Nova Scotia NDP leader says party is election ready, announces housing plan

HALIFAX — 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.

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press