SPRINGHILL – Cumberland South voters are going to the polls.
Several months after former Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie resigned the seat, Premier Stephen McNeil announced Thursday that voters in the riding will select a new MLA on Tuesday, June 19.
“We wanted to get the byelection called before the summer and we wanted to wait until everyone had their candidates in place and with the that we’re ready to go,” the premier said following a cabinet meeting in Halifax.
McNeil said the voters of Cumberland South have an opportunity to elect a member to sit on the government benches, something they haven’t had since Murray Scott sat as a PC MLA and cabinet minister in the Rodney MacDonald government a decade ago.
“We have a good candidate in Scott (Lockhart), who would be a tremendous candidate to join the government and sit in the government caucus as we continue the march forward with the positive things we’ve seen in Nova Scotia,” the premier said.
While the byelection has just been called, Cumberland South has already seen some positive news announcement the recent announcement to build a new elementary school to replace aging Junction Road Elementary and West End-Memorial Elementary while Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Lloyd Hines announced a couple of weeks ago that a replacement will be built for the closed Rainbow Bridge right on the border with Cumberland North near Amherst.
The premier said Thursday the school will go ahead regardless of the election result.
“It’s early in our second mandate and we’re looking forward to continuing to govern this province,” McNeil said. “Hopefully the people of Cumberland South will think it’s a good idea to have a member of the government caucus.”
Lockhart said he is ready to go and is confident of his chances in a seat that has been a PC stronghold since 1998.
“I’ve been working toward this for a long time,” said Lockhart, who was a former president of the Cumberland South PC Association that jumped to the Liberals soon after federal MP Bill Casey jumped to the federal Liberals. “We have a great team in place and we’re ready.”
Lockhart said opening the communication lines with the constituents is a big issue to him as are health care and education. He also wants to work to improve the riding’s road infrastructure.
“There’s a lot of road work that needs to be done and that’s a priority to me,” he said.
While he is hearing people are skeptical about the school and bridge announcements, Lockhart said both projects will go forward no matter what happens June 19.
Lockhart knows he has a job ahead of him, but the party gained votes in last May’s provincial election – finishing second to Baillie – and the difference this time is he’s not running against a party leader, but a party without a leader.
PC candidate Tory Rushton said the byelection is an opportunity for the voters to send a clear message to the provincial government.
He said the health-care crisis, with frequent emergency room closures in Parrsboro and Springhill, and the shortage of jobs are two key issues to voters.
“Doctors are leaving and there’s no one coming to replace them,” said Rushton. “People are showing up at closed emergency rooms, or waiting hours to receive care. We deserve better and this byelection is a perfect chance to say that. This is about who is the best choice to stand up for the people of Cumberland South and get our fair share.”
He said the recent Springhill school announcement, although welcome, is an example of how the government is prepared to play politics with children’s futures.
“The Liberals left our kids in overcrowded schools with outdated plumbing and leaks until they could use a new school announcement to gain election points. We needed a new school long before the Liberals needed an election win,” said Rushton, a production manager at Oxford Frozen Foods and the former chief of the Oxford Fire Department.
NDP candidate Larry Duchesne, like Rushton, said the byelection will be about sending a message to the government. And while his party has not done well in the riding, he said there’s no time like the present.
“We need to send a message that the people are mad at government that they’re not investing enough in health care and keeping people healthy,” Duchesne said. “Electing a Liberal would be like saying everything is OK and we like what you’re doing. If you want to send a message vote NDP.”
He said his election team is ready to go. It has an election team in place and has set up its headquarters open in Springhill.
“This is all about health care,” said Duchesne, the former leader of the NDP on P.E.I. who is working now as a journalist. “The Number 1 issue I’m hearing on the doorsteps across Cumberland County is the shortage of doctors and the ER closures as well as the lack of nursing care.”
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
Previous election results
2017
Jamie Baillie, PC, 3,536
Kenny John Jackson, Lib, 2779
Larry Duchesne, NDP, 398
Thor Lengies, Atlantica, 154
2013
Jamie Baillie, PC, 3655
Kenny John Jackson, Lib, 2,884
Larry Duchesne, NDP, 486
Bruce McCulloch, Green, 147
2010 byelection
Jamie Baillie, PC, 3,262
Kenny John Jackson, Lib, 2,165
Scott McKee, NDP, 276
2009
Murray Scott, PC, 5,082
Andrew Kernohan, NDP, 753
Mary Dee MacPherson, Lib, 681
James Dessart, Green, 92
David Amos, Indep, 13
