FALL RIVER: Bill Horne knows the biggest decision of his current political tenure as an MLA awaits him, but he remains unsure of what that decision will be.
Speaking to The Laker before walking in the Lions Christmas Express Parade on Dec. 4, the Liberal MLA for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank said he remained on the fence on how he will vote on legislation being brought forward by his government aimed at getting teachers “back to work.” Teachers were going to be at work on Dec. 5 anyways as part of work-to-rule.
“I have no idea how I am voting until I will be in the Legislature deciding what’s been said and what’s going to be done,” said Horne. “Then I will know.”
Horne said he hasn’t seen the legislation that will begin to be discussed Dec. 5 in the third session of the 62nd General Assembly at Province House resumes. Currently, government announced on Dec. 3 that schools will be closed to students, but staff is still tor report, beginning Dec. 5. That is expected to last for a few days, with many expecting it to last the week.
He didn’t wish to comment on the forthcoming bill that, according to reports, would force the teachers into abiding by the tentative agreement they rejected by 70 per cent in October.
“I think that’s true,” said Horne. “I don’t know the details of that. I’ve only heard what everyone else has heard through the news.”
He was staunch in refuting that the government has locked out students, but rather closed the schools for their safety.
“There’s no lockout at all,” he said. “For the safety of the kids, only one would have to get hurt and we’d be blamed for it. In order to control that, we closed the schools down.
“It’s not a lockout. It’s just closing the schools down until this bill gets passed to get the teachers back to work.”
Horne admitted he is stressed about the decision that awaits him this week, having many friends who are teachers and will be affected by what government decides.
“I have a lot of people ask me not to vote for it, and a lot of them are teachers and a lot of them are my friends,” said Horne. “It’s going to be a big decision for me, but I can’t tell you right at this moment what it will be.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com