NDP urges Tim Houston to deliver the results Nova Scotians were promised in upcoming budget

HALIFAX –Leader of the Official Opposition, Claudia Chender, called for the Houston government to lower power bills, provide dependable emergency and women’s health services, and get more people homes they can afford in the upcoming budget.

Chender is asking the government to lower power bills with an energy affordability program and reverse the cuts that saw 46,000 people lose access to the Home Heating Rebate Assistance Program. She also pushed the government to finally keep their promise to Nova Scotians by expanding emergency services in hospitals like Cobequid, creating the Menopause Centre of Excellence and getting more people on the path to sustainable home ownership

“Nova Scotians have given Tim Houston the benefit of the doubt. They understand that challenges are real and complicated. They waited and trusted that if government took these problems seriously, things would start to get better,” said Chender. “But five years in, the difference people were promised still isn’t here. Power bills keep rising. Rent keeps climbing, and home ownership remains out of reach. Rural Emergency Rooms close or leave people waiting for hours. Families don’t have the affordable child care that other Canadians count on. These aren’t inevitabilities, they are the result of choices.

“If this government was serious about fixing these problems, Nova Scotians would be feeling it by now.”

When the Houston government got elected, Nova Scotia was in a surplus. Now, for the first time in 30 years, the province’s credit has been downgraded, and the PC government is projecting a historic $1.4 billion deficit.

“This government made choices that put us in this position, and they have to answer to Nova Scotians for that,” said Chender. “As we go into this budget session, we’re looking for results people can actually see and feel in their daily lives. Nova Scotians won’t be able to stay and work in this province if they can’t build a life they can afford here. This budget has to deliver the results Nova Scotians have been promised—Heating your home, having an open ER, treating women’s health seriously, and getting a roof over your head are not luxuries—they’re the least hardworking people should be able to expect.”

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