Party messages take shape in the first weekend of N.S. election campaign

Welcome to the first instalment of CBC's Election Notebook, your source for regular updatesandessential news from the campaign trail.

The speculation is finally over and the campaign forNova Scotia's 41st general election has begun.

Today is Day 3 of the 31-day campaign. Votes will be counted on Aug. 17.

In case you missed it, the election period began on Saturday morning with Liberal Leader Iain Rankin's visit to Government House where he asked Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc to dissolve the House of Assembly.

How the leaders kicked off their campaigns

Leaders of all three major parties spent the weekend in and around Halifax making the first of what are likely to be many public appearances and stump speeches at campaign events.

Speaking to reporters outside Government House, Rankin gave the broad strokes of his vision for a third Liberal mandate.

"This is about the economy and how we can recover strongly in a progressive way that is more sustainable and more inclusive we clearly see the interaction with the economy, equity and the environment."

On Saturday evening, the Timberlea-Prospect MLA held a drive-in rally for the party faithfulin the Halifax Exhibition Centre parking lot. He said he'll be revealing five core platform planks in the weeks ahead.

NDP Leader Gary Burrill kicked off his party's campaign outside his headquarters just off Quinpool Road in Halifax. Burrill, the MLA for Halifax Chebucto since 2017, delivered a speech about the importance of permanent rent control, access to mental health care and an "uncompromising" approach to limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

"Real people, real lives, and what is needed in real people's real lives, are gonna be placed at the real front and centre of every decision that's made for the next four years in Nova Scotia. That's what's gonna happen if the NDP is elected," Burrill said.

On Sunday, Burrill held another event where he unveiled a 62-page vision document, which lays out the full scope of the NDP's plans with a 10-year outlook.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston travelled into Halifax from his riding of Pictou East to kick off his party's campaign at Dalhousie University, where he quickly made his priorities clear.

"There is one question to be answered in this election: who can actually fix health care?"

The Tories started laying out their plans to rework the health-care system last summer; Houston said the rest of his fully costed campaign platform will be released this week.

Slates still in the making

As of Monday, no party hada full slate of candidates, but they have until the afternoon of July 28 to submit their final nominations.

All three major parties have candidates for more than 90 per cent of the province's 55 ridings. The Green Party has nominated 23 candidates. Two incumbent MLAs have declared their intention to run as Independents former Tories Alana Paon and Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin.

The Liberals lost a candidate on the first day of the campaign, just one day after her nomination was announced. Robyn Ingraham, a barber shop owner and briefly the candidate for Dartmouth South, wrote in an Instagram post that she dropped out to protect her mental health.

She alluded to people taking issue with her face and hand tattoos, and modelling photos. When asked by reporters Sunday, Rankin said the decision was entirely Ingraham's.

Highlights from Monday's agenda

Announcements are coming from the PCs, the NDP and the Liberals:

• Claudia Chender, the NDP candidatefor Dartmouth South, will make an announcement about health care at the home of one of her constituents at 10 a.m.
• Rankin will make an announcement about economic growth and clean tech innovation at the den Haan Greenhouses in Lawrencetown (the Annapolis Valley one) at 10 a.m.
• Houston is hosting a news conference at 10 a.m. in downtown Halifax.

How to vote

Check whether you are registered to vote with Elections Nova Scotia.

Once registered, you can vote in advance of election day by requesting a mail-in ballot or by visiting a returning office or advance polling station in your electoral district.

On election day, polling stations are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

More information on voting is available from electionsnovascotia.ca.

Check in tomorrow for the next instalment of the Election Notebook, and follow all CBC's election coverage at cbc.ca/ns