ENFIELD: The leader of the PC Party of N.S. was among those looking forward to the calendar changing from 2020 to 2021, he said in a pre-Christmas end of the year interview with The Laker News.
Speaking from his home in Pictou County via Zoom, Tim Houston talked about the year 2020, his highlights, and about the provincial government’s inaction in sitting for just 13 days during the past 365 stifling debate and questioning from the PCs but also the NDP and giving Nova Scotians answers.
“What I would say for the year for us as a caucus and myself as a leader, I think I held true to my motto which is don’t just criticize, put ideas forward,” said Houston. “We’ve been putting ideas forward, we’ve bene putting solutions forward to the challenges Nova Scotians are facing out there.
“There’s certainly a lot of people ready to turn the page on 2020, and I’m no different.”
Houston said one of his highlights of 202 was seeing Dave Ritcey win the byelection in what had been an NDP stronghold in Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River. It was the sixth of seven byelections that the PC party won.
He also spoke about the summer when Dr. Robert Strang had said it was okay for people to get out but continue to follow public health guidelines. The PC Party took advantage of this to visit communities across N.S., including stops in East Hants and an in-person interview with The Laker News at an Enfield coffee shop.
“We toured over 40 constituencies across the province,” said Houston. “I have to say, it inspired me. This is a beautiful province with wonderful people.”
He talked about the party’s plan for long-term care (dignity for seniors) and their universal mental health care plan that they issued in the fall. Both would become key parts if they were to be elected to government.
When asked to comment on his thoughts of how Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang have handled the response to the COVID19 pandemic, Houston gave Dr. Strang glowing praise, while also somewhat commending Premier McNeil.
“I give the Premier credit because he listened to Dr. Strang. Really, Dr. Strang led us through this,” he said. “A lot of the time we think of the two Liberal majority governments we’ve had in this province, they weren’t always known for listening, but in this time they did listen.
“But really, the numbers are low because Nova Scotians listened. They followed public health order, at tremendous sacrifice financially for a lot of families, a lot of jobs, and personal sacrifices not seeing loved ones.”
He said the data showed that worked.
“The numbers bared out that we did good as a province,” said Houston.
Houston then got into talking about the province meeting for just 13 days, going 282 days without a sitting in the legislature. And when they did meet that sitting lasting for about 15 minutes as Premier McNeil prorogued the second session of the 63rd general assembly.
“There were no questions asked of ministers. No exchanging of ideas, bills, and legislation, no debating on the floor of the legislature,” said Houston. “That’s pretty remarkable. Every other province figured out a way to meet. PEI met for 30 days, Ontario for about 49.
“What we realized in N.S. is we weren’t meeting because we couldn’t, but because it didn’t suit the Liberal government. They just didn’t want to. They didn’t want to answer questions from the Opposition, didn’t want to answer questions from the media, screened a lot of media questions.”
He said that type of thing is not good for democracy.
Houston also said the Liberals “tripped over their own two feet” in their rush to trample on democracy.
“What happened with the proroguing was actually contrary to public health orders,” he said. “Dr. Strang had said the meeting of the legislature is a meeting, it’s a gathering and subject to the five-person limit. I had asked the Speaker what we were going to do, and he said we were meeting.”
He was the lone PC member at the meeting to prorogue government to respect the public health guidelines.
“When it came down to it, it was evident that the Liberal political agenda was more important than the public health orders,” said Houston.
When asked what he was looking forward to in 2021, it was a quick and simple answer.
“A provincial election,” said Houston. “The spring will be four years, and new leader or not that’s typically when we hold an election.
“I’m expecting there will be a provincial election in the Spring or in the fall. We are prepared.”
He spoke about the direction the party is moving in as they gear up for that provincial election, putting policies out there and what Houston and the party stands for.
“It’s not political sound bites, I’m not interested in that,” he said. “When the election is called, Nova Scotians will have had the opportunity to know what I stand for and that’s government that is accountable, that listens, a government that values personal achievement, socially progressive.
“We’re Progressive Conservatives here in Nova Scotia, and fiscally responsible, but embraces technology.”
