Income security tops NDP issues for spring legislative session

Timothy Gillespie — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:55:45 +0000

Income security issues at top of leader's agenda

At a media conference Wednesday, newly elected Nova Scotia NDP Leader Gary Burrill announced a number of measures the NDP will bring forward in the Spring legislative session. These measures are designed to reduce inequality, protect public health care and protect our environment. The agenda was iterated in a news release distributed prior to the news conference.

“Stephen McNeil’s austerity agenda is hurting Nova Scotians. The NDP Caucus will work diligently to hold the Liberals accountable while introducing a positive, progressive agenda for our province,” says Gary Burrill. “Income inequality is a major crisis of our times. Government must take urgent action to increase wages, eliminate poverty, and close the gap between the rich and the rest of us.”

Burrill announced four pieces of legislation the NDP will introduce:

- Legislation requiring the government to develop a plan to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

- A Grocery Security Act which will make sure all Nova Scotians have enough income to get their food at a grocery store or farmers market, not at a food bank.

- Legislation requiring the government to do a study on the question of a Basic Income Guarantee for all, as has been discussed by the Federal and Ontario Liberals

- A bill to eliminate the HST on funerals.

NDP Health Critic Dave Wilson, MLA for Sackville-Cobequid, also outlined the NDP priorities for protecting and strengthening public health care.

- Legislation that prevents government from making major changes to Seniors’ Pharmacare without a vote of the legislature.

- Encouraging the Liberals to pass Bill 43, the Voluntary Blood Donations Act, to ban pay-for-plasma clinics as has been done by the Liberal governments in Ontario and Quebec.

- Holding the Liberals to account over the major increases in wait times for home care and long term care.

- Opposing the use of P3s for health care infrastructure, including legislation to shed light on the details on any P3 scheme so the public has access to all the information.

Burrill spoke on behalf of NDP Environment Critic Denise Peterson-Rafuse, who is away from the legislature for health reasons.

The NDP will introduce an Environmental Bill of Rights, which will ensure all citizens have the right to information and public participation on environmental issues that affect them and their communities.

“Climate change is a major crisis of our times, and the NDP’s Environmental Bill of Rights will give citizens the tools they need to hold polluters accountable,” says Burrill.

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NDP taking a turn to the left

Timothy Gillespie — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 15:50:58 +0000

Nova Scotia New Democrats have taken a decisive turn to the progressive left with the election of Gary Burrill as the new leader of the NDP.

The post has been vacant since the fall of 2013 when Premier Darrell Dexter's government was roundly defeated by the Liberals under Stephen McNeil, reducing it from majority government to third-party status. Dexter lost his own seat in Cole Harbour and resigned as leader of the Nova Scotia NDP on November 23, 2013.

Since then Maureen MacDonald, MLA from Halifax-Needham, has been serving as the interim leader of the party.

In a three-person contest with MLAs Lenore Zann and Dave Wilson, Burrill emerged with a clear win securing the first and second choice preferences of 1,343 members (of 2,269 voters) in an election that employed ranked balloting and in which a record 74.2 per cent of eligible NDP members voted. Lenore Zann came second while Dave Wilson finished in third place.

SEE FULL STORY BY CHRISTOPHER MAJKA ON RABBLE.CA

SEE GARY BURRIL STORY IN HALIFAX EXAMINER