Nova Scotia's political hits and misses for 2019

From Northern Pulp's plan to shut down its mill in Abercrombie Point, N.S., to the lack of Cat ferry crossings to the state of heath care, it's been another interesting year in Nova Scotia politics.

Barbara Emodi, a communications professor and political commentator who worked for Darrell Dexter's NDP government, unpacked it all in a year-end interview with Amy Smith on CBC Nova Scotia News at Six on Monday.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Premier Stephen McNeil has said the decision not to extend the legislated closure date of Boat Harbour was one of the most difficult decisions he'd ever made. How do you think that's going to wear on him politically?

I think in the long run, it's going to be good for him. If you look at Darrell Dexter and his decision with Port Hawkesbury and the mill, that seemed to be good at the time for him. Then they lost that seat and the rest of the province really wasn't happy.

I think McNeil has reached that very interesting place for a politician where people will say, "I don't know if I like him, but I respect him," and I think most people felt that we were going to be taken advantage of indefinitely. And I think there's a certain amount, if you look at the province, of pride with what he has done.

What about the ferry service from Yarmouth to Maine that cost Nova Scotians nearly $20 million without any sailings this season?

It's bizarre, it's actually almost a comedy routine right now. I think that difference is really important because it speaks to the fact that I think we're coming to the end of the traditional Nova Scotia: We will do anything. Can we give you anything? Can we build you a customs building in another country? We'll do anything for you if you just give us jobs.

I think McNeil drew a line with that with Northern Pulp, but then he is left with this albatross and I think one of the issues with the ferry that, going forward, really has to be dealt with is you need an economic impact assessment. I mean, you can't anecdotally pour money like that down a hole without some demonstration that more than just the gas stations in Yarmouth are benefiting.

So will this go down as a political failure for McNeil and his party?

Well, it's chronic because he's not the only government that has suffered with it. I dealt with it [working for Darrell Dexter's NDP government] and they tried to stop it and paid a price. But I think times are changing. And Nova Scotia is in such a fascinating maturing phase right now. I think this might give him a little more nerve or courage to deal with that because someone needs to.

One of the biggest issues is always health care, whether it's restructuring in Cape Breton, ER closures, the deal with doctors — how do you think that whole file was dealt with?

That's been a really interesting file because it's always been a nightmare for any government or any opposition because there's so many things that can go wrong. I mean, there's wait times, ambulances backed up and ERs are closed and there's so many issues. There's even been nursing home issues.

But this is the year that it all focused down to doctor shortages. We need more doctors and I think in some ways the government quite rightly realized that that was the one thing, the key that could fix everything and which is great for a government.

The other thing that I think is very important this year is nurse practitioners and the waiting lists. Now they're calling people up ... So I think that shows a redefinition of that kind of gate keeper primary health care that's really interesting.

This is Tim Houston's first full year as PC Party leader and Nova Scotia's official Opposition leader. How do you think he's done?

This should have been the best year of his life. I mean, your year in opposition is really your honeymoon period. You really can just sit there and say stuff. You have this lovely period where you can say, "Well, if it was me it would be OK." And so, this should have been his best year. And he is trying to take out the least popular premier in the country, we hear. And yet, that premier's numbers are going up and his are going down.

Why do you think that is?

That's what is really fascinating. I've got a couple of theories because I do think Houston has tried hard to do a lot of outreach. He's visited many communities. He's done, you know, a lot of the listening-tour stuff. But I think that he has been seen as a little brittle. And also I have a sense that people feel that he's more interested in being leader than showing leadership and that's kind of not a good look. I also was talking to someone who said to me ... that he is too rural for metro and too metro for rural, so I think he's really got to look at that.

What about NDP Leader Gary Burrill?

To look at Gary Burrill, to look at the NDP right now, you have to remember that this is the same party that was a majority government. I mean, the NDP were contenders and Burrill has managed to retreat. I would think no one would be more surprised if he was premier than Gary Burrill.

I mean, that's not the purpose. The purpose is moral positions. The problem with moral positions is if you want to improve things for people, you have to be in government so you can make the laws to change things. Otherwise, if you've made a decision that getting government isn't your priority, which appears to be the case there, then in fact you are enabling policies that you disagree with.

I think it's a pretty tricky thing. I think the NDP has got to look at that. And also, they've got an all-female caucus apart from Burrill and I think he is kind of using up all the oxygen and I think some of those women should be given a larger role.

Do you think Stephen McNeil will run again?

Stephen McNeil is a really interesting person and he is actually quite strong, a tough person. I think that he'll want to go out on top. He will want to have the last word. And I think with Houston appearing to be weakening, McNeil might stay around at least to try to win another mandate to make a point and then turn it over.