Nova Scotia Premier Criticizes ‘EI Folks’ Comment by Liberal MP

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is calling for an apology from Liberal MP Jaime Battiste for his comment labelling Atlantic Canadians as “EI folks,” in a reference to collecting employment insurance benefits.
Battiste made the comment during a media conference in Nanaimo, B.C., on Sept. 9 in response to a reporter’s question about whether the Liberal Party was losing ground in Atlantic Canada.
Premier Houston said he was disappointed in the MP’s remarks.
Battiste responded to the criticism in a Sept. 10 post on X, saying his remarks had been “misinterpreted.”
“In speaking, my effort was to convey that the key issues facing Atlantic Canadians are associated with fisheries and Employment Insurance.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Battiste’s office for further comment but did not hear back by publication time.
In subsequent social media posts, Battiste said his words had been misconstrued.
He said he had been “hearing at the doorsteps” of the “hurt” Conservatives brought to Cape Breton when in power, including changes to EI and the closing of a Veterans Affairs office.
“People are afraid of what a Conservative government would do again if given the chance, and that’s what I meant to convey yesterday,” he wrote.
The MP was first elected to the Sydney-Victoria riding in Nova Scotia during the 2019 election.