I'm honoured to have been elected by residents in Dartmouth East as a representative in the provincial legislature. I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the election by voting and volunteering, regardless of which candidate you supported.
My first priority is to ensure that I and my office are easily accessible and responsive to the residents of Dartmouth East. As a member of the official opposition in the legislature, it's also my job to work constructively with the government, but also call the government to task on areas they could do better. In addition to representing local concerns, I've been appointed the energy and environment critic and so will also be keeping a particularly close eye on issues in these portfolios province wide.
The weeks since the election have been very busy. Among the many provincial and local issues which I've been involved with lately, I have already spoken with the new minister of education about the long delayed and much needed renovations at both Prince Andrew and Dartmouth High Schools. These renovations must move forward quickly.
As well, I've been working to try and reverse the planned closure of the Dartmouth YMCA daycare. The announcement of the October closure is all the worse given the difficulty in securing daycare spaces for many already.
And in advance of the World Canoe Championships I have called on the provincial government to clean up litter and improve maintenance along Highways 111 and 118, something which has been a problem for years, but which is that much more important given that Dartmouth will be on international television for almost a week during the championships.
It's expected that the fall session of the legislature will be largely taken up with the provincial budget. It's a shame that the budget has not been brought forth sooner. It's likely the oversight of the legislature on the budget will be limited given much of the fiscal year will have already passed by the time the budget is tabled. As well, by staying out of the legislature, government ministers cannot be held accountable during question period for issues in the community. Nonetheless, it's important that Dartmouth and HRM are not ignored by government as they have been so many times before.
info@andrewyounger.ca
If I can be of assistance or you need information please feel free to contact me at my new constituency office in suite 600 at 73 Tacoma Drive. You can also call me at 406-4420 or e-mail me at info@andrewyounger.ca. I look forward to working for and with you over the coming months and years.
