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HALIFAX, TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026

Sixty-fifth General Assembly

First Session

11:02 A.M.

SPEAKER

Hon. Danielle Barkhouse

DEPUTY SPEAKERS

Marco MacLeod, Tom Taggart, Julie Vanexan

THE SPEAKER » : Please rise, if able, for the singing and playing of "O Canada."

[The national anthem was played.]

THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. We'll begin the Daily Routine.

PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS

STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

RESOLUTION NO. 477

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas organ and tissue donors give the gift of life, as every organ donor can save or improve the lives of up to eight people, and every tissue donor has the potential to impact up to 75 people; and

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Whereas in April 2018, following the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash that took the lives of 16 passengers, defenceman Logan Boulet's organs were donated so six lives could live on; and

Whereas Green Shirt Day was established to honour Logan Boulet's legacy, to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation, and to increase the number of registered organ and tissue donors;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House join me in recognizing Green Shirt Day on April 7^th and encouraging all Nova Scotians to talk to their loved ones about their wishes for organ and tissue donation.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

RESOLUTION NO. 478

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas World Health Day is marked annually on April 7^th and each year draws attention to specific health topics of concern to people all over the world;

Whereas this year, this day is a reminder that around the world, the right to health for millions of people is increasingly coming under threat; and

Whereas the focus of this year's theme of World Health Day is "Together for health. Stand with science," chosen to celebrate the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the planet;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House recognize April 7^th as World Health Day, an opportunity to focus global attention on everyone's right to health.

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Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Military Resolutions.

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Close enough.

THE SPEAKER « » : I had a long weekend. Excuse me.

The honourable Minister of Military Relations.

RESOLUTION NO. 479

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jessica Roy is a young woman who received support from the Yarmouth office, which allowed her to further her education and secure her future as a certified mechanic; and

Whereas through our Educate to Work Program, Jessica was able to continue receiving benefits while she completed her training, as well as our Inspiring Success initiative, which connects youth to paid summer jobs to help them gain real-world experience; and

Whereas today, Jessica is not only working as a mechanic in her community but also offering free classes to women who want to learn basic automotive skills, like how to change a tire - but she didn't stop there. She also wrote and illustrated a children's book called Jessica in the Garage to help inspire girls and young women to pursue careers like hers that have been traditionally dominated by men;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly recognize Jessica Roy for her many accomplishments, her ambition, her perseverance, and the contributions she has made to her community and join me in extending best wishes to her for her continued success.

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Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister responsible for Military Relations.

RESOLUTION NO. 480

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Honorary Colonel Joyce Carter has been named one of Esprit de Corps military magazine's 2026 Top Women in Defence; and

Whereas she is the first woman to lead Atlantic Canada's largest airport and has played a pivotal role in its growth and modernized security and emergency management, from coordinating aircraft and passengers on September 11, 2001, to leading national collaboration as the Chair of the Canadian Airports Council during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

Whereas she was appointed honorary colonel of 12 Wing Shearwater in Eastern Passage, a role in which she acts as an adviser, ambassador, and mentor who strengthens civilian-military relationships and community engagement;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House join me in congratulating Joyce Carter for her recent recognition, her exceptional leadership in building pathways, and advocating for women's representation in aviation.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

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The motion is carried.

INTRODUTION OF BILLS

Bill No. 251 - An Act to Amend Chapter 1 (1992 Supplement) of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the House of Assembly Act, Respecting Attendance for Certain Votes. (Lisa Lachance)

THE SPEAKER « » : Ordered that this bill be read a second time on a future day.

NOTICES OF MOTION

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Inverness.

TARTAN DAY: APRIL 6^TH - RECOG.

KYLE MACQUARRIE « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize that yesterday was Tartan Day - and I'm still wearing the same tie - a day that holds great meaning to people of Scottish heritage here in Nova Scotia and right across the world.

April 6^th marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, signed in 1320, when Scotland declared its independence. Here in Nova Scotia, in 1987, our provincial Legislature was one of the first in the world to formally recognize Tartan Day.

Tartan Day isn't only for those with Scottish roots. It's an invitation for all Nova Scotians to celebrate the resilience, creativity, and community spirit that Scottish heritage has woven into the very fabric of this province.

Just as every tartan is distinct, with each thread and colour telling a story, so too are the cultures and communities that together form the rich interwoven tapestry of Nova Scotia's identity.

I ask all members of the House to rise in celebrating Tartan Day.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

WORLD HEALTH DAY: POWER OF SCIENTIFIC COLLAB. - CELEBRATE

SUZY HANSEN « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize World Health Day, calling on people everywhere to stand with science. This year, we observe a campaign celebrating the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the planet, spotlighting scientific achievement and the multilateral co-operation needed to turn evidence into action through its strong focus on the One Health approach.

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I'd like all members of this House to join me and my colleagues in recognizing April 7^th as World Health Day.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

NAT'L. AMATEUR BOXING CH'SHIP.: NOV. 17-21 - RECOG.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Speaker, I rise in my place because there's another exciting national event happening in Sydney. We found out the national amateur boxing championships are going to be taking place in Membertou from November 17 to 21, 2026.

I rise in my place to congratulate Membertou on holding this national event. This is coming with curling and a whole pile of other wonderful events that are happening in the community. As I always say, the community always steps up. Volunteers right across the CBRM will come forward to put on another excellent event where we're going to welcome our best amateur boxers, coaches, and staff from across the country.

Congratulations to everyone involved, and congratulations again to Membertou for welcoming the world.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River.

TRURO SENIOR 'A' MOSAIK BEARCATS: HOLLINGSWORTH CUP CHAMPS. - CONGRATS.

HON. DAVE RITCEY « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding success of and congratulate the Truro Senior 'A' Mosaik Bearcats on a successful first season in the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey league, winning the Hollingsworth Cup in Game 7 versus East Hants last evening. This season, the Bearcats have demonstrated remarkable skill, determination, and teamwork, making our community incredibly proud with the return of senior hockey to the province.

I would like to recognize the leadership behind the bench and in the front office. Owner Kevin Dawe and Head Coach Lou Lanceleve have played an instrumental role in guiding this team, fostering a culture of discipline, hard work, and pride that is clearly reflected in the Bearcats' success both on and off the ice. Their success has brought people together and strengthened the sense of pride we all feel in our hometown team and the community.

I ask all members of the House to join me in congratulating the Truro Senior 'A' Mosaik Bearcats players, coaches, sponsors, and volunteers, and especially the remarkable fans who made this championship run a memorable one. Go Bearcats!

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

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BALSAM CARE: LOCAL ORG. - RECOG.

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : Speaker, I rise today to welcome Balsam Care Society participants, clients, staff, and programs to their new location on King Street in Bridgewater. Balsam Care Society is a non-profit organization rooted in Lunenburg County providing housing support and community-based services for adults with diverse abilities.

Their work is grounded in the understanding that we are all possessed of unique abilities and strengths and that everyone deserves to be supported, included, and able to live with dignity and independence. Through services that offer social connection and recreation, respite supports, and supported living, Balsam Care Society serves more than 100 individuals across our region, meeting people where they are and helping them build connection, stability, and a sense of belonging. This new King Street location brings that work right into the heart of our community, increasing access, visibility, and opportunity for connection, because strong communities are built not just through infrastructure but through inclusion, through making sure people are seen, supported, connected, and valued.

[11:15 a.m.]

It was a pleasure to join Balsam for the grand opening of their new King Street location last month. I ask all members of this House to join me in thanking the team at Balsam Care Society and in welcoming the connection with community the new location brings.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

BURNET, JAMIE: BOOK, MILKTOOTH - RECOG.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, I rise to recognize Nova Scotia author Jaime Burnet. Burnet is a writer, musician, and labour and human rights lawyer based in Herring Cove. Her novel milktooth is about a 31-year-old queer woman named Sorcha who is eager to settle down and have a baby. She meets Chris, whose charm and grand romantic gestures soon make their relationship serious. When she becomes pregnant, Sorcha must confront the harsh reality of Chris's increasingly abusive behaviour, which threatens the family she has longed for. She is able to get out and rebuild her life with the support of her queer family.

Speaker, the nominations are rolling in for milktooth. Burnet has been nominated for the International Lambda Literary Award by a panel of 76 literary professionals selecting finalists from 1,371 submissions. Burnet is also longlisted for the 2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Her comments on the Shields nomination noted that Nova Scotia is the only province in Canada to not financially support its publishing industry.

I ask all members to congratulate Jaime Burnet and wish her luck through the book awards season.

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THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

RILEY, COLTON/MACKENZIE, R.J.: TEAM CANADA U18 - RECOG. 

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Speaker, I rise in my place to recognize two men who are involved with the Cape Breton Eagles hockey organization: Colton Reiley and Dr. RJ MacKenzie. Both of them have been selected to travel to Slovakia to be part of Team Canada's U18 team at the World Hockey Championships taking place. Colton is one of the trainers, of course.

These two men do a lot to ensure the health and safety of the Eagles as they play. They play such an important role as all trainers and medical staff do throughout sports, but I rise in my place to recognize two Cape Breton Eagles who play a big part of the Eagles organization who are now going to be part of Team Canada as they go to Slovakia for the Men's World U18 Championships.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Yarmouth.

WORLD HEALTH DAY: WORKING TOGETHER - RECOG.

NICK HILTON « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize World Health Day, observed each year on April 7^th.

This year's theme is "Together for Health. Stand with Science." What a wonderful reminder it is of just how much can achieve together, guided by research, expertise, and a shared commitment to one another's well-being. Health science has given us treatments, cures, and discoveries that have saved countless lives and made our world healthier than ever before.

Speaker, here in Nova Scotia we are so fortunate to have remarkable health care workers, researchers, and public health advocates who show up every single day with dedication, compassion, and expertise. They are the reason our communities are healthier, stronger, and more resilient. Today is a day to celebrate them, to celebrate science, and to celebrate the incredible progress we have made together.

Please join me in recognizing World Health Day and thanking all Nova Scotians who work so hard in our important health care fields.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

CRUEL CUTS: PROGRAM AND SERVICES CUT IN FULL - SHAME

KENDRA COOMBES « » : Speaker, April continues to be a cruel month as this government's cuts come into effect. Education cuts; Early Years Professional Learning support sites closed due to the program being fully cut; early years continuing education for early childhood educators, cut in full; Artists in Schools, cut in full; Mi'kmaw services in schools, cut in full; career exploration and community-based learning, cut in full; Women in Engineering Scholarship, cut in full; third-party non-profit literacy initiatives, cut in full; summer STEM program project, cut in full.

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THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle.

TARTAN DAY: SCOTTISH ROOTS - CELEBRATE

HON. COLTON LEBLANC « » : Speaker, every year on April 6^th, National Tartan Day is celebrated to recognize the contributions of Scottish descendants. In Nova Scotia, it's a tribute to the province's deep Scottish roots and is celebrated with pride. It's a day when people lean into their heritage, whether they can trace their ancestry back to Scottish roots or not.

Although not an official tartan, I'm particularly proud of the Quinan Tartan, the red and black tartan that I'm wearing today, which has long been worn by many from my community of Quinan. Locally, just about everyone has someone they know who wears the doeskin jacket with its red and black plaid.

I ask the members of the House to join me in recognizing the Scots' contributions to our country and our province and encourage everyone with Scottish roots to embrace their heritage and wear their tartan with pride.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

N.S. BOOK AWARDS: LOCAL FICTION NOMINEES - CONGRATS.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, it's book awards season, and the Nova Scotia Book Awards Gala is one of my favourite events of the year. This year is sure to be a wonderful event celebrating many accomplished writers and publishers, and even independent book sellers. The best part about that event is that it happens in Dartmouth North at the Brightwood Golf & Country Club.

I just wanted to point out the nominees this year for the Fiction Award at the Nova Scotia Book Awards, for the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction is Renée Belliveau, for A Sense of Things Beyond, by Nimbus Publishing; Robert de la Chevotière, for We Were Not Kings, published by Little A; and Dartmouth North's Danica Roach, for Five Seasons of Charlie Francis, by Nimbus Publishing.

Then the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award for Fiction, Danica Roach again; Julie Strong, for The Tudor Prophesy, OC Publishing; and Brenda Tyedmers, Mrs. Walford, which is self-published. I want to offer my congratulations to all the nominees and look forward to another year of excellent local writing.

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THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Preston.

ACCENTS MUSIC LEARNING CENTRE: LOCAL BUSINESS - RECOG. 

HON. TWILA GROSSE « » : I rise today to recognize a valued member of the Westphal community, Elizabeth Humphries, co-owner of Accents Music Learning Centre. Through their small business, Elizabeth and Erin Summers provide private and group lessons in piano, singing and guitar, to students of all ages, from young children to seniors and all levels of ability.

Their dedicated team of teachers fosters confidence, creativity, and artistry in every student, while building meaningful connections through music. Accents Music Learning Centre is more than a place to learn, it is a welcoming community hub where people come together to grow and express themselves.

I ask all members of this House to join me in thanking Elizabeth Humphries for her outstanding contribution to our community.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

PUBLIC SERVANTS: DEDICATED AND HARD WORK - THANKS

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : I stand today to recognize Nova Scotia's public servants. Across this province people are doing the work of serving the public, often in complex, high stakes environments that require judgment, discretion, and care. Public service carries unique, ethical responsibilities. To act with integrity, to be accountable, to remain impartial, and to carry out the mandate of the government of the day, while also protecting the broader public interest, and that is not always straightforward.

There are moments when public servants question the directions they are asked to implement. Moments where they weigh their duty to serve against their sense of what is right. Moments where they ask themselves whether they can do more good by staying, because stepping away may mean losing the ability to help at all. These are not abstract questions; they are lived daily realities.

Speaker, through you I want to say to them: These are not easy lines to walk, but they are part of the responsibility you carry. I see you. I see the tension in your work. I see the careful thought and quiet integrity it takes to uphold professional obligations, while staying true to the principles of public service. Your work matters, and it makes a difference.

I ask members of this House to join me in acknowledging the importance of Nova Scotia's civil servants, and the judgment and integrity they are called on to exercise every day.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

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NAT'L. COFFEE CAKE DAY: APRIL 7^TH - RECOG. 

SUZY HANSEN « » : I rise today to recognize National Coffee Cake Day. On April 7^th it gives us ] another reason to linger over a cup of coffee. A time for some of us bakers to break out some of our favourite recipes and deliver a heartwarming home baked item to a friend or two.

Many bakers know, coffee cakes take very little time to make, but bring a lot of satisfaction to both the baker and the receiver. I'd like all members of this House to enjoy this day with a baked good or two and support our local bakeries and buy a coffee cake or two to share.

AN HON. MEMBER: How about three?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings North.

U13AAA VALLEY JETS: PROV. CHAMPS. - CONGRATS. 

HON. JOHN LOHR « » : Speaker, the Valley Jets are Nova Scotia Minor U13AAA Provincial Champions. The tournament host Jets defeated the Sackville Flyers 5-1, in the gold medal game in Berwick this weekend, to punch their ticket through to the Atlantics as the Nova Scotia representatives.

The team is comprised of players from Windsor to Digby. The 2026 U13 Atlantic Championships is hosted by the Halifax Hawks Minor Hockey Association and runs from April 16^th to 19^th in Halifax.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating players and coaches - Adam Verran, head coach; assistant coaches James Kinsman, Joel Brooks, and Nick Oickle - and the team. Go Valley Jets!

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

AUTISM ACCEPTANCE MO.: MOVING FORWARD - CELEBRATE

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, it's Autism Acceptance Month. We have moved the recognition from awareness to acceptance and that's important, but I think we can and need to go further. We can talk about Autism Justice Month, Autism Rights Month, Autism Equity Month, Autism Self-Determination Month. If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. There is increasingly understanding in science and community and through the voices of autistic people of the beautiful diversity of skills, abilities, and experiences of autistic people. We need to ensure that there is support across the life cycle for all autistic Nova Scotians.

I ask all members to join me in committing to realizing autism rights in Nova Scotia.

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THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Bedford Basin.

BEDFORD FARM AND CRAFT MARKET: GRAND OPENING - RECOG. 

TIM OUTHIT « » : I rise today to congratulate Heidi Tremblay, Helen Watt, and Fiona Zhang on the upcoming grand opening of the Greater Bedford Farm & Craft Market on Wednesday, June 3^rd. Honourable members from Bedford South, Hammonds Plains-Lucasville, and I have been meeting with them to offer encouragement and assistance.

The Market will be operating Wednesdays from June 3^rd until November, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Building Futures located at 61 Glendale Avenue in Lower Sackville.

