HANSARD
NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
STANDING COMMITTEE
ON
NATURAL RESOURCES
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Committee Room
Agenda Setting
Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services
NATURAL RESOURCES AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Tom Taggart (Chair)
Kyle MacQuarrie (Vice-Chair)
Danny MacGillivray
David Bowlby
Julie Vanexan
Susan Leblanc
Krista Gallagher
Hon. Iain Rankin
Hon. Derek Mombourquette
[Tom Taggart was replaced by Tim Outhit.]
[David Bowlby was replaced by Rick Burns.]
[Julie Vanexan was replaced by Damian Stoilov.]
[Hon. Derek Mombourquette was replaced by Hon. Becky Druhan.]
In Attendance:
Tamer Nusseibeh
Legislative Committee Clerk
Genevieve Harvey
Legislative Counsel
HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026
STANDING COMMITTEE ON
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
10:00 A.M.
CHAIR
Tom Taggart
VICE-CHAIR
Kyle MacQuarrie
THE CHAIR (Kyle MacQuarrie): I call this meeting to order. This is the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development. I'm Kyle MacQuarrie, MLA for Inverness and Acting Chair of this committee.
Today we will hold an agenda-setting meeting. Please turn off your phones or put them on silent. In case of emergency, please use the Granville Street exit and walk up to the Grand Parade.
I will now ask committee members to introduce themselves for the record by stating their name and constituency, starting with MLA MacGillivray and proceeding to your left, please.
[The committee members introduced themselves.]
THE CHAIR: I would also like to note the presence of Legislative Counsel Genevieve Harvey, and Legislative Committee Clerk Tamer Nusseibeh. Good morning, everyone. Thanks for coming.
Committee business - we have agenda setting. I'd like to open the floor to topics. MLA Stoilov.
DAMIAN STOILOV: I move that the first topic for the PC caucus be Supporting Responsible Resource Development in Advancing Future-ready Sustainable Communities. We would like to see representatives from the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the Mining Association of Nova Scotia, and representatives from the Clean Foundation, and lastly, the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities.
THE CHAIR: Any discussion? MLA Leblanc.
SUSAN LEBLANC: We're definitely in support of this topic, but we would like to propose that we also invite a representative from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs.
DAMIAN STOILOV: We feel that we have a proper selection of relevant partners on the topic and are happy with our witnesses as is.
SUSAN LEBLANC: I think that in any discussion around resource development and advancing future-ready sustainable communities, the Mi'kmaw Chiefs need to be at the table. They are an important voice in any discussions about natural resources and any planning of our future province.
DAMIAN STOILOV: At this point, I'd like to ask for a vote on the motion.
THE CHAIR: All those in favour of the motion?
AN HON. MEMBER: Pause. We don't know what the motion is.
THE CHAIR: The motion that MLA Stoilov made. Do you want to read that again?
DAMIAN STOILOV: The motion would be to have a vote on what MLA Leblanc had suggested - a yes or no vote.
THE CHAIR: Is there discussion?
MLA Leblanc.
SUSAN LEBLANC: I will move a formal amendment that we add a representative from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs.
THE CHAIR: MLA Druhan.
HON. BECKY DRUHAN: I appreciate the amendment brought forward by MLA Leblanc and am very much in support of including a representative from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs in any discussion of resource development. We would be in support of that.
THE CHAIR: If there's no discussion, we'll vote on the amendment.
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
I recognize a tie, so I'll cast the vote against the amendment.
The amendment is defeated.
Any more discussion on the motion?
All those in favour of the motion? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The motion is carried.
MLA Stoilov.
DAMIAN STOILOV: I move that the second topic for the PC caucus be Supporting Rural Communities, with the following witnesses: representatives from the Department of Growth and Development; representatives from the Department of Municipal Affairs; and representatives from the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.
THE CHAIR: Any discussions on the motion?
MLA Gallagher.
KRISTA GALLAGHER: Thank you very much, Chair. This is one of my favourite topics. I love discussing supporting rural economies.
I move that we add representatives from the Nova Scotia Regional Enterprise Networks.
THE CHAIR: MLA Stoilov.
DAMIAN STOILOV: At this point, we feel that the relevant partners that we've suggested are suitable for our discussion going forward. We're happy with the list that we provided as is.
THE CHAIR: No more discussion on the amendment? We'll call a vote for the amendment.
