PCs promise to lower taxes on small businesses, NDP wants to create rent-to-own starter home program

Nova Scotia's top political party leaders returned to the campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston is promising to reduce taxes on small businesses if re-elected, NDP Leader Claudia Chender announced the creation of a rent-to-own starter home program, while Liberal Leader Zach Churchill vowed to “deliver a better deal for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.”

PCs promise to lower taxes on small businesses

Houston says if re-elected he will change the amount small businesses are taxed in order to allow them to grow, reinvest and hire more people.

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“Any plan for higher wages in Nova Scotia has to start with small businesses,” said Houston.

The PC leader says he will reduce the province’s small-business tax rate from 2.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent. He says he will also raise the small business tax threshold from $500,000 to $700,000, allowing more small businesses to benefit from the reduced small business tax rate.

Nova Scotia PC Leader Tim Houston makes an announcement about small businesses on Nov. 12, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Jesse Thomas)

“This one change will ensure more small business owners will be able to make ends meet,” said Houston. “More importantly it also means that, over time they will have a little bit more room to invest in their business and, hopefully, grow. Each dollar we leave in the pockets of small businesses is a dollar that will eventually give them confidence to hire that extra employer or pay their current employees a little bit more.”

NDP promises to start rent-to-own starter home program

As part of Chender’s announcement on Tuesday, she promised to create a new rent-to-own starter home program if elected. She says the program would increase the number of families able to buy their first home by 10 per cent in the first year.

"Rents have increased by 70 per cent in the three years Tim Houston has been in charge, making it almost impossible for people to save for their own home," said Chender. "For the hundreds of thousands of families who rent in this province the pathway to homeownership is nearly impossible - our plan will fix that."

Chender says an NDP government would build communities across Nova Scotia with rent-to-own starter homes.

Residents who make less than $100,000 a year would be able to rent one of the homes and build equity towards homeownership. Chender says nearly 500 homes would be built in the first year using prefabricated construction.

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender makes an announcement on Nov. 12, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Carl Pomeroy)

"Our proposal will help create a province where young people know that they can afford to live here and where seniors know they can retire in dignity. With the NDP rent-to-own starter homes, families can raise their children in stable, sustainable communities and people can build the life they want in the province we love."

Liberals promise to ‘better’ lives of those living in CBRM

Churchill is promising to “deliver a better deal for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality” (CBRM), by making a number of changes in that area.

“The CBRM is facing unprecedented and unique challenges because of Tim Houston’s drive to double the population,” said Churchill. “The CBRM is expected to bridge the gap in services but hasn’t been given the appropriate tools for the job. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will be a willing partner with the local council to ensure Cape Bretoners get the fair share they deserve.”

Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Zach Churchill makes an announcement in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Nov. 12, 2024.

Churchill says his party would make the following changes:

• establish a charter specific to the CBRM that would give council the authority to make decisions tailored to its unique demographic and economic needs
• invest $300 million to spur economic growth, improve local infrastructure and alleviate the housing crisis in the CBRM
• save families $3,000 by cutting the HST by two per cent, lowering income taxes, and removing the HST from all food items at the grocery store
• provide free public transit in the CBRM, invest in transit improvements and save the average transit user in Cape Breton $900 a year
• build and expand 40 collaborative care centres, starting in areas with the highest unattachment rates to primary care, like Sydney

Nova Scotians head to the polls on Nov. 26.

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