The organizers have had an overwhelming response to their request for applications but they are still hoping to connect with more prepared food vendors, food trucks, fresh flowers and plants, pet products, and maybe a honey or maple syrup producer.

The Greater Bedford Farm & Craft Market will be a fabulous addition to the Bedford and Lower Sackville communities.

Speaker, I ask that members of the House join me in congratulating Heidi, Helen and Fiona on their endeavor and wish them a successful first season.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

N.S. BOOK AWARDS: LOCAL NON-FICTION NOMINEES - CONGRATS.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, I would like to celebrate and honour those writers and publishers who are nominated for the Nova Scotia book awards for non-fiction.

I would like to celebrate the nominees for the Margaret & John Savage First Book Award (Nonfiction): Ken Hynes for Service and Sacrifice: Extraordinary Nova Scotians in the Great War, by Nimbus Publishing; James MacDuff and Mirriam Mweemba, The Illogical Adventure: A Memoir of Love and Fate, published by Nimbus; and Jo-Ann Roberts for Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider's Guide to a Voting Revolution, by Nimbus Publishing.

Also for the Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award: nominees for that award are Marjorie Simmins for In Search of Puffins: Stories of Loss, Light, and Flight, published by Pottersfield Press; Jessie Harrold for Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage, published by Shambhala Publications; and Halina St. James, for The Golden Daughter: My Mother's Secret Past as a Ukrainian Slave Worker in Nazi Germany, published by House of Anansi Press.

Speaker, I ask all members to join me in congratulating all the nominees and wishing everyone a great 2026 book awards season.

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THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Bedford South.

CONEEN, BARBARA: 90^TH BIRTHDAY - BEST WISHES

DAMIAN STOILOV « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize another birthday milestone in our community of Bedford South. We have had an eighties and a nineties person, and now we have Barbara Coneen, who I have gotten to know pretty well. There isn't a person that I have met in Bedford South, or Bedford Basin for that matter - including our honourable member who brought her up this morning. What a woman.

Ninety years is an extraordinary achievement and a moment to reflect the wisdom, the character - I have met Barbara a couple of times, and the things she has to say are just incredible to hear; the wisdom she has given me regarding the Bedford South community.

[11:30 a.m.]

On behalf of the residents of Bedford South and all the members of this House, I ask all of you to help me in joining and wishing Barbara a happy 90^th birthday. I know I look forward to seeing Barbara many more times and taking her advice on the things that I should be doing.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

DILLON, ANNE, AND DONNA: CONSTIT. STAFF - THANKS

KENDRA COOMBES « » : Speaker, I rise today to give thanks to my constituency coordinator, Dillon, who is about to celebrate nine years as first a constituency assistant and now a constituency coordinator for the good folks of Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier, and to Anne and Donna, who also work in my office and keep our pop-up offices going in Reserve and New Waterford. I cannot thank them enough for keeping our office running while I've been here in Halifax representing the people of Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier. They do tremendous work, they do hard work, and they deserve to be thanked every single day. So today, I am taking that moment to thank them for all the hard work they do on behalf of Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier, and for taking people's stories and trying to help them.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hants West.

THE AUGUST HOUSE: THE JUDY FUND INIT. - RECOG.

MELISSA SHEEHY-RICHARD « » : I rise today to recognize a truly inspiring example of community leadership in Hants West. For more than a decade, the August House has been built on the belief that hospitality should give something back. When that dream became a reality, they created the Judy Fund, where each guest contributes 2 percent of their room night to support the community.

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By listening to local needs, they came to understand that food insecurity remains a real challenge in Hants West. Through the Judy Fund, ready-made meals are purchased from Upward Kitchens and distributed through community freezers, offering free meals with dignity and no questions asked. What began as support for 150 meals each month has grown to 205 meals, thanks to local partners who choose to step forward and help.

I want to thank the August House and those who rallied behind them for reminding us that even small acts of kindness can make a lasting difference.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clare.

THE WORKSHOP CAFÉ: LOCAL RESTAURANT - RECOG.

RYAN ROBICHEAU « » : I am pleased to extend my warmest congratulations to Timmy and Jennifer Saulnier on the grand opening of the Workshop Café in Little Brook.

This exciting new venture is a testament to creativity and commitment to building community. Small businesses like this are the backbone of our local economy, creating jobs and offering welcoming spaces where people can gather, connect, and share ideas. Businesses like the Workshop Café make our region an even more vibrant and dynamic to live and visit. I have no doubt that the Workshop Café will quickly become a valued hub for residents and visitors like.

I wish you every success in this new chapter. May the Workshop Café thrive for many years to come. Congratulations, once again, on this wonderful achievement.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Eastern Shore.

EASTERN SHORE LIFESTYLE CENTRE: LOCAL COMM. HUB - RECOG.

HON. KENT SMITH « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedicated volunteers behind the development of the Eastern Shore Lifestyle Centre and the powerful vision it represents for our communities, especially the Sheet Harbour community. Created as a community-driven initiative and supported by local partners, including the Sheet Harbour Lions Club and the Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce & Civic Affairs, the centre, which is currently under construction, will bring together and strengthen life on the Eastern Shore. From the beginning, its goal has been clear: to create a welcoming, inclusive hub where residents of all ages can connect, learn, and thrive.

Through years of dedication, advocacy, and collaboration, the centre helps secure major municipal, provincial, and federal funding for a long-anticipated community facility in Sheet Harbour. It's a space designed to include recreation, library services, fitness opportunities, and emergency services, all under one roof.

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The Lifestyle Centre reflects the strength of community voices, volunteer leadership, and a shared belief in the future of the Eastern Shore. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes with purpose and heart.

I ask that all members of the House join me in congratulating all the people involved in bringing this generational community infrastructure to fruition.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Atlantic.

PAUL, CLYDE: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : I would request a moment of silence after my member's statement.

I'd like to take a moment to recognize an icon of the Spryfield community, Clyde Paul. Clyde Paul graduated from Dalhousie Law in 1973 and had over 40 years of practicing law, almost of it in the Spryfield community. He was a 41-year member of the Lions Club, spent 30 years on the Natal Day committee, was a longtime member of the Spryfield Business Commission, and - fun fact - was a legal partner with the former Premier, John Buchanan. Clyde always - and I mean always - put Spryfield first.

Sadly, Clyde passed on April 3^rd. His passing was felt from one end of the community to the other. Clyde - a true community-first person, Spryfield proud, and a legend - will be missed. Rest in peace to the larger-than-life Clyde Paul.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please rise for a moment of silence.

[A moment of silence was observed.]

You may be seated.

The honourable member for Queens.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE DRAMATIC SOC.:

50 YRS. OF THEATRE - CONGRATS.

HON. KIM MASLAND « » : For more than 50 years, the Winds of Change Dramatic Society has been staging productions in Liverpool and beyond. This non-profit and volunteer-based society has put on many world-class productions.

This past November, they returned to the stage at the Astor Theatre to perform Canadian playwright Norm Foster's Sadie Flynn Comes to Big Oak. With a striking set and brilliant performances by the cast of five, audiences were transported to Millie's Cabin, where they were treated to laugh after laugh. Every creative detail contributes to this thoroughly enjoyable show.

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I would like to congratulate the entire Sadie production team on a successful production. Bravo to all.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Glace Bay-Dominion.

NICKITUK, PAUL: CANCER FREE DIAGNOSIS - CELEBRATE

HON. JOHN WHITE « » : Today I rise to recognize Paul Nickituk. Paul was first elected in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality as District 10 Councillor in October 2024. Obviously, he is a well-known and respected resident, and he is a friend to many, including me. Paul is a dedicated councillor and a strong advocate for our community.

Unfortunately, over the past year, he had to step away from his duties to face a diagnosis of cancer. It is a battle no one chooses but one he has met with strength and determination.

As April is Daffodil Month, it's a perfect time to share that after a six-month battle, Paul is cancer free today. Paul's resiliency is an inspiration to many. His return to public service is a welcome to District 10 residents, as well as the entire community.

I ask all members of the House to join me in wishing Councillor Nickituk continued health and success. Paul's recovery serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration to everyone who continues their own personal battles with cancer.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.

WEST BEDFORD HS: FIRST GRADUATING CLASS - CELEBRATE

RICK BURNS « » : Today, I rise to celebrate an upcoming historic milestone in our community, the first graduating class of West Bedford High School.

It's been an exciting year of growth for the students, the staff, and the families of West Bedford as they work together to establish the unique culture and spirit of their brand-new school.

Watching students come together from across multiple communities to build their own traditions and leadership has been a truly remarkable experience for an entire community.

The dedication and talent fostered at West Bedford High are already making a tangible impact.

In my own office, I've had the privilege of hosting Bolu Oni, a co-op student from West Bedford, who has provided invaluable support and a fresh perspective to our team.

We are incredibly proud of the foundation the graduating students have laid for future generations, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements as they prepare to embark on the next chapter in their lives.

[Page 4585]

I ask all members of the House to join me in recognizing this historic class of 2026 at West Bedford High School.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Uniacke.

OLIVER, CAROL: 82^ND BIRTHDAY - BEST WISHES

HON. BRAD JOHNS « » : I rise today to recognize a special milestone. Today, Lucasville resident - and mother of my constituency assistant, Reagan - Carol Oliver celebrates her 82^nd birthday. Carol has been a constant source of strength, wisdom, and love, not only to her family but to everyone who has the privilege of knowing her. Her life has been marked by quiet sacrifice, unwavering faith, and a deep commitment to caring for others. Through every season, she's shown what it means to persevere with grace, to give without expecting in return, and to lead by example.

I want to wish Carol a very happy 82^nd birthday today. May this year be filled with continued health, joy, and the knowledge of how deeply she is loved and appreciated.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth East.

POPPY & CO. POTTERY CAFE: LOCAL BUSINESS - RECOG.

HON. TIMOTHY HALMAN « » : It's always exciting to see new small businesses bring creativity and connection into our communities.

I'd like to recognize Poppy & Co. Pottery Cafe, a new addition to Dartmouth East. This cozy and creative space brings people together in a truly unique way. Whether someone is painting their very first mug, celebrating a special milestone, or simply enjoying a latte and a moment of creative escape, Poppy & Co. offers a welcoming space where everyone can feel at home.

At its heart, this café reminds us that creativity isn't about perfection; it's about joy, connection, and the simple magic of making something with your own two hands. Small businesses like this help strengthen the fabric of our community by creating spaces where people can gather, create, and connect.

I encourage everyone to stop by Poppy & Co. Pottery Cafe in Dartmouth East and experience it for themselves.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Annapolis.

D'ENTREMONT, JOYCE: HEALTH CARE SERVS. - THANKS

[Page 4586]

DAVID BOWLBY « » : I rise today to recognize an exceptional leader in the Nova Scotia health care sector: Joyce d'Entremont.

With a distinguished career spanning 42 years as a registered nurse, Joyce has served in every capacity, from Director of Nursing for Southwest Health to her current role as President and CEO of Mountains and Meadows Care Group. Her leadership extended even further as she assumed the additional responsibility of CEO for Harbourside Lodge in Yarmouth, which was the first adult residential centre to close in Nova Scotia.

Joyce is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable citizens. Whether she is overseeing care of the 107 residents at Mountain Lea Lodge or supporting the Meadows community, her mission remains the same: a person-centred philosophy of care. She ensures the individual's voice, their history, and dignity always come before facility routines.

Beyond her daily operations, Joyce's influence is felt across the province. She has served as past Chair of Diverse Abilities Nova Scotia, board Chair for the Health Association of Nova Scotia, Chair of the Continuing Care Council, and was the recipient of the 2018 Leadership Innovation Award from the College of Health Leaders and the 2022 Lieutenant Governor Award for Excellence in Public Administration.

Joyce leads by empowering others and building genuine relationships. I ask all members to join me in thanking Joyce d'Entremont for her unwavering commitment to the seniors and persons with disabilities in our province.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings South.

DARE TO DREAM CHILDREN'S SOC.: LOCAL ORG. - RECOG.

JULIE VANEXAN « » : I rise today to warmly welcome Dare to Dream Child Care to the community of New Minas. The opening of this new child care centre is wonderful news for families in this area, providing much-needed access to quality, reliable care for young children. Services like these play a vital role in supporting working parents, strengthening families, and helping our communities grow and thrive.

Dare to Dream Child Care represents more than a new business; it is a place where children will learn, play, and build a strong foundation for their future in a safe and nurturing environment. I would like to congratulate the owners and staff on this exciting new venture, and thank them for their commitment to supporting families in New Minas and the surrounding area.

I ask all members of this House to join me in welcoming Dare to Dream Child Care and wishing them every success in the years ahead.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Eastern Passage.

[Page 4587]

ST. ANDREW'S PARISH COUN. CWL: LOCAL ORG. - RECOG.

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : I rise today to recognize the St. Andrew's Parish Council of the Catholic Women's League as they celebrate 65 years of service. The very first general meeting of the league was held on Monday, October 24, 1960.

The league serves as a support and spiritual development to our community and across Canada. Their support is often seen through prayer, fundraising - like the local Christmas tea and sale - volunteerism, and advocacy. Partnering with the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Summer Carnival, the CWL is always happy to provide a delicious cold-plate supper.

[11:45 a.m.]

I ask all members of the Nova Scotia Legislature to join me in recognizing the St. Andrew's Parish Council of the Catholic Women's League as they continue their hard work and dedication to our community and beyond.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Richmond.

MATTHEWS, DORIS: LOCAL ICON - RECOG.

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize Doris Matthews and her contributions to the people of Dundee, St. Georges Channel, and the surrounding area.

Doris was the president of the South Mountain Arm of Gold Community Association for more than 25 years. Her fundraising efforts for various events, community dinners, card plays, and monthly breakfasts have kept the hall going strong. After a devastating fire burned the previous hall, she was instrumental in the construction of a new building.

Although she has stepped down as president, she can still be found helping at all the events, providing much-needed input on future plans and ensuring they come to fruition. Doris has also given her expertise to a number of other local organizations. Her determination has left an indelible mark on the volunteers who are now stepping in to take her place.

I ask members of this Legislature to please join me in thanking Doris Matthews for her commitment to the residents of Richmond County.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

ANDERSON, CHARLES: 2026 FRANK H. SOBEY AWARD OF EXCELLENCE RECIP. - CONGRATS.

[Page 4588]

DIANNE TIMMINS: Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Charles Anderson of Balls Creek, who is a third-year business administration student at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Charlie has been named one of the best business students in Atlantic Canada and is one of eight recipients of the 2026 Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies, one of the most distinguished undergraduate business awards in Atlantic Canada. Established in 1989, this award recognizes exceptional academic achievement, entrepreneurial leadership, and strong commitment to the community. Each recipient receives $45,000 and mentorship from experienced business leaders.

Majoring in marketing, Charlie has a perfect GPA and is also the founder of Charlie Anderson Studio, supporting Atlantic Canadian businesses through high-quality, affordable digital media production. Charlie's talent and dedication have even supported many in our own community, including me.

We are incredibly proud of this outstanding young Cape Bretoner and look forward to seeing his continued success.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Antigonish.

BATTLE OF CULLODEN: 280^TH ANNIV. - RECOG.

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the celebrations marking the anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, which will be held on April 18^th at the Culloden Memorial Cairn in Knoydart. This year's celebrations are particularly special, as they will be celebrating their 45^th anniversary of the event.

This important moment in history, fought in 1746, holds deep significance for many Nova Scotians of Scottish heritage. The legacy of Culloden lives on not only in history books but in the traditions, language, and stories that continue to shape communities like Knoydart today. Through music, storytelling, and remembrance, these gatherings help keep a vital part of our shared heritage alive for future generations.

I would also like to commend the organizers, volunteers, and community members whose dedication ensures that this history is honoured with respect and pride. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Bill McVicar for his unwavering dedication to this event over the years. His passion and commitment have ensured that the Culloden gathering continues to bring people together.

Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in recognizing the significance of this commemoration and in celebrating the vibrant Scottish heritage that remains such an important part of our province's identity.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings West.

[Page 4589]

BEEHIVE ADULT SERVICE CENTRE: LOCAL ORG. - RECOG.

CHRIS PALMER « » : Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the incredible impact of the Beehive Adult Service Centre in the heart of Aylesford. Since 1969, this remarkable organization has become a cornerstone of the community, providing meaningful support, inclusion, and opportunity for adults of all abilities.

The Beehive is more than a vocational training centre. It's a place where individuals are empowered to grow, connect, and contribute. Through its programs, participants build life skills, develop confidence, and form lasting friendships. Just as importantly, the Beehive fosters a sense of belonging, reminding everyone who walks through its doors that they are valued and respected.

