Brandon Sun By: Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press Posted:
Last Modified: 3:27 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021
HALIFAX - The premier of Nova Scotia says the RCMP must change how they alert the public to dangerous incidents following the high-profile arrest of a gunman who remained at large for 19 hours.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil attends a news conference in Halifax, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS
HALIFAX - The premier of Nova Scotia says the RCMP must change how they alert the public to dangerous incidents following the high-profile arrest of a gunman who remained at large for 19 hours.
Stephen McNeil made the comment Thursday as questions arose about why it took more than three hours on Wednesday for the Mounties to request a provincewide Alert Ready message to warn residents about a manhunt that spanned two provinces.
The New Brunswick RCMP confirmed via Twitter at 9:37 a.m. that the suspect s abandoned vehicle had been found in Amherst, N.S. But it wasn t until 11:10 a.m. that the Nova Scotia RCMP said in a tweet that it had requested a public alert from the province s Emergency Management Office.
An Alert Ready text, sent via TV, radio and wireless devices, wasn t transmitted until 11:42 a.m.
Tim Houston, leader of Nova Scotia s Opposition Progressive Conservatives, said that wasn t good enough. If the Emergency Management Office can t be proactive or timely with emergency alerts, that entire department is in need of an overhaul, he said in a tweet.
Oswald said going up against Selinger is nothing personal. She said she offers the best chance for the NDP to revive its popularity in time for the next election, slated for April 2016. Every political party in Canada, of every political stripe, needs to go through a process of renewal, and we are no different, she said. I m entering this race to offer an alternative vision and perhaps a renewal for what our party can mean going forward.
Oswald also said she is open to reversing a provincial sales tax increase that angered voters. The government raised the tax to eight per cent from seven last year, prompting an immediate downturn in opinion polls. The government said at the time the tax increase would only be for a 10-year period to fund infrastructure programs.
Nova Scotia government prorogues legislature after 17 minutes, drawing ire of opposition theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Keith Doucette
Finance Minister Karen Casey briefs reporters on the Nova Scotia provincial budget for 2019-2020 at the legislature in Halifax on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan December 17, 2020 - 11:26 AM
HALIFAX - Pandemic-related costs continue to hammer Nova Scotia s finances with the province now forecasting a $778.8-million deficit for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
The updated figure is $74 million less than the deficit projected in July, but it is also a far cry from the $55-million surplus the government initially thought it would have this fiscal year.
Finance Minister Karen Casey told reporters on Thursday that the deficit was not a structural one where there is a mismatch between government revenue sources and the costs for its programs and services.