The MLA for Queens sat down with reporter Ed Halverson just before Christmas to discuss a busy 2021.
Kim Masland was re-elected and moved to the government side of the legislature when the PC’s won a majority, was appointed Minister of Public Works and government house leader shortly afterwards and contracted COVID-19 .
The interview is broken into four parts.
In part one, Masland discusses the quick learning curve when forming government.
Another challenge for Masland was contracting COVID, discussed in the second part of the interview.
Healthcare and long term care were hot button topics on the doorstep during the election campaign. The PCs promised to fix the system and Masland describes how her party is working to do so.
The interview wraps up with issues Masland is working to address in Queens including resolving long-standing concerns at Carter’s Beach and the affordable housing crisis.
Nova Scotians have elected a Progressive Conservative government for the first time in over a decade.
Kim Masland was reelected to represent the restored riding of Queens in the provincial general election.
She will join the rest of her caucus in moving from the opposition benches to the government side of the legislature.
Throughout the campaign the PCs hammered the Liberal government’s record on healthcare.
Masland says access to doctors and paramedics was the top issue she heard on the doorsteps.
“People are tired of Liberals not listening and acknowledging the crisis that we’re in. We see that with our health care professionals. It’s great to talk about recruiting but if we can’t retain, we’re in trouble and we are in trouble now as a province. This is a strong message that has been sent that people want change and change is coming,” said Masland.
Queens MLA Kim Masland. Photo Ed Halverson
Tim Houston led the PCs to a majority government for the first time since 2009.
Masland says the PCs began releasing their plans to address issues such as long-term care and doctor retention over a year ago, giving Nova Scotians time to absorb the direction her party plans to take the province.
“When we see the large turnout in advanced polls and continuous polls, that’s a sign that people are looking for change.”
Masland says an election campaign can be quite challenging at times and she’s humbled the residents of Queens have once again put their trust in her to be their representative in the legislature.
“When you knock on someone’s door and they immediately say to you that we’re so grateful for what you have done for us the last four years, it gives you that push to keep going, to make sure that you are successful, that you can continue to be the voice for the people that I want to represent,” said Masland. “Hearing that on the doorsteps was certainly great and it made the campaign much easier than what a campaign would be.”
Counting of advanced ballots was suspended at midnight with the PCs winning or leading in 31 ridings, the Liberals in 17, the NDP in 6 and former PC MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin leading as an independent in the riding of Cumberland North.
Elections Nova Scotia will resume counting ballots in that riding and the ridings of Halifax Chebucto and Halifax Citadel-Sable Island at 10:00am Wednesday.
Queens-Shelburne MLA Kim Masland will re-offer in the new riding of Queens. Photo Ed Halverson
The MLA for Queens Shelburne is coming back for more.
Kim Masland has announced she will represent the Progressive Conservatives in Queens in the next provincial election.
Masland wants to continue to work on behalf of the people in her community.
“Even though it’s not a big fancy building or it’s not a repaved highway, for me, I know I’ve made a difference, I’ve made an impact in that person’s life and no one will probably ever know about it. But I do, and they do and that’s why I entered into this job, to care for people,” said Masland.
The first-time MLA was elected in the riding of Queens-Shelburne in 2017.
She says representing a large constituency with very different populations over the past four years has been challenging.
The electoral boundaries have been redrawn for the next election to divide the two communities and Masland has chosen to run in Queens, the district she has always called home.
“Queens is home for me,” said Masland. “You know, I was brought up in Queens and I’ve never left. I’m looking forward to be able to, 100 percent focus on Queens County.”
Masland has spent her time in the legislature on the opposition benches and she is optimistic when the final ballots are tallied the PC caucus will be sitting on the government side of the house.
“I truly believe that we are the government in waiting. I truly believe that after the next election there will be a PC government caring for our province,” said Masland.
Despite her party affiliation, Masland says she would like to see an end of partisan politics and games in Nova Scotia.
“If the Liberals or the NDP bring forth great legislation, or speak to a bill that I know is going to benefit my constituents I’m the first one clapping for them. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s all about what is the best for the people we represent,” said Masland.
Often when politicians hit the campaign trail many promises are made that are forgotten once candidates are elected.
Masland says one commitment she guarantees she will keep is to bring decisions about health care back to a local level.
“The administration that was created by the sitting government, by the Liberal government, has basically put decision-making of how healthcare is delivered into glass towers in Halifax.,” said Masland. “That has made things very difficult for the delivery of healthcare in small, rural areas such as Queens County.”
Masland’s family supports her decision to reoffer even though it means they will continue to take a back seat to the people of Queens.
It was a comment from her daughter that Masland says really underscores her family’s understanding of the sacrifices she makes.
“She said Mom, you know what, it’s okay. And of course, my children are grown and are out my house but, [she said] we’ll share you again with constituents because we know they need you.”
The next general election must be called by spring of 2022.
All parties are in the process of solidifying their roster of candidates as Nova Scotia is the only province in Canada without fixed election dates and Premier Iain Rankin could call an election at any time.
The leader of Nova Scotia’s official opposition party says the PCs are the government in waiting.
Tim Houston says the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives have a strong team of sitting MLAs and qualified candidates who are ready to lead after the next election.