Its impact extends far beyond its walls. Families are supported, local partnerships are strengthened, and the entire community benefits from the compassion and dedication that define the Beehive's work.

Thank you to Cora Auclair and her incredible team for their decades long work with the Beehive. Their love for those who work there is truly inspiring. In a world where inclusion matters more than ever, the Beehive Adult Service Centre stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when a community comes together with purpose and heart.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clare.

WAGS BOARDING KENNELS: LOCAL BUSINESS - RECOG.

RYAN ROBICHEAU « » : I rise today to recognize Leta and Joey Wagner, proud owners of Wags Boarding Kennels.

Through their business, Leta and Joey provide a welcoming environment for pets.

Beyond their work as business owners, Leta and Joey are strong advocates for animal rights. They consistently promote the humane treatment of animals and help raise awareness about responsible pet ownership. Their compassion and commitment extend far beyond their kennel, making a meaningful difference in the lives of animals and the people who care for them.

As a matter of fact, we adopted our family cat, Gordon, more than a decade ago through Leta and Joey, so I thank them for that, as well.

Please join me to say thank you Leta and Joey Wagner for their contributions and wish them continued success with Wags Boarding Kennels.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Atlantic,

[Page 4590]

MARRIOTT, PAT: LOCAL ICON - THANKS

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : I rise today to thank Pat Marriott for his incredible generosity and kindness. Over the years, Pat has donated literally thousands of toys to so many organizations and individuals in our community.

His thoughtfulness has brought joy, comfort, and big smiles to so many children and families, especially during a time when a little extra kindness means everything. Because of him, children experience moments of happiness, imagination, and hope that they will remember long after the wrapping is gone. His support truly reflects the spirit of community and reminds us how powerful giving can be.

Pat, we are deeply grateful for your compassion and willingness to make a difference in the lives of so many.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Preston.

BROOKS, KATHERINE: CONSTIT. COORDINATOR - THANKS

HON. TWILA GROSSE « » : Today, I rise to recognize my constituency coordinator, Katherine Brooks, whose strong sense of duty and dedication strengthens the work we do on behalf of our community.

Katherine approaches every responsibility with purpose, reliability, and sound judgment. She values meaningful connection and engages with others with intention and respect. In her role, she brings steadiness and composure, navigating challenges with tact while supporting both behind the scenes operations and public facing work with equal excellence.

Her warmth and measured sense of humour contribute to a positive and balanced workplace environment. Throughout periods of challenge and opportunity, Katherine has demonstrated resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to community service.

I ask all members of the Legislature to join me in acknowledging Katherine's exceptional service and the positive impact she continues to make.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

LATE WORKING HOURS: RUSHED LEGISLATION - FIX

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : For five weeks, the government has consistently called House hours until 11:59 p.m. That is not a sign of a government that wants to do its work well. It is a sign of a government in a hurry to get out of the House instead of doing the job properly while it's here.

[Page 4591]

Debating legislation is not a box to check. It is one of the most important responsibilities we have as elected members. That work should be done in the light of day, when Nova Scotians can follow along, understand what is being proposed, and see how decisions are made on their behalf.

Speaker, transparency is not just about what is said in this House, it is also about when it is said. I have risen in this house several times to speak about the toll the repeated night sittings are having on those who work here, to keep this place running.

Those concerns have gone unanswered. In fact, the Government House Leader, whose job it is to set the hours of the House, commented that during the late night sitting that only 23 people were watching and that proved my point exactly. What many Nova Scotians already suspect, these late-night hours are not about debate but about keeping bad legislation hidden.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Richmond.

BOUDREAU, DR. BEN: LOCAL CHIROPRACTOR - RECOG.

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU « » : I rise today to congratulate former Richmond County resident, Dr. Ben Boudreau. Ben was elected by his peers as the youngest president ever for Chiropractors Nova Scotia last fall and was the recipient of the organization's prestigious Impact Award.

Ben's career path began after gradating from Richmond Academy. He pursued a Bachelor of Kinesiology at St. Francis Xavier University, becoming a student athletic therapist. He attended the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, completing his training in 2020.

After job-shadowing and gaining experience with other chiropractic clinics, he has now opened his own clinic right here in Halifax. His commitment to the field led him to launch Chiro Clubs for chiropractors across Nova Scotia, proving a space for collaboration.

I had the pleasure of working with Ben when he job-shadowed with me in my clinic in Port Hawkesbury and can attest to his care and commitment to his patients and colleagues. Please join me in congratulating Ben on this achievement and wishing him continued success in the future.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

OMNIBUS FMA: DEBATE SHUT DOWN - CONDEMN

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : At a time when Nova Scotia is facing a projected $1.2 billion deficit, the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, with 137 Clauses, amends 20 pieces of legislation and will shape how government exercises their power for years to come. It touches taxation, it expands enforcement powers, it grants new authority to minister. In far too many places, it leaves the real details to be filled in later. That is exactly why scrutiny matters.

[Page 4592]

Instead of allowing that work to happen, government moved put the question and put down debate. When a government shuts down debate on a bill as large and as far-reaching as the controversial Financial Measures (2026) Act, it sends a clear message - it says speed matters more than scrutiny, it says control matters more than collaboration. It says getting it passed matters more than getting it right.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.

TIMBERLEA JAM SESSIONS: LOCAL INIT. - RECOG.

RICK BURNS « » : I rise today to recognize Tam Hill and the organizers of the Timberlea Jam Session. This grassroots initiative brings together local players of all ages and skills to play traditional Celtic music and old-time fiddling.

These monthly weekend gatherings provide a welcoming local space for musicians to connect, share their talents, and foster friendships. This group also creates an opportunity for musicians to meet new friends and share a common love for music.

This group is highly inclusive, bringing together singers from Lucasville, musicians from Kingswood, alongside participants with acoustic instruments and listeners who wish to enjoy their music. By providing sheet music and tune books, the organizers have fostered a supportive environment that ensures traditional music remains a vibrant and accessible part of our community's culture.

I ask all members of the House to join me in thanking Tam Hill and the participants of the Timberlea Jam Session for their dedication to building community connection through the joy of music. Thank you.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings West.

BURGER WARS: LOCAL RESTAURANT COMP. - RECOG.

CHRIS PALMER « » : Every April something pretty special happens in the Annapolis Valley. I am happy to announce that Burger Wars is here again.

On the surface, it might look like a fun competition between local restaurants serving up their best burgers but it's so much more than that. Burger Wars brings people together for a great cause. Every bite helps support Campaign for Kids, an organization in Kings County that funds programs for services that make a real difference in the lives of children and families in our community. It's a reminder that something as simple as going out for a meal can have a powerful impact.

What makes this event truly incredible is the spirit behind it, local businesses stepping up, a friendly competition deriving creativity and supporting members who show up in full force to support something bigger than themselves.

[Page 4593]

Speaker, this April I encourage everyone to try a new burger, visit a new spot and take part in something that's equal parts fun and meaningful. We can build a stronger, more caring community when we do that.

[12:00 p.m.]

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. The time allotted for Statements by Members has expired.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS TO MINISTERS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

PREM.: CUTS PUSHED THROUGH AND SECTORS DECIMATED - ADMIT

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Speaker, this government pushed through cuts to tourism, arts and culture, the Department of African Nova Scotian Affairs, the Office of L'nu Affairs, education, research and innovation, and to rural jobs that keep our province going. Entire sectors that support thousands of jobs have been hit, but the Premier refuses to stand and defend, or even vote for those choices.

Nova Scotians have pushed back every step of the way against these cuts, and the billions of dollars being spent behind closed doors. Will the Premier admit that this budget process has broken Nova Scotians' trust.

THE SPEAKER « » : It's parliamentary privilege.

The honourable Minister of Finance and Treasury.

HON. JOHN LOHR « » : This budget has been presented just as every budget has been presented in this House for the last, who knows, hundreds of years. I'm proud to say that we've even made unprecedented adjustments in the budget. That's the democratic process at work.

We are continuing to invest in the things that Nova Scotians need, like more in health care, more in housing, more in education, more in opportunities and social development, tax breaks. We are working hard to meet the basic needs of Nova Scotians.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Democracy is actually engaging with and representing the people who elected you. Many people say that's not happening. Nova Scotians deserve more than talking points. They deserve results they can actually see and feel: strong services, good jobs, investments, protecting their communities. Government spending should be decided in the open with real transparency and accountability.

[Page 4594]

Instead, this government has posted a $1.2 billion deficit and has spent $6.7 billion out of budget since they were elected. Sending billions of dollars out the door with no competition, and no process to make out-of-budget spending transparent, is not fixing anything. What is the Premier doing this sitting to improve this terrible record on accountability?

JOHN LOHR « » : We are following the same process that's been in place since 2010, that each of the previous governments have followed since then. The process of reporting to the Legislature, of Public Accounts. We have a very powerful Public Accounts Committee that meets almost every week.

There's a tremendous amount of accountability. That spending has been on health care, and we have moved the needle on health care in our province. There now has been a net gain of 570 physicians since 2021; surgical wait-lists at an all time low since 2015; 80,000 more primary care appointments a month. Is there more to do? Yes. And we will do more.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Biggest deficit ever, most out-of-budget spending ever: This is not the same. A legislative budget officer would help protect Nova Scotians' money from this government's decisions. A required process to table out-of-budget spending in this Legislature would help people see where their money is going.

It should make people very nervous that this government doesn't want people to see anything besides press releases, and numbers that their own highly paid communications teams provide. People have the right to know what's going on, and who benefits from this government's costly decisions. Will the Premier stand and explain why he doesn't think he owes Nova Scotians answers.

JOHN LOHR « » : We have provided many answers to Nova Scotians. For example, in the seniors and long-term care - we are in an unprecedented build in seniors and long-term care. The last government to announce new seniors and long-term care was the Rodney MacDonald government - which the Dexter government opened, but never announced any more seniors and long-term care builds until an election - which the following government, McNeil government promptly cancelled - finally announced one in, I think, 2019.

There was such a deficit. All of that investment that we're making in seniors and long-term care is so your loved one, my loved one, can have a place in seniors and long-term care. Those were so that we would have space in our hospitals. There were people in our hospitals, waiting to go into seniors and long-term care and we needed to provide that space. We will do that.

THE SPEAKER « » : Order.

The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

[Page 4595]

PREM.: SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACTS ON CHILDREN - ADDRESS

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : More and more parents are raising real concerns about the impact social media is having on their children, from anxiety and bullying to exposure to harmful content at a young age. These aren't just abstract concerns. They're showing up in real ways in classrooms and around kitchen tables across our province.

Just this morning, I received an email from a parent who was discouraged because the police had to be called in to Ridgecliff Middle School today because of a post on social media. A parent reached out to me suggesting that limiting social media for youth could help prevent situations like this.

Will the Premier listen to parents and take action to put meaningful limits in place to better protect our kids?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : I want to thank the member for the question. As a father and as a minister, but more importantly as a father, any threat to our schools and the safety of our children is beyond troublesome. I can't go into the specifics, as the member knows, but I want to thank the school administration for their fast and appropriate actions and police for their quick work during this investigation. Police were on-site this morning out of an abundance of caution. School operations were able to proceed uninterrupted.

I will say that our spaces need to be safe. That's why we did so much work and consultation on the code of conduct. We'll continue to work with every single school to make sure that all of our students are safe.

IAIN RANKIN « » : Thank you for the answer. Nova Scotia has an opportunity to lead by setting a minimum age of 16 for social media use and by starting honest conversations with families about what safeguards are needed.

Other provinces are now looking at this. Premier Scott Moe in Saskatchewan announced plans to begin consulting families after a poll showed that 75 percent of Canadians were in favour of limiting access for youth. Around the world, governments are recognizing that voluntary measures aren't enough and stepping in with stronger rules as required.

Will this government take the first step by consulting Nova Scotians and move toward setting real limits on social media use for young people?

BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : I want to thank the member for the question and concerns. Obviously we're watching Saskatchewan. We're watching the country and other areas across the world. We did take a first step, and one of the most meaningful steps that we could have done: removing cellphone usage in schools. We've heard from teachers and we've heard from staff that this has made a massive positive impact on schools.

[Page 4596]

We'll continue to work with our educators to do everything we can to protect our children.

IAIN RANKIN « » : Right now, families feel like the internet is being treated like the wild, wild west, with laws struggling to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. Just last month, a young Nova Scotian man was acquitted after creating deep-fake nude images of his former female classmates, because the law has not caught up to address that kind of harm. For victims and their families, that's deeply troubling.

What concrete steps is this government taking now to modernize our laws, close these gaps, and ensure that young people are protected from exploitation and abuse online?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Justice.

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : As the member knows, the federal government has put forward Bill C-16, which is going to deal with some of these issues around deep fakes. That's very important. One of the first acts I made as Minister of Justice and Attorney General after a Cabinet shuffle was to contact the Minister of Justice federally in support of Bill C-16. We're supportive of that.

We're also looking through our own provincial statutes to see what we can do to keep up with technology. As technology continues to evolve, we need to have our legislation evolve with it.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

DHW: UNTENDERED SOLE-SOURCED CONTRACTS - EXPLAIN

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Speaker, this government claims that their out-of-control use of untendered contracts is justified and needed. In December 2023 they signed a $152-million sole-source contract in part to create the ARIA CORE online medical record system for cancer patients; but not even a year later, among concerns from doctors and staffs that ARIA was leading to "near misses" in delivery of patient care, the system was put on hold indefinitely. This sole-source contract was an expensive failure.

What was the rationale for not following standard procurement rules?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : We continue to invest in our oncology transformation process. We do want a platform that allows not only clinicians but patients across this province to be connected. It's part of the work that's happening not only with Varian but looking at Nuna. We're looking at all these different platforms. When we hear from clinicians - we do the work initially, of course, in deep collaboration with clinicians. When we hear that there's an issue, we often will slow down. We put in tickets. We understand how we can improve the platform to make sure that patients and clinicians have a better experience.

[Page 4597]

We'll continue to work with clinicians. We want to make sure Nova Scotians have access to specialized care across this province, and we feel that technology is an important way in order for us to deliver these services.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : We have a system for evaluating different solutions, and it's called procurement. The question that we are asking is why this government refuses to use it. Nova Scotians have been clear. They are concerned about how this government spends money behind closed doors, and they want to know how the money is being spent. Doctors have reached out to us, concerned about contracts like ARIA and concerned that the secretive process is leading to wasted money and fewer results. Even with all of these concerns, Nova Scotia Health Authority still awarded almost $3 billion in alternative procurement last year.

Why is this government doubling down on what is clearly a failed approach?

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : As we've said before, alternative procurement or ALTP is often used, 10 to 12 percent of the time, actually, in fact. We use it in health services because often, the work that happens or the products that are there are so proprietary, they're so specialized, that there isn't a lot of opportunity for us to go out.

I'll give you an example: the 3.0 Varian Ethos. We did not procure that. We went through ALTP. There is one in North America. Why would we go out to a deep procurement process when we know there is only one in North America? It gave us the opportunity, working with clinicians, working in a valued partnership with Varian and Siemens Healthineers to give first-in-North America care to Nova Scotians, reducing radiology treatments from 20 to 5 . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order.

The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

SNS: TRURO HEIGHTS RENTAL CONCERNS - ADDRESS

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : This government refuses to protect Nova Scotian renters. Whenever someone has an issue with their landlord or an issue with maintenance, the government says to go through the Residential Tenancies Program. A group of renters in Truro Heights did just that after going without hot water and heat for days on end. I'll table the article about that. The landlord was ordered by Residential Tenancies to fix the issues, but he hasn't.

Why won't this government stand up for renters and make sure that landlords are following the rules?

[Page 4598]

HON. JILL BALSER » : I want to recognize the situation, of course, that the tenants are going through there. We take that to heart. This is one of the reasons why we want to make sure that we have a Residential Tenancies Program that is responsive in Nova Scotians' times of need. I did speak during the opportunity in Estimates to be able to say how we're also making sure that we're expediting emergency cases as a way of also improving the program.

In this particular case, I also want to say to the tenants that I'm glad that they came forward to the Residential Tenancies Program. We have an incredible team who is there to help, and I do hope we'll be able to find a positive resolution for those tenants in that situation.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : This is exactly what I'm saying. The government keeps saying to go through the Residential Tenancies Program, and then tenants do that process, and then there's nothing for them at the other end. The landlord was ordered to fix the issues and he didn't. This landlord I'm talking about has four Residential Tenancies orders, and renters are still dealing with issues with water, with heat, with snow removal. This is not what a functioning system looks like. That is why we need a Residential Tenancies enforcement office.

Why is this government making renters jump through hoops and fight for basic services that make their homes livable?

