Nova Scotia MLAs reject pay raise, debate cost of living crisis
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MLAs voted to put off the debate on the pay raises until Wednesday and instead talked about the cost of living crisis brought about by rising inflation and the housing crisis.
Earlier in the day, Houston described the legislative back and forth a "distraction" compared to the business of governing. During the cost of living debate, NDP Leader Claudia Chender called out the premier on that opinion but agreed the pay raise issue a distraction given the challenges facing Nova Scotians.
"It's a distraction from the real emergencies, the real challenges that are facing the people across this province on which there are actually no debate," Chender said in the debate, which went into the evening.
"We all know regardless of what we have to say about it that we are in an unsustainable inflationary environment that is deeply hurting people in this province. ... There is no debate that people in this province need help and that is why we are here, we are here in the people's house to bring the people's voices into this chamber. "
In March the Nova Scotia government announced a $13.2-million package that provided a one-time payment of $150 to people on social assistance and eligible recipients of the province's heating assistance rebate program.
But Chender said other provinces have taken more extensive steps such as reducing gas taxes (Ontario) or offering hundreds of dollars to every family in the province (New Brunswick).
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