Osprey Village a retail shopping hub on the South Shore, NS. Photo: MODL
With a Liberal minority being voted in by Canadians on Monday its left many businesses concerned about the prospect of another election.
Executive Chairman of the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce Dan Hennesey says most of their members aren’t in favour of returning to the polls in 18 months.
The concerns stem from remarks made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the first of the leaders’ debates where he implied if the Liberals failed to win a majority he would be open to heading back to the polls in 18 months’ time.
According to Hennesey many businesses are still struggling to cope with the pandemic which is not yet over and the idea of another costly election is the last thing they want. “The general consensus I’ve heard is that business owners think we will be right back in this same situation 18 months from now,” Hennesey said. “The last thing we want is another election in the middle of a pandemic that costs the taxpayers more money.”
Hennesey says most business owners are more concerned about the prospect of another election rather than who won locally.
The Chamber has not previously had a relationship with the newly elected local representative Rick Perkins but Hennesey says they look forward to developing that relationship in the coming months. He added that he’s hopeful he will be a strong voice for businesses and the people of South Shore- St. Margarets.
One concern the Chamber does have with Perkins is that his party will not be in power. “It’s never ideal to have a local representative that’s not representative of the governing party as it always makes it more of an uphill battle,” Hennesey said.
There are some positives for businesses with a Liberal minority in Hennesey’s opinion. He says with the same government staying in power businesses can take confidence that programs like the expansion of Highway 103 and the plans for a provincial child care program will progress.
Reflecting on Bernadette Jordan’s time serving the South Shore-St. Margarets riding, Hennesey said that he knows running for and holding office is no easy task, adding he “takes his hat off to her” for her service.