JILL BALSER « » : Again, recognizing the situation that the tenants have found themselves in, but we do have a Residential Tenancies Program that we're constantly looking at ways to make improvements. We're expediting emergency cases. The team and I, as minister, will continue to make sure improvements can be made when we can. We want to make sure we can provide a program that brings balance to both landlords and tenants. I know that in this situation, we don't have all the details around the landlord's situation. We do have a program, and again, I want to encourage those who need to, to come forward to speak with a residential tenancy officer to find a resolution in a positive way.

[12:15 p.m.]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

AMH: LACK OF PROPER SUPPORT FOR ADDICTIONS - ADDRESS

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Last week, my colleague brought up a lack of addiction support in Cape Breton. I recently heard from a constituent who is trying to navigate the system here in the Central Zone to get her father the help he needs for addictions and mental health challenges. Like many families, they have done everything right, like accessing hospital care and completing available programs, but are now facing gaps in support and long wait times for further treatment.

[Page 4599]

In the absence of timely publicly funded options, families are increasingly forced to look at paying out of pocket for care that can be lifesaving. Why does this government not have a dedicated fund or pathway to support families in these situations so that people don't fall through the cracks.

HON. BRIAN COMER » : This is a very important question. Certainly, in Nova Scotia we try to have a very compassionate response to folks living with addictions. We know it's important to meet them where they are, in their communities. We have a provincial continuum of care where there's always access to in-patient withdrawal beds if folks need it. There are also 12 recovery support centres that have opened up across the province. There's no primary health care referral needed - just walk-in services where people can show up and get the support they need. We do publicly fund in-patient beds for folks who need it the most. If folks are insured, just call the provincial intake line. There's a highly trained clinician who would be happy to help.

IAIN RANKIN « » : This constituent who was hospitalized had to wait many weeks for treatment and didn't even get a visit from a social worker or anything else. We know recovery is not a straight line. Without consistent ongoing support, many people experience relapse - not because they aren't trying, but because the system isn't there when they need it most. Families are stepping in, often at significant financial strain, to bridge those gaps and give their loved ones the care they need.

Will the Minister of Addictions and Mental Health commit to examining these gaps in the system, and consider creating a mechanism that includes financial support to ensure Nova Scotians can access timely addiction and mental health treatment, regardless of their ability to pay?

BRIAN COMER « » : I can't really comment on the specifics of this case, but I would say that if you look at the 22 out-patient-based opioid recovery programs in the province, there's no wait-list. There is in-patient bed capacity for folks living with substance-use disorder. I can't speak to the specific case. I'm happy to work with the member to get more information. If Nova Scotians need help, there is help available.

There's over $60 million invested in this budget for addiction services. It's a significant increase. It's very complex. That's why we're working alongside folks with housing and folks with employment. We know it's a very complex issue that requires many social determinants of health to ensure folks get the support they need.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Armdale.

DHW: HEALTH ACCESS STORIES VS REALITY - ADDRESS

ROD WILSON « » : Speaker, the Premier recently told the House about a family that moved to Nova Scotia and got a family doctor in just three months. It's a great story, but it doesn't really match with what Nova Scotians are experiencing. One family reached out to us after this because they have been waiting since 2021 for a family doctor, which they need for medical reasons. That's over five years without a physician who knows their complex medical history.

[Page 4600]

My question to the minister is: How does one get a family doctor in three months while others are waiting for years? How does that happen?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : One of the ways in which that would happen is that there are certain communities that have more physicians or more nurse practitioners in their area. Sometimes wait-lists are very small. Certainly, if we look at Clare and Digby, that's a success story that's incredible across this province. I think they're at 100 percent attachment in that area. Whereas, we may have other places where we continue to recruit to vacant positions. Anyone who is on the Need a Family Practice Registry should, first of all, make sure that they are there - that their health information is updated. Folks, either through 811 or through the website, can help individuals navigate to access the care that they require until permanent attachment is achieved.

ROD WILSON « » : Speaker, one member of this family has a very complex chronic health problem for which they specifically need a family doctor or a nurse practitioner. The longer the wait, the more stress and worry grow. They have no way of knowing how long it will be until they get a family doctor or a nurse practitioner in the community for the type of care they need. When they call for an update, they only get information that they're on the list. There are tens of thousands of Nova Scotians in this position.

My question to the minister is: Is five years or more reasonable? If not, are there targets set for someone in this family's position so they will receive a family doctor, and what are those target times?

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : As I've said in the House before, anyone who is waiting for permanent attachment should make sure they're registered with 811. There's unlimited virtual care. If that virtual care provider thinks that individual needs to be seen either for episodic care or longer-term follow up, they can be referred to one of the 19 primary care clinics across this province for in-patient care.

With team-based care, those individuals can be followed for extended periods of time if it's required, especially if they have complex health care needs until permanent attachment is achieved. If there is an individual who has complex care needs, they should make sure that their file is updated and talk to the primary care provider virtually who will then refer them to a primary care clinic for in-person care.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

DHW: LOST BREAST CANCER REFERRAL - ADDRESS

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Jillian Wagner was failed by our health care system. She waited 13 months for a breast cancer diagnosis. Her referral was lost. She was dismissed because she was apparently too young for breast cancer. She had worrying symptoms and still couldn't get answers - and she's not alone.

[Page 4601]

Why is this government allowing women and gender-diverse Nova Scotians to be ignored and fall through the cracks of our health care system?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : I can't speak to the specifics of any individual person's experience. We do want Nova Scotians to feel that the health care system is there when they need it. The Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program meets and exceeds national targets. Again, I can't speak to specifics, but we do work very closely with that program.

I recently met with the Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program to make sure that nothing is being held back - that we are continuing to meet national screening guidelines. I would encourage the members opposite to make the same appointment with the lead of the Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program to get information directly from Dr. Siân Iles. She's an incredible resource, and I think it would be very helpful for the caucus to hear directly from her.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, people like Jillian are falling through the cracks because of various reasons, so to say that a thing is working when it's clearly not working for this person is difficult to hear. We're hearing more and more stories like Jillian's of women and gender-diverse Nova Scotians waiting. They're unable to get screenings. They're unable to get diagnoses. They're unable to get care. They're being dismissed because of their gender and sometimes because of their age - and they're getting sicker while they just fight to be heard. These are not one-off cases. This is becoming a pattern. We need a women's health strategy and we needed it yesterday.

Why does this government still think that a women's health strategy isn't necessary?

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : We certainly haven't said that it's not necessary. What we've said is that right now we are fundamentally investing in the things that are required in order to have a base for women across this province. We've been investing not only in health care in terms of workforce, which is really an essential component - it takes some time to train individuals - but also in the technology that's required to perform some of these diagnostic tests.

We are working very hard with the IWK, with experts, and with regional specialists in order to make sure we have integrated care across this province. We'll continue to do that and make the investments. I said, you know, in the future, we may consider a women's health strategy - just not right now.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

DPW: CHIGNECTO ISTHMUS COMPLETION DATE - PROVIDE

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : My question is for the Minister of Public Works. When this government was first elected, Nova Scotians were led to believe that the work for the Chignecto Isthmus was on a 10-year timeline. Now, five years later, we are asking: Will the minister provide a clear completion date for Nova Scotia's only land link to the rest of Canada?

[Page 4602]

NASA has warned that the threat from high tide flooding will intensify in less than 10 years - mid 2020s.

My question to the Minister of Public Works is: When will the Minister of Public Works tell Nova Scotians when this project is expected to be completed?

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : We all recognize the importance of the isthmus to trade for Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, but more importantly, Speaker, for the rest of Canada. Travel over that isthmus is $94 billion a year. We understand the importance of we're working with our federal and provincial partners to solidify the work that needs to be done there. Nova Scotia is 30 percent. New Brunswick owns 70 percent of those assets.

We continue to do the work while we're negotiating those things. There's money in the budget for the isthmus. The work continues and we will get it done.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : So despite a contract being signed a year ago, it sounds like the minister is saying they are still trying to negotiate a deal with New Brunswick.

The danger at the Chignecto Isthmus is not theoretical. Research specific to the Chignecto Isthmus shows the threat is greatest when storm surge aligns with high tides. NASA has warned that high tide flood risk will intensify in less than 10 years.

My question to the minister, plainly, is: Will this project be completed before the higher-risk period begins in the mid 2030s - yes or no? What is the timeline?

FRED TILLEY « » : Speaker, the work continues on the isthmus. We've been planning and we've been collecting the data. The work is happening. There's $1 million in this budget to continue the work on the isthmus.

As a matter of fact, the deputy, the super-deputy Paul LaFleche, and I all traveled to Montreal, where we met with the executives of CN to discuss their participation in the isthmus, as a lot of train traffic crosses the isthmus. Then we proceeded to meet with the Minister of Infrastructure in Ottawa.

We're here for Nova Scotians, we're working for Nova Scotians, and as I said earlier, we will get it done.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

[Page 4603]

DHW: EXTENSIVE CBRH ER WAIT TIMES - ADDRESS

KENDRA COOMBES « » : At the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, people are waiting more than double the time that the average Nova Scotian waits just to see a doctor. We're talking about hours in pain with no clear timeline for care.

We heard from an 11-year-old who sat in the ER with his mom for almost 10 hours. He was surrounded by sick kids, crying babies and people vomiting. He said he felt like no one cared.

My question to the minister is: Why is this government okay with kids in Cape Breton waiting hours in pain?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : We continue to work very hard to make sure we have the folks we require in our emergency rooms across this province.

We've invested in waiting room providers. We've invested in waiting room care attendants who can help support people in terms of being more comfortable while they wait. We do work on a triage system - the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale. It's an essential for people working in the emergency department to prioritize care, as required.

There are a number of different ways in which people can access care - virtual urgent care, virtual emergency care, pharmacy clinics, all those things. We are working very hard with our partners at the Nova Scotia Health Authority to make sure children get the care they require in the province.

KENDRA COOMBES « » : Unfortunately, children always present differently than what is occurring behind the scenes. Cape Bretoners, like the 11-year-old, aren't just waiting longer; they are driving further and getting less. They can't depend on their emergency departments being open when they need them to be. People are waiting over six hours just to see a doctor - more than double the provincial average. This isn't just an inconvenience. It's putting people's health and lives at risk.

My question to the minister is: When will this government make sure that families in Cape Breton can get timely, safe, emergency care when their children are hurt?

[12:30 p.m.]

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : I certainly want to give a shoutout to the emergency room staff, not only in Cape Breton, but across this province. They are very skilled, competent, capable individuals. We have specialty care at our regional hospitals and I don't want anyone to think that they don't give safe care in those spaces at any point. When people need emergency care, they should present to the emergency room. In fact, through an integrated health care system, care begins when you speak to dispatch.

For individuals with lower triage, there are a number of different options where they can access care - urgent treatment centres, virtual care options, pharmacy care clinics. It's really important. We are working very hard to help people navigate to the appropriate service and we will continue to work on those profiles.

[Page 4604]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

OSD: AUTISM ACTION PLAN COMMITMENT - UPDATE

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, April is Autism Acceptance Month. In 2024, this government committed to an Autism Action Plan and worked in collaboration with a lot of Nova Scotians to develop it. Two years later, there is no sign of the strategy. It hasn't been released. Instead, they proposed a budget that cuts support for Autism Nova Scotia by $1.8 million.

Why did this government think it was a good idea to cut support for a community that needs more?

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : A number of programs that we offer in the province of Nova Scotia across multiple government departments - the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development provides some funding; the Department of Mental Health and Addictions; the Department of Health and Wellness; the Department of Opportunities and Social Development. There is a cross-government approach to the supports for children and adults with any disability, and those supports are going up this year to the tune of $110 million.

LISA LACHANCE « » : It is true that there was a cross-governmental group that worked on developing the Autism Action Plan, including members from the minister's old department, who hadn't previously provided services . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. Order. Sorry. I ask that all members not be on their phones during Question Period.

The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : There was indeed a cross-governmental working group that worked on the action plan that is nowhere to be seen. It included the minister's department, which up until that point - they didn't work on autism and support autistic Nova Scotians.

Here is what the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions had to say when he promised that plan: "People with autism and their families deserve to be supported in this province - whether they are under five and just getting a diagnosis, or adults who need support at home or in the workplace." He also promised the plan would identify gaps in support for people with autism in the province. I had imagined that promise was because they'd fill the gaps, not make them worse.

While the minister restored funding this year, can he confirm that Autism Nova Scotia will get the support they need next year?

[Page 4605]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Addictions and Mental Health.

HON. BRIAN COMER « » : Certainly multiple departments are deeply committed to the work with Autism Nova Scotia. We've made significant investments and transformation of preschool autism services across the province. We certainly will continue to work with Autism Nova Scotia and the important work that they do across multiple government departments.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

DHW: VON MILEAGE RATE CHANGES - EXPLAIN

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : We recently heard from a VON nurse who is deeply concerned about a quiet change this government made to mileage rates.

These are frontline healthcare workers who spend their days driving from community to community, caring for seniors and vulnerable Nova Scotians in their homes. At a time when gas prices are astronomical, even small changes to mileage rates risk discouraging people from doing this essential work.

Why did this government make this decision without transparency and without considering the impact on the very workers we rely on to deliver care?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Seniors and Long-term Care.

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Thank you to the member for the question. Every year there is a rate change, which the member would know, as a former member of government. It happens automatically. It isn't my department that does that. It is a calculation based on the previous 12 months of the expense of driving a vehicle.

It happens automatically. My department doesn't change that rate. It is unfortunate that at the time that there is a war going on halfway around the world, that there has been a direct impact on the price of gas in the province. But the member knows full well that it is isn't something that my department impacts. It is set annually through a very fair and transparent process.

DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I'm glad to bring this up on the floor, because the government can take a look at this to see what they can do to help the VON workers across the province who are providing care each and every day.

Home care workers are already stretched thin, and recruitment and retention remain real challenges across our province. When a VON nurse tells us they feel unsupported because of changes like reduced mileage compensation, we should all be listening. These workers are not asking for special treatment, they're asking to be fairly supported in doing a job that keeps people out of hospitals and in their homes.

[Page 4606]

Will this government reconsider this change and ensure that VON nurses and other home care workers are properly supported, not pushed away from this critical work?

BARBARA ADAMS « » : I don't know the exact amount, I believe it's 0.04 cents we're talking about, but it's still significant to anyone who's driving their vehicles. What I will say to the member is he knows that it's not a government department that sets that out, it's a fair and transparent independent process that sets that mileage.

But what I will say to the member's assertion about running short, home care, because of the investments from this government department over the last four years, we have the lowest vacancy rate in the last 10 years. As a result of that, the injury rate in home care has continually dropped ever since WCB started measuring the injury rate. We value our VON workers and that's why they signed a contract with the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care?

THE SPEAKER « » : Order.

The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

DOJ: LACK OF ACTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM RECS. - ADDRESS

SUZY HANSEN « » : Speaker, African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities are still waiting for action on environmental racism. Yet this government has been silent, after sitting on the report for over a year until it was finally leaked. Months later there has been no word on when this government will start moving on the recommendations. Including the recommendation to at least apologize.

Black and Indigenous communities are still waiting. When will this government finally take action on environmental racism?

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : As you know, there is no place for racism in Nova Scotia. We were proud to work with the Environmental Racism Panel, and in this year's budget you will see there's a huge amount of money, over $400,000, to try to support the implementation of the recommendations. We were pleased with the panel. We're going to continue to work on that.

SUZY HANSEN « » : You have no place for racism, yet legislation speaks otherwise. And yet, you can't apologize. So you've had months, you've had years - we need action now. Communities who have had their land and water poisoned, that have had health impacts from dumps and industrial sites in their backyards, at least deserve an apology.

This recommendation isn't complicated. An apology doesn't cost any money. It shows that this government recognizes the harms of the past. And it shows a commitment to do better moving forward.

[Page 4607]

Speaker, when will this government apologize for our province's embarrassing legacy of environmental racism?

SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : Industrial activities including landfills have been highly regulated in Nova Scotia for decades, to ensure that the harmful events of the past are not repeated. To ensure that people in communities and our environment are safeguarded from these actions, there are strong guardrails in place.

We will share proposed next steps soon about the next steps we're taking in implementing the recommendations of the panel, and we'll be sharing that with them, Speaker, as well.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

YOU: MUSEUM CLOSURES AFFECTING STUDENT JOBS - ADDRESS

LINA HAMID « » : Speaker, grad student, Gwendolyn Williams was excited to return to her summer job at Perkins House Museum, but now she can't, because this government is forcing that museum and 11 others, to close down. And she's not alone. We've heard from organizations who can't hire students this summer because of this government's cuts.

My question is for the Minister responsible for Youth. How does this government expect students to stay afloat when these cuts are taking away the jobs that they depend on?

