Lori Turnbull

July 30, 2021

Even before the writ dropped, the Nova Scotia election campaign was expected to lack momentum. There are a few reasons for this. First, it’s a summer election, and getting people engaged in provincial politics at this time of year is always a challenge.

Second, there is no burning issue or debate driving the need for an election. There is no sense of this being a “change” election, as was the case federally in 2015 when the “anybody but Harper” sentiment was palpable. It’s simply that the clock is running out on the Liberal government that was elected over four years ago. Premier Iain Rankin has until spring of 2022 to go to the people. Given the likelihood of a federal election in the fall, in addition to the complications associated with a winter election in a province known for its treacherous weather, he had little choice but to pull the plug now.

the first two weeks of the campaign were not without drama. Premier Rankin was still taking questions on the DUI conviction that he had disclosed the week before.

And third, the political parties in Nova Scotia are very close together in terms of their values and priorities. They agree on what the key issues are; they just differ (and sometimes only slightly) in terms of how to solve them.  None of this makes for a suspenseful campaign, but the reality is that political disengagement is a real problem.

To be fair, the first two weeks of the campaign were not without drama. Premier Rankin was still taking questions on the DUI conviction that he had disclosed the week before. He is not the first political leader to have to reveal such a thing about his past (it happened when he was 19 years old), but his evasive approach to media questions only made things worse.

Instead of disclosing the conviction proactively, he ended up blurting it out during a COVID-19 briefing after someone had leaked it to a reporter. This only encouraged more inquiries and speculation in the days that followed. He came across as defensive rather than authoritative, which is not a great look for a new premier seeking his first mandate.

Things only got worse from there. In the early hours of the campaign, Robyn Ingraham, the Liberal candidate for Dartmouth South, released a statement explaining that she was bowing out of the race, citing her mental health as the reason. But then she released another statement days later in which she told her story of being pushed out by the Liberal party due to “boudoir” photos that she had disclosed during the vetting process. Further, her statement indicated that the party had pressured her to lie about mental health as the reason for her departure.

Nova Scotia politics usually does not make national headlines, but the Liberals were slammed both in the province and across the country for a misogynist and hypocritical approach to candidate vetting.  Rankin’s DUI didn’t disqualify his candidacy for the leadership, but Ingraham’s sexy photos, though legal, were apparently too hot for the Liberals. For a party campaigning on its commitment to diversity and inclusion, this was completely off-brand.

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston has his own problems. Just prior to the campaign, then Progressive Conservative MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin was ejected from caucus due to her involvement in a blockade of Highway 104 in the town of Amherst, which is close to the New Brunswick border. On June 29th, Smith-McCrossin issued a direct challenge to Premier Rankin via Facebook post to end border restrictions: “You have until 4 o’clock today and if you don’t the Trans-Canada highway will be shut down.” Houston removed her from caucus and waited until the final hour to appoint a new PC candidate to run against her. Houston also faced criticism over tweets from PC candidate for Annapolis, Jennifer Ehrenfeld-Poole. A few years ago, she tweeted about her impatience for cyclists on the road, citing her wish that she could “get away with running you completely over.”

Ingraham’s sexy photos, though legal, were apparently too hot for the Liberals. For a party campaigning on its commitment to diversity and inclusion, this was completely off-brand.

Every campaign has gaffes, unforced errors, and embarrassments. Nova Scotia is clearly no exception. The problem is that these have been the most captivating moments in the campaign so far.

There is a distressing absence of spontaneity and imagination in the exchange of ideas. Leaders’ debates used to be a high point in any campaign, but the one that happened in Nova Scotia on July 28th was, for the most part, a mundane exchange of statistics and talking points. The only times that the dialogue felt unrehearsed was when leaders made special efforts to talk over one another. To be clear, this is not to suggest that party leaders are not well-intentioned and committed to a better future for Nova Scotia. They surely are. But the tone and content of debate is hard to get excited about.

This phenomenon is not confined to Nova Scotia. In general, political debate has become scripted rather than organic, which both eliminates the possibility of transformative dialogue between the parties and reduces the role of the citizen to a passive spectator. No wonder people don’t vote. In the last election in Nova Scotia, voter turnout was down to 53 percent. It would be no surprise if it were to dip below 50 percent this time.

Disengagement with politics is a major problem that, if it persists, will undermine efforts to rebuild in the post-COVID era, both in Nova Scotia and elsewhere. As we come through the public health crisis and look toward strengthening the economy, there is a new pressure on governments to show empathy, to spread wealth more equitably, to design better policy, and to make public institutions more inclusive. None of these things will happen if citizens are checked out and not holding governments to account. We can do our part by rewarding politicians for taking reasonable risks in policy development and for engaging in meaningful and open dialogue.

Disengagement with politics is a major problem that, if it persists, will undermine efforts to rebuild in the post-COVID era, both in Nova Scotia and elsewhere.

One piece of hopeful news: political parties in Nova Scotia can be commended for putting more diversity on the ballot in this election than has ever been the case in the province’s history. This is an important step towards making politics more meaningful to everyone. More diversity in the legislature would inject fresh new ideas into campaigns and into politics in general. This would go a long way toward increasing voter engagement.

Contributing Writer Lori Turnbull, co-winner of the Dinner Prize, is Director of the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University.