By Patricia Arab, MLA
Media has reported lately that our schools are “bursting at the seams”; in Fairview Clayton Park, we see this firsthand as our population growth continues to outpace new school construction. Enrollment has skyrocketed by 35% since 2016, with an increase of 668 students. We have been promised a new school, but as another school year comes to an end, we still don’t have a clear answer. Instead, we’re faced with more notices of modular classrooms and our students being shuffled from one school to another.
This lack of stability is not just affecting our students’ education but also their overall well-being. To make matters worse, we’re faced here with aging infrastructure: With an average age of 62, our schools are not going to be able to handle the demands of the modern education system. It’s becoming increasingly clear that we need a comprehensive and immediate school infrastructure plan. Our students shouldn’t be left behind due to a lack of resources and planning. I want to assure you that advocating for this essential infrastructure remains a top priority for me, and I will continue to push for it until we see it become a reality.
The Nova Scotia Liberals concluded another legislative session strongly. Among the key legislative pieces introduced were addressing affordability by lowering the HST by 2%, combatting the housing crisis through rent regulation, establishing an arms-length housing authority and expanding the Heating Assistance Rebate Program.
We advocated for the proclamation of the Coastal Protection Act asking government to honour their promise to protect our coastline and for the passing of Bill 144 which calls for the elimination of the misuse of NDAs in cases of sexual assault. Neither of which was supported by the Houston government. Something hidden in the Financial Measures Act was a change in the Personal Health Information Act giving the Minister of Health access to all Nova Scotians’ health records without their consent. At the request of Doctors Nova Scotia, I supported and introduced numerous amendments to try and change this, but they were all voted down by the government.
Finally, last month, I was joined by Zach Churchill and my NS Liberal Caucus colleagues here in Fairview Clayton Park as we visited community organizations and knocked on doors. We wrapped up an informative day with a town hall meeting at the Fairview Legion. I’ve shared my thoughts on this engaging event on my website.
