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In less than 72 hours the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Tim Houston has released a budget, a capital plan and six bills affecting more than 30 pieces of legislation.
The brisk pace is a signal the government wants another short, packed session of the legislature, according to opposition politicians, at the expense of transparency and accountability.
“Look, there’s work to be done so we’ve come to work, we’re gonna do the work,” Houston told reporters Wednesday, brushing off the suggestion that his government is moving too quickly.
Short sessions replete with omnibus bills that make wide-ranging legislative changes have become the norm in Houston’s second mandate.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the PCs have been able to truncate sessions by calling long hours and changing House rules to prevent Opposition from prolonging debate.
“And that is because this government doesn’t want to be here, they don’t want media stories, they want to get in and out as quickly as possible,” she told reporters Wednesday.
Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said the approach makes it hard for the opposition to keep up, as well as the public.
“This is the birthplace of democracy in Canada and now … I think we’re beginning to be a laughing stock for those that are paying attention to democratic institutions.” said Rankin.
Debate has begun for the government’s deficit budget and the many associated program and workforce cuts, and for government bills. Here’s some of what’s included in those bills:
- New province-wide standards for fire departments.
- A framework for getting provincial revenues from offshore wind projects.
- Cabinet gets final say in the hiring of the Nova Scotia Community College president.
- Expanded enforcement measures for unregulated cannabis.
- Changes to the way social workers are regulated.
- Extending the maximum length of emergency protection orders for domestic violence survivors from 30 days to 1 year.
- Power to remove and impound vehicles found on provincial Crown lands, and dozens of other changes attached to the budget.
Houston said he’s simply acting on the priorities he hears about from Nova Scotians.
“We have an agenda and we don’t worry about what the opposition’s goals or political tactics are,” he said. “We just put our legislation forward, we discuss it with Nova Scotians and we deliver for them in the best way that we know how.”
Houston said he likes being in the legislature, but he does not think of it as his “main job.” Rather, he said his priority is promoting Nova Scotia for the sake of growing the economy. He travelled more than 100 days last year while the legislature sat for 30.
He’s scheduled to be absent from the House at least part of the day Thursday as he travels down the South Shore for an announcement related to onshore wind energy. He also plans to travel for conferences related to mining, energy and seafood in the coming weeks.
