Claudia Chender

Chender says the government made spending cuts without proper economic analysis, questions the basis for its 'hard choices', argues it hasn't assessed impacts on Nova Scotians, and urges the government to pause and withdraw the budget.

Claudia Chender opposes the budget’s $130 million in cuts, arguing they harm people, sectors and communities. She called to pause and reconsider spending priorities — to stop the cuts and return a revised budget that is 'something better.'

Claudia Chender opposes the provincial cuts to arts and culture funding, saying Premier Tim Houston must explain the decision and that there is 'no reason' for these cuts, indicating she views arts funding as the wrong place to seek savings.

Claudia Chender opposes the government's budget approach and its framing of the deficit, calling the plan 'confused and tone deaf' and arguing the cuts will decimate sectors, hurt vulnerable people, and will not fix the province’s financial mismanagement.

Chender says cutting arts and publisher supports is 'hugely short-sighted' and 'cruel,' arguing culture is Nova Scotia's biggest export that attracts tourists; she opposes these funding cuts and supports prioritizing spending to sustain local publishers and cultural programs.

Chender criticizes the premier’s spending priorities, arguing he prioritizes costly personal staff — a high-paid personal lawyer and multimedia position — while public servants face job cuts and program reductions, and she says he refuses to be held accountable.

Chender criticizes the government's decision to table the budget on a Monday—arguing it's intended to minimize scrutiny and public awareness—demanding greater transparency about how the government plans to address the province's $1.4 billion deficit.

Chender says child care is essential and must be prioritized in government spending, arguing its shortage has driven people from the province. She frames child care as a necessity rather than an optional service that warrants urgent funding and policy attention.

Chender argues government spending must be transparent and accountable: overhaul the weak lobbyist registry so Nova Scotians know who influences spending, stop favouring supporters via untendered contracts, and maintain oversight (appointing an ethics and accountability critic) to monitor questionable spending.

Chender says Nova Scotia’s high cost of living is reducing universities' appeal and harming local economies by driving away students and young workers. She advocates housing reforms — rent control tied to inflation, tighter fixed-term lease limits, and a residential tenancies enforcement unit — to retain them.

Claudia Chender says spending should prioritize more than one-bedroom affordable units, with a particular focus on increasing multi-bedroom options for people who must leave dangerous situations with children, given the province's declared epidemic of intimate-partner violence.

Chender says the provincial government is creating an adversarial relationship with Mi’kmaw people and should stop making unilateral decisions affecting them; instead, the government must work collaboratively with Mi’kmaw leadership and include chiefs in such decisions.