HON. LEAH MARTIN » : I've met with youth across our province. Our youth are very smart. They're navigating through difficult times and finding their way to lead us into the future.

Something that I'm hearing from our youth is that they get the plan and the process that we're on. While they're dealing with difficulties around affordability and housing, they see the investments that we are making today that will help them down the road. They're ready to speak and step into positions around environment. I have visited them with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and they're ready to step into sustainability positions. They're ready to step into energy positions, offshore wind, and onshore energy. They're ready for the future, and we're here to make it easier for them.

LINA HAMID « » : I'm also hearing from youth, and not a single one is understanding why these cuts had to happen.

Students are losing their summer jobs across Nova Scotia. These are jobs that teach young people how to show up, manage their time, gain experience, and build their futures, as well as ours. Now organizations and museums are hiring fewer students or none at all. At a time when young people are already struggling to find work, these cuts are closing the doors before they even get started.

[Page 4608]

What does the minister say to students who are losing not just their paycheques but their first chance to gain experience and build a career here at home?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

HON. NOLAN YOUNG « » : The Student Summer Skills Incentive will continue to support youth. It's still being funded to sustainable levels. The program prioritizes youth and community organizations. We're also investing in skilled trades camps. We're investing in upskilling. We're invested in MOST. We're invested in tools grants.

We're here for youth. We want to see them be successful, and that's what we'll do.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

GAD: FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN N.S. LOYAL PROG. - EXPLAIN

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : When I asked why it looked like the path to Nova Scotia's purse runs through the Premier's campaign team, the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board accused me of peddling doom and gloom, and the Minister of Growth and Development suggested I didn't support Nova Scotian business, but no one addressed the issue.

In the name of Nova Scotia Loyal, $1.9 million of taxpayer money has gone untendered to an initiative led by a senior strategist on the PC campaign team. The initiative has delivered such promotional gems as the Premier's "I am Nova Scotian" video, which hit social media last year, amassed millions of views, and could easily be repurposed as a campaign launch.

Does the Minister of Growth and Development really think this was an appropriate use of taxpayer money and the paid time of civil servants in Communications Nova Scotia?

HON. COLTON LEBLANC « » : Once again, we have the MLA for Lunenburg West, who has clearly stated that she does not support Nova Scotia Loyal, a program that has meant so much to Nova Scotian businesses. Perhaps the members in the NDP are in the same boat, not supporting Nova Scotia Loyal.

I can reassure members of this House and all Nova Scotians that every single member of this caucus - of our government caucus - supports Nova Scotia Loyal and driving forward the province, supporting more than 2,000 businesses that have jumped on board.

We'll continue to do that. We'll continue to be there for Nova Scotia businesses that want to support and demonstrate what we have to offer here. I truly believe in Nova Scotia Loyal. Perhaps, again, the member for Lunenburg West doesn't support it, but it's showing real value for Nova Scotians. We'll continue to support that.

[Page 4609]

BECKY DRUHAN « » : I finally watched the Premier's video this Easter weekend. As I was seasoning my locally sourced leg of lamb from Krista's Sheep in Petite Riviere, what do my wondering ears suddenly hear but a plug for Farmer Mmmp delivered by the Premier. Just over a minute into the video, we are treated to a closeup of Farmer Mmmp's Summer Savory, with a voiceover by the Premier touting that Farmer Mmmp is a staple at every holiday dinner.

For those of you wondering why I can't say the name, it is because Farmer Mmmp is Nova Scotia's Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, an MLA, and a member of the Premier's Cabinet. To be clear . . . (Interruptions)

THE SPEAKER « » : Order.

I don't know why your microphone's off.

The honourable member for Lunenburg West with three seconds.

BECKY DRUHAN « » : Speaker . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : I'm going back to the time. I've been watching it. One, two, three.

[12:45 p.m.]

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : If the Premier and the minister are willing to use public funds for personal benefit in such an obvious, absurd, and insulting way, why should Nova Scotians trust what is happening behind closed doors?

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. Now you've gone way over.

COLTON LEBLANC « » : Speaker, I don't know who Farmer Mmmp is, but I can tell you, Farmer John's Summer Savory makes a damn good addition to my stuffing.

Perhaps the member is against Axe To Grind Foods. Perhaps the member is against Boatskeg Distilling. Perhaps the member is against What On Earth Farms. Perhaps the member is against Vessel Meats. Perhaps the member is against Wonderous Woolerie. Perhaps the member is against The Station Food Hub Company. These are all businesses that support and believe in Nova Scotia Loyal, a government that believes in them, and that's what we are doing.

We are doing this through supporting our farmers' markets. We are doing that through a labeling program, and we are doing that through our food and beverage safety program. There are bright days ahead of us in this province, and we will continue to support our businesses that are the backbone of this province.

[Page 4610]

THE SPEAKER « » : If your microphone turns off and I didn't yell order, it's not my fault.

The honourable member for Halifax Chebucto.

GAD: SUPPORTING PROGRAM CUTS - ADDRESS

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : My question is for the Minister of Economic Growth and Development. The minister recently stood in this House to defend his government's cuts against the Publishers Assistance Fund, but I think the minister may need to check his numbers. He defended a $700,000 program cut and quoted a Nova Scotia Loyal program that costs just $50,000. As this minister knows, that program ended in February.

Does the minister understand that this Nova Scotia Loyal program isn't a replacement for the Publishers Fund?

HON. COLTON LEBLANC « » : I believe there are a number of ways to support Nova Scotia businesses. I believe there are a number of ways to support Nova Scotia publishers, including the pilot project that, as the member alluded to, ended at the end of February.

We will review that program and see at perhaps renewing that program into the future.

We know that other ways of supporting Nova Scotia businesses are also lowering their small business tax rate and actually increasing the threshold. That was actually included in this year's budget, and I will remember the member that she voted against that budget.

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : The return on investment for the Publishers Assistance Fund is incredible. About $700,000 from this government led to $7 million in sales. That's a $9.28 return on every dollar.

Can the minister explain why a 938 percent return isn't worth investing in?

COLTON LEBLANC « » : Perhaps the member could explain why not supporting $46 million in support of small businesses is the right thing to do, Speaker.

We know there are a number of ways of supporting businesses across this province, including through the pilot project that we ran, including through Nova Scotia Loyal, including through delivering programs that support startups, scaleups, growth, and commercialization.

There are a number of challenges in this province that, frankly, many provinces and territories are facing. That underpins the reality and the need to grow the economy. We will continue to make the investments to grow Nova Scotia's economy, continue to support our small, medium, and large businesses that will ensure that we have good jobs, stronger communities, and long-term prosperity for Nova Scotia.

[Page 4611]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

DOE: EVERWIND AFFECTING WATER RATES - ADDRESS

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, EverWind Fuels is trying to draw 10 million litres of water a day from Landry Lake near Port Hawkesbury. They need massive amounts of water for which they are paying very little right now - $145 for 3.5 billion litres of water each year. There's so much water they are going to need, that water rates in the area have to go up. The utility has applied to create a new user class for everyone because it will drawing so much water.

Will the minister ensure users don't have to pay more for water because of EverWind?

THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The time allotted for Oral Questions Put By Members to Ministers has expired.

The honourable Government House Leader.

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Thank you, Speaker.

Pursuant to Rule 5C, I move the hours for April 8^th be from 1:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., April 9^th be from 11:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and April 10^th - is that Friday? - be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

THE SPEAKER « » : Pursuant to Rule 5C, there has been a request for the hours for the next three days.

All those in favour? Contrary minded?

The motion is carried.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Speaker, would you please call order of business Government Motions.

GOVERNMENT MOTIONS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Speaker, I move that you do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

[Page 4612]

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is carried.

We will have a short recess while the committee sets up.

[1:01 p.m. The House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on Bills with Deputy Speaker Tom Taggart in the Chair.]

[6:37 p.m. CWH on Bills rose and the House reconvened. The Speaker, Hon. Danielle Barkhouse, resumed the Chair.]

THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on Bills reports:

THE CLERK » : That the committee has met and considered the following bill:

Bill No. 193 - Powering the Economy Act.

without amendments. The Chair has been instructed to recommend this bill to the favourable consideration of the House.

THE SPEAKER « » : Ordered that the bill be read a third time on a future day.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Thank you, Speaker. Would you please call the order of business Government Business.

[GOVERNMENT BUSINESS]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Thank you, Speaker. Would you please call the order of business Public Bills for Third Reading.

PUBLIC BILLS FOR THIRD READING

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 203.

Bill No. 203 - House of Assembly Act (amended)

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

[Page 4613]

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : Thank you, Speaker. I move that Bill No. 203 be now read a third time.

I want to thank colleagues for their comments during second reading. This legislation is historic for this Chamber, the Acadian people, and the Chéticamp region. The constituency, Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay, reflects the Acadian and French-speaking communities there. Once this bill passes, we will have four protected constituencies for Acadians: Argyle, Clare, Richmond, and Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay.

A constituency needs a representative; therefore a by-election will be held for  Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay as soon as possible once this bill passes and receives Royal Assent. For Inverness, the current member will continue to be the MLA until the next general election. This is to reduce disruption in the constituency of Inverness. We are focused on creating the new constituency and having a by-election so that Chéticamp's region can have representation that they duly deserve.

In conclusion, we respect the Acadian people and their rich culture. This is a great day for Acadians in Nova Scotia. I'll take my place and listen to my colleagues. I expect they will support this historic bill.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Merci, Madame la Présidente. Je voudrais ajouter quelques mots. Quand je disais en deuxième lecture, en fait on ne peut pas connaître l'histoire de la Nouvelle-Écosse sans l'histoire des Acadiens et l'histoire c'est toujours lié au patrimoine et le patrimoine est toujours lié à la culture et l'art et la langue et l'établissement des centres communautaires et des initiatives communautaires qui sont importantes. Donc, je suis d'accord qu'il s'agit d'une étape importante pour garantir que la voix de tous les Néo-Écossais soit entendue, et il est crucial que nous nous réunissions dans ce processus. Mais je voudrais dire qu'afin de refléter la voix de tous les électeurs de la région, des élections partielles devraient avoir lieu dans les deux nouvelles circonscriptions et non dans une seule circonscription.

Nous devrions également procéder rapidement à une révision complète des limites des circonscriptions afin d'assurer une représentation équilibrée de tous les Néo-Écossais. Nous avons hâte de travailler avec les citoyens de Chéticamp, Margarees et Pleasant Bay dans la nouvelle circonscription, ainsi qu'avec tous les Acadiens et les francophones de la Nouvelle-Écosse. C'est encore plus important en ce moment, comme la Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse a noté dans une « media statement » qu'elle exprime son inquiétude à la suite du dépôt du budget provincial le 23 février dernier. Elle s'inquiète que les compressions annoncées dans les secteurs de la culture, du patrimoine, d'organisations communautaires et dans la petite enfance risquent d'entraîner de graves conséquences pour les régions acadiennes et francophones de la Nouvelle-Écosse. I'll switch to English.

As I said in second reading, the history of Acadians is at the base of the history of our province and the Acadians have fought and joined with other francophones to fight to make sure that in fact culture, language, and history are brought forward. This is an important step to making sure all Nova Scotians have their voices heard and it's crucial that we get it right.

[Page 4614]

In fact, we don't agree. We do think that in fact there should be two by-elections in both new constituencies, not just one. We note with concern that the new constituency of Inverness-We'koqma'q is not adopting its new name at this point and we think that that's really important. We also think that there should be a full boundary review earlier than planned to show all Nova Scotians are fairly represented. We look forward to working with the people of Chéticamp in their new constituency and all Acadians across Nova Scotia.

It's more important than ever before. The Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse had released their concerns about the provincial budget that we've been discussing. They are very concerned about how budget cuts in culture, history, heritage, and community organizations as well as early childhood education will have really serious consequences for Acadian regions and for francophones in Nova Scotia and, certainly, that's a lot of what I heard in those communities. So I think it's really important that we have this variety. We look forward to working with the communities but we think that, in fact, we can go further and have by-elections for the two new constituencies.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : It's great to rise to speak to this bill. This legislation is supposed to follow the recommendations of the independent Electoral Boundaries Commission and this is a good step forward. Chéticamp is a remarkable community and obviously I had that opportunity many times throughout my life to spend time in Chéticamp and it always reminds me of the strong and vibrant Acadian culture that we have here in Nova Scotia. Creating a constituency that recognizes and protects that community is essential. I look forward to the day when we have a member in this House who can represent Chéticamp, the Margarees, and Pleasant Bay, no matter what party they are from - to represent those communities to bring that voice forward.

[6:45 p.m.]

La création de cette circonscription est importante pour les communautés acadiennes et francophones de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Chéticamp est une communauté extraordinaire avec une histoire riche et une culture acadienne très vivante. Les communautés acadiennes et francophones font partie intégrante de notre province. Elles contribuent à notre histoire, à notre culture et à notre identité collective. C'est pourquoi il était important que leurs voix soient bien représentées ici, à l'Assemblée législative. Nous avons hâte de voir un député ou une députée de Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay siéger dans cette Chambre et défendre les intérêts de ces communautés.

Acadian communities have distinct histories, distinct cultures, and often distinct challenges. That's why representation matters. When communities see themselves reflected in their political institutions, it strengthens our democracy. That is one reason why creating this constituency is so important. We cannot talk about supporting Acadian and francophone communities without also acknowledging the broader context. While this bill recognizes the importance of Acadian representation, the government's own budget is cutting funding to programs that support Acadian and francophone culture.

[Page 4615]

Nous croyons qu'il est important de soutenir la culture acadienne et francophone, non seulement par la représentation politique, mais aussi par des investissements concrets. Cependant, dans le budget récent du gouvernement, nous avons vu des réductions du financement pour les programmes qui soutiennent ces communautés. C'est décevant. Si nous reconnaissons la valeur des communautés acadiennes et francophones dans cette Chambre, nous devons aussi reconnaître leur importance dans nos décisions quotidiennes. La culture, la langue et les institutions acadiennes méritent d'être protégées et soutenues.

There are also elements of this bill where we believe improvements are needed. My colleague mentioned these in second reading. One of those concerns is Clause 4. Clause 4 allows the current member for Inverness to remain in a seat without a by-election, even though the constituency boundaries are changing significantly. In our view, that raises a fundamental issue about democratic legitimacy.

Members of this House sit here because voters gave us a mandate. When a constituency changes significantly, it is reasonable to ask that voters have the opportunity to reaffirm that mandate. That is why we have proposed a change so that both constituencies would go through a by-election, ensuring that every voter has their say.

There's also another important recommendation from the independent Electoral Boundaries Commission that should not be overlooked. I say that in the spirit of reconciliation. The commission recommended that the constituency of Inverness be renamed Inverness-We'koqma'q to recognize the Mi'kmaw community in that area. That recommendation deserves to be respected. Across the province, we have recognized Indigenous communities in our district names. My colleague from Sydney-Membertou, and my friend across the floor from Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River. It's a meaningful sign of respect and recognition, and we believe the government should follow the recommendation of the commission and adopt that name. Despite those concerns, it's still an important day and a long time coming.

The previous NDP government led a deliberate effort to dismantle protected Acadian constituencies, an approach backed by former MLAs like Howard Epstein and Graham Steele. These protections have existed since 1993 for a reason - to ensure that Acadian communities with unique linguistic and cultural identities had a meaningful voice - but the goal then wasn't representation; it was for political advantage.

Some folks would make the argument that they targeted those constituencies because they believed they could win by erasing protected status. The result was a redrawing of communities that ignored history and identity. Take what became of Cape Breton-Richmond at the time. Richmond was merged with Port Hawkesbury and parts of the CBRM to form a new constituency. The thinking then was clear; reshape the map and reshape the outcome.

[Page 4616]

There was so much confidence in that calculation that the Premier at the time chose Port Hawkesbury to call the 2013 election, believing that they could defeat my former colleague, the Honourable Michel Samson. They didn't. Communities are not political experiments. We cannot redraw identity with a pen and expect people to not notice.

Let's be clear: The NDP track record shows that when given a chance, they will weaken those voices again, especially in places like Chéticamp, where population size makes it vulnerable without protection. This debate needs to include the past but also what we do now. If we are serious about supporting Chéticamp, we must also talk about the real pressures facing that community today.

This government's cuts to arts and culture funding are not abstract. They hit at the heart of Chéticamp. This is a community where culture is the economy: music, storytelling, festivals, visual arts. These are the livelihoods. When funding is cut, it means fewer opportunities, fewer visitors, and fewer reasons for young people to stay. At the same time, there's growing concern around enforcement for our fisheries. When illegal, out-of-season fishing occurs and enforcement is lacking, particularly when buyers are licensed by the Province, it undermines the entire system. It creates unfairness for those who follow the rules, and uncertainty for the future of the resource.

