In the CBC election debate between Nova Scotia’s three major parties, the leaders engaged in tough exchanges as they compared their records and plans for the province on some of the hottest issues of this campaign: housing, health care and accessibility.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston delivered a consistent message during the 90-minute debate in Halifax: His government has made good progress over the past three years, but there is more to do.

He summed it up in the first few minutes while talking about housing.

“The plan is working and we just have to stick to the plan.”

And again when we talk about health care.

“These are real solutions, not overnight solutions.”

But NDP Leader Claudia Chender and Liberal Leader Zach Churchill have repeatedly challenged him, saying things have gotten worse under the PC leader’s watch.

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In the first combative exchange of the night, Chender brought up the high rate of rent inflation.

“What are you doing with the rents? Your rent cap is not working,” she pressed Houston about his five percent cap, which is scheduled to last until the end of 2027.

Chender highlighted his promise to implement rent control, reduce the rent cap and ban fixed-term tenancies.

“More mice than staff”

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On health care, Churchill followed a move Houston had made early in his tenure: firing the provincial health authority’s chief executive and the entire board. The CEO was replaced by Karen Oldfield, who had no experience in healthcare. She was labeled interim CEO, but remains in the role more than three years later.

“Politics governs our health care system,” Churchill said.

He accused Houston of “withholding information” that is not politically advantageous, such as the number of people on the “Needs a Family Practice” registry. Data from the registry was not publicly available for several months this summer and fall while the health authority said it was verifying the information.

Houston said the fact that the number of people on the registry dropped by about 12 percent after the vetting process is a sign of improvement.

But Churchill said those numbers don’t tell the whole story. He said he gets more accurate information about the health care system by talking directly to health care providers.

“Go talk to the doctors at (Victoria General Hospital), where there are more mice than staff in the building … and tell these people that the health system is improving,” Churchill said.

“You just blame Ottawa”

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Houston used a question about electricity rates to bring up the federal carbon tax, a frequent target of his.

He said it was “disingenuous” for Chender and Churchill to talk about the cost of utilities and fuel without joining his attack on the federal carbon tax.

The federal government imposed its carbon cap on Nova Scotia last year, driving up the price of liquid fuels, including gasoline and electricity. However, the rebates issued by Ottawa offset these costs for most Nova Scotians. Many Nova Scotians receive more money from the rebate than they pay into the carbon tax fund.

On Thursday night, Houston did not mention the rebate money when discussing the carbon tax.

“The best thing we can do to support Nova Scotians affordably and simply get by in our day-to-day lives is to tackle the carbon tax,” he said.

Houston has not proposed an alternative to the carbon tax that meets Ottawa’s carbon pricing guidelines, which is the only direct leverage available to get rid of Nova Scotia’s carbon tax.

Chender, who also hasn’t proposed a carbon pricing alternative to the carbon tax, said it’s ironic that Houston has suggested it is taking action on the issue.

“All you’re doing is blaming Ottawa for the challenges people are facing in Nova Scotia today,” she said.

Churchill highlighted his party’s promise to return to a cap-and-trade system, which is the carbon pricing scheme Nova Scotia had under the previous Liberal government. This time, Churchill intended to push for a regional cap-and-trade system with other Atlantic provinces, rather than one specific to Nova Scotia.

Ottawa came up again when leaders were asked what they would do to protect the Isthmus of Chignecto — the small strip of land that connects mainland Nova Scotia to New Brunswick.

The isthmus is vulnerable to catastrophic flooding from the effects of climate change, and experts say some sort of intervention is needed to protect it before a major storm washes it away.

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are in a protracted dispute with Ottawa over who should fund the work. Houston said he would continue to fight for the federal government to pay the full cost, rather than 50 percent, as he had offered.

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Chender agreed Ottawa should foot the entire bill, but said Nova Scotia should take the federal money being offered now and try to recoup the rest later.

She said she worries the debate is preventing work from starting. Churchill shared this sentiment.

“He’s doing politics rather than doing this work,” he said.

Houston said work on the isthmus is already underway. His government last month announced a $2 million project to build a berm on the isthmus, but it is not part of the larger $650 million project.

An official from the Public Works Department said at the time that work was still on the cards.

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