Liberal Cathy De Rome, PC incumbent Kim Masland and New Democrat Brian Skabar are running in Queens in the Nova Scotia election. (Rick Conrad, Nova Scotia NDP)

The two people hoping to unseat popular MLA Kim Masland in Queens admit it’s an uphill battle, but they say they’ve been hearing good things from voters.

Cathy De Rome is running for the Liberals and Brian Skabar is trying to take the seat back for the NDP in Tuesday’s provincial election.

Masland is trying for a repeat in a riding she captured in 2021 for the Progressive Conservatives with 70 per cent of the vote. Before that, the riding was Queens-Shelburne, which Masland won in 2017 with almost 44 per cent of the vote. 

Election Day is Tues., Nov. 26. But Queens County residents can vote early at the returning office on Market Street in Liverpool or at the North Queens Fire Hall in Caledonia.

When the election was called on Oct. 27, the Tories had 34 seats, the Liberals had 14, the NDP had 6 and there was one independent.

PARTY PLATFORMS:

• Progressive Conservatives
• Liberals
• NDP

De Rome lives in Beach Meadows and is a retired elementary school teacher. She’s also the president of the Queens Liberal association. Skabar is originally from Amherst, but now lives near Caledonia. He is a retired social worker and a former NDP MLA for Cumberland North.

De Rome and Skabar say that they know it’s going to be tough to defeat Masland. But they say it’s important to run.

“Our democracy is only as strong as the people who participate in it,” De Rome said in a recent interview. “And I want people to become involved and find out what the issues are and how they can work at participating and hopefully making things better.

“Kim is very popular and she has been doing it a long time. But just maybe it’s time for a change.”

Skabar says he’s knocked on 40 to 50 doors a day during the campaign. And even though he’s new to the area, he says he’s been getting positive feedback.

“To my surprise, only having been here for two years, either people in Queens County are really, really kind, 0r I might have half a chance,” he said in an interview.

“Three out of five doors that I knock one are supportive of New Democrats. Our incumbent here is quite popular individually but I don’t think people are really crazy about Tim Houston.”

Masland could not be reached for an interview. But in a video posted on her Facebook page, she said she’s knocked on more than 5,000 doors in the campaign.

She also posted that the Houston government has hired more doctors, helped build more affordable housing, and made record investments in road and bridge infrastructure.

De Rome says that while many voters say they’re not happy with the state of health care, housing and affordability, they haven’t asked her much about she or the Liberals plan to address it.

“People will complain. When the other day I said to a man, ‘Do you have any questions?’ He said no. And so I said, ‘Are you happy with things?’ ‘Not really’. So it just didn’t quite make sense.”

De Rome points to the Liberal plan to build more homes using the co-operative housing model, open more collaborative care clinics around the province, and to forgive part of certain health-care workers’ student loans for up to five years.

“We are getting more doctors, it seems, but people are still having long waits in emergency. … To sit in emergency for nine-plus hours to have a prescription renewed is ridiculous.”

The NDP had been a force in the traditionally Conservative riding of Queens from 2006 to 2013. Sterling Belliveau hung on to the seat for the party in 2013 when it was changed to Queens-Shelburne. 

But the NDP haven’t had much of a presence since Belliveau retired before the 2017 election.

Skabar says he’s hearing from voters who are upset about Premier Tim Houston’s early election call. He says voters have told him they like some parts of the PC plan. But they wonder why the party needed an election to do that.

Skabar adds that Masland has done a good job getting roadwork done in Queens County. 

“I only just met Kim last week at the community dinner here in Caledonia. And really, what’s not to like? Actually, she’s a good member. But the government that she represents is not doing a good job for Nova Scotia.”

The Liberals’ De Rome says that no matter which party people support, she hopes they get out and vote.

“I would consider it an honour if they chose to elect me. I’ve never thought of doing this, but I am enjoying it. People have been very receptive when I’ve talked to them. … I hope people take the chance to get out and vote. It’s important. Go out and vote, put your X in the spot where you think would do the most good.”

You can vote early at the returning office in your area until 8 p.m. on Friday or until 6 p.m. on Saturday and Monday.