These are real issues, and they reinforce why representation matters. When a community like Chéticamp has a strong, dedicated voice in this House, those concerns won't get sidelined and they'll get addressed. Creating a new constituency, a new district for Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay is about correcting a mistake and preventing another one. It's about recognizing that some communities require more than just a mathematical equation; they want fairness, understanding, and respect.

We cannot repeat the errors of the past, when political calculation outweighed community identity. It's an important day for the Acadian and francophone community of Chéticamp and the surrounding communities of Margarees and Pleasant Bay, it's an important day for representation, and it will be a very good day when we see a new member rise in this Chamber to speak on behalf of those communities.

Les communautés acadiennes et francophones font partie de l'âme de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Leur langue, leur culture et leurs traditions enrichissent notre province. La création de cette circonscription est un pas dans la bonne direction. Mais nous devons aussi continuer à soutenir ces communautés dans nos politiques, dans nos budgets et dans nos décisions.

We support the creation of this constituency, but we also believe the government should consider the changes we have proposed to strengthen democratic representation and to ensure the recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Commission are all respected. Those changes would make a good bill even better.

[Page 4617]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle.

HON. COLTON LEBLANC « » : Merci beaucoup, Madame la Présidente. C'est un plaisir de me présenter aujourd'hui pour quelques mots sur le projet de loi 203. Tout d'abord je tiens à remercier le ministre de la Justice pour son travail sur ce projet de loi. Également je tiens à souligner les efforts, le travail effectué par la Commission de délimitation indépendante sur cette circonscription, qui se présente à la suite de plusieurs années de lutte, de plaidoyer par la communauté acadienne de Chéticamp, ainsi qu'un grand effort de la Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse.

J'ai certainement de beaux souvenirs de quelques visites dans la région de Chéticamp l'année dernière lorsqu'on a lancé le Mois du patrimoine acadien avec le premier ministre. C'est là où j'ai appris avec Betty Ann à faire le tapis hooké au centre culturel là-bas. Certainement lors de mes visites précédentes, j'ai visité la radio communautaires CKJM, qui a célébré, je pense que c'était 30 ans l'année dernière. Certainement le travail effectué par le Conseil des arts de Chéticamp, qui a célébré 25 ans en 2024.

Ce sont des organismes importants à la culture, non seulement de la région de Chéticamp, mais ainsi qu'à la communauté acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Ce projet de loi est une reconnaissance de la décision de la Cour suprême de la Nouvelle-Écosse, et comme gouvernement, on est fier de pouvoir répondre à cette décision.

Il y a plus de quatre siècles, 400 ans, que les Acadiens se retrouvent ici, les premiers Européens qui se sont installés en Nouvelle-Écosse, en Amérique du Nord, et qui ont appelé la Nouvelle-Écosse chez eux. À la suite de plusieurs années de conflit avec les Anglais – on connaît l'histoire de la grande Déportation où est-ce que des milliers d'Acadiens des provinces atlantiques, des provinces maritimes, ont été expulsés de cette région vu qu'ils ne voulaient pas prêter serment à la Couronne.

Nous voilà lors de leur retour, certains ont pu avoir l'occasion de retourner ici en Nouvelle-Écosse dans les régions les moins désirées, plus difficiles pour les terres agricoles, et ont vraiment créé les communautés acadiennes, les régions acadiennes qu'on connaît aujourd'hui, la majorité d'entre elles des communautés de pêche.

On a vu au fur et à mesure des années la lutte que la communauté acadienne a dû faire lorsque ça vient à la prestation des services en français, lorsque ça vient à avoir accès à l'éducation – des grandes luttes qui se sont présentées devant la cour. Nous voilà encore que la communauté acadienne a dû lutter pour ce cas. Nous voilà avec une nouvelle circonscription de Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay.

Certainement comme gouvernement – et en tant que fier Acadien, en tant que ministre des Affaires acadiennes et de la Francophonie – on reconnaît l'importance de continuer d'appuyer et de travailler en collaboration avec la communauté acadienne, avec la Fédération acadienne, nos organismes provinciaux d'un bout de la province à l'autre. C'est grâce à cette collaboration – et il y a toujours du travail à faire. Il y aura toujours du travail à faire pour appuyer la communauté acadienne et francophone, appuyer la cause acadienne.

[Page 4618]

J'en passe, Madame la Présidente, mais certainement la loi sur le CSAP, un des projets de loi importants pour enraciner le rôle du Conseil scolaire acadien provincial ici en Nouvelle-Écosse lorsque ça vient à l'accès à l'éducation en langue maternelle.

Je pense également à la modernisation, la révision de la Loi sur les services en français, qui a été premièrement déposée par le gouvernement progressiste-conservateur et a été modifiée en 2024. Je pense aussi à la proclamation du Mois du patrimoine acadien qui a été une demande importante de la Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, pour non seulement célébrer l'Acadie comme on la connaît aujourd'hui, le 15 août, lors de notre fête nationale, mais également tout au long du mois d'août.

Je pense également à une nouvelle entente signée avec le gouvernement fédéral afin d'assurer qu'on puisse toujours fournir des services en français au sein de notre gouvernement. Je pense aussi au fait que notre gouvernement, notre province en fait, est devenu membre observateur de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, ainsi que d'autres partenariats importants comme une entente avec le Manitoba ainsi qu'avec le gouvernement du Québec.

Comme j'ai mentionné, je sais que malgré cette lutte qui va se terminer après que ce projet de loi est passé, qu'il y a toujours du travail à faire, mais comme fier Acadien et comme ministre, et avec plusieurs amis de l'Acadie au sein de notre gouvernement, on sera toujours là pour la communauté acadienne et francophone de notre province.

Certainement, Madame la Présidente, j'ai bien hâte de retourner dans le futur proche dans la région de Chéticamp lors d'une prochaine visite. D'ici là, je termine en français et avant de passer en anglais, disons que l'union fait la force, et vive l'Acadie.

Speaker, it's a pleasure to rise today to provide a few comments on Bill No. 203. I do want to start by thanking the Minister of Justice for his work on this piece of legislation, of course, as well as thanking the members of the Electoral Boundaries Commission who have worked hard and on a probably very tight timeline to get this piece of legislation in time for the House and in time to meet the court's decision, a decision that was reached after years of advocacy and, frankly, fighting on behalf of the community - fighting for their linguistic rights and cultural rights.

[7:00 p.m.]

It's something that continues today, even after 400 years of Acadians being here in Nova Scotia. They were the first European settlers in North America, bringing with them their language. We know the story of the great upheaval where thousands of Acadians from the Maritime Provinces were expelled from Acadie - from Nova Scotia in the Maritime Provinces because of their lack of willingness to bear allegiance to the British Crown.

[Page 4619]

After their eventual return, they were allowed to settle in probably less favourable areas of the province, including - I would say Argyle's not a less favourable area of the province to call home, but areas that had been previously settled, like in the Annapolis Valley. With aboiteaux, they were able to reclaim marshland and have very fertile farmland.

After their return and years of fighting - and that fighting has continued and continues to this day - for their rights to French education, to French-language services - I want members of the Acadian francophone community to know that they have many allies in government. Myself, as an Acadian - I am proud to support the work that we've been able to do together. We're stronger together.

I think of the CSAP legislation that we passed, recognizing the CSAP's roles and responsibilities - the first law of its kind in Canada. I think of the modernization and revision of the French-language Services Act. It was initially tabled in this Legislature in 2004 by a PC government.

I think of the ask of the Acadian Federation to proclaim August - the entire month of August - as Acadian Heritage Month - not just one day on our national holiday but also the entire month. We've been able to support that proclamation - that month - financially as well, to ensure that our Acadian communities are able to do activities.

I also think of renegotiating with the government of Canada for a new bilaterial deal. I think of the fact that Nova Scotia is now an observing member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and of course, important partnerships with the governments of Manitoba and Quebec.

We do and we will continue to invest in and support our Acadian and francophone communities with over $400,000 in community support to ensure that they're able to do those important events and activities to ensure that our language and our culture continue to remain vibrant.

Speaker, I have many fond memories of a few visits in the Chéticamp area, including last year when the Premier and I and others were in the area for the launch of Acadian Heritage Month - a very exciting time in that cultural centre, where I also learned to rug hook with Betty Ann, I believe was her name - a great teacher with lots of patience. I look forward to perhaps hooking again sooner than later on our next visit to Chéticamp.

I do want to again recognize that the battles and struggles for the Acadian and francophone community in our province - and frankly, many minority-language communities across our country are real. Certainly if you look at the population of francophones in this province - about 10 percent of Nova Scotians can speak French, but only 3 percent are Acadian - and we're dispersed. We're not in one part of the province, and that poses real challenges. It poses different challenges today, living in a digital world.

[Page 4620]

As a government, we'll continue to be there to support and work with - we are stronger together. "L'union fait la force," as the motto for Acadians goes.

With that, I'm really pleased to be supporting this piece of legislation. I'm really pleased for the people of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay, that they'll have their own elected representative.

I have to say that the member for Inverness has been representing that constituency, and the previous member for Inverness has been representing that constituency very well. I look forward to the day that we have a member from that area, hopefully speaking in both official languages. Merci beaucoup.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I want to rise on my feet and speak on this as a Cape Bretoner. This is significant. This is something that the Acadian community has been advocating for for a long time. It is exciting for the community. They are passionate about this conversation. They've been passionate throughout the beginning of this process and beyond to get to this point where there will be an Acadian seat representing Chéticamp, Margaree, and Pleasant Bay - a beautiful part of Cape Breton, rich in Acadian culture, rich in natural beauty.

My wife taught in Pleasant Bay for a while. Lots of connections through the families, through the Mombourquettes as well - the Acadian side of who I am. This has been an interesting conversation.

As I said, I wanted to rise in my place as a Cape Bretoner. There's now another voice that's going to come from the island, which is important, but also, to my colleague's point - I said this during second reading - this was an independent review that was done by the Electoral Boundaries Commission. There were a number of recommendations that came out of it.

I do want to talk about the Inverness constituency. We stand firm that there should be a by-election at the same time as this by-election is taking place due to the significant change in that constituency. As I said in second reading, it would be no different if they carved Membertou out of Sydney. It is a significant change in the geography and the representation, and it's something that needs to be taken into account.

It's democracy - these seats we hold temporarily - and we all have the privilege to be here because the people gave us their trust in a constituency in which we were nominated as candidates and ran as candidates. In this case, you have a wonderful decision being made to represent the Acadian community, which has been fighting for this for years, but you also have a significant change in the constituency that is adjacent to it. We argue that it doesn't make anything any cleaner by keeping that constituency until the next election. Do the right thing, and do it all right now, so people can be affirmed in their seats: the new Acadian seat and the constituency of Inverness-We'koqma'q, which it should be called because that was the recommendation of the independent body.

[Page 4621]

I argue that if this government was in place when we went through this Electoral Boundaries Commission the last time, my constituency would probably only be called Sydney. I don't understand. I went through a big discussion way back when. The community came together when we went through the last full-blown electoral review. At the time, I was a representative of Sydney-Whitney Pier, reflecting the rich history of the Pier, where people came from all over the world. A big conversation came that the initial name was going to be just Sydney. Many people came forward, including me, to say, "We need to respect, in the spirit of reconciliation, the name Membertou, the significance of Membertou, and the significance of the Mi'kmaq in our community matter in the name. They should be seen in the name when they elect the person who will represent their interests here in the Legislature.

Now you have a situation where you have Inverness-We'koqma'q. Why would you reject that recommendation? It makes no sense whatsoever. As my colleague said, our friend from Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River - the point was that the NDP member of the day brought forward a private members bill, if I'm correct, and the rationale for that was to reflect the entirety of what that constituency was: the people it represented, the rich history, the Mi'kmaq, and everything in between.

For me, I don't understand why, in this report that was independent, We'koqma'q would be left out of the name. It makes no sense whatsoever. Celebrate the community. Show reconciliation at a time when, I would argue, the relationship is completely destroyed. This is a building block to bring trust and respect back into the conversation. As we said, it is the recommendation that this government is taking on the new boundary, which we're talking about tonight in legislation. Why not take that recommendation too?

These were the important parts for me. So here we are, we're going to have a by-election. This is very important to the people of Chéticamp and surrounding communities. It's very important to the Acadians. I can tell you, as my colleague said, there were Acadian constituencies before, and they were removed by the NDP government of the day. The people don't forget that. In the conversations I'm having with people across the Island, and my family, and everybody down in Richmond, when all those constituencies were eliminated, people never forget.

It took taking it to court, taking the NDP to court, the government of the day, to get those Acadian seats back - a court order. Not only those seats but we had to redraw the whole thing. We were ordered to do it by the courts. Now here we are and the right thing has happened. I congratulate everyone in here for supporting the fact that there should be an Acadian seat representative of Chéticamp and surrounding communities. As I said, it has been a journey for them, and I've seen it from my time being involved in provincial politics since 2013. The courts had to intervene and tell the NDP, the government of the day, you are absolutely wrong by removing the Acadian representation and you need to put it back.

[Page 4622]

We put it back, and it's important - it's very, very important.

This is going to pass. We don't know when everything will take place, but I wanted to get in my place first and foremost as a Cape Bretoner. There is an extra voice coming from the Island. We will take every voice we can get. We love our island and we love our people. We love where we're from. There are lots of great songs written about the Island, but most important, in this case there is a very rich Acadian culture. Some of our greatest songwriters, our poets, our greatest storytellers come from the Acadian community and communities across Cape Breton. I hear them in my own family.

We are now going to have that Acadian constituency we have fought for for so long, through advocacy, through the courts, through the mistakes that have been made, here we are. I look forward to seeing everyone. We spend a lot of time as a family in the community. I implore the government. We're doing this tonight because this is a representation of what we all believe in - in this seat for the Acadian community of Chéticamp and surrounding areas. There are other recommendations in that report, Inverness-We'koqma'q.

Honour that community. It's no different than Sydney-Membertou. Honour that community. Do the right thing. The name change will go into effect now and it will go into effect whenever the next election is held - Inverness-We'koqma'q. The community is watching this. What a way to show respect.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : I rise on third reading of Bill No. 203, An Act to Amend Chapter 1 (1992 Supplement) of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the House of Assembly Act. As I begin my remarks I want to start by thanking the Electoral Boundaries Commission, specifically the Chair of that commission, Dr. Kenneth Deveau. A little later I'll read off the names as well. The members of the commission I'd like to recognize, Speaker.

In addition to Dr. Deveau, from Digby County there was: Jill Houlihan, Vice Chair, from Halifax; Mark Bannerman from Hammonds Plains; Dr. Glenn Graham, from Antigonish; Gwen LeBlanc from Lower Wedgeport, Yarmouth; Martin Chaisson, Point Cross, Inverness County; Armand Paul from Sydney; Jason MacLean, Middle Sackville and Natalie Robichaud, from New Edinburg, Digby County.

[7:15 p.m.]

I would like to acknowledge their work and thank them for this. Of course, this mandate came in the wake of the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse taking legal action against the Province for the recommendations of two previous commissions. After listening to all the feedback the public provided both in person and in writing, the Commission came to the unanimous agreement on the following recommendations: that the district of Inverness be divided into two constituencies - Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay, and Inverness-We'koqma'q. As my colleague mentioned, not all the recommendations of this committee are being fully taken on; I don't believe any explanation for that has been given.

[Page 4623]

Speaker, I want to begin by saying something that I think needs to be said, and that is that I respect the Acadian people, I respect the Acadian language, and I respect the Acadian culture. I respect the deep roots the Acadian communities have in Nova Scotia, including in our area in Cumberland County, Beaubassin, but also in relation to this bill, the communities including Chéticamp, the Margarees, Pleasant Bay, and the surrounding region.

I believe that language and culture matter. They matter in daily life, they matter in education, they matter in community identity and daily public life, and they do matter in democracy as well. When people's language and culture are not adequately understood or not adequately recognized - as they haven't been here in this Legislature - and not adequately reflected in representation, that loss is not only political, it's human; it's cultural, and it's historic, and it can be deeply harmful.

Speaker, I also want to acknowledge something more personal for me, and that is my grandfather and his ancestors were Acadian people. When I speak today about the importance of respecting and protecting Acadian culture and language, I do so with sincerity and with respect. My older sister and I do a lot of work with ancestry and our heritage, and we've been able to trace back to Charles Melanson. We visited the monument down in the Valley. We respect the Acadian people and the culture very deeply. It's part of our story here in this province, and I mentioned Beaubassin because it is a big part of our history up in Cumberland County as well.

