‘Real Life’: Democracy 251 and ‘devotion’ to ‘a mature democracy’

Third in a series of articles on the Nova Scotian elections by TONY SEED*

“IT’S important that everyone vote,” the three Nova Scotian party leaders repeated as one in their closing remarks in the Leader’s Debate on May 19.

In this, the second “great debate,” the three leaders were asked to address the decline in voter participation. Tories, Liberals and New Democrats joined together to blame the people. It is noteworthy that not a single leader advanced any substantive proposals for democratic renewal. For these individuals, Nova Scotia represented the best system in the world. Incumbent premier Rodney MacDonald touted the great work of the multi-party Democracy 250 project amongst youth in promoting Nova Scotia as the self-styled home of “responsible government” going back to 1758. For his part, NDP leader Darrell Dexter blamed the fact that the assembly had only been convened for a grand total of thirteen days in 2008 for “people not buying in”; his government would make people “buy in.”

Public-private partnerships to be imposed on Nova Scotians?

Commentary by ENA BOUTILIER and TONY SEED

HALIFAX (1 February 2009) – THE Government of Nova Scotia is stepping up its anti-social offensive against workers and the general public through its proposal to implement several so-called “public-private partnerships” (P3’s) in the province as part of Harper’s infrastructure “stimulus” program.