NDP leader vows to fight for Nova Scotians after official opposition win

The morning after Nova Scotia’s New Democratic Party bumped the Liberals and claimed victory as the province’s official opposition, Claudia Chender says her party is ready to get to work and fight for what Nova Scotians need and deserve.

“The challenges that Nova Scotians face don’t end when the campaign does and we are here this morning because we are ready to get to work on solutions. Tim Houston’s PCs are going to face a different kind of opposition. One that is effective and one that holds them to account because renters in this province need support and they can’t be left to fend for themselves any longer,” said Chender during a press conference Wednesday morning.

“We need meaningful actions to lower the costs, and we need to make sure that the 145,000 Nova Scotians who are still on a list to be attached to primary care get the health care that they need. Young Nova Scotians who want to live in this province need a path to homeownership and people need a break. New Democrats are not going to stand by while Tim continues the pattern of breaking promises and doing back room deals with his friends.”

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Chender says they will continue to push to better protect renters from massive rent increases, as well as fixing the province’s ongoing health-care crisis.

“We’re going to fight for real primary care clinics across this province and we’re going to make sure that the promises that have been made to you in this campaign that will make a meaningful difference are kept,” Chender said.

“We’re not trying to score political points, we’re not trying to play games, we are trying to fight for the things that actually matter to everyday Nova Scotians.”

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender addresses supporters at the NDP election night event in Halifax, N.S. on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Riley Smith

In general, there was low voter turnout on Tuesday, something Chender believes the Houston government expected when it called a snap election.

“I think when you have a fixed election date in July and you call an election after a municipal election, when it gets dark at 5 p.m. in November, when people are planning for Christmas, and in the middle of a U.S. election, when there’s a postal strike, yeah, you might not get that many people to the polls and those were all decisions that this government made,” she said.

“I think that every political party, everyone needs to work to make sure that people are engaged in the electoral process, that they are engaged in making sure that they know that they have a voice for government, and we are building, we are excited about our momentum and we will continue to build.”

Chender made history Tuesday night by becoming the first woman to be elected into the leadership position of the official opposition in Nova Scotia. When asked how she feels about that, she said, “I think it’s about time.”

“I think we should have probably had a woman elected as leader of the official opposition a long time ago, but if it had to be someone, I’m glad it’s me. We are a party that’s always breaking barriers. I think it’s very on-brand for us and we’re going to continue to do that.”

At dissolution, the NDP held six of the province's 55 seats. After Tuesday's election, the party was elected or leading in nine ridings – gaining three seats.

The Liberals ended the night with only two seats – the worst result for that party in Nova Scotia history. Wednesday morning, it was also revealed Churchill likely lost his riding of Yarmouth.

Chender attributes this to a “wave” experienced by the province, noting the Liberals experienced the biggest losses.

“What we take away from being the official opposition is that people are looking for a strong voice and they’re looking for a different voice. So, I think we saw that on both ends of the spectrum, but I think the Liberals, in this manifestation, have run its course,” said the leader of the official opposition.

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender greets supporters at the NDP election night event in Halifax, N.S. on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Riley Smith)

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is vowing to impose the tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico as soon as he takes office on Jan. 20, if border issues between the three countries are not addressed.

Chender believes the province should go to the table with Nova Scotians’ best interests in mind, with open ears and willingness to work with other premiers as well as the federal government.

“What we saw in the pretense for this election call and what we have seen from Tim Houston over the last three-and-a-half years is a reflective habit of kicking the federal government when it’s good for him electorally in ways that, in many cases, have hurt Nova Scotians,” said Chender.

“There are all kinds of places where we could be working collaboratively with our partners across the country and with the federal government where, for one reason or another, the premier has refused to do that. So, I certainly think this is a big issue, I think we’re going to be talking about U.S.-Canada relations a lot in the coming days, and weeks, and months, and years and we need to be sure that the premier is actually representing the best interest of Nova Scotians in that conversation.”

Overall, Chender says she is happy to be in the role of the province’s official opposition and says her party worked hard to get there.

“We are excited about the new MLAs that we have added to our team, and we are excited about our showing. In many ridings across this province, there were tight two- or three-way races and we are building, and I think that we showed that,” said Chender.

“Our momentum is strong, our trajectory is going in exactly the right direction, and we are excited to get back to work for Nova Scotians. And I think right now, in the face of last night’s results, opposition is more important than ever. I think that we have shown, formerly with a caucus of six, that we can get things done. We have passed not one, but several opposition pieces of legislation. We have had real wins in the legislature, including just the very last session, and we do that because we push for what matters, we bring the voices of Nova Scotians into the people’s house and we confront the government with what it is that people actually need when they’re not willing to pay attention to that.”

“So, there is legislative power and then there is power of the people, and we really think that we bring that forward every day. Our MLAs are incredibly strong community advocates, they are connected to everyday Nova Scotians and we will keep making those voices heard.”

For more Nova Scotia election news, visit our dedicated provincial page.