I believe Acadian culture should be protected and I believe Acadian language should be protected. I believe Acadian communities deserve representation that reflects who they are. That's why I do not stand here today to argue against the principle of this new constituency but rather support it. I do believe that it probably should have happened before it did, but here we are.

I know that I've heard from some of the people and they are very frustrated that they had to go to court to make this happen. It shouldn't have had to come to that. The previous government should have acted when this was identified, and the previous government should have created this constituency when it was first recommended. Had that happened, people would not have been forced to wait this long for the recognition that should have come sooner.

When governments ignore clear concerns about representation, especially for minority language and cultural communities, they are not simply delaying a technical adjustment but delaying recognition, delaying fairness, and dignity. That should never happen.

I want to say clearly that I support the goal of protecting the Acadian culture and language through better representation. I had the honour of visiting that area of the province quite a few times because my husband loves to golf - plain and simple - but even when he's not there to golf, we love to travel to Cape Breton and visit all the small communities. There is so much to enjoy in the Chéticamp area. It's such a pleasure.

[Page 4624]

Of course, Inverness has really bloomed with the investment in golf. Just recently one of our very own, John Bragg, just purchased those golf courses. An interesting development in the business world. Anyway, I digress. Speaker, I support the Acadian people and the principle and support this bill.

I do also support my colleagues in the Liberal caucus with the two recommendations that I recall. They put forth amendments for the name to be Inverness-We'koqma'q. I support them in their recommendation for that and following the report. And I also support their amendment requesting the government to hold a by-election for Inverness as well as the new Chéticamp area.

It's not anything personal against the member who represents that constituency now. He's a fine man. However, I do believe for the people of that area, it's the right thing to do. To give them a chance and an opportunity to elect their representatives with the new boundaries. Boundaries matter, we see that - some of the results in the last federal election were directly affected. Some MPs not getting re-elected who had the support of the people in their previous constituency. But because the boundaries changed, they lost the election.

I do believe the right thing to do - and I realize for past amendments the government did not accept those amendments, and nothing is about to change, I'm assuming, from that. But I did want to make mention of that for my two colleagues here in the Liberal Party. Speaker, I look forward to the by-election. I hope that there's an Independent that runs in that area. Maybe a few.

I look forward to speaking more about that in the election bill. But I hope that we do have some Independents. I have been contacted by a few people from around the province who are hoping to run as Independents in the next election in other areas, and I hope that we will see that in the newly formed constituency in Chéticamp as well. I support this bill and support, and once again thank, the commission and their work.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : Merci, Madame la Présidente. Je suis heureuse d'appuyer ce projet de loi qui permet la représentation de la communauté acadienne de Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay.

Speaker, I am pleased to support this legislation enabling representation of the Acadian community of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay. I'm glad to stand and join my voice with others who share the support of this bill. This represents an important step for Acadian representation in Nova Scotia. I'm glad to see it move forward.

[Page 4625]

I've been very fortunate in the roles that I've had, to be able to be involved in a number of really important initiatives, I think, that have expanded access to Acadian representation, and also language education. I was really, really fortunate and very grateful to be the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development at a time where I had the opportunity to work closely with the CSAP, and introduce legislation affirming the CSAP's role and ensuring that we had clear legislative support for publicly funded French first language education in the province.

That was something that I was incredibly proud of and really appreciated the collaboration with the CSAP through the work on that. It recognized the role of the CSAP in upholding minority language rights and reflected certainly my personal commitment to preserving the French language in the province. It was a very collaborative effort with the CSAP, to ensure that the bill aligned with the needs of Nova Scotia's French-speaking communities. I was really grateful to be a part of that.

I was also really grateful and proud to be the Minister of Justice when we moved forward with the initialization of this work, to ensure that the community of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay had Acadian representation. I had the opportunity to table the resolution which kicked this all off in the Legislature, striking a commission to recommend changes to the boundaries of the existing electoral districts as necessary to ensure compliance with the mandate. As a result of that, we struck a committee. The committee of MLAs determined the commission's terms of reference, which has now led us here. I'm grateful now to be in a position to be able to support this legislation, which sees that through.

I rise first to say that, and then the second piece that I want to add is my support for the comments that were raised regarding two other elements that could be part of this and should be part of this.

The first is in respect of what this means for the elections. We know government - the bill as proposed is moving forward only with a by-election for the community of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay. That is an unusual step to take. Typically, when we see a redrafting of boundaries like this, across Nova Scotia and across Canada what would normally be the practice is that both or all of the impacted ridings or constituencies would be subject to a by-election.

I believe the Minister of Justice indicated - I may be paraphrasing, but I think I got the content that this was a step they were taking - not having an election in Inverness to minimize disruption. I would submit that, as much expense and effort as elections take, they should never be characterized as disruptions. They are foundational to representation.

I raise this because the approach government is taking is not consistent with practice, but also it is something that both community members who submitted to the commission raised as a concern of theirs. The communities who are impacted by this raised this very issue - and I can say that in my community it was raised as well - when I shared this bill and sought input. It's an important consideration. What I have heard from community members, both those who are directly impacted and my own, is that they would expect to see and would want to see elections held in both constituencies that are impacted as a result of this boundary change.

[Page 4626]

Finally, I'd also like to offer my support for the comments of others regarding the change of name that was recommended for Inverness and the inclusion of We'koqma'q in that naming. This, I believe, was recommended by the independent commission. For all of the reasons that have already been raised . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. It's very noisy in here. Someone has their phone on. I heard it ding. Please turn your phones off, and please keep it down and respect whomever is talking.

The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

BECKY DRUHAN « » : For all of the reasons that have already been raised in relation to the respect for that community, the importance of that toward reconciliation and the adherence to the recommendations that were made by the independent commission, I suggest that this bill and this step that is being taken would be improved by a name change that reflected all of those things.

With those remarks, I want to reiterate my support for this bill moving forward. I think it marks an important step for Acadian representation in Nova Scotia. I am pleased to see it go ahead.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clare.

RYAN ROBICHEAU « » : Madame la Présidente, je suis ravi de parler sur le projet de loi ici. C'est important d'avoir la représentation acadienne dans l'Assemblée législative.

Speaker, I am pleased to speak on this bill. It's important to have Acadian representation in this Legislative Assembly. I won't speak too long on it, but I was also pleased to be on the committee that put together the commission that did this important work and this report.

I have to go back a bit. When I was a young political nerd, and I wanted to run as an MLA . . . (Laughter)

AN HON. MEMBER: A couple months ago.

RYAN ROBICHEAU « » : . . . a couple months ago, it was one of my dreams to run for the MLA for Clare. However, in 2013, that was taken away from us. But back in 2021, the constituency of Clare was returned to the electoral map. That's why the representation throughout Nova Scotia to have Acadians in this Legislature is important.

I'll finish off by saying that, in my maiden speech in the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, I have that phrase which said, "Uniques, mais unis," which means, "We are unique, but united."

[Page 4627]

I just want to say, from Argyle to Clare to Richmond and now to Chéticamp, we are united as Acadians.

THE SPEAKER « » : If I am to recognize the honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice it will be to close debate on third reading.

[7:30 p.m.]

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : As an old political nerd, I congratulate the member for Clare for his comments, and he is a representative, of course, of a protected constituency, as is the member from Argyle. It's great to have that voice represented in this Legislature. It would be really great to have another MLA representing Cape Breton and the Acadian community.

Speaker, I want to thank all members of the House for their contributions to this debate and their consideration of this legislation.

With that, I move to close debate on Bill No. 203, House of Assembly Act (amended).

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 203.

All those in favour? Contrary minded?

AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: (Inaudible)

THE SPEAKER « » : What? Are you sure you want that? (Laughter) No, I'm serious. Is that what I heard?

There has been a request for a recorded vote.

Ring the bells. Call in the members.

[7:31 p.m.]

[The Division bells were rung.]

[7:33 p.m.]

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. The Clerk will conduct a recorded vote.

[The Clerk called the roll.]

[Page 4628]

YEAS	NAYS
Hon. Brian Comer
Hon. Nolan Young
Hon. Kim Masland
Hon. John Lohr
Hon. Barbara Adams
Hon. Michelle Thompson
Hon. Fred Tilley
Hon. Dave Ritcey
Hon. Twila Grosse
Tom Taggart
Hon. Brad Johns
Adegoke Fadare
Hon. Susan Corkum-Greek
Hon. Leah Martin
Melissa Sheehy-Richard
Hon. John A. MacDonald
Hon. Brian Wong
Brad McGowan
Tim Outhit
Rick Burns
Julie Vanexan
Dianne Timmins
David Bowlby
Nick Hilton
Hon. John White
Hon. Tim Halman
Hon. Scott Armstrong
Hon. Jill Balser
Hon. Colton LeBlanc
Claudia Chender
Lisa Lachance
Susan Leblanc
Hon. Iain Rankin
Hon. Derek Mombourquette
Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin
Suzy Hansen
Kendra Coombes
Hon. Kent Smith
Hon. Greg Morrow
Hon. Tory Rushton
Ryan Robicheau
Hon. Becky Druhan
Damian Stoilov
Danny MacGillivary
Krista Gallagher

[Page 4629]

THE CLERK « » : For, 45. Against, zero.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is carried.

Ordered that the bill do pass and the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 205 for third reading.

Bill No. 205 - Elections Act (amended) and House of Assembly Act (amended).

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : I move that Bill No. 205 be now read a third time.

It is important for legislation to keep pace with the times. These amendments to the Elections Act and the House of Assembly Act do just that. Bill No. 205 will help ensure our elections are modern, streamlined, less costly, and easier to navigate. These amendments respond directly to expert advice and ensure the legislative framework keeps pace with modern electoral practices.

The amendments mainly come from recommendations by the Chief Electoral Officer after the 2021 and 2024 elections. Bill No. 205 will remove the requirement for candidates to pay a $200 nomination deposit. It will allow candidates to pay for publicity costs directly with their personal credit card. It will remove the requirement for returning officers to reside within the electoral district in which they are appointed. It will clarify rules regarding the transfer of services, money, or property with respect to situations where a candidate later runs as an Independent or for a different registered party. It increases the threshold for when a candidate's expenses need to be audited to $1,000 from $500.

These changes will have a positive impact on our elections. I will now take my seat and listen to my colleagues' comments.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : I just have a few comments to make about this bill. These updates are important. They modernize our election rules and make it easier for people to take part as voters, as volunteers - we know that elections rely on volunteers - and candidates. These changes were recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer and supported by all parties, but I think there's still a lot more that we could do to modernize our electoral system and encourage voter engagement.

[Page 4630]

Voter engagement or turnout decreases when trust in government and politicians decreases. In November 2024, we had the lowest voter turnout ever in Nova Scotia. Since then this government has brought forward many new laws quickly, without citizen engagement, rushed through the law-making process, centralized power in the hands of ministers, took power away from citizens, all the while characterizing Nova Scotians as special interests.

Trust, respect, and social cohesion make for better governance, better outcomes come from money that is spent when we are collectively engaged and collectively connected.

I implore all members to ensure that what they are doing as MLAs helps rebuild the trust we all need. MLAs, making sure that you understand the bills before us, that are becoming laws, stepping up in your communities even when it is uncomfortable - not unsafe but uncomfortable.

Nova Scotians work hard, they work together; communities are mobilizing together to understand the implications of government decisions, yet they don't often see or hear from their representatives in many areas. We should all be concerned by how to ensure that Nova Scotians trust our government, by working with and not against communities.

All the changes, as I said, proposed in this law were unanimously agreed to by all political parties but we do believe we can do a lot more to get Nova Scotians engaged. We must do a lot more to get Nova Scotians engaged in our shared democracy.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I am pleased to rise today to speak at third reading on this bill. Broadly speaking, as we mentioned before, this bill is largely positive. We support the government making these changes that mostly come from suggestions from Elections Nova Scotia. This is how the process should work - experts making suggestions on legislative changes and the government implementing changes.

I will note that the government didn't make all the changes that Elections Nova Scotia recommended. I hope the government continues to engage with stakeholders to improve the process related to our elections because we are in the middle of a democratic crisis in Nova Scotia. Voter turnout in the last election was under 45 percent. Among 18-to-24-year-olds the turnout was under 20 percent. This is a crisis. The government needs to take this seriously and respond accordingly, with proper planning and legislation.

I don't think that any MLA in here wants to go thorough another election without voter information cards, or with last-minute changes to polling sites. So while we support this bill there is always more work to do to improve our democracy and improve our voter turnout. Let me tell you, I've seen some of the protests lately and I don't think that voter turnout will improve in the next election if people are passionate.

[Page 4631]

The government should be doing everything it can to make voting as easy as possible for everyone. Good voter turnout is good for all of us. As MLAs, we should seek to represent a broad range of our constituents. We can best accomplish that when voters are engaged in the political process.

I'm glad to see provisions in the bill to ensure that internet voting is available for Canadian Armed Forces members. The government should be looking beyond that, to ensure that online voting is accessible as much as possible to everyone.

There are provisions related to mail-in ballots and advance voting that we should adopt from Elections Canada. Federally, Elections Canada hosts four days of advance voting, in Nova Scotia it is only two. We should be looking to see what other provinces are doing to increase voter turnout but I don't see the government taking that issue seriously enough.

While we are voting in favour of this bill, I hope that this is the beginning of a conversation, not the end of one. We need to have a conversation in all parts of our province about the importance of voting and civic engagement in general. I hope there are more legislative changes coming.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : This is a really important bill to me, personally, but I think it's a really important bill for all Nova Scotians and a really important bill for the future of democracy here in our province.

I want to begin by recognizing that when we amend the Elections Act we are not simply adjusting administrative rules, as suggested. We are actually shaping the foundation of democracy. We're shaping who can participate, how they can participate, and whether the participation is meaningful. Several of the changes contained in this bill respond to issues that have been identified over time but they've left out a lot of the recommendations.

[7:45 p.m.]

My colleague who just spoke referenced the last election. I will remind everyone, because it was a while ago now, but the Premier's very first bill tabled here in this Legislature, I believe, was a fixed election date. It was something that he campaigned on. It was something that, when he was in Opposition, he said he would do. Then he didn't follow it. Instead, he chose an election date that benefited him and his party, not democracy.

He didn't choose an election date that would get the best voter turnout. He chose an election date that, based on research and history, showed more Progressive Conservatives would get out to vote. That's why he chose that date. He went against his own very first piece of legislation that he tabled here. He went against his own word, saying that that was important.

[Page 4632]

I don't have something to table, but I will paraphrase. He spoke, before choosing that last election date, about the reason it was important to have a fixed date was so that people didn't gain the election time for their own personal benefit and gain. He said that. I'm paraphrasing, but that's what he meant.

Anytime there is a change to the Elections Act, it matters because it is either strengthening democracy or it is weakening democracy. Every time we weaken democracy, we are weakening our future for our children. Whenever I stand to speak about democracy, I like to reference our veterans, and I like to reference what we all stand and say on Remembrance Day and say we believe in and support. If you do that and then make very direct decisions that go against that, your words mean nothing.

Coming back to Bill No. 205, some things were changed like removal of the nomination deposit - and I support that. I am glad to see that. It addresses a barrier that was raised. For some individuals considering whether to step forward, even a modest financial requirement can be enough to discourage participation. That barrier removal was a first step, but so many other barriers were left, and I believe left there on purpose to inhibit people from running who maybe the Premier doesn't want to run.

Last election, there were either 18 or 19 people who tried to run as an Independent who were refused by Elections Nova Scotia because they didn't meet their requirements, and it is currently going through court. It is being challenged in court about the constitutionality of that decision against that ruling.

One of the things that was changed by Elections Nova Scotia or under Elections Nova Scotia a while ago that led to one of the reasons why these Independents were not able to run was because of the changes made requiring an auditor for the form. If you did not have someone to say they would audit the election paperwork, then you couldn't run. It used to be the case that anyone who was a chartered accountant in the province could audit election reports, but not anymore. Now they have to have a course, so there are actually not that many people on the list.

The reality is that most chartered accountants don't want to do that kind of work. They are busy enough, and they don't want to be bothered with it. It's very complex and anyone who works with their official agent knows that. They are not easy forms to fill out and they are not easy forms to audit.

I believe there are 129 people on this list of auditors. Well, you can call every one of those people, and if every one of those auditors says, "No, I'm not available," you can't run in an election in this province.

That almost happened to me because the auditor I had in 2021, right before the election, lost a partner - a business partner. That business partner moved on and took a job somewhere else. My chartered accountant was overwhelmed with the work that he had before him. He had the same amount of work but one less chartered accountant. When the election was called, and I contacted him to get him to sign it, he said, "Elizabeth, I can't do it." He said, "I am drowning right now."

