Liberals must be transparent with the public about reopening plan

HALIFAX -- The Liberal government is creating unneeded uncertainty by failing to give a public timeline for the lifting of public health restrictions in the province.

“The Premier’s approach is paternalistic and patronizing towards the people of Nova Scotia,” said NDP leader Gary Burrill. “The public deserves to be trusted with the information about what steps are being considered for the reopening of the economy and society. Nine out of ten provinces have such a publicly presented plan. Nova Scotia should too.”

Although many businesses are preparing to open their doors again, the McNeil government has yet to announce a plan for reopening child care facilities. With children home from school and many recreation day camps cancelled, parents are finding it difficult to plan to return to work.

“We need to prevent people, mostly women, from losing their jobs because they cannot find child care. With no school and limited camp options, any reopening plan needs to address this problem that many parents and caregivers are facing,” said NDP business spokesperson Claudia Chender. “Without an orderly plan that is publicly available, and takes into account the challenges of families with children, hundreds of women will not be able to return to work because they will need to stay home with their children.”

Dentistry, salons, physiotherapy, gyms and fitness centres are among the areas where the Liberal government has yet to give timelines or information. There is also no information publicly available about when restrictions on gatherings will be loosened.

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