2013 Nova Scotia Provincial Election

[Dmajackson]

After months of speculation the date has finally been set. Nova Scotians will elect their new government on October 8th!

I won't be able to vote this time around since I am now technically an Albertan residence and have to continue my futile attempts to change the conservative attitude out here (btw if the Wildrose Party ever forms government here I'm moving back east the next day).

If I were eligible to vote I would undoubtedly support the NDP. I think while mistakes have been made over the last few years none have been as bad as under Conservative and Liberal governments. A majority may not be the best solution this time around but ideally a minority NDP with Liberal opposition (and a almost non-existant Conservative) would keep the MLA's in check.

[RyeJay]

I also support the NDP!
(...even though I'm annoyed with how conservative they've been.)

Regardless, I'm hoping, for the sake of Nova Scotia's economic momentum: that the NDP wins a second majority.

If we had an NDP minority over the past 4 years, it is very likely that the province would not have won the shipbuilding contract -- or at least, certainly not the large contract (the smaller, non-military procurement went to Vancouver, with Quebec City/Lauzon not getting a contract).

The Liberals argued against the NDP helping Irving to upgrade its shipyards to modernise them beyond what Quebec City and Vancouver currently have. -- And yet: the Liberals believe that the province isn't subsidising rural Nova Scotia enough.

The Liberal plans brings us hundreds of millions in new debt, while the NDP plan is currently implemented to generate billions in revenue, and permit stable growth for 30 years.

The New Democrats are better liberals than the Liberals.
At least the NDP can balance budgets.

[JHikka]

Because i'm in Ottawa I won't be on the ground helping out with campaign efforts. Right now it's looking like a Liberal minority but we'll see what the writ period brings!

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Because i'm in Ottawa I won't be on the ground helping out with campaign efforts. Right now it's looking like a Liberal minority but we'll see what the writ period brings!

The recent polls are showing the gap is closing between the NDP and the Liberals. I would be happy even with an NDP minority government. It would at least protect the taxpayers from the deficit-inclined Liberals.

[RyeJay]

For your consideration:

http://nsndp.ca/accomplishments

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

For your consideration:

http://nsndp.ca/accomplishments

To start, I respect your right to believe what you do without any name calling like (dear fuck).

No, I am not going to debate you on your politics. I would never debate an NDPer. It's like debating Christians or any other indoctrinated group.

Interesting, I read the NDP platform and there is not one thing there for me. Nothing to change my life.

[ILoveHalifax]

The NDP did cause change to my life, but it is not in their platform. They closed the ferry from Maine to Yarmouth and that cost me at least 10,000 a year in lost revenue.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

To start, I respect your right to believe what you do without any name calling like (dear fuck).

No, I am not going to debate you on your politics. I would never debate an NDPer. It's like debating Christians or any other indoctrinated group.

Interesting, I read the NDP platform and there is not one thing there for me. Nothing to change my life.

?? I never called you any names. I said "oh dear fuck," as in "oh Jesus Christ, " or "for the love of god." <--- This is my response to how ridiculous I find what seems to be your paranoia about the province's fiscal books. The NDP and the credit rating agencies are both comfirming: that the NDP has balanced the budget.

It is *thee* reason behind the improved credit rating Nova Scotia achieved in July.

You are open to debate with me; I welcome it. Most of my voting history is not NDP -- so please, do not avoid debates by trying to frame someone as an ideologue. I supported the John Hamm Progressive Conservatives.

If the Progressive Conservatives were currently in power, and balanced the budget, and the credit rating agencies upgraded Nova Scotia's rating -- I would be very impressed, and would vote to re-elect that fiscal conservatism. I would be even more impressed if a PC government were to successfully garnish major contracts (Shipbuilding) and support large urban projects (Nova Centre) -- all while maintaining the province's education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

You are showing symptoms of how you are an ideologue -- how you are like those 'indoctrinated Christians' with whom you apparently cannot debate, because you are claiming that the NDP is more akin to indoctrination than the other political parties.

I'm sorry, but each party has its blind, faithful drones. This isn't reason to completely dismiss all of our political parties; it is motivation to improve them.

The way you're reacting to the NDP...you'd think they did something horrible.

