Economy dominates televised leaders' debate
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 | 11:04 PM ET
CBC News
The economy of Nova Scotia dominated the election campaign's first face-to-face debate among the province's three party leaders.
The three leaders squared off during an hour-long televised debate at the CBC television studio in Halifax on Tuesday evening.
Progressive Conservative Leader Rodney MacDonald felt the pressure going into the debate, with the province already $12 billion in debt and a poll released earlier in the day suggesting voters were ready for a different party to form the next government.
The poll, conducted by Corporate Research Associates, had the NDP leading with 37 per cent of the popular vote, the Liberals at 31 per cent and the Progressive Conservatives at 28 per cent. About three per cent of those surveyed supported the Green party.
The leaders mostly kept to their speaking notes during the debate.
In an effort to sway public opinion back in his favour, MacDonald took aim at his main rival, NDP Leader Darrell Dexter, by trying to paint the party as reckless.
“The greatest risk to Nova Scotia is a politician who says they will do everything for them and but says nothing about how they will pay for it,” MacDonald said. “And that, Mr. Dexter, is what you will do.”
Dexter, who has been Opposition leader in the Nova Scotia legislature for 11 years, said he believes in balanced budgets and was not interested in raising taxes. Instead, he said, he wanted to make Nova Scotia a good place to live.
“Making life more affordable, making sure that we create the jobs here that the economy needs and making sure that young people can stay, live in this province and build their life here,” Dexter said.
The NDP leader also focused his statements in the debate toward his record as an advocate for seniors health.
"I fought on behalf of seniors not receiving the treatment they deserve with long-term care to make sure they weren't impoverished just because they needed a hospital bed,” Dexter said. “People know that I fight on behalf of them. When something is wrong, I say it's wrong.”
Liberals accuse Tories of fumbling on the economy
Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil accused the Tories of fumbling on the economy by failing to hang on to approximately 8,000 jobs that were lost in the province over the past few months.
"We should have responded to this crisis months ago,” McNeil said during the debate. “But instead, the premier was playing politics with the job losses and the economy of this province.”
This was the first debate for McNeil since winning the Liberal party leadership in April 2007. The Liberal party, which only won nine seats in the 52-seat legislature in the 2006 provincial election, has nowhere to go but up in this campaign.
Tuesday night’s debate and another one scheduled for June 2 in Baddeck, N.S., are both sponsored by the CBC and Halifax's Chronicle Herald newspaper. The second televised debate will take place at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck before a live audience. The leaders will answer questions generated by the public.
The leaders will also take part in a roundtable discussion on CTV on June 4.
Nova Scotians head to the polls on June 9.
