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
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Evacuation orders lifted in Fort McMurray Saturday as rain dampens wildfire activity
Residents of Fort of McMurray who were displaced over wildfire concerns were told to return home Saturday.
Conservatives, NDP should be 'celebrating' EV deals: industry minister
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says federal opposition parties should be 'celebrating' the recently announced electric vehicle deals, despite their criticisms the Liberals refuse to make public the terms and conditions laid out in the contracts.
Member of Israel's War Cabinet says he'll quit June 8 unless there's new war plan
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-member War Cabinet, threatened on Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn't adopt a new plan in three weeks' time for the war in Gaza.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.