Upcoming budget focuses on affordability
It will be budget season when the Nova Scotia Legislature resumes for the spring session on Feb. 20.
“I think people can expect another balanced budget from our government and a real focus on affordability for Nova Scotians on the cost of living across the board,” said Yarmouth MLA Zach Churchill, minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, in an interview.
On the education front in the budget, one project that is going to help families and children is the expansion of the pre-primary program, making the early learning opportunity available to all four year olds across the province, said Churchill.
“We expect come September there will be 8,500 kids eligible to access that and we are preparing for that,” he said.
“Obviously, it’s very helpful for parents because it saves them a lot of money. Instead of paying for childcare they have this free early learning opportunity and it’s really good for the kids. By having a high quality early learning education during the preschool year, that can really increase the child’s chances of succeeding in school and beyond and it’s also really important for single parents who might want to get back into the work force and increase their household income. This allows the ability to do that.”
Churchill said the education department is also looking at bringing enhancements into the pre-primary program – with an expansion of before- and afterschool care, in partnership with the regulated childcare sector – and allowing every four-yearold to get transportation to and from the pre-primary sites on a school bus.
“It’s a really big investment and a priority for the premier,” said Churchill. “It was one of our major platform commitments in the last election. I’m really proud to be the minister the premier has given the responsibility to, to roll this out.”
Churchill said the department has been “getting really good feedback on this program."
"Families really appreciate the access to it. We’re actually hearing from many teachers across province who are telling us the primary students who have attended pre-primary are showing improved levels of self-regulation when it comes to emotions and better ability to learn in a classroom setting. That’s really encouraging and helps makes life more affordable for families as well.”
Health care is also expected to be front and center this session.
“Health care is a continuing priority for the government, particularly access to family physicians, emergency docs and getting more nurse practitioners into our system,” said Churchill. “There’s a challenge there because there are less people getting into family medicine globally and many doctors coming out of the system are practicing different than past generations. They’re not taking on that huge patient load or are finding a better work life balance for themselves."
He said that impacts the government's ability to extend patient care as broadly as it can, but added there have been some good developments.
“We just signed an agreement with Doctor’s Nova Scotia that makes family docs, emergency docs and anesthetists in Nova Scotia the highest paid in Atlantic Canada. That really improves our competitive advantage when it comes to recruitment and retention," said Churchill.
"We’re also expanding the role pharmacists play in our system. They can now renew certain prescriptions; they can give a flu vaccine. Now they are able to give shingles vaccines as well. I think will see their script of practice enhanced in the future as well so we’re making gains on health care. It’s a challenge for every single province across the county and North America.”
On the local front, Churchill said there is a “great local team” working on the Community Navigator Program with a focus on recruitment to Yarmouth Regional Hospital.
“I think we’re going to see the fruit of that work come to bear over the next year or two.”