Chender: Emergency session should address real crises in health care and cost of living

HALIFAX – The NDP welcomes a return to the legislature but believes it should be used to address the real needs of Nova Scotians who can’t get the health care they need and are grappling with the skyrocketing cost of living.

“We are told that the Legislature is being recalled because of an emergency. Right now, hospital emergency departments are regularly closed across the province, over 100,000 people are without access to primary care, people across this province are sleeping in tents and so many families are struggling to pay the bills; these are the emergencies the Premier should use an emergency sitting to fix,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “Instead the country’s third highest paid Premier wants to recall the legislature to protect his own salary and block a recommendation to support child care in the House of Assembly, unfairly targeting women and young parents. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work for families struggling during these uncertain times. It’s why we were elected.”

Since the Houston Conservatives came to government there are thousands more people without a family doctor, more people leaving emergency departments without seeing a doctor and getting the care they need, and hospitals are over 1000 nurses short of what they need.

“People need help now,” said Chender. “The NDP is ready to go to work for people and families across the province. If the Premier wants to block the recommendations of this report he can do so in a fall sitting. If he is looking for more than a grandstanding gesture he should be prepared to hold a full session to properly address the needs of Nova Scotians.”

The findings of the review included restoring MLA wage increases to match the civil service, cutting the Premier’s salary and recommendations to create a child care fund for MLAs who are parents, and practice nation-to-nation relationship building with Mi’kmaw to revisit provisions for a Mi’kmaw Representative.

Tim Houston is the third highest-paid premier in the country. Blocking this review protects his own salary while doing nothing to help working families.

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