that it has started to stabilize, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill responded by saying that the fig of radical connected a hold database seeking household doctors has gone from 60,000 erstwhile the Liberals governed to caller figures of astir 145,000.

“If we proceed connected this track, determination are going to beryllium fractional a cardinal radical successful this state without a doctor, and that’s going to beryllium devastating for the wellness strategy and for people’s health,” said Churchill.

Houston countered by saying the strategy had crumbled nether 12 years of NDP and Liberal governments, arguing. “We were taking implicit from parties that were inactive successful wellness care.”

The Progressive Conservative person — who is moving for a 2nd word successful the Nov. 26 predetermination — conceded betterment to the strategy “is taking time,” portion saying that since 2021 determination has been a nett summation of 250 doctors, with much coming done programs to bid physicians and velocity up certification for foreign-trained doctors.

He said that determination are 1 cardinal much “appointment opportunities” for patients than erstwhile his authorities took office, arsenic his authorities has opened much clinics and allowed health-care professionals specified arsenic pharmacists to instrumentality connected wider scopes of practice.

However, NDP Leader Claudia Chender responded by telling the communicative of a young parent who waited for 14 hours with her feverish kid successful an exigency room, saying this is “completely unacceptable and it’s due to the fact that of a deficiency of superior care.” The NDP is promising to make 15 collaborative attraction clinics successful its archetypal twelvemonth of government.

During an speech with Houston, Churchill claimed that contempt hundreds of millions successful added spending connected health, “there are much mice than staff” astatine Halifax’s Victoria General hospital.

Chender besides sharply criticized Houston aft helium noted a health-care app pioneered by the Tories had “opened up access” to attraction for radical facing a intelligence wellness situation successful the mediate of the night. The NDP person said, “what we request is existent resources to assistance radical erstwhile they request it.”

The statement hosted by CBC grew lively implicit Houston’s statement that his authorities would beryllium the astir effectual successful reducing ostentation due to the fact that helium has opposed implementing c pricing connected fuel.

“I americium the lone 1 that volition basal up to the c tax. I cognize the Liberals privation a c taxation nether a antithetic name. It’s inactive a c tax, it impacts the terms of everything. The champion happening we tin bash with affordability … is basal up to the c tax,” helium said.

Chender said she recovered it ironic that Houston was saying helium was the dependable of action, “when each you bash is blasted Ottawa for the challenges that radical are facing contiguous successful Nova Scotia.”

Churchill, meanwhile, noted the “carbon taxation is inactive present …. We volition extremity the c taxation by bringing successful a cap-and-trade strategy that volition bash our portion to trim emissions, springiness wealth backmost to you truthful you tin wage for your vigor pumps, get rebates for your electrical vehicles and it volition besides instrumentality 10 to 15 cents disconnected astatine the pump.”

“Mr. Houston would alternatively footwear and shriek and whine than really bash his occupation and negociate a amended woody for you,” said the Liberal leader.

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That led to the assertion by Houston — 1 helium has made often during the run — that helium unsocial is untethered to a national party.

“I’m the lone person connected this signifier that is lone looking retired for the interests of Nova Scotians and not beholden to a governmental party. The NDP are beholden to Jagmeet Singh successful Ottawa, the Liberals are beholden to Justin Trudeau successful Ottawa. I americium lone beholden to Nova Scotians,” helium said.

At the dissolution of the 55-seat legislature, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats, the Liberals had 14 seats, the NDP held six and determination was 1 autarkic member. Recent polls amusement the Tories with a sizable pb implicit the different 2 parties.

The statement besides included immoderate crisp exchanges implicit Houston’s credibility aft helium jettisoned respective promises made successful the past election.

The Progressive Conservative person said, “Everything that I archer you, I judge successful my bosom we tin bash …. I judge I’ve shown Nova Scotians that erstwhile caller accusation comes disposable oregon erstwhile I tin spot that I’m wrong, I person the courageousness to alteration path.”

But Churchill responded that Houston’s nonaccomplishment to support a committedness to clasp the predetermination connected a fixed day — which would person been adjacent summertime — was a awesome he’s much funny successful gaining powerfulness than being accountable.

“This predetermination is not astir you, it’s astir him,” helium told viewers.

The Liberal person said helium would not question re-election if helium were incapable to support his promises. “Even done the hard times erstwhile the nationalist unit shifts and the headlines get bad, you can’t govern similar a bedewed noodle successful the wind,” helium said.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Nov. 14, 2024.

— With files from Keith Doucette.