HALIFAX, NS – Progressive Conservative Pictou Centre MLA Pat Dunn is shocked at Premier Stephen McNeil’s decision to spend taxpayer money on an ad campaign in his ongoing labour dispute with Nova Scotia teachers.
The Premier is spending taxpayers’ money on an ad campaign to promote the government’s message in the teachers dispute. The party is also running ads. Dunn wants to know why McNeil’s government has money for advertising, but not money to improve classroom conditions.
“Why is the Premier using government money rather than returning to the table?” Dunn asked.
Earlier this year after the McNeil Government botched Seniors’ Pharmacare by trying to sneak through a 19 per cent fee increase, they were forced to launch a damage control ad campaign. That campaign cost taxpayers $17,000.
“How much money is the Premier willing to spend to do damage control this time?” Dunn asked the Premier. “I think Nova Scotians across the province are getting very upset that the McNeil government is taking money out of their pockets to pay for their PR efforts. These are very costly mistakes that the Liberal government is making during their negotiations and unfortunately, it’s just putting Nova Scotians in a worse position.”
The teachers have put in a formal request for mediation with the Minister of Labour Kelly Regan.