[Page 4633]

I started calling around, and I kept getting the same answer: no. Forty-eight hours went by, and I had no auditor. I almost wasn't able to run again for my third term as MLA because of the requirement to have to have this auditor agree to do your books.

I have friends who are CPAs who aren't on this approved list who were literally calling their friends around the province, trying to find someone who would be willing to do this for me. As I said, most CPAs do not want to do this kind of work. Most of them are very busy, and elections only happen every three to five years. There are papers that they're not used to auditing. They don't want to be bothered with it.

Thankfully, I found an auditor, but it was within hours of the deadline. That was stressful.

The reality is that 18 or 19 other Nova Scotians wanted to be part of democracy in this province, and they weren't able to find one. That is a barrier that should be changed - absolutely should be changed - and it may be changed. Depending on what happens with this court case, it may be something that a judge rules needs to be changed and may be brought here to the Legislature as the result of a court ruling. I'm not sure. We'll see.

As an MLA running for my third term, it wasn't a barrier that I was expecting to have to deal with, and it created a lot of stress. That's something that could have been in this, and Elections Nova Scotia and the government are well aware that this is a problem.

My colleague who just spoke also referenced voter ID cards. On March Break, I was watching CPAC because we weren't here. I am a nerd sometimes. I was watching CPAC, and it was a case around irregularities with the federal election. It was around ballots that had gone missing, I believe. It was interesting to hear the litigation and to hear the evidence that was brought forth.

This is serious. What happens during elections affects democracy. You may all recall that Canada Post was on strike, so there were no voter ID cards. I'm not sure what it's like in urban areas, but in rural areas, people rely on those voter ID cards. They don't know where to go to vote otherwise. It's not necessarily the same location every election. It's also - sometimes people get confused between municipal, provincial, and federal elections, and the polling areas can be different - the places to vote - so the voter ID cards are important, and there were no voter ID cards last time.

Now, Elections Nova Scotia and this government could have done something to fix that, but nothing was done. I believe it was done on purpose. I do. I believe it was done on purpose. This government knew that they would have a greater chance of winning - and more seats - without those voter ID cards. I believe that completely.

I do want to say a big shoutout to my team because this is an example of how incredible they are. This little project was led by my son, Thomas . . .

[Page 4634]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount on a point of order.

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : Speaker, there are a lot of accusations being thrown around, and I don't think it's legitimate and relevant to this bill that we're discussing tonight.

THE SPEAKER « » : It's not a point of order.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : As I was saying, there were no voter ID cards. Yes, there was a Canada Post strike, but if this government really wanted people to know where to go to vote, they could have had voter ID cards printed. There are lots of private companies that could have been hired to deliver voter ID cards.

That is exactly what my campaign team did, 48 hours before final election day, led by my son Thomas and Alex Wilson, who was working on the campaign. They literally took - I believe there are 32 polling areas in Cumberland North. They got the list of every polling station, they got out a map, and they printed off voter ID cards for every household in Cumberland North. Over a period of two days before election day, we were out putting voter ID cards in every mailbox - including me at about 11 o'clock at night in the Malagash area. I did that. Our team did that. We got out voter ID cards. We had a pretty high voter turnout, and I believe the voter ID cards made a difference.

That is something that could have been done and wasn't. That is something that could have been changed in the legislation, as well, to make sure that constituents - people - get voter ID cards so they know where to go to vote. If the government really wanted to strengthen democracy, wanted to make sure the voter turnout increased, and wanted to make sure people voted, they would ensure that that doesn't happen again and that there is a plan - a contingency plan - put in place for the future. If there's a problem with Canada Post during an election, there's a plan put in place to ensure people get their voter ID cards. In rural Nova Scotia, that matters.

There were some positive changes made to this bill - in Bill No. 205 - but it does not go far enough. Under Section 194, an electoral district association can only be registered if it is submitted by the official agent of a registered party and includes a statement signed by the leader of that registered party confirming the party's endorsement of the association. In other words, the bill creates a permanent local political structure for party candidates and party candidates only - no equivalent structure for independent candidates.

That matters because a permanent local structure isn't just paperwork. It's how campaigns are built between elections. It's how volunteers are organized and how support is maintained. A party candidate can rely on that structure, but an independent candidate cannot. For anybody who is listening who thinks this doesn't matter, you may find yourself in this situation some day. You never know.

[Page 4635]

[8:00 p.m.]

If you stand for fair representation and rights in this Chamber and in Nova Scotia, then you would stand for the Elections Act to be amended so that any person in Nova Scotia could run for public office fairly, without discrimination, whether they run for a registered political party, or whether they run as an Independent. Our province is abnormal in the way things are structured, because many other provinces and territories - and I've researched this - do allow for Independent candidates to have an Electoral District Association, or the equivalent.

Now, even though I can't legally have one, I do have an advisory board. When the Premier made his decision to remove me, all 12 of my board members walked from the EDA, from the PC Party, to stand with me with the advisory board. They're all still with me today, with the exception of Dr. Paul van Boxel, who recently passed.

But what Elections Nova Scotia say, because an Independent candidate cannot have an Electoral District Association, it also means that you can't write tax receipts. That affects fundraising. I believe that's exactly what the Premier would want. He would want people to be disadvantaged to try to ensure that Independents can't get elected.

If the government truly wanted fair equal representation, for there to be an even playing field, then why would you allow the Elections Act to stay as it is now? It's been clearly communicated to the CEO of Elections Nova Scotia, by me, by lawyers, that as the Elections Act currently stands, it is discriminatory and it needs to change.

We all know fundraising is a very important part of our campaigns. Everyone else here has campaigns with the support of their EDA, and likely would have had people helping fundraise, and been able to issue them a tax receipt. Independent candidates don't have that luxury. So it does affect the ability for a candidate, who is not with a registered party, to fundraise. That's wrong. Any person in this Chamber who believes in fairness can see that is wrong.

I'm not bringing this up for me, because I've been elected twice as an Independent. I've made it work. I've had an incredible, strong team. They may not have had the title or legal entity of Electoral District Association, but I had their support and we worked with what we had. I stand to make these comments, Speaker, because they aren't fair. I do so in the spirit of democracy, and for any Nova Scotian who decides they want to run, and not with a registered political party, they should be treated fairly. They should be able to issue tax receipts for their donations. You can issue a tax receipt for a donation, but only during the writ period. Everyone who has run a campaign knows how crazy the writ period is. It's just a full-on sprint - a hundred miles an hour.

I wanted to make those comments because this was an opportunity. The fact that the Elections Act is before the House was an opportunity to strengthen it for all Nova Scotians and to remove the barriers that absolutely do exist here in this province that don't exist in other provinces.

[Page 4636]

There's an MLA - an MPP, they're called in Ontario - Bobbi Ann Brady, she's an incredible woman. Elected twice as an independent. She was a constituency coordinator for an MPP there for quite a few years - I believe something like 18 years. She worked in an office for that local area. She was lined up to be the next candidate when her MPP retired. Everyone supported her, but someone didn't like her: the Premier of Ontario. She was not approved as a candidate because the leader of the party didn't like her. That's not democracy. Who should decide who's running: the community, the people, or the leader of a political party? If it's the leader of a political party, that's not democratic.

Anyway, to finish off the story about Bobbi Ann Brady, she ran and did something that is quite rare. Her first time running, she won as an Independent, and she won the last election in Ontario. It was crazy - the numbers. She literally won by 90 percent. It was a complete landslide. Her people love her because she has, what somebody said to me - Speaker, you'll appreciate this. Someone said to me, my first election as an Independent - it was election day, and I got a text message. They said, "You've got the heart of an angel and the balls of a trucker." I hope that's not unparliamentary.

THE SPEAKER « » : It's over the line, but the House didn't react, so I will let it go. Just - nobody say that again, please. (Laughter) Stop that.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : I thought the Speaker would appreciate those comments.

When I think of Bobbi Ann Brady, I think of that because I feel like it applies to her too. She's there representing her people. She's going to say what needs to be said, and if it upsets Doug Ford, so be it because she knows what her job is. She knows she's there to represent the people of her area.

Things can get cloudy. There are strengths and weaknesses, but one of the beautiful parts of being an Independent is that there's no conflict. You're there to represent your people. There's nobody telling me, "You're going to be punished," or "Maybe you'll lose part of your pay or maybe a position or your critic role. You might lose that if you don't vote how I tell you or if you don't say what somebody who is unelected behind a curtain tells you to say."

When you're an Independent, that's not the case. You're literally there to work for the people. There's no conflict about: Who do I serve? You're there to serve the people. I want to make that comment again in support of Bobbi Ann Brady. She lives that each and every day. I love watching her.

[Page 4637]

What I wanted to point out that's different here with our Elections Act. In Ontario as an independent, they have an EDA. They're allowed to have an EDA. They're also allowed to write tax receipts for a donation, and it should be the same here in Nova Scotia.

We should work to create a level playing field.

In Section 268 of the Elections Act, it says that if excess contributions remain after a candidate's expenses are paid, and the political affiliation of a candidate is shown on the ballot as a registered party, those funds may be paid to a local organization or association of members of that party in the district or to the official agent of the registered party. In any other case, the excess goes to the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board.

So a party candidate can help build future capacity. Let's say you have a campaign. People have been very generous. You've got an extra $10,000 or $15,000. If you're with a party, you can keep that money in your bank account and start building your war chest for the next election. But if you're an independent candidate, if you have any money left over in your campaign account, it has to be paid out to the government.

Because of that, my team and I watch our bank account closely, and we ensure we fund every dollar. In fact, during the first campaign that I ran as an independent, in the fourth week, we told people to keep their money because I knew we had so much money donated that we would not be able to spend it all. We had pretty much purchased everything we possibly could have. Even then, on election day, in order to make sure we weren't paying money to the government, we paid local businesses to give free ice cream, and it was not partisan because it didn't matter who you were voting for, but kids or anybody could have free ice cream. I know, it's legal, but I said that if people are donating money - well, I guess if you wanted an ice cream as well, Minister of Public Works, you could have had one too.

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. Here's one thing I know, I'm not giving out ice cream. Everybody just respect the person who is speaking. Order.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Thank you, Speaker. Just to clarify, to make sure that none of my donors' money had to be given to the government, our campaign gave it to local businesses to give out ice cream to anybody of any age who wanted it, and it's perfectly legal. I don't appreciate the members opposite alleging that.

THE SPEAKER « » : I let your comment go.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : I know. I'm just saying. None of that would be necessary if the government took this opportunity to create a level playing field with this Elections Act. If somebody made a donation to the member for Halifax Atlantic, why should his donations, if he was an Independent candidate, have to be paid out to the government?

[Page 4638]

I'm sure that member would want to be able to keep that money in his coffers for the next election, and that's what happens in other provinces, but not here in Nova Scotia. So my team and I say to our donors: If we don't need the money for the campaign, we recommend they keep it because their money shouldn't be - if it's not needed for the campaign, it should stay in their own pockets, rather than be given to the government after an election.

The other thing I want to highlight is that the Act gives party identity a built-in visibility advantage on the ballot, itself, and this is also something the government could have fixed and amended in this bill, while it's here on the floor. On election day ballots, a candidate endorsed by a registered party has the name or abbreviation of the party printed under the candidate's name. A candidate who is not endorsed by a registered party has only the word, Independent.

Also - I think it's 14 days until nominations are closed - there are no names on the ballot. So if you are with the Liberal Party and someone knows they want to vote for the Liberal Party, they check that box. But if they want to vote for an Independent - or let's say there is more than one Independent running - they have to write the name in, and it's not always clear. It's not always clear.

What we have asked for, my team and I, is that the ballots should have people's names on them. My community was really upset. They thought that something was happening. They thought the government was trying to trick people, and so my team and I did a little video. We kind of made a mock ballot out of cardboard and showed people where to write in, did a little video, and shared it around to help people when they went to vote, so they knew how to fill out the ballot.

Even later on, once nominations closed, the ballots for write-in ballots or the ones if they go to people's homes, if somebody say, has a disability or they just had a knee operation and can't go out to vote, when Elections Nova Scotia staff go to their home to get them to fill out a ballot, they also don't have any names on them. Even after the nomination period is closed, they only have a party and a blank line, if there is a candidate.

That is something that could have been fixed. Elections Nova Scotia is well aware of it. I realize that even if Elections Nova Scotia recommended for those changes, it's this government that has the final say of what is brought forth in this legislation. I am actually quite confident that Elections Nova Scotia, the staff there probably did want to make some of the changes that I'm recommending, based on some of the conversations that I've had with them.

[8:15 p.m.]

The other thing that I wanted to see in this Elections Act, since it's being amended, is actual enforcement of the rules. There are all kinds of rules that are broken during election campaigns. Nobody enforces them, even if somebody calls and reports. I brought this up last time: The first time I ran - I often naively think everyone is just going to follow the rules. Then when they don't and nothing is done about it, I'm shocked. People will ask, "Why are you still shocked?" I still am. I always assume people are going to be truthful and honest, but that's not always the case.

[Page 4639]

In 2021, the Liberals here had Bill Casey run for them. He was their candidate. He not only got approval to put his campaign office right beside the returning office, literally right beside it, with big campaign posters, he would stand out in front of the returning office every day, shaking everyone's hands as they were waiting in line to go in and vote. My team was furious. It actually benefited me, because it actually fuelled my campaign team. They were so mad about it. It just made them work even harder. They felt it was so discriminatory.

My point is that there's no enforcement. There really wasn't anything done, other than he might have got a call and told to stop doing it, but he didn't. He figured he could get away with it, so why not? Then, to make matters worse, the last election, the PC candidate, Bill Dowe, they put his campaign office right beside the returning office as well. Same thing. The last thing people would see going into the returning office was the big PC sign. If you look at the rules, it actually violates the rules, but there's no enforcement.

This is an opportunity to amend the legislation while it's on the floor of the House to make sure that's it's fair for all and to make sure that the rules that are here are actually enforceable.

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. The honourable Minister of Opportunities and Social Development.

HON. BARBARA ADAMS « » : The member's made several references to the fact that things were violated and not enforced. She alluded to the fact that Elections Nova Scotia staff made comments to her that they were in agreement with her for some of the things that she's suggesting. I was the Minister of Justice at the time, so I'm aware of conversations that went on with Elections Nova Scotia. I'm wondering if the member could table those assertions that she just made about five minutes ago, that they were in agreement with what she was saying.

THE SPEAKER « » : I will ask for you to table those. Also, I ask for people to stay on the bill. I've been giving lots of leeway here tonight, and there's been some banter back and forth. Everybody's lovely and whatnot, but please stay on the bill.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : The references that I'm making with conversations with Elections Nova Scotia were phone conversations. I do not have those transcribed, so I cannot table those, but thank you to the member for asking me. If I had them transcribed, I certainly would table them.

[Page 4640]

Going back to my comment, it is important that if we're going to have something in law, there is an ability to enforce the law and enforce the rules. That is something that right now I do believe is missing from the Elections Act. That's something that could have been added to this bill. It's something that I'm sure my campaign is not the only one that has seen violations of the Elections Act. When I hear about some of the things that have happened around the province, I think it's actually pretty common, unfortunately. Probably they hear from every campaign from all of our constituencies, all 55. It would probably benefit the staff at Elections Nova Scotia if there was more of an ability to enforce that. I did hear that from them directly during phone conversations.

Another thing in the Act: It does not include - let me see. Just make sure I don't forget anything. I do want to make a comment about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It states: "Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for the membership therein."

What is this really saying? It guarantees the right to vote and it guarantees the right to be qualified to run. But the courts have made it very clear that it's not simply a technical right and it's not satisfied by a mere existence of a ballot, it is a right to meaningful participation in the democratic process.

Meaningful participation, in Figueroa v. Canada (Attorney General), the Supreme Court of Canada made it clear that Section 3 protects the right of each citizen to play a meaningful role in the electoral process, not just to vote but to participate in a way that is real and effective.

Speaker, you may ask, why does that matter here? When the structure of our election laws make participation significantly more difficult for some, it does not just affect those candidates, it affects voters. It affects whether voters have real choices. It affects whether new voices can emerge and it affects whether communities can be represented in another way that reflects them.

Political parties play an important role in our system. They organize ideas and they provide structure and they bring people together with common ideas and policies. They are central to how our democracy operates but they are not the system itself. There are many Nova Scotians who do not feel represented by party structures and they want something different. They want to see individuals step forward and represent their communities directly.

I am not saying that as a criticism of parties, it is a recognition of how diverse people's views are and how diverse people's experiences are. Not every political party that exists here in Nova Scotia right now represent the views and experiences of all Nova Scotians. Our laws should be strong enough to reflect that reality