Nova Scotia NDP leader says party is election ready, announces housing plan
Nova Scotia's NDP leader trained her sights on the next provincial election as she announced a program aimed at easing the cost of housing during a rousing campaign-style speech before the party's annual convention in Halifax.
Claudia Chender later told reporters on Saturday her proposal could be considered a major plank in her party's platform ahead of a general election, which can be held no later than July 15 of next year.
"Absolutely, I think we know housing is one of the largest issues that we are facing across this province," said Chender. "What you heard today was the backbone, along with other proposals we've made, of the way that an NDP government intends to tackle that."
The NDP's proposal would prioritize the use of prefabricated housing to expand public housing stock. It would also increase home down payment loan help from five to 10 per cent of a home's purchase price, while extending the repayment period from 10 to 25 years under an existing provincial assistance program.
The party would also establish rent control and provide a tax credit for renters from low and middle-income households.
"We can begin to address so many of the problems our province is facing by dealing with the housing crisis head-on," Chender told a cheering crowd of more than 200 party delegates at a downtown Halifax hotel.
Chender told the gathering that the New Democrats are ready for an election whenever it's called by the governing Progressive Conservatives.
"I'm here to tell you that the NDP is on the rise. We have set fundraising records for our party, we are hiring organizers and engaging incredible candidates," the leader said.
The New Democrats currently hold six seats in the 55-seat legislature and are preparing for a byelection to be held in the rural riding of Pictou West on May 21.
Chender said the NDP has a strong candidate in the riding, but she doesn't view the outcome as a barometer for her rural rebuilding efforts because the byelection was called quickly following the surprise retirement last month of the legislature's speaker, Karla MacFarlane.
She told reporters the hasty call has put opposition parties at a disadvantage in a riding MacFarlane had held since 2013, and won easily in 2021.
"Karla MacFarlane was elected with 64 per cent (of the vote) in the last election," Chender said. "But I think we absolutely have faith we can win, not just Pictou West but other seats in that area whether it's in a byelection or the general election."
Following her election as party leader in June 2022 Chender said her party needed to focus on making "real inroads" outside of the main urban centres of Halifax and Sydney, N.S., where it currently holds seats.
"We are continuing to build," Chender said. "We're growing our base and working on our ground campaign and we are excited for the opportunity."
The NDP, which hasn't held government in Nova Scotia since 2013, has finished third in the last two provincial elections.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2024.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of a 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Luciano Benetton says he's stepping down as chairman of family-run brand as losses top US$100 million
Luciano Benetton, a co-founder of the apparel brand, announced he was stepping down as chairman in an interview published on Saturday with Milan daily Corriere della Sera. He blamed current management for losses of 100 million euros (US$108.5 million) that he discovered last year.
1 dead, 3 in hospital after flying wheel crashes into bus windshield on QEW
A man is dead, and three others are in hospital after a flying wheel crashed into a coach bus on the QEW in St. Catharines.
NASA launches tiny CubeSat to set its sights on Earth
NASA has launched the first of two research satellites to measure how much heat is lost to space from the Arctic and Antarctica.
Pro-independence leader calls on protesters in New Caledonia to 'maintain resistance' against France
The leader of a pro-independence party in New Caledonia on Saturday called on supporters to "remain mobilized" across the French Pacific archipelago and "maintain resistance" against the Paris government's efforts to impose electoral reforms that the Indigenous Kanak people fear would further marginalize them.