Murphy’s Logic: Fixed election dates are in the public interest
Premier Tim Houston has been musing about the possibility of abandoning his handpicked fixed date for the next Nova Scotia election. The law says it will be a year from now, but Houston says voters shouldn’t be denied an earlier opportunity to vote on important issues.
What he really means is that he shouldn’t be denied an earlier opportunity to try to get re-elected.
The only reason Nova Scotia has a fixed election date is because Houston said it was the right thing to do. As leader of the opposition, and during the campaign to become premier, he argued premiers shouldn’t be allowed to call elections to suit their own crass political advantage. The bill establishing the fixed date was the first law introduced by Houston’s new government, by Houston himself.
Fixed election dates are a farce because premiers can simply ignore them. Many experts will tell you while there might be some early furore should Houston decide to call an early election, it won’t last because it won’t matter.
Maybe not, but it will contribute to the already widely held perception that politicians can’t be trusted to keep their promises and that in the end, they often opt to put self interest ahead of the public interest.
If there’s an early election in Nova Scotia, that will most certainly be the case.
Must Watch
Top Videos
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mark Carney reaches out to dozens of Liberal MPs ahead of potential leadership campaign
Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, is actively considering running in a potential Liberal party leadership race should Justin Trudeau resign, sources tell CTV News.
This Canadian couple has been to 195 countries. Here's what they learned on their eight-year journey
Masha and Robert Glanville, a Canadian couple, sold everything they owned to travel the world full-time. With over 195 countries visited, they focus on mindful, eco-friendly travel and giving back. Here’s what they had to say about their global journey.
4 hours ago
WATCH Woman critically injured in explosive Ottawa crash caught on camera
Dashcam footage sent to CTV News shows a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed in the wrong direction before striking and damaging a hydro pole.
NEW | Trump appears with Italian Prime Minister Meloni at his Florida club
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump made an appearance Saturday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was visiting his Mar-a-Lago club.
32 min ago
'I gave them a call, they didn't pick up': Canadian furniture store appears to have gone out of business
Canadian furniture company Wazo Furniture, which has locations in Toronto and Montreal, appears to have gone out of business. CTV News Toronto has been hearing from customers who were shocked to find out after paying in advance for orders over the past few months.
B.C. man ordered to pay damages for smashing Smart car window during road rage incident
A man who smashed the window of a woman’s Smart car during a road rage incident with a former co-worker has been ordered to pay $1,245 in damages by the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal.
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah was killed last year inside the war operations room, aide says
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year while inside the militant group's war operations room, according to new details Sunday disclosed by a senior Hezbollah official.
1 hour ago
Drawn to New Orleans' iconic street of celebration, a night of partying becomes a nightmare
The night, like countless others Bourbon Street has welcomed over the decades, started out ripe for celebration. With temperatures hovering in the 50s (10-15 Celsius) hours after the arrival of the new year, the open-air party pulsing down New Orleans' famed nocturnal artery was still hot, drawing revelers from near and far.
1 hour ago
opinion Reflecting on 2024 and looking forward to 2025: a year of change for the Royal Family
There was no shortage of drama for the Royal Family in 2024. From illness to controversy over a doctored photo and brothers at war, royal commentator Afua Hagan recounts a pivotal year that altered the map of the monarchy's future and tested its strength like no other time in history.
2 hours ago