Nova Scotia Tories promise universal shingles vaccine program for 65 and over

Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservatives say that if re-elected Nov. 26 they will introduce a universal shingles vaccine program for people 65 and older.

Party leader Tim Houston says the program will cost $27 million in the first year before dropping below $3 million a year by the third year as the focus shifts to people reaching the age of 65.

Houston says it makes sense to make the shingles vaccine free because statistics show one in three people will develop the painful skin rash, and the risk increases as people age.

For the NDP today, housing remained the focus as leader Claudia Chender promised to create a compliance and enforcement unit for resolving tenant-landlord rental disputes.

Chender says the unit is needed because the province doesn’t have the necessary resources to manage disputes.

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After the release of a $300,000 report in September, the Progressive Conservative government decided against an enforcement unit, saying it would result in more red tape and longer resolution times for both landlords and tenants.

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill, meanwhile, promised to build a new six-lane bridge across Halifax harbour to help relieve traffic congestion in Atlantic Canada’s largest city.

Churchill said his plan would replace the MacKay Bridge with a larger span that would have dedicated bike and bus lanes.

He was also critical of a Tory promise to remove the tolls on the two harbour bridges, saying the move would only encourage more people to drive and further clog the roads.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.