All those in favour of the motion? Contrary minded? Thank you.
SUSAN LEBLANC: MLA Stoilov voted “aye.” He literally voted “aye.” There's not a tie.
THE CHAIR: Actually, I didn't see MLA Druhan vote. There's a tie?
SUSAN LEBLANC: May I?
THE CHAIR: Is it a point of order?
SUSAN LEBLANC: It's a point of order.
THE CHAIR: Go ahead.
SUSAN LEBLANC: Chair, we need to call recorded votes on this. If you cannot see everyone or hear everyone, then we need to call recorded votes so that we actually have votes on record. But clearly, MLA Stoilov said “yes” in that vote. I think we need to redo the vote and call a recorded vote.
THE CHAIR: We'll call a recorded vote on the amendment.
[10:09 a.m.]
[The clerk called the roll.]
| YEAS | NAYS |
|---|---|
| Hon. Becky Druhan | Danny MacGillivray |
| Hon. Iain Rankin | Tim Outhit |
| Krista Gallagher | Rick Burns |
| Susan Leblanc | Damian Stoilov |
| Kyle MacQuarrie |
THE CHAIR: The recorded vote is completed, and the amendment has been defeated.
Any further discussion on the motion? Okay, we'll call for the motion.
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The motion is carried.
MLA Stoilov.
DAMIAN STOILOV: I'd like to move that the third topic for the PC caucus be as follows: Developing Nova Scotia's Offshore Wind and Alternative Energy with representatives from the Department of Energy and representatives of CNSOER - Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator.
THE CHAIR: Any discussion on the motion?
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The motion is carried.
MLA Leblanc.
SUSAN LEBLANC: I'd like to propose our first topic being Helping Small Businesses Thrive. The proposed witnesses that we have are the deputy minister of the Department of Growth and Development, a local representative of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, representative of Halifax Partnership, and a representative of the Valley Regional Enterprise Network.
THE CHAIR: Any discussion on the motion? MLA MacGillivray.
DANNY MACGILLIVRAY: I'd like to move that we add a witness to the NDP topic - be amended to add representatives from the Office of Service Efficiency.
THE CHAIR: We have an amendment. Is there any discussion on the amendment?
Seeing no discussion.
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The amendment is carried.
Any discussion on the amended motion?
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The motion is carried.
MLA Leblanc.
SUSAN LEBLANC: For our second topic, I'd like to move the topic Growing Nova Scotia's Tourism Sector. The witnesses would be the deputy minister of the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, a representative of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia, a representative of the Nova Scotia Arts Coalition, and a representative from Destination Cape Breton.
THE CHAIR: Any discussion on the motion?
Seeing no discussion.
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The motion is carried.
MLA Druhan.
BECKY DRUHAN: I move for the Liberal topic Expanding Cellular Service with representatives from the Department of Public Works, representation from the Department of Emergency Management, and representation from Build Nova Scotia.
THE CHAIR: Any discussion on the motion? MLA Burns.
RICK BURNS: I'd like to make an amendment. I move that the witness list for the topic of Expanding Cellular Service be amended to remove the Department of Public Works.
THE CHAIR: Any discussion on the amendment? MLA Leblanc.
SUSAN LEBLANC: I would just love to ask MLA Burns the reasoning behind that.
RICK BURNS: The responsibility for that is moved to Build Nova Scotia, so Public Works doesn't actually work on the project. It's Build Nova Scotia's responsibility.
THE CHAIR: Any more discussion on the amendment?
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The amendment is carried.
Any discussion on the amended motion?
All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.
The motion is carried.
[10:15 a.m.]
We now have some items for discussion. The Department of Growth and Development provided responses to information regarding the percentage of provincially funded projects that use Nova Scotia-made products or Nova Scotia-based builders and regarding the percentage of spending on local foods across other provinces and how Nova Scotia compares. You have the correspondence. Is there any discussion on the response?
Seeing no discussion, we'll move onto the next piece for discussion.
[10:15 a.m.]
The Public Accounts Committee has forwarded correspondence from HRC Innovations regarding an appearance before the committee. You have the correspondence. Is there any discussion? Seeing no discussion, we'll move onto the next meeting.
The next meeting for the Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee will be September 22, 2026 - the topic is to be decided - from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Meeting adjourned.
[The committee adjourned at 10:16 a.m.]
