N.S. Liberals, NDP make health-care announcements, PCs focus on schools

The leaders of Nova Scotia’s top three political parties are back on the campaign trail Wednesday, with two parties focused on health care, and another making announcements about schools.

The NDP also released its platform and made an announcement about women’s health. The Liberals released their plans for improving the health-care system, while the PCs focused on improving schools.

Liberals release health-care plans 

The Liberal Party released health-care plans on Wednesday. The party says the province needs to rethink how it approaches health care.

The Liberals said they would change Nova Scotia Health’s business practices to improve collaborative care and primary care clinics in communities around the province.

The party also said there needs to be broader access to preventative screening, more gyms, recreation centres, and parks, as well as a focus on anti-poverty and housing-first policies to keep people healthy and out of the ER.

The party adds there’s also a need to improve health care for women, support chronic care and home care, as well as make more investments in health research and the economy.

The party’s health-care plan includes:

•  building and expanding 40 collaborative care clinics across the province
•  recruiting more doctors and health professionals
•  recruiting more physician assistants
•  investing in Annapolis Valley health care
•  improving health data collection
•  expanding early screening
•  improving access to recreation
•  increasing access to menstrual products
•  creating a minister of women’s health
•  closing the gap on women’s health research
•  making parking free at Nova Scotia Health sites
•  improving mental health care
•  implementing anti-poverty measures as health care
•  ensuring Nova Scotians can travel to receive necessary care
•  more support for those fleeing intimate partner violence
•  protect veterans’ access to long-term care
•  expand hospice care
•  fix the QEII redevelopment project

The Liberal Party released their full platform on Nov. 4.

NDP releases platform, vows to improve women’s health

The NDP announced a plan to improve women’s health services in the province on the same day it released its full platform.

The announcement includes increasing the number of sonographers in the province, so people aren’t waiting for ultrasounds, as well as making surgical abortion services available across the province.

The NDP also made a pledge to increase the number of midwives in the province, as well as expand the scope of their services to allow them to insert IUDs and prescribe Mifegymiso. The party says stronger midwife services will help to reduce strain on the primary care system.

“Parents are waiting weeks for ultrasounds. There are less than 20 midwives serving our entire province, and people are driving for hours to access critical services like surgical abortions,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “These are unacceptable, unnecessary barriers to health care. New Democrats are proposing real solutions to improve women’s health in the province.”

The NDP released its full party platform on Wednesday.

PCs announce investments in modern, safer schools

PC Leader Tim Houston focused on school safety Wednesday, promising new investments in more modern, safer schools.

“We know that Nova Scotia is changing and that includes the challenges facing our kids too,” said Houston. “That’s why our approach to education is evolving to meet these new challenges.”

The PCs said a re-elected Houston government would build four new schools in areas of the HRM with high growth, including Timberlea, Port Wallace, Middle Sackville, and Bedford.

The party committed to building seven new replacement schools in New Germany, Ecole Beaux-Marais, Trenton, West Hants, Sunnyside, Shannon Park, and Armdale.

Houston also announced new measures to improve the learning environment and keeping students safe, which includes:

•  building on the previously-introduced restriction on cellphones
•  introducing an updated code of conduct that empowers administrators to suspend disruptive or dangerous students
•  hiring two police officers into the department of education to work exclusively on school safety, security, and incident response

“Every student in Nova Scotia deserves to learn in an environment free of violence or harassment,” said Houston.

“We have a plan that is flexible and adaptable without being disruptive. The kind of plan that educators, parents and students all deserve. Let’s make it happen.”

The PC Party released its full platform on Friday.