Leaders go toe to toe over health care in first debate of Nova Scotia election
Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Iain Rankin was forced to defend his party's record on health care during the first leaders debate of a provincial election campaign.
During the 90-minute contest Wednesday evening, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Gary Burrill went after Rankin for failing to deal with a chronic physician shortage that has left nearly 70,000 people without a family doctor.
Rankin shot back at Houston's $553 million spending plan mainly aimed at improving health care, arguing that the Tory leader wants to add to the deficit at a time when the province needs targeted spending to better emerge economically from the pandemic.
Rankin later told reporters that he believed the debate went well calling it a "good exchange of ideas."
Houston said he thought the debate was an opportunity for voters to compare the three potential premiers "side-by-side" and added that he was simply relaying concerns he's been hearing from voters in his criticism of the health system.
Burrill said he thought the debate made clear that voters have two paths to choose from -- contraction through cuts or expansion in areas of need such as long term care and child care.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.