If you don’t know where your Election Day voting location is, you can use the Where do I Vote tool on the Elections Nova Scotia website at electionsnovascotia.ca or call 1-800-565-1504. Polls will be open on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire at his swearing-in ceremony in February with Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc and Premier Tim Houston. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The Nova Scotia government will index social assistance payments after all.

The province announced Wednesday that it would index all income assistance payments annually based on the consumer price index. In 2024-25, rates will be indexed by 2.5 per cent.

The Progressive Conservative government was criticized earlier in March after it unveiled its budget, with no provision for indexing income assistance.

Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire pushed for indexing the rates when he was a Liberal opposition member. But he told reporters in early March that it wasn’t on the table right now.

On Wednesday, though, Maguire said it’s “another action being taken by government to help vulnerable Nova Scotians find success.”

The change will be implemented on July 1, with retroactive payments to April 1. Almost 24,000 Nova Scotians were collecting assistance as of Feb. 1. Indexing will cost about $7 million in 2024/25.

PC Leader Tim Houston. Photo Ed Halverson

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.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

PC Leader Tim Houston addresses crowd at Shipyards Landing, Bridgewater in July 2020. Photo credit: Ed Halverson

Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives are setting mental health as one of the party’s top priorities.

In what could be seen as a precursor to an election campaign, PC Leader Tim Houston released the comprehensive plan in Halifax last week.

“We want to put this forward because it’s really important to me that Nova Scotians know what I as a leader stand for, what our party stands for and really has a sense of what we will do, what our vision is for this province,” said Houston.

The centerpiece of the plan is to pull mental health out of the health portfolio and make a new department with a dedicated minister to be accountable.

Houston says the province already spends over $344 million on mental health services each year, which separated out would make it the seventh largest department by budget behind Community Services, Education, Health, Justice, Labour and Advanced Education and Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

“The bill’s already on the table,” said Houston. “What we’re doing is saying, look, we’re willing to pick up the bill, acknowledge the bill and deal with it. Because the cost to our society of people not getting health care, not getting addictions and mental health support when they need it, the cost is tremendous.”

Houston says statistics show 500,000 Canadians will miss work this year because of a mental health ailment.

The PC plan would invest in universal mental health care by creating new billing codes for mental health to allow private mental health professionals to bill the province for their services.

Houston says that allows every Nova Scotian to access mental health services when they are needed.

“If you have money in your pocket, you can get private care or if you work for an employer that has coverage you can get private care, but for everyone else you can’t. That’s called a two-tier system where those who have money can get treatment and those who don’t, can’t, and this country, this province, we’re not on with two-tiered systems. Health care access, addictions and mental health access, it has to be universal. Everyone should be able to access it,” said Houston.

Any Nova Scotia who currently has mental health coverage through an existing plan would be expected to use that first and provisions would be made to ensure employers couldn’t cut mental health care coverage from their health plans.

As the third pillar of the plan, Houston hopes more mental health professionals will be attracted to the province once they see the supports are in place.

Houston says bringing those professionals to Nova Scotia will reduce wait times for help, which can currently be up to a year.

“There’s nothing worse right now than someone in a crisis who goes to the emergency room and spends hours and hours and hours, waiting and waiting, only to probably be told to call another line on Monday morning. That’s very, very cruel,” said Houston. “Well, I guess something worse than that is the person that doesn’t go to the emergency room because they’re worried about the stigma.”

Houston admits most people would generally equate the PC Party with fiscal restraint and not progressive social policy, but said they would be missing part of the party’s core ideals.

“We have always been a socially progressive party. Yes, fiscally responsible but government that’s accountable, government that listens, and you see that in what we do when we’re in government,” said Houston. “We have a human rights commission in this province because of a PC government. A lot of people don’t know, Nova Scotia only the ninth jurisdiction in the world to legalize same-sex marriage – under a PC government because one of our core values is to be socially progressive.”

Houston says opposition parties don’t generally provide detailed policy plans but he would be happy to see the sitting liberal government take theirs and run with it, because the mental health of Nova Scotians is too important to wait.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson