Since taking office in August, the Houston government has failed to publicly release long term care wait times in Nova Scotia.

On Dec. 1, the premier’s Long Term Care minister claimed the updated wait times would be posted “right away.” A month and a half later, those numbers remain to be seen.

“Nova Scotians with a loved one needing long term care can’t possibly plan for their future without knowing the real situation,” says Seniors and Long Term Care critic Kelly Regan.

In the six months since those figures were last released, Omicron has sent COVID-19 case numbers skyrocketing across the province. This includes outbreaks in long term care homes. But we still don’t know the impact on wait times, because they remain a secret under the Houston government.

“Premier Houston claimed repeatedly that he’d run a transparent government,” says Regan. “Nova Scotians need access to those wait times — and this government needs to step up now to share that information every month.”