With just eight days to go until the Nova Scotia provincial election, the gloves are coming off — with the leaders of two of the major parties going after one another.
“How did we get to this sorry state in health care in Nova Scotia under Stephen McNeil?” PC Leader Jamie Baillie told a room of supporters Monday morning at a rally in downtown Halifax, where he hammered on the state of health care in Nova Scotia.
WATCH: Nova Scotia PCs unveil new spending, promise balanced budget with few details on cuts
“We are Canadians, we are proud of our health-care system. We can do so much better than this,” said Baillie.
A recent poll showed the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives are neck-and-neck among decided and leaning voters.
READ: Nova Scotia Election: Liberals, PCs neck-and-neck in recent poll
“I think we’re tied with the Liberals,” said Baillie.
“We’re the only party now that can replace them. A lot of people coming to us because they want to replace a pretty mean-spirited government that’s just cut things for the last few years with one that I want to lead that reaches out to people and is optimistic about the future.”
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On the other side of the harbour, Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil spent Monday afternoon greeting people in north-end Dartmouth before announcing an $80-million-dollar commitment for social programs in the province if re-elected.
But it was Baillie’s platform that took centre stage.
“That’s the challenge around Mr. Baillie. He’s going through this process of scaring people into believing that the sky is falling and he’s the only one to hold the ceiling up,” McNeil told reporters following the announcement.
WATCH: Nova Scotia Election: Liberals release platform with $1.08 billion in spending and tax cuts
McNeil said while he doesn’t necessarily agree with the NDP approach of “spending until there’s no tomorrow,” he says he gives NDP Leader Gary Burrill credit that he’s been “straight with Nova Scotians about what he wants to do.”
Something McNeil said Baillie isn’t doing.
“When you look at his budget, there a $480-million adjustment for previous government commitments. What are they?” said McNeil.
READ: Nova Scotia Election: Why health care has become the number one issue
“I’ve been in elections since 1999 — health care has been the number 1 issue in every election I’ve been in,” said McNeil.
“They’re using this issue to fear monger their way to scare people into voting. The fact of the matter is, ‘Lay out what your plan is — tell Nova Scotians what you’re going to do.'”
READ MORE: Complete Nova Scotia election coverage
NDP Leader Burrill hosted a barbecue for party volunteers Monday morning and spent the rest of the day campaigning.
WATCH: Nova Scotia NDP proposes nearly $1 billion deficit over four years, touts spending in health and education
When asked about the state of health care in the province, Burrill said he believes ER closures around the province and doctor shortages are related.
He said hospitals are packed because there’s an increasing number of Nova Scotians who don’t have family doctors. Burrill also says some hospitals are full of patients that actually belong in a nursing home.
READ: Nova Scotia Election: Tracking party promises on infrastructure
“Because there’s been inadequate investment, not a single nursing home bed for years on one hand, and on the other hand, there’s been inadequate investment in bringing people doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses, so our campaign is to make a serious investment in making primary care available to people,” said Burrill.
“It’s $120 million over four years, and a serious investment in opening nursing home beds. In our opinion, with these serious investments on both ends of the problem, this is in our view a crisis, but it’s not an impossible crisis. It’s a crisis that has a solution but the solution requires investment.”
Election day is May 30.
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