It’s election day in Nova Scotia, as Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives seek a second mandate.
Houston opted to hold a snap election on October 27, ignoring his government’s election law, which set a fixed election date for the first time in Nova Scotia: July 15, 2025.
It was a move that was criticized by Liberal leader Zac Churchill and NDP leader Claudia Chander.
A little more than four weeks into the election campaign, topics like housing, affordability and health care have dominated the discussion.
In 2021, Houston’s campaign focused on the broken health care system and her pledge to fix it. During this 2024 campaign, the party’s other two key leaders have called out Houston on the slow pace of reform over the crisis.
During a televised debate, Houston argued that the system had broken down under 12 years of NDP and Liberal governments.
He said on November 14, “We are taking power from parties that were inactive in health care.”
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Houston also blamed previous governments for the housing crisis during the campaign and said her government’s plan to support the construction of 41,200 new housing units by 2028 was already more than half completed.
Meanwhile, the Liberals have set a goal of building 80,000 new homes by 2032, but that plan does not include building more public housing.
“We have to empower the private sector to develop market housing and we have to rely on the models that are working best in our province, and that’s the non-profit model and co-operative options,” Churchill said.
In terms of housing affordability, the NDP has promised to cap rent increases at 2.5 per cent and provide an average $900 rebate to households making less than $70,000.
“Wherever we go we hear that people can’t afford to live and that’s what we’re completely focused on,” Chander said.
At the dissolution of the legislature, the Progressive Conservatives had 34 seats, the Liberals had 14 seats, the NDP had six seats and one independent member.
Watch Global News’ coverage of party platforms and leaders’ promises.
Additionally, Global News has compiled a list of candidates in all 55 ridings in the province and an outline of how the ridings have voted in past elections.
Visit our Live Results page for live results and analysis starting when polls close at 8 p.m.
– With files from The Canadian Press
©2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
