QP - Power Bills
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Let's talk about math. A $1.2-billion deficit, and yet Nova Scotians are spending 30 percent more on their power bills than the average Canadian. People cannot afford another rate hike - since this government was elected, $400 more per year. With the eight percent increase that is coming, they will be spending approximately $530 more per year. Nova Scotians cannot continue to absorb higher and higher costs. This government is doing nothing about it.
I will ask the Premier again: Will you lower people's costs by 10 percent?
THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Finance and Treasury Board.
HON. JOHN LOHR « » : I will remind the member that we have done historic tax cuts in this last year of over $1,000 per family for Nova Scotians. Because we saw the challenge of affordability - and I will remind the member they voted against those tax cuts - we are doing tax cuts. We are going to see this economy grow. We are confident in our direction. That is a lot of money in the pockets of Nova Scotians. We are proud of that. We know there is an affordability crisis. We are putting money back in the pockets of Nova Scotians.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : We are worried about Nova Scotians. We are worried about their privacy, we are worried about their data, and we are worried about their credit. We wish this government did too.
New Democrats want to allow people legal recourse against Nova Scotia Power and private companies that hold personal information. We are more concerned about Nova Scotians, less concerned about the credit agencies. We want to let people request free credit freezes without hurting their credit scores. That might be hard for the banks. That is okay. People need their privacy protected. A similar system exists in B.C., and it is better.
This government can do more to protect Nova Scotians' privacy and their finances.
I will ask the Premier again: Will he act to give Nova Scotians the protections they need and deserve?
JOHN LOHR « » : Speaker, we are doing everything that we can for Nova Scotians. I will remind the member that we gave a one percent cut in the HST. The last time the NDP were in government, they did a two percent increase in the HST, despite campaigning against that. They reversed it.
We are doing what we can. We will do everything we can to protect Nova Scotians.