A week from election day, Tories tout highway plans, Liberals highlight housing
With only a week left before election day in Nova Scotia, the Progressive Conservative and Liberal leaders are making their final pushes to win over voters. PC Leader Tim Houston held a news conference in Halifax where he highlighted his party’s commitment to improving highways in the Halifax Regional Municipality. This includes building a new connector between Hammonds Plains Road and Highway 101, upgrading three interchanges on Highway 102, and adding an extra lane in each direction on a stretch of Highway 102. The estimated cost of these projects is $810 million, which Houston described as a “once-in-a-generation investment.”
However, Houston’s plan does not address traffic congestion in HRM’s core, where gridlock is a common issue. He mentioned ongoing discussions with the municipality and referenced the Joint Regional Transportation Agency, which was established by the PC government to develop a transportation plan for HRM. While Houston’s platform focuses on road improvements, he acknowledged the importance of addressing public transit once traffic flow is improved.
The PC leader also highlighted the party’s past work on rural highway projects and a $1 million fund created for improvements to rural rinks, arenas, and curling clubs.
On the other hand, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill dedicated his recent news conference to addressing the housing crisis in Nova Scotia. He emphasized the need to ensure that no one in the province spends more than 30 percent of their income on housing. The Liberal platform includes establishing a rent bank, tying rent caps to inflation, limiting the use of fixed-term leases, creating a residential tenancies enforcement unit, and lowering requirements for rent supplements. Additionally, the Liberals plan to support the construction of 80,000 new homes by 2032.
Despite trailing in public opinion polls, Churchill remains focused on promoting his platform, which he believes offers the best solutions for affordability, housing, and healthcare. He expressed confidence in his party’s ideas and the positive feedback received from voters during the campaign.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Claudia Chender cast her ballot in Dartmouth South, signaling her participation in the democratic process. As the election day approaches, each party is making its final appeal to voters, hoping to secure their support and ultimately form the next government in Nova Scotia.