Subsidising Irving Shipyards to win the federal shipbuilding contract, and lowering tax rates for small businesses are both examples of how the NDP is pro-business. How is this horrible?! We need jobs.

And our quest to stimulate the economy must always work within the framework of a balanced budget.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

The NDP did cause change to my life, but it is not in their platform. They closed the ferry from Maine to Yarmouth and that cost me at least 10,000 a year in lost revenue.

You must be intimately aware of the debt the ferry created.

I want Yarmouth to prosper -- but the previous business formula wasn't producing profits. The Yarmouth ferry had to be constantly subsidised, and without the employment and spin-off development potential coming to fruition to help pay for the enterprise.

But enough of the mess the Progressive Conservatives left Yarmouth...

NDP Restores Yarmouth Ferry.

Now that the province is back to balance, we can once again use the province's resources to ensure this vital piece of transit continues for Yarmouth. The NDP is offering $21-million over seven years to restart this service.

[ILoveHalifax]

First we will cause a problem by not knowing what we are doing and then just before election we will pretend we are going to fix the problem we caused.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

First we will cause a problem by not knowing what we are doing and then just before election we will pretend we are going to fix the problem we caused.

Dude -- c'mon -- there was a deficit problem with the ferry service's budget long before the NDP. Can you at least admit that? If the ferry service was truly that profitable, the private sector would have done something about it a long time ago.

The Yarmouth Ferry, even going forward today, will require the resources of taxpayers from outside of Yarmouth (and even outside of Nova Scotia) in order to operate.

You're being unreasonable.

I can admit the NDP aren't perfect. I for one have frequently criticised the NDP for moving provincial jobs out of Halifax to small towns throughout the province. This was an attempt to stimulate the economy of small town Nova Scotia.

However: compared to Nova Scotia's other options -- and INDEED the options that all Canadian provinces have -- the NDP in Nova Scotia has been a very moderate government.

It's like your scraping for reasons to hate the NDP.... Why?

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

It's like your scraping for reasons to hate the NDP.... Why?

I really can't let this go by. You playing straight man here?

I don't have to scrape to find reasons to dislike the NDP nor do I need to scrape to find reasons to dislike you.

You are obnoxious, your logic is not logical. You contradict yourself in your arguments. You show no respect to any other opinions. I really don't like to communicate with you at all.

The only thing you are good at is taking pictures and those I really like. Go, take some more but I don't want to hear from you.

[Antigonish]

I'm a converted Albertan too, but if I were to vote I'd probably vote the NDP again. Neither of the two others inspire me the least bit, and to be honest that MacNeil guy is way to under qualified for politics.

Better the devil you know then the one you don't eh?

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

I really can't let this go by. You playing straight man here?

I don't have to scrape to find reasons to dislike the NDP nor do I need to scrape to find reasons to dislike you.

You are obnoxious, your logic is not logical. You contradict yourself in your arguments. You show no respect to any other opinions. I really don't like to communicate with you at all.

The only thing you are good at is taking pictures and those I really like. Go, take some more but I don't want to hear from you.

Okay what just happened there?...

...Why did you begin a debate with me if you don't want to hear from me?
You have willingly continued this.

You may stop whenever you wish -- but just because you cannot respond to the points I'm offering you to rebut, doesn't mean you should suddenly get personally insulting.

I will change my vote if someone can show me the evidence as to why I should. This is how progress is accomplished. This is all I'm trying to achieve with you -- but now you're deciding to be a dick.

I apologise if I was offensive.
Have a good day.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Antigonish

I'm a converted Albertan too, but if I were to vote I'd probably vote the NDP again. Neither of the two others inspire me the least bit, and to be honest that MacNeil guy is way to under qualified for politics.

Better the devil you know then the one you don't eh?

...a devil that doesn't break the bank.

[RyeJay]

This has been circulating on facebook, via Kyle Buott:

[mylesmalley]

It would be nice if there was some supporting information with that infographic. There are some pretty significant claims there.

Did the government actually sell it at a loss? Or was the sticker price artificially low because the purchasers had to assume debt?

Is the company really making money solely off Nova Scotians, or are these other utilities contributing to Emera's profitability?

Is 50 million a year really that outrageous for a company that size that also owns other utilities?

I'm not saying any of those things aren't true, but the risk of being inflammatory and misleading is through the roof on that one.

[JHikka]

Seconded re: sourcing on those claims. Facebook is a great bastion for misinformation.

Interesting how the three parties have kicked off their campaigns today. PC's bid to remove corporate tax on businesses seems to fall in line with what they were promising the last few years and The Liberals appear to be piggybacking Trudeau's recent polling numbers.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Seconded re: sourcing on those claims. Facebook is a great bastion for misinformation.

Disagree with any of the claims if you have evidence to the contrary.

If not, well -- the mere fact that this meme is circulating on facebook isn't enough to render its claims untrue.

Thus far, I haven't been able to find any Liberal or Progressive Conservative voters in Nova Scotia who will disagree with this history.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Okay what just happened there?...

...Why did you begin a debate with me if you don't want to hear from me?
You have willingly continued this.

You may stop whenever you wish -- but just because you cannot respond to the points I'm offering you to rebut, doesn't mean you should suddenly get personally insulting.

I will change my vote if someone can show me the evidence as to why I should. This is how progress is accomplished. This is all I'm trying to achieve with you -- but now you're deciding to be a dick.

I apologise if I was offensive.
Have a good day.

The NDP have been terrible for education and youth.

The NDP have gutted $100 million from university funding; they've cut more post-secondary education spending than any government in a generation. And they plan to gut and slash more-- next year, they propose 3% more cuts, totally 10% over three years.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...nding-cut.html
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novasco...ding-shortfall

Dalhousie lost top world class researchers and scientists this past year, due to the fact that the university cannot offer the same salary and resources, and in fact is having to cut year after year, because of the NDP's cuts.

And when Dexter is asking about it, all he can do is shrug.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion...rchers-leaving
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...ez-weaver.html

Universities not only educate young people for jobs, they also provide major secondary economic benefits, through innovation and commercial spin offs from research.

But it's easy for Dexter et all to gut university funding, because it seems like a victimless crime; it's hard to quantify how slashing tens of millions today hurt young people tomorrow.

Meanwhile, as they gut universities and harm educational quality for young people, and hurt the ability of our region to attract and retain world class researchers, they throw hundreds of millions at dying 19th century industries, like fucking paper mills.

PAPER MILLS, FFS! The world is going digital, and battling climate change and forest clearance, and the NDP are hitching their wagons to paper mills.

But more importantly, they've also failed to anything about the TRUE pox on public finances in Nova Scotia: health care spending.

"Assistance to universities" in the NDP's proposed 2013-2014 budget will be approximately $337 million. So, they've gutted another $50million in funding from universities compared to last year ($381 million).

Now, the province spends more on "Labour" costs ($353million) than they do on universities.

Guess how much health care spending is? TWELVE TIMES THE AMOUNT THE PROVINCE WILL SPEND ON ALL UNIVERSITIES. Yes, twelve times. Health care spending is proposed to be $3,910,819,000, or almost $4 billion dollars.

Quite frankly, universities are a drop in the bucket compared to the monster that is health care spending. And guess what? The NDP are proposing an increase of approx. $50 milllion in new health care spending over last year.

See all: http://www.novascotia.ca/finance/en/...ighlights.aspx


Not only that, but under the NDP, health care spending has SKY ROCKETED.

In 2007-2008, Nova Scotia spent $3,022,490,000 or just over $3 billion.

See: http://www.novascotia.ca/finance/sit.../Estimates.pdf

In 2013-2014, five years on, it'll be approximately $4 billion. That's right. In 5 years, healthcare spending has increased by approximately 30%.

http://www.novascotia.ca/finance/en/...ighlights.aspx

In other words, the NPD are gutting universities and hurt kids futures, while failing to do anything to reign in the true problem in Nova Scotia, which is health costs. And in fact, they have not cut health spending, but it has BALLOONED under the NDP.

They have no proposals to stop that. To cut or reform health authorities. To make difficult decisions. None.

See: http://www.novascotia.ca/finance/en/...ighlights.aspx


Enough with gutting education and university funding, corporate handouts, tax breaks for companies, throwing hundreds of millions at dying businesses and industries to buy votes, etc, etc.

A vote against the NDP is a progressive victory.