Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston appointed a five-member transition team a day after the Progressive Conservatives’ sweeping victory in the provincial election. Houston says voters gave his party a clear mandate to keep going with its plan and they’ll do just that. He says his new mandate will put him in a strong position to represent the province as it tries to negotiate with the federal government on issues such as carbon pricing. Meanwhile, a date to swear in the new cabinet is expected soon.
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N-D-P Leader Claudia Chender says her party will provide vigorous opposition to the large Progressive Conservative majority in the provincial legislature. Chender told reporters yesterday that in particular, New Democrats will fight to get more protection for people who rent and to reduce the numbers of people still waiting for stable primary health care. The New Democrats went into the election holding six seats in the legislature and picked up three more – all in the Halifax area.
Liberal leader Zach Churchill has lost his seat in the provincial election. Elections Nova Scotia says he fell to Progressive Conservative Nick Hilton in the riding of Yarmouth. Churchill’s Liberals won 2 seats in Tuesday’s election.
Premier Tim Houston and the other Canadian premiers met virtually last night with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to discuss their concerns about Donald Trump’s plans south of the border. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and R-C-M-P Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn also joined the meeting to discuss the U-S president-elect’s proposed 25-per-cent tariffs against all Canadian and Mexican goods. Trump says unless both borders are cleaned up and the flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs aren’t stopped, the tariffs will take place once he is sworn in. Trump says Mexico’s president has already agreed to stop migration through Mexico.
Federal mediation in the Canada Post strike has been temporarily suspended. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says both sides are far too apart on critical issues. He says the two sides are responsible for the consequences of the job action and that once “productive bargaining” can begin again, the mediator will re-engage with the parties. Around 55-thousand workers are on the picket line calling for a “fair wage” and better working conditions, which Canada Post insists will add heavy costs and create “inflexibility” in the postal service.
More than one-thousand graduating students at St. FX will get the coveted X-Ring at a ceremony next week. It’s said to be one of the most widely recognizable rings in the world and serves as a reminder of the students’ time at the University. The X-Ring ceremony is for graduating students only.
In sports,
In the Maritime Hockey League, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers host the Truro Bearcats at 7:00pm.
