N.S. Liberal leadership candidates outline top priority if they become premier

The three men vying to be the next premier of Nova Scotia agreed on most things and disagreed on very little during the second Liberal leadership debate on Thursday.

It wasn't until the final minutes of the 90-minute affair that they provided vastly different answers to a question: What would be their first large policy project if they became premier?

Antigonish MLA Randy Delorey said nothing is more important out of the gate for the next premier than continuing to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"On Feb. 6, COVID is still going to be here," he said, referring to the date Liberal Party delegates will select their new leader.

Delorey said the key roles for the premier would include overseeing the continued rollout of the vaccine and providing information to the public to help address any concerns.

"We have to make sure that we're out there as leaders letting Nova Scotians know that if they're hesitant that it is a safe vaccine, that they need to get vaccinated for their safety, but also for their loved ones, family and neighbours," he said.

In a post-debate interview, Delorey said the anti-vaccine movement has caused some people who don't hold those beliefs to question fundamental science, which might make them hesitate. The province must work to overcome that, he said.

Kousoulis pegs economic confidence

Halifax Citadel-Sable Island MLA Labi Kousoulis said the government must inject confidence in the private sector. The way to do that, he said, is by supporting businesses now so they will still be there on the other side of the pandemic.

"If we don't, we will have a decade, if not more, of low productivity [and] high unemployment," he said.

In a post-debate interview, Kousoulis pointed to previous policy announcements, including extensive road building projects to twin highways from Yarmouth to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, tax relief for small businesses and help for the tourism sector as examples of how he would do that.

For Timberlea-Prospect MLA Iain Rankin, his top policy project initially would be long-term care.

"We need to make sure that we're looking at modernizing our existing infrastructure," he said.

"It's not acceptable to have seven or eight seniors to one washroom. We need to make sure that we're addressing the wait list."

'It's a dignity thing'

Rankin said he's committed to putting significant funding into the sector in terms of both service delivery and capital spending.

"The priority should be how to address the lives in our long-term care. Respect our seniors. It's a dignity thing."

In a post-debate interview, Rankin said there are more than enough studies and reports to show what work needs to be done. That, along with consultation with unions, the industry and workers have convinced him action must happen soon.

Thursday's debate, which was moderated by Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Kathleen Yurchesyn, was a largely uneventful and civil one with no sharp exchanges between any of the candidates. As with the first debate, this one was fully virtual.

The deadline for new party members to become delegates is Jan. 7, while existing party members have until Jan. 12 to register as a delegate to be able to vote.

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