From a press release
HALIFAX: Patients, healthcare workers and other visitors to Nova Scotia hospitals and healthcare centres will no longer have to pay for parking.
Premier Tim Houston announced Nov. 7 that a re-elected PC Government will eliminate fees for everyone parking at a Nova Scotia Health Authority or IWK property.
“Free parking may not sound like a big deal to some – but it adds up to hundreds of dollars a year,” said Houston.
“Whether we are talking about reducing the HST by one point, increasing the basic personal exemption on income taxes, indexing income taxes to inflation or removing tolls on the MacKay and Macdonald Bridges, we are looking for ways, big and small, to allow Nova Scotians to hold on to more of their own money.”
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The total cost of free parking will be $8 million. Hospital foundations and other organizations that depend on parking fees for revenue will have any resulting shortfall covered by the provincial government.
Making parking free at healthcare properties is just the latest investment that a re-elected PC government will make to improve access to healthcare in Nova Scotia.
Houston highlighted that a PC Government is opening a new medical school at CBU, introducing an International Medical Graduate Assessment Clinic for internationally-trained physicians, creating 200 additional nursing seats at Nova Scotia postsecondary institutions, has expanded scope of practice for pharmacists and other healthcare workers and will create a new internal travel nurse team to provide care to the areas that need it most.
“Since coming to office I’ve been clear that we need to do more and go faster to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia,” said Houston.
“Free parking at healthcare sites is just the next step of a plan that is working. Let’s recruit more doctors and nurses. Let’s make healthcare more accessible. Let’s make it happen.”
