VIDEO: NDP leader calls for investment in the economy of care – SaltWire Network

SYDNEY, N.S.

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Gary Burrill spent some time in Cape Breton this week meeting with the party faithful and chatting with selected candidates for the next provincial election. On Wednesday, Burrill sat down with Cape Breton Post municipal affairs reporter David Jala to talk about Nova Scotias political landscape and his vision for a post-COVID economic recovery. Burrill, who has led the NDP since 2016, weighed in on a number of provincial and local issues that included equalization transfers, centralization and how to best spend economic stimulus monies.

A: (laughs) Well, I remember living here as a United Church minister when I was running for the leadership of the NDP, so I am well used to driving in and out of Sydney when there are different forms of weather. The real purpose of my conversations down here this week is to talk to people about the impact of COVID and hear the many different points of view from the different sectors. We are asking what are the things that are needed from the government of this province in terms of investments as we move into this coming period of recovery.

A: Its been a mixed bag. On the substance of the public health directives, I think theyve done a very fine job. But on the basic communication and clarity and coherence of how this is all implemented, I think that they have done a less good job and it has become less effective as time has gone on. There have been inconsistencies in coherences in their approach that have not improved public confidence and compliance. For example, when we opened up the borders between Nova Scotia, P.E.I and New Brunswick the other provinces were way ahead of us with a whole regime in place for how to track people coming into the province. We didnt have any of this. We were behind the 8-ball. I also think about how the economy was reopened before childcare was reopened and that caused all kinds of chaos. So, overall, I think the advice Nova Scotians got from the public health directive has been strong and weve been happy to participate and do our part as an opposition party, but at the same time, the core elements of good communication and coherence around that communication has been lacking.

A: Over the past six months, we have seen that there are particular areas of our society in need of investment and in need of improvement. At the same time, we know that as we come into the recovery period, every government, everywhere, is going to have signature levels of investment and stimulus spending. So, in our view, that mega investment, that mega stimulus that is going to be required everywhere to come out of the contraction of the COVID period must be directed to those places where in the pandemic we have seen a particular need. High on this list is the whole economy of care. Regarding long-term care, another report was issued earlier this week that said we dont have enough people to provide the adequate levels of care in our nursing homes. And that having two or three people in a nursing home room is a highway to the transmission of infection. We need to move to a place where we have one bedroom for one resident. Imagine the jobs that would be created and the economic stimulus that will be provided to the whole province. If the government directed the investment that is required in order for us to come out of this contraction to building nursing homes, where every one of those 8,000 people in long-term care in Nova Scotia had their own bathroom and where everyone had their own room, then this would be a wonderful economic development program that would fulfil a wonderful need.

A: The economy of care is paramount and it also applies to childcare. One of the most jarring experiences of the pandemic in Nova Scotia came three or four months ago when, as I mentioned, the economy was reopened before childcare was reopened so there was a period of a week or 10 days that families all over the province were in chaos and didnt know what to do. So again, imagine the jobs that would be created and the overall economic development stimulus that would be produced if investments were made to provide childcare that is affordable, high quality and available across the board. Not only would you have early childhood educators going to work in all areas of the province but youd also open the door for parents to go to work.

A: I think its important to recognize the unique character of the present economic moment. This is not the 08-09 recession, this is not the dot.com bubble of 20 years ago, anybody under the age of 85 has never experienced an economic contraction like we are in at the moment. This is a Depression-level contraction. So, it changes the economic conversation for us. For years that conversation has included questions like how are you going to pay for it, where are you going to get the money, but in this moment, every jurisdiction in the western world, every province, every state, every nation is going to move into a deficit position. So the question is no longer about whether or not there is a deficit, that is no longer in the conversation. The question now is what are you going to do with the deficit you are going to have. What we are saying is spread that stimulus to places where, during the pandemic, we have seen a particular need. How better to direct investment and economic development than to develop the local jobs that would be created by a major investment in commercial and residential building retrofitting, and in local renewable energy production. These are major job creation programs, major economic development programs and major stimulus programs that could address exactly the needs of the present moment.

A: I think it has created a moment of real volatility and fluidity in which anything can happen. And because of COVID, we were already in a moment of that kind. So, overall, so many of the fixed points on our political landscape arent fixed at this time, theyre not in cement, theyre floating all everywhere, theres a fluidity and a possibility that has been deepened and underlined by the resignation of the premier. Were now in a situation where anything is possible.

A: Were excited about our candidates. Were excited to have nominated former CBRM mayor John Morgan to run in Glace Bay, well nominate Kendra Coombes again in Cape Breton Centre where she is the incumbent and were excited to have Madonna Doucette back running in Sydney-Membertou. We have about half of our Cape Breton slate ready, so the team is coming together well.

A: We cannot have success as a province that has two cities, one of which has had an inordinate concentration of decision-making and power and the other, the CBRM, does not have the capacity to direct its fundamental affairs. We need a system that municipalities can derive their revenue in such a way as to provide comparable levels of service for comparable levels of taxation. Thats what equalization means and is what we support.

A: We are living in the midst of the greatest centralization that has ever taken place in Nova Scotia history. In the seven years since the Liberals came to power in 2013, there has been this hyper-concentrated withdrawal of decision-making power from the communities and municipalities across the province. Those powers have been relocated to Halifax. So, in those seven short years, we have seen the abolition of local school boards that was replaced with a Halifax-based advisory council of education. We have seen the abolition of the local district health authorities that was replaced with the Halifax-based Nova Scotia Health. We have seen the abolition of the department of regional and rural development that was replaced by the Halifax-based department of business. In our judgment, this is not a model that accords to the nature of Nova Scotia. This province is by nature a highly decentralized society. What works on the South Shore wont necessarily work the same way on the Eastern Shore or the Acadian Shore. Previous generations devised systems that had local decision-making power for things like health and education. So, when people in Cape Breton say that they have lost their voice, they are absolutely right, they are absolutely describing the processes that occurred over the past seven years. The present government dedicated itself to a program of withdrawing and shutting down local voices across the province and relocating them to Halifax. In our view, the road forward for the province has to be one of re-establishing the integrity and the capacity at local levels across Nova Scotia.

A: Ive coached baseball for many, many years. I love ball and have worked with a lot of kids, but I am a singularly poor ballplayer. And, I never cheered for the Expos or Blue Jays. Im from Yarmouth so I grew up cheering for the Boston Red Sox. My other favourite team, of course, is the Cape Breton Eagles. They are a big part of the community. When I lived here, I knew never to schedule any church meetings on a game night. That would have been a no-no.

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VIDEO: NDP leader calls for investment in the economy of care - SaltWire Network