N.S. party leaders get testy over hot campaign issues in CBC debate

In CBC's election debate between Nova Scotia's three major parties, leaders got into testy exchanges while comparing their records and their plans for the province on some of the hottest issues of this campaign: housing, health care and affordability.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston had a consistent message throughout the 90-minute debate in Halifax: his government made good headway over the last three years, but it has more to do.

He summed it up in the first few minutes while talking about housing.

"The plan is working and we just need to stick to the plan."

And again when talking about health care.

"These are real solutions, they're not overnight solutions."

But NDP Leader Claudia Chender and Liberal Leader Zach Churchill challenged him repeatedly, saying things have gotten worse under the PC leader's watch.

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In the first combative exchange of the night, Chender brought up the high rate of rent inflation.

"What are you doing about rents? Your rent cap is not working," she pressed Houston on his five per cent rent cap, which is scheduled to last until the end of 2027.

Chender highlighted her promise to implement rent control, reduce the rent cap and ban fixed-term leases.

'More mice than staff'

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From wait times in emergency departments to the need-a-doctor waitlist, Nova Scotia leaders assess the state of health care in the province.

On health care, Churchill took aim at a move Houston made early in his mandate: firing the CEO of the provincial health authority and the entire board. The CEO was replaced with Karen Oldfield, who had no health-care experience. She was labelled the interim CEO, but she remains in the post more than three years later.

"Politics is governing our health-care system," said Churchill.

He accused Houston of "hiding information" that isn't politically advantageous, such as the number of people on the need-a-family-practice registry. Registry data was not publicly available for several months this summer and fall while the health authority said it was verifying information.

Houston said the fact the number of people on the registry dipped about 12 per cent after the verification process is a sign of improvement.

But Churchill said those numbers don't tell the whole story. He said he gets more accurate information about the health-care system by talking directly to health-care providers.

"Go talk to the doctors at the [Victoria General Hospital] where there's more mice than staff in the building and tell those folks that the health-care system is getting better," said Churchill.

'You just blame Ottawa'

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Gas and electricity are two big expenses for Nova Scotians. Party leaders discuss how they would help.

Houston used a question about electricity rates to bring up the federal carbon tax, a frequent target of his.

He said it was "insincere" for Chender and Churchill to talk about the cost of utilities and fuel without joining his attack on the federal carbon tax.

The federal government imposed its carbon backstop on Nova Scotia last year, driving up prices for liquid fuels, including gasoline, and electricity. However, rebates issued by Ottawa offset those costs for most Nova Scotians. Many Nova Scotians get back more in rebate money than they pay into the carbon tax fund.

On Thursday night, Houston did not mention the existence of rebate money when discussing the carbon tax.

"The best thing we can do to support Nova Scotians with affordability and just getting by in everyday life, is stand up to the carbon tax," he said.

Houston has not proposed an alternative to the carbon tax that meets Ottawa's carbon-pricing guidelines, which is the only direct lever available to him to get rid of the carbon tax in Nova Scotia.

Chender, who has also not proposed a carbon-pricing alternative to the carbon tax, said it was ironic that Houston suggested he was taking action on the issue.

"All you do is blame Ottawa for the challenges that people are facing today in Nova Scotia," she said.

Churchill highlighted his party's promise to return to a cap-and-trade system, which is the carbon-pricing scheme Nova Scotia had under the previous Liberal government. This time, Churchill plans to push for a regional cap-and-trade system with other Atlantic provinces, rather than one specific to Nova Scotia.

Ottawa came up again when the leaders were asked what they would do to protect the Chignecto Isthmus the small strip of land that connects mainland Nova Scotia to New Brunswick.

The isthmus is vulnerable to catastrophic flooding from the effects of climate change, and experts say some kind of intervention is needed to protect it before a major storm washes it out.

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are in a protracted dispute with Ottawa over who should fund the work. Houston said he will continue to fight for the federal government to pay the full cost, rather than 50 per cent, as it hasoffered.

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Chenderagreed Ottawa should foot the whole bill, but she said Nova Scotia should take the federal money that's on offer now and try to recoup the rest later.

She said she worries the debate is getting in the way of starting the work. Churchill shared thatsentiment.

"He's playing politics rather than getting this work done," he said.

Houston said work at the isthmus is already underway. His government announced a $2-million project to build a berm on the isthmus last month, but it is not part of the larger, $650-million isthmus project.

An official with the Department of Public Works said at the time that work is still on the drawing board.

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