Over the last six years, more than 250 Nova Scotians have died of drug overdoses. Across the entire country in that time, more than 25,000 people have died of overdoses, largely due to a drug supply tainted by substances like fentanyl. “In Canada we have two public health emergencies: the COVID-19 pandemic and the poisoned […]
NDP
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What the federal parties will do in Nova Scotia for housing, health care and more
Earlier this month, we wrote about who is running in each of the Nova Scotia ridings in the federal election. As the candidates battle it out on a local level, national party leaders are also drawing a smidge of their attention towards Nova Scotia, which flipped from Liberal to Progressive Conservative in the provincial election […]
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Jagmeet Singh talks affordable housing and access to voting
Note on election coverage: The Coast has reached out to the federal Liberal, Conservative and Green parties to request interviews with their respective leaders. The Liberals declined but offered an interview with local candidate Andy Fillmore, and the Conservatives and Greens have yet to respond. Jagmeet Singh says there’s one issue that seems to have […]
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Where strategic voting in Halifax will get you in the federal election
Canada is not having just one election on October 21. We’re having 338 elections. In order to decipher all the bullshit coming at you this election season you need to: first, understand how your vote elects a parliament; second, know how that parliament becomes government and; third, make a stiff drink or cry or both. […]
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Pushing beyond the glass ceilings of BIPOC political representation
I was asked to reflect on the lack of people of colour running in the four federal ridings in Halifax Regional Municipality. This statistic is so unsurprising—I didn’t think it was worth writing about—but I do think it’s an important statistic to know, so here it is: There are no people of colour running for […]
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Suzuki says: ‘Vote for climate solutions’
Although the only discussion now should be about solutions and how to implement them quickly, some people in and out of the political sphere still refuse to accept the massive amounts of evidence for human-caused global heating and the need to address it. Politicians are finally talking about climate change. How could they not? In […]
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How the federal parties are campaigning for the climate
On September 27, the last Friday of the month, 10,000 Haligonians marched through the streets of Halifax calling on politicians to act on climate change. Walking down Spring Garden road there were Haligonians of all ages, from babies to grandparents, channelling their inner Greta and asking for their government to act. The air was electric […]
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25 for 25: episode 2013
Former finance minister Graham Steele is with us as we dissect the NDP government’s collapse back in the 2013 provincial election. Then, award-winning journalist Selena Ross chronicles the story of Rehtaeh Parsons and her time working with a dream team of reporters and editors at the Herald. All this plus Halifax baristas unionize, Joachim Stroink celebrates […]
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Peter Stoffer apologizes for behaviour, denies any wrongdoing
Peter Stoffer is the latest name in a growing list of current and former Canadian politicians denying accusations of sexual harassment, while simultaneously apologizing for any wrongdoing. In an awkward press conference Friday morning in the frigid cold outside Pier 21, Stoffer spoke for about six minutes about his history with the party, his volunteerism and […]
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NDP executives resign in protest over party leader Gary Burrill
Call it a war of the oranges. Nova Scotia NDP president Bill Matheson and vice-president Judy Swift have both stepped down from their positions with the Party’s executive. The resignations happened at a meeting this past Saturday. In an email subsequently sent to the NDP’s provincial council, Swift blames her departure on the actions and […]
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Rent control idea frozen out, along with Nova Scotian tenants
Rent control could be a step in the right direction for Nova Scotia but some think it won’t be enough to address poverty and housing affordability. The NDP proposed new rent control legislation last month that would see rent increases capped at 0.8 percent for the first year, and become negotiable after that. During Jagmeet […]
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Q&A: Jagmeet Singh on the NDP’s future and busting stereotypes
Jagmeet Singh has been the federal leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) since the beginning of October. He may be giving Justin Trudeau a run for his money—the “Jagmeet and Greet” event at Lion & Bright on Sunday was jam-packed with people, and tons more were lined up outside to shake Singh’s hand or […]