2009-05-05 06:15:18
What started out as a budget document is now a plank in the Conservative's election platform. Premier Rodney MacDonald will pay a visit to the province's lieutenant-governor this morning. That's when he is expected to ask Mayann Francis for an election on June 9th. MacDonald's minority Conservative government was defeated last evening after losing a vote to amend the Provincial Finance Act. Both opposition parties had repeatedly said they would not support the bill. The defeat means this year's budget would have a 260-million dollar deficit. Expect the political rhetoric to have both the Premier and the opposition blaming each other for forcing us to the polls this summer.
The ballots aren't quite set yet for the five ridings on the south shore. There are two more nomination meetings to come, and both of them involve the Progressive Conservatives.
Community Services minister at dissolution, Judy Streatch is running again in Chester St. Margaret's. The Liberals will have JoAnn Grant and Denise Peterson-Rafuse is running for the NDP.
In Lunenburg, Rick Welsford is on the ballot for the Liberals and Pam Birdsall for the NDP. The Conservatives will be chosing between Ron Allen and Peter Zwicker at their nomination meeting tomorrow in Mahone Bay.
Lunenburg West has Natural Resources minister Carolyn Bollivar Getson for the PC's running against Mark Furey for the Liberals and Gary Ramey for the NDP.
In Queens, incumbant New Democrat Vicki Conrad is on the ballot against Wayne Henley of the Liberals and a Conservative candidate who will be chosen next Monday.
And in Shelburne, Sterling Belliveau will be working to hold the seat for the NDP while running against Eddie Nickerson of the Conservatives and Darian Huskilson of the Liberals.
