Government must do the work to restore Nova Scotians’ trust: NDP

HALIFAX – On Friday, following weeks of chaos around the Houston government’s cuts, Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender called on the Premier to pause the budget, listen to Nova Scotians and put in place safeguards to restore Nova Scotians’ trust in how their province is being managed.

Last week, the Houston government made clear that they did not conduct any economic analysis to understand the impact of cuts to Nova Scotia’s post-secondary, arts, culture, or tourism sectors that generate billions in revenue and create tens of thousands of jobs.

“This government has shown that they can’t be allowed to operate in the dark. They have spent billions of dollars with very few results for Nova Scotians and no evidence they’re getting good value for money,” said Chender. “They can’t be trusted to do what’s best for Nova Scotians. The cruel cuts they proposed confirmed that even the most vulnerable people are on the chopping block with the Houston government.

“It is crucial that they listen to the hundreds of Nova Scotians coming to the Public Bills Committee and do the work to understand the harm they will do with these cuts.”

The NSNDP has brought forward two proposals to protect Nova Scotians’ hard-earned money. These measures include a bill calling for all out-of-budget spending to be tabled and passed in this legislative session, and a new Legislative Budget Officer (LBO) to ensure Nova Scotians have clarity and accountability over public spending. The LBO would also assess the risks of government spending decisions and independently cost election platform commitments.

“Nova Scotians work hard. They’ve got their heads down trying to take care of their families. If the Premier is going to threaten Nova Scotians’ livelihoods, he has to be able to explain his choices,” said Chender. “New Democrats’ message is this: pause this budget and prove to Nova Scotians that you actually know what’s in your own budget and how it will impact our communities, culture, our jobs, and our hard-earned money.”

-30-