Government Wrong In Dealing With Electoral Boundaries Commission: Baillie

NS PC Leader Jamie Baillie

The debate continues over the Nova Scotia Provincial Electoral Boundaries Commission interim report it presented in May.  The commission has been told by the government to go back and re-do it because recommending 4 minority-group constituencies be maintained was not part of its terms of refernce.

PC Leader Jamie Baillie says the Dexter government is out of line by telling the commission what or what-not it should be doing.

Baillie says: "The debate is not really about those seats anymore. Its about a government that is using its majority to write its own rules. That is why I say... what a disgrace if this was in Uganda. But, thats exactly what is happening with the rules of the next election here in Nova Scotia and that bothers me more than the protected seats does."

The commission said in its initial report, among other things, there should continue to be 52 members in the Legislature and the four "protected constituencies", including Argyle and Preston, should be retained. The commission now says it will rewrite its final report for release in late August.