Two of Nova Scotia’s three major political parties are promising to implement coastal protection legislation if they form the next provincial government after the Nov. 26 election.
The law was unanimously adopted by the Legislative Assembly in 2019. Its abandonment by the outgoing government of Tim Houston raised the ire of opposition parties and several environmental groups and coastal municipalities.
Unsurprisingly, it is the two parties that sat on the opposition benches in Halifax when the election was called that want to bring forward the bill.
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The leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, Jagmeet Singh, campaigned with his provincial counterpart from Nova Scotia, Claudia Chender, in Halifax on November 1, 2024.
Photo : Radio-Canada
The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) made this commitment Friday morning during a press briefing in the Nova Scotia capital. Claudia Chender in the same breath criticized the outgoing government for having avoided its responsibilities by delegating the protection of the coasts to the municipalities. This is not real leadership, she lambasted.
Tim Houston is letting a few wealthy, well-connected coastal landowners put our coasts at risk. He cares more about what his friends and donors want than about protecting coastal communities from the effects of rising seas.
A quote from Claudia Chender, leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
A few hours later, the Nova Scotia Liberal Party matched the bet.
In a press release, outgoing MP Iain Rankin promised that a Liberal government would enact the Coastal Protection Act on its first day in office. We cannot afford further delays in the fight against the effects of climate on our coasts, urged this former Minister of the Environment in Stephen McNeil’s government when the original text was tabled.
Illegal fishing in the sights of the Liberals
Campaigning in the southwest of the province, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill pledged to protect commercial lobster fishermen from illegal fishing. The lobster industry is a major economic driver in Nova Scotia, and its success is critical to providing affordable measures to Nova Scotians, he said in a statement.
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Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Zach Churchill on the campaign trail on October 28, 2024.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean Laroche
The Liberals propose the creation of a royal commission of inquiry into illegal fishing, the adoption of a zero tolerance policy towards poachers, steeper fines and the creation of an anti-fishing unit. illegal fishing.
In a press release, Progressive Conservative Kent Smith accused the provincial Liberal leader of seeking to protect the federal Liberal government of Justin Trudeau. According to him, it is up to Ottawa to provide the necessary resources to fight illegal fishing.
Once again, Zach Churchill had the choice to defend Nova Scotians or side with Justin Trudeau and he chose the latter, the outgoing Minister of Fisheries warned in Halifax.
Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston campaigned in Cape Breton on Friday, the sixth day of the campaign he launched early. He made no announcement.
Elections NS warns of a scam
Separately, Elections Nova Scotia is warning the public about an email scam aimed at obtaining personal information from voters. The email would be generated by a robot, according to the agency.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Dorothy Rice, points out that there is no Internet voting for the November 26 elections and that her organization is not sending mass emails to voters. The integrity of the electoral process and the security of voters’ personal information are important to Elections Nova Scotia, she said.
