The NDP announced a Suburban Priorities Team today for a part of HRM. Too bad if you are in the capital district or rural areas of HRM - you are out of luck.
There's no question HRM needs attention. For years the Tory government made their political fortunes on bashing HRM. They failed to realize the success of Nova Scotia is tied to the success of HRM. Just as the success of HRM is tied to other parts of Nova Scotia from Cape Breton to Yarmouth.
There may even be merit for a Capital District or HRM committee of the legislature. Such a committee would have representatives of all parties and would address the interlinked and sometimes unique needs of all of HRM - especially the capital district. But that not what this is.
This is a committee of five back bench government MLAs who are having challenges in their own ridings. It's reported that at least one of those members has been claiming in their constituency they will be in cabinet very soon. It's a committee established to solely represent the interests of a part of HRM that downtown proponents often suggest contribute to urban sprawl.
Why set up a committee in a way that may only exacerbate the conflict between different parts of HRM?
The introduction of the "team" trumpeted three new laws. None of of those bills has anything to do with this team. A bill to prevent prohibitions on clotheslines has been a desire of Howard Epstein (not on this team) for years. The bills to allow buses right of way and to allow HRM to finance solar heating systems (but not other municipalities in the province) are direct requests of HRM.
The legislature chicken and cat debates can't be far off...
Stay tuned.
