5 things Nova Scotia political junkies should watch for in 2018

As a post-election year, 2018 will be less frenetic than 2017, but that doesn't mean it will be less interesting for political watchers in Nova Scotia.

Here are five things on the political plate for the next 12 months.

PC leadership race

Although the actual vote likely won't happen until 2019, Tim Houston's pre-emptive campaign launch will force others into the race earlier than planned and lead to a prolonged contest to replace Jamie Baillie as Progressive Conservative leader.

Houston supporters will push for a vote sooner, rather than later, but the party wants to put on a good show and it may already be too late to book a suitable venue this year.

If this does turn out to be a marathon rather than a leadership sprint, there will more time for gaffes and missteps. There is also a greater possibility for individual camps to spar and spat.

Legalization of marijuana

The McNeil government has handed the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. the job of marketing and selling legal pot, but how it plans to do that remains a mystery.

There are federal restrictions, and those rules don't mesh with the way beer, wine and liquor is currently sold in the province. For example, parents can now pick up their favourite beverage with kids in tow, but Ottawa wants cannabis out of sight of children.

Then there are online sales. You can order a favourite Merlot with the click of a mouse but you have to pick it up at an NSLC outlet. There's talk about online shopping and home delivery for marijuana.

It seems clear the sale of cannabis may force a radical rethink of the liquor rules in Nova Scotia and that could spark plenty of political fallout.

Contract talks

The governing Liberals have been roundly criticized by unions and their supporters for passing essential-services legislation to limit job action, imposing a contract on teachers, and laying the groundwork for unilateral action against other public employees.

The Liberals also imposed a wage pattern on public-sector workers, however most remain without a collective agreement governing other aspects of their jobs.

There are roughly 60,000 unionized employees in Nova Scotia's public sector. Between 40,000 and 45,000 of them are covered by agreements that expired either Oct. 31, 2014, (health sector) or March 31, 2015, (everyone else).

The list includes nurses, people who work in nursing homes, liquor store employees, construction workers, home-care providers, paramedics and staff at residential facilities funded by the Department of Community Services. 

With a majority of unionized government employees still without a contract, there's potential for plenty more conflict.

Health-care reform

The ongoing shortage of family doctors and specialists highlights the urgency to change the way care is provided across the province. But critics claim the pace of that change has been glacial during Premier Stephen McNeil's first mandate. The focus has been on amalgamating the district health authorities rather than transforming the system.

McNeil has said Nova Scotians will reap the benefits of that streamlined system in the coming years. But as Premier John Savage learned during his brief tenure in the 1990s, there's a steep political price to pay if Nova Scotians reject the reform they're being asked to accept.

Education changes

Despite the fact he took their union head-on during negotiations and ultimately imposed a contract on teachers, making a tangible difference in the classroom is arguably McNeil's legacy project.

In 2018, his government will expand its marquee pre-primary program for four-year-olds beyond the 38 communities picked for the first phase.

This year is also the year the province may change how public schools are administered. Last fall, the province brought in education consultant Avis Glaze to examine elected school boards and their central office administration, along with the Department of Education. That review could lead to the elimination of boards altogether, their amalgamation or other major changes.

The province is also committed to improving the transition from high school to college, university or the job market. It will be looking at revamping the model for inclusiveness and continuing to roll out more of the changes recommended by the task force that examined Primary to Grade 12 education.

Although it's not an election year, 2018 has plenty in store to give political junkies their fix.