OXFORD – Cumberland South’s voters are ready for change and they are strongly considering a vote for the NDP, says the party’s candidate in the riding.
Larry Duchesne was joined by party leader Gary Burrill in campaigning in Springhill and Oxford earlier this week and he is confident his campaign is gaining momentum in the final two-plus weeks before the June 19 by-election.
“It’s very encouraging,” Duchesne said. “I’m hearing a lot about health care, that’s the Number 1 issue with the ERs being closed, with there not being enough doctors and a lack of nursing home spaces.”
Duchesne said he’s also hearing a lot from teachers who remain concerned they don’t have enough resources in the classroom to handle inclusion and make it work.
Burrill said a lot of the things Duchesne is hearing are what he’s hearing as he knocks on doors around Nova Scotia.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who knocks on more doors than I do around Nova Scotia,” he said. “This is everywhere. There is a lot of concern about this nursing home situation. I know in Cumberland County there is a shortage of 100 nursing home beds and I understand when you want to go to the emergency department it’s completely plugged up because there’s no room in the hospital to admit people with the amount of people waiting for nursing home placement.”
He said it doesn’t take a boatload of chartered accountants to figure out what’s needed, but the province doesn’t seem to want to invest in creating additional nursing home beds. It’s a serious situation across Nova Scotia just as it is in Cumberland South.
Duchesne said the by-election is about sending a strong message to government that they’re not happy with its performance. He also doesn’t buy Liberal claims that the best thing people in the riding can do is vote for the candidate who will be on the government side of the legislature.
“People are really mad at the government and it’s going to show on election day,” Duchesne said.
With the leader of the PC party not running, Duchesne things the Conservative vote will drop and he’s confident some of those who voted for Jamie Baillie will vote for him.
Burrill said electing an NDP candidate as the next MLA for Cumberland South would help his party’s momentum. Because of the government’s obsession to balance the budget, Burrill said, the government hasn’t invested in the things that are important to Nova Scotians.
“We’re in a crisis, especially in health care, and this is a great opportunity for the people of Cumberland South to register their opinion,” Burrill said.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
