A look at Claudia Chender, leader of the Nova Scotia New Democrats

HALIFAX – Zach Churchill will be taking the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia into its first provincial election since he became leader.

Born: May 25, 1984.

Early years: He was raised in Yarmouth, N.S., where his mother was a teacher and entrepreneur. He is a descendant of Lebanese immigrants.

Education: He graduated with a bachelor of arts from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax in 2007.

Family: He and his wife Katie have two young daughters, Cecelia and Eva.

Before politics: He was a leader in student politics and after graduation was national director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

Politics: He was first elected to the provincial legislature in a 2010 byelection at the age of 26, representing the riding of Yarmouth. He was re-elected in 2013, 2017 and 2021. During the Liberals’ time in power after the 2013 election he held cabinet portfolios including health, education, natural resources and municipal affairs. He was elected party leader in July 2022.

Quote: When asked this week whether there is a legitimate reason for Premier Tim Houston to call an election. “I don’t think there is one right now. He has a majority government and he set a fixed election date in law … and we have to highlight that he’s willing to break that promise.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – The federal transportation minister says national co-operation is needed to close loopholes criminals can use to re-sell stolen cars.

Anita Anand’s office has sent letters to her provincial and territorial counterparts calling for meetings to discuss the issue of Vehicle Identification Numbers being changed on stolen cars which are then resold, a process known as “re-vinning” vehicles.

The minister’s office says in the letters that the long-standing Interprovincial Record Exchange can assist in detecting re-vinning, and that all provinces and territories need to participate fully in the system.

Her office says provinces and territories need to ensure the record exchange technology they are using is up to date in order to communicate with other jurisdictions, otherwise potential thieves could find ways around it.

Back in May, the federal government unveiled a national plan combating auto theft which includes more intelligence sharing among police forces and a working group involving all levels of government.

It also calls for more interventions at ports, with the Canada Border Services Agency tasked with expanding searches of shipping containers in a bid to stop vehicles from being sent overseas.

Anand’s office says although there has been a drop in overall thefts, police have reported a rise in VINs being changed on stolen cars.

“Given the importance of addressing the issue of re-vinning, I am asking all provinces and territories to prioritize this issue in order to further deter and prevent auto theft in Canada,” Anand writes in her letter.

“While the long-standing Interprovincial Record Exchange can assist in detecting the re-vinning of vehicles, all provinces and territories need to participate fully in this system to close the loophole that is being exploited by criminals to re-sell stolen vehicles within Canada.”

More than 1,900 stolen vehicles were intercepted by the Canada Border Services Agency, the majority of which were found in Quebec.

Statistics released earlier this month by the Insurance Bureau of Canada show more than 4,000 fewer vehicles were stolen in the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, though the bureau cautioned the numbers are still more than twice what they were 10 years ago.

Much of the auto-theft problem is centred in Ontario and Quebec, with stolen vehicles being routed through the Port of Montreal and then shipped overseas.

According to insurance crime watchdog Équité Association, 28,550 vehicles were stolen in Canada in the first half of 2024. The watchdog’s finding pointed to a 17 per cent decrease in thefts from the year prior.

More than 70,000 private vehicles were stolen across Canada last year, with more than 30,000 taken in Ontario, according to the Équité Association, an anti-crime organization funded by insurance companies.

Asked about Anand’s letter on Sunday, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria agreed that more has to be done to stop auto theft.

One of the potential solutions is bail reform, he said at an unrelated morning news conference in Toronto.

“Let’s fix our justice system so those people that are stealing these vehicles, coming into people’s houses at gunpoint, taking cars away from people in parking lots…have stiffer penalties,” he said.

Sarkaria added the province has been pushing for the “toughest penalties” on re-vinning and anyone trying to steal vehicles.

“But it’s important that the federal government step up, do their part and put these people behind bars.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. a previous version said Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy responded to Anita Anand’s letter. In fact it was Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston fired the opening salvos of a snap election he called Sunday, saying he needs a strong mandate in order to help the province “stand up” to the federal government.

Voters in the Maritime province will go to the polls on Nov. 26, several months ahead of the province’s fixed election date of July 15 , 2025.

“Nova Scotia needs a government with a renewed fresh mandate to stand up for our province,” Houston told supporters during a rally at a pub in the Halifax suburb of Bedford. “Otherwise our province risks becoming a political football in a federal election that could be held simultaneously with the current scheduled fixed election date. That is not in Nova Scotia’s best interest.”

In the months prior to the election call, Houston had increasingly complained about the burden he says Ottawa’s carbon pricing model has placed on Nova Scotians at the gas pumps. Also high on the premier’s list of grievances is Ottawa’s refusal to pay the entire cost of the expensive work needed to protect the Chignecto Isthmus, the low-lying land link between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that is increasingly prone to severe flooding.

Houston ratcheted up his criticism of the isthmus disagreement on Sunday.

“The Trudeau government refuses to take responsibility, in fact they are trying to rip us off … and they are willing to rip us off even if it means cutting us off from the rest of Canada,” he said.

Houston also took a swipe at the provincial Liberals, attempting to tie them to federal policies – a tactic he previously employed on several occasions during a short 10-day sitting of the legislature in September.

Meanwhile, the premier said his Progressive Conservative government was also asking for a new mandate because it is planning significant spending to deal with the province’s housing shortage and high cost of living.

“It’s only right to go back to the people for support and direction on the course forward,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Houston paid a short visit to the province’s Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc at his official residence in downtown Halifax in order to dissolve the legislature ahead of the 31-day campaign. He emerged and didn’t speak to assembled reporters, opting instead to quickly jump onto a big, bright blue campaign bus sporting his image on the side and the words “Make it Happen.”

Both of the province’s opposition leaders were critical of an early call they said broke the premier’s promise to adhere to a fixed election date.

“This is a needless election that’s going to cost Nova Scotians $13 million for no good reason at all,” Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said in an interview. “Tim Houston is doing this out of what’s perceived to be his own self interest.”

Churchill, who is entering his first election as leader of his party, said the government’s record will be a target on the hustings.

“He can’t stand on his own record,” he said of Houston. “More people don’t have a family doctor than ever before, life’s more expensive than ever before and more people can’t afford rent or to buy a home.”

NDP Leader Claudia Chender, who is also leading her party into an election for the first time, said in an interview that the government is vulnerable on a number of fronts, but especially when it comes to its pledge to “fix” the province’s health system.

“They have not been able to get people off that family practice wait list … it (the number) is double now what it was when Tim Houston came into office. Emergency rooms are as crowded as ever and many are closed more than they are open.”

The Tories are looking for a second consecutive mandate from Nova Scotia voters after sweeping the Liberals from power in August 2021 — a victory that was the result of a nearly single-minded focus on the need to deal with the province’s ailing health-care system.

The province’s Need A Family Practice Registry — seen as an important indicator of how well the health system is doing — was updated earlier this month for the first time since June when it hit a record 160,234 people without a doctor.

New figures indicate a marked improvement, with 145,114 people on the registry.

The numbers are still far higher than the summer of 2022, when there were slightly more than 100,000 people on the list. However, those on the wait-list for a family doctor do have full access to virtual care through the Maple platform after the government made a concerted effort to expand the option.

The Tories have defended their health record by pointing to community clinics and collaborative practices that have given residents increased access to care. As well, they have said that since 2021 they have bolstered emergency medical care by adding more health workers and resources into the system.

As of September, Nova Scotia has added about 300 doctors to the provincial health system since September 2021, according to the provincial health department.

At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature. The Liberals held 14 seats, the NDP had six and there was one Independent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.