N.S. Liberal leader supports fixed election date, but would prefer fall over summer
Nova Scotia Liberal leader Iain Rankin supports the idea of a fixed election date, but says he would prefer a fall election rather than the summer time-slot the governing Progressive Conservatives have suggested.
"I think it's good to have some kind of predictability, but I did say before if we had fixed election dates, we would have had that election in the middle of that third wave in May, so it's not an absolute for me," Rankin said. "I was concerned that they proposed the day without consulting with the two parties, but we're going to look closely at the bills, see what other provinces have and then we'll form an opinion and position on that."
Rankin doesn't like the July 15 date included in a bill tabled by the Tories in the Nova Scotia Legislature on Wednesday.
"I think that is by design, but we'll see," Rankin said. "I think the fall makes more sense to me … But, they have some reasons that I want to hear and give them a chance to talk about their bill in the House. Nova Scotians will have their say at law amendments and we'll see what comes of that."
The next general election in Nova Scotia is set for July 15, 2025, if the amendment to the Elections Act passes, and Rankin hopes to still be around as the leader of this party.
"I think I still have a lot to contribute," Rankin told CTV Atlantic. "That's a long ways away, but I am confident that I have the confidence of the caucus and the party."
Rankin, who became Liberal leader in February, expects there will be a review of how the campaign went and he welcomes that.
"I'm on the right track on how we rebuild the party from the grassroots, which is important after losing an election," Rankin said. "I'm prepared to do that and lead the team into the next election."
You can listen to the full interview with Iain Rankin here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.