On Wednesday, my daughter Paget and I joined four of our candidates, Nargis DeMolitor, Sura Hadad, Nicole Mosher and Scott Ellis in HRM in attending a vigil honouring the family who was senselessly targeted and killed in an act of terror earlier this week in London, Ontario.
There’s no room for hate in Nova Scotia or Canada. Together, we stand united against any form of discrimination and hate crimes.
Sura, PC candidate for Bedford South, shared her thoughts with a reporter. Click here to read more.
What else happened this week:
- After weeks of ‘exploring solutions’ the Rankin Liberal government appears to have abandoned any effort to save the Sydney walk-in clinic. The walk-in clinic is only staying open because the doctors are paying out of their own pocket to cover the overhead. Despite no action from the Liberals, a senior Cabinet Minister called the issue ‘resolved’ on April 23. The three CBRM PC MLAs, Brain Comer, Murray Ryan and Keith Bain, who represent constituents that rely on this clinic, say this inaction by the government speaks to weak leadership. With more than 8,800 Cape Bretoners looking for a family doctor, the government can’t limit access to care even further by allowing this clinic to close. The PC’s Hope for Health plan includes a commitment to restore local decision-making and to establish a clinical health services plan in every region that would be accountable for doctor recruitment on a local level.
- With the governing Liberals now being down to a minority as a result of MLA Margaret Miller’s abrupt resignation, MLA Tim Halman introduced a motion Wednesday to adjust the number of committee members from each party to reflect the Legislature’s makeup as it stands right now — to reflect the minority status. The Rankin government voted against it.
- The Need A Family Practice Registry continues to skyrocket under the governing Liberals. Today, there are 66,404 Nova Scotians who are waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner, up 878 from last month. The Liberals have been in power for eight years. We can all agree that this problem didn’t happen overnight, but where we differ is that we acknowledge the system is in crisis and we have put actual solutions forward to address it. We’ve released comprehensive, common-sense plans to address the shortcomings in the healthcare system. Click here to read our Hope for Health plan.
Tip of the hat
I know of many businesses and organizers across the province that are working diligently behind the scenes trying to safely organize some sort of graduation ceremony.
Thank you for stepping up for your community.
Graduating from high school is a big deal that should be celebrated. The past two years have been very challenging for our students.
There seems to be lots of confusion surrounding which communities can host a grad drive-by ceremony and which can’t. I encourage the Premier to better communicate so organizers know what is possible for these students. Businesses, community, parents shouldn’t be guessing what is acceptable.
Failing grade
This week I met with the Nova Scotia Business Alliance, a newly formed group made up of 110 businesses from across the province. Together, they employ over 30,000 Nova Scotians.
As of this writing, the Premier has not met with the group nor has he responded to their letter.
Listening, collaborating, and being decisive are some of the important qualities that a strong leader should possess.
Businesses have been through so much. They have lost revenue, invested heavily in safe reopening protocols, have had to close/open at the drop of a hat, and business supports announced by the government fell short.
In order for our economy to bounce back, we need all these businesses to survive.
At the press briefing on Friday, I heard a troubling question. It seems that grants for small businesses haven’t been delivered to all recipients. One of the businesses said they were promised a cheque by the end of May and as of June 11th, they had received no cheque or communication from government—and that is not unique.
The Premier said he wasn’t aware of this individual or situation and he said lots of cheques have gone out. I hope that is true and that these cheques aren’t lost in the mail.
The province also only appears to offer email as an option for trying to address these issues, and hasn’t dedicated a phone line to help these struggling businesses.
Committees
The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs will meet Tuesday. The topic is the role of veteran physician assistants in the health-care system. The witnesses include Peter Thibeault, Director, Nova Scotia and Erin Sephton, Alternate Director, Nova Scotia from the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants; and Dr. D. A. (Gus) Grant, registrar and CEO from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia.
Until next week,
Tim
PS If you haven’t had a chance, every night (except Saturdays) I’ve been on Facebook Live at 8:00pm, taking live questions and chatting with business owners, friends and colleagues about their vision for the future of this province. Tune in if you get a chance!