Barbecue season may have already begun for many Nova Scotians, but for Rodney MacDonald, Stephen McNeil and Darrell Dexter, the real grilling begins tonight.
The first leaders debate for the upcoming provincial election will air at 7 p.m. tonight on CBC television. The live event is set to run for one hour.
The heads of the Tories, Liberals and New Democrats will go head-to-head twice more before voters head to the polls June 9. A second debate will be held in Baddeck June 2, also airing on CBC, and a leaders round-table will air June 4 on CTV.
Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil says Nova Scotians deserve a winter break and is pledging a statutory February holiday, if elected.
This idea isn’t new, as the Liberals have been calling for it since 2005 and introduced legislation three times to make the third Monday in February part of a long weekend.
The Liberals also announced late last week a promise to do away with gasoline price regulation and to reduce the motive fuel tax by a minimum of one per cent in each of the next four years.
The Tories are promising to cut the paperwork burden on businesses by capping the number of provincial regulations.
Premier Rodney MacDonald made the announcement Friday in Sydney, saying his party is committed to eliminating an old regulation once a new one is introduced.
NDP Leader Darrell Dexter announced Saturday his party would subsidize travel and accommodation costs for patients who require medical attention not available in Nova Scotia.
The party is promising to provide up to $750,000, saying it would help reduce health care wait times for the province.
