By Keith Doucette
An NDP authorities would ban fixed-term leases, set up hire management, and instantly slash the province’s non permanent hire cap in half to 2.5%, chief Claudia Chender mentioned on the fifth day of the provincial election marketing campaign.
“For too many individuals, the price of hire is driving folks out of the communities they love,” she mentioned. “These protections will save renters cash, preserve our communities inexpensive, and most significantly assist folks plan their futures.”
Chender criticized the Progressive Conservative authorities’s file on housing, saying the common one-bedroom house within the province prices $2,000 a month, whereas hire general has elevated by 18% within the final 12 months.
The federal government’s resolution to increase the non permanent cap on hire will increase to the top of 2027 is inadequate, she mentioned, as a result of landlords can use fixed-term leases to jack up the hire greater.
A set-term lease doesn’t routinely renew when its time period ends, after which landlords can increase the hire as a lot as they need in the event that they hire to somebody new. Critics of fixed-term leases say they encourage landlords to evict tenants to be able to increase the hire previous the cap.
Although there’s no strategy to know precisely what number of renters in Nova Scotia are on fixed-term leases — that kind of residency knowledge just isn’t tracked — Chender informed reporters that at each door her occasion has knocked on, residents have cited nervousness over affording and maintaining a spot to dwell.
In the meantime, a separate affordability challenge was the main target of Liberal Chief Zach Churchill on Thursday, as he introduced his occasion would lower provincial revenue taxes by elevating the essential private exemption quantity to $15,705 — at a price to the federal government of $348 million.
Churchill mentioned one thing must be carried out to cut back taxes within the province, which he mentioned are among the many highest in Canada at a time when individuals are scuffling with the price of dwelling.
“We all know that over the past three years Nova Scotia has gone from being probably the most inexpensive locations to dwell in our nation to probably the most costly,” he mentioned. “This has created an actual affordability disaster for seniors, for households and for younger folks.”
The present exemption is $8,744, and for folks making lower than $25,000 a 12 months, the province offers an “adjustment,” which will increase the essential private quantity by $3,000; the adjustment decreases steadily and ends for folks incomes greater than $75,000.
Churchill mentioned a Liberal authorities would double the adjustment for individuals who earn lower than $75,000, at a price of $55 million per 12 months.
The Liberal chief mentioned his occasion will respect its promise to chop revenue taxes — and respect its pledge made in February to chop the harmonized gross sales tax by two factors — even when doing so will result in a “short-term” funds deficit.
Earlier this week, the Progressive Conservatives pledged a tax lower that might enhance the essential private exemption to $11,744, whereas simply previous to the election name the occasion promised a one share level lower to the HST — commitments Churchill characterised as “half measures.”
In an interview Thursday, Tory Chief Tim Houston scoffed at his opponent’s suggestion.
“We’re placing a plan ahead that’s affordable that we are able to do whereas sustaining a degree of providers,” Houston mentioned. “Mr. Churchill can simply say no matter he needs, I’ve to be affordable.”
Houston travelled to Sydney, N.S., on Thursday the place he introduced his occasion would set up a provincially run journey nurse group to assist areas with nursing shortages.
Houston mentioned the group would eradicate the necessity to rent journey nurses from personal corporations, and can be composed of Nova Scotia Well being staff who may have entry to the identical pay and advantages as different nurses within the public system.
This system would start as a pilot venture by the top of the 12 months, involving a 30-member group of nurses who would workers hospital emergency departments at an estimated value of $5.3 million.
“We’ve to be good and systematic as we roll it out,” Houston mentioned. “There’ll in all probability be some studying and we’ll take that and if we have to modify it (this system) we’ll.”
At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats within the 55-seat legislature, the Liberals held 14 seats, the NDP had six and there was one Impartial.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Oct. 31, 2024.
— With information by Cassidy McMackon in Halifax.
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Final modified: November 1, 2024