“From top to bottom we have a solid team of incredibly talented people. We have it in the caucus now and you’ll see that in MLA Kim Masland and MLA Colton LeBlanc. These are incredible community leaders,” said Houston. “And the slate of candidates that we are assembling, I’m just really humbled with the quality of people that are putting their name forward.”
Houston says Nova Scotia has great potential for success, due in no small part to the increasing population the province has enjoyed over the past few years.
“This government takes a lot of credit for the population growing. But if you’re planning for an increased population then you plan for the other things that go with it, increase the access to health care, understand the needs around housing,” said Houston.
He says that lack of planning for the needs of increased population demonstrates government is taking credit for something that was already happening and is concerned government hasn’t done more to address the housing crisis in Nova Scotia.
“The only solution to the housing crisis is more housing supply. That means looking for ways to get more tradespeople in the province, working with those not-for-profits that are building affordable housing and the development community to see how do we get projects moving quicker and how do we increase supply,” said Houston.
Turning to the pandemic response, Houston says Nova Scotia should be further ahead in its vaccine rollout.
“We were told to be patient. They were building a plan, building a system and that when they turned it on and flicked the switch we would ramp, ramp right up. But we haven’t.”
The PC leader is frustrated it’s taking so long to get needles into the arms of all Nova Scotians.
Houston says from the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, opposition parties have voiced their concerns to government outside of the public eye so Nova Scotians would see their leaders taking on the pandemic as a united front.
He was confident in the approach taken by then-premier Stephen McNeil to follow recommendations made by chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang.
Houston says the relationship developed by the two men inspired Nova Scotians to work together to keep the pandemic at bay.
He questions whether Premier Iain Rankin has the same willingness to follow the advice of public health.
“For the past year we got used to seeing Premier McNeil and Dr. Strang and they certainly seemed to be one unit. They seemed to be totally in sync with each other. I just don’t have that vibe from the new relationship,” said Houston. “In fact, the government has issued a couple of releases where they’ve said Premier Rankin directed Dr. Strang to do certain things.”
Houston says politicians giving directives to public health is not what Nova Scotians are accustomed to seeing from their government.
He is hopeful whenever the writ is dropped the people of this province will recognize the work his party has done to prepare plans to provide dignity to seniors, address addictions and mental health and provide better healthcare to all Nova Scotians.
“We want to be very, very open,” said Houston. “We know we need to be accountable, that’s the job of government, to be accountable to the people. So we’re being very transparent about what we think is possible and where the focus needs to be and right now, that focus needs to be on healthcare.”
The Nova Scotia Supreme Court has ruled Nova Scotians should know how much the province is spending on the Yarmouth Ferry.
Leader Tim Houston and the PC party took the province and operator Bay Ferries to court to learn what Nova Scotians are paying in management fees to the company.
He calls the verdict a good decision.
“It’s only the government that wanted to keep it hidden. Everyone else knows it should be out there. So I’m happy that the Supreme Court has now seen what most Nova Scotians would know. That this is public information that should be made public,” said Houston.
Premier Stephen McNeil and successive ministers of transportation and infrastructure renewal have refused to release the details of the arrangement as they say it would put Bay Ferries at a competitive disadvantage.
McNeil argued the government has been forthcoming with the financial details.
“Every penny that has been spent on the Yarmouth Ferry has actually been accounted for,” said McNeil. “What we’re talking about is proprietary information of a company. Where I disagree, vehemently, with Mr. Houston is you should not be able to dig in and put a company at a disadvantage and I believe that’s what this does.”
In court documents, Bay Ferries Limited CEO Mark MacDonald says they considered the management fee to be the profit margin to operate the ferry.
The PC party filed a freedom of information request in 2016 to learn the details of Bay Ferries management fee and in late 2018, the privacy commissioner determined government should release that information.
When government refused to follow the commissioner’s guidance the PCs took their request to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
In a 23-page decision released Tuesday, Justice C. Richard Coughlan said the evidence presented did not demonstrate either Bay Ferries Limited or the government of Nova Scotia would be negatively affected by the release of the management fee.
Under cross-examination, CEO MacDonald acknowledged while competitors may be able to glean how Bay Ferries approaches their fee structure based on this management fee, the amount the company would charge in a future circumstance could be different.
Houston says the PC party supports the Yarmouth ferry under the right circumstances.
“I see potential in the market but we have to find the right deal and that means at the right cost, that means at the right schedule, that means with the right vessel,” said Houston. “There’s a lot of moving parts to it and I think the taxpayer has been let down.”
Premier McNeil is concerned the ruling will scare private business from working with government in the future.
“This sends the wrong signal,” said McNeil. “It puts a chill over private-sector investment in this province and if that’s what the Conservative government wants to run in the next election, good luck.”
Premier Stephen McNeil. Photo Nova Scotia Government
Houston says whenever someone does business with the province of Nova Scotia, they should expect it to be made public.
“Just like when you make a political contribution to a party, it will be made public. That’s just the deal. The taxpayers always have a right to know where their money went and then they can decide. That’s what elections are for. People will decide if they think government made wise decisions with their money but they have the right to know what decisions were made with their money. That’s just the way it works,” said Houston.
The management fee was not released in court documents as Bay Ferries Limited and the provincial government now have 30 days to decide whether they will appeal the decision.
