Opposition leaders decry lack of funding for health care and roads

The opposition Tories and New Democrats together blasted the lack of funds for health care and roads in Pictou County Tuesday. Speaking just after the Liberals tabled their fall budget in legislature, Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie said that more doctors and orthopaedic surgeons were urgently needed as wait times in the county just keep on growing. “Like many other parts of Nova Scotia, Pictou County needs more doctors. Not one red cent for more doctors in this budget. That’s wrong,” said Baillie. The fall budget promises $2.7 million for specialists and orthopaedic surgery, including the centre in Pictou County, which government officials say will benefit. Another $2.4 million is going towards doctor recruitment and retention at a time when Nova Scotia is running short of physicians. “Nova Scotians spoke clearly that they wanted more investment in health care,” said Minister of Finance Karen Casey in a release Tuesday. Nonetheless, Baillie condemned the closure of the mental health unit at New Glasgow’s Aberdeen Hospital, without any replacement, as a “travesty.” “That unit isn’t going to reopen any time soon. This budget confirms it,” said Baillie.

“Like many other parts of Nova Scotia, Pictou County needs more doctors. Not one red cent for more doctors in this budget. That’s wrong.” Jamie Baillie

The budget pledges $3.2 million for mental health programs and another $1.8 million for community and mental health supports for students through the SchoolsPlus program. But NDP leader Gary Burrill said that such funding was being frozen at a time when inpatient services for mental health and addictions was in high demand. “That’s a serious shortcoming,” said Burrill. He also said that more funding for road maintenance was urgently needed in Pictou County, especially for snowplowing and salting in winter. “I think the people in Pictou County will be startled to see that these are funds that have been diminished for them,” said Burrill. The budget’s transport infrastructure priorities include highway twinning and a $10 million per year investment in maintaining gravel roads across the province. Pictou East MLA Tim Houston said that more funding was needed for high-speed internet in rural areas like his, a lack of which hampers local businesses. “There’s not a ton of flashy, hopeful things in this budget for those people,” said Houston. Casey defended her government’s record on health care, infrastructure and other issues. “We listened and we have used that information to help with our current budget,” Casey told media on Tuesday.