N.S. Tory leader leans left with endorsement from former NDP cabinet minister

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston sought to emphasize the "progressive" part of his party's name with an endorsement today from a former provincial NDP cabinet minister.

Heading into the final weekend before Tuesday's provincial election, Houston was joined by Denise Peterson-Rafuse, who served as community services minister in Darrell Dexter's New Democrat government from 2009 to 2013.

Houston said Peterson-Rafuse's offer of support despite differences in their past party allegiances was "a welcome call."

Though she hadn't thought she would ever support the Tories, Peterson-Rafuse said she was drawn by the party's health-care platform and the distance Houston has put between himself and the more right-leaning federal Conservatives.

"It's gonna be probably tough for me in the next little bit, making this statement today," she told reporters Friday, "but like I said, it doesn't take away from my NDP philosophies and my respect for the party."

Houston once again took time to differentiate himself from his federal counterparts -- a note he has struck several times during the election -- saying that his party is not beholden to the Conservatives in Ottawa.

Like Houston has done repeatedly, Peterson-Rafuse criticized Liberal Leader Iain Rankin for his handling of the province's health-care system. She said the Tories "have the better opportunity at this time to knock off the Liberals ... they have the whole package."

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Gary Burrill said in an emailed statement that Peterson-Rafuse was free to make her own choices but declined to elaborate.

Peterson-Rafuse said she feels the NDP is not ready to govern because it has many new members who would face a steep learning curve if they came to power.

"What I learned coming into government is that ... we need some of that history," she said. "You have to come up to speed on things, and we don't have time. We need to have a party that can come in and start immediately."

The Tories are proposing by far the most new spending of all parties in their first year in power -- $553 million, including $430 million for the health-care sector. The New Democrats say they would spend $151 million during their first year in power for initiatives such as affordable housing, mental health care, child care and long-term care. The Liberal platform estimates spending of $93.2 million in the first year of their mandate.

Houston said he felt the spending was both realistic and necessary to address systemic issues in health-care. "The reality is we have to spend the money because we've had eight years of neglect," he said.

The leaders were criss-crossing the province as election day drew near. Burrill spent time in the Halifax area Friday, where he reiterated the NDP's promise to improve mental health care. The plan involves opening more mental health clinics across the province providing prompt care and allowing key "at-risk" populations to have access to emergency mental health care.

Houston continued his campaign along the province's South Shore while Rankin spent some time at a dairy farm in Shubenacadie Friday and highlighted the Liberal party's agriculture platform in a statement. The Liberals previously announced a Business Risk Management program, which aims to provide food producers with more compensation for losses, increasing rates for compensation to 80 per cent from 70 per cent.

Rankin had no scheduled news conference Friday for the second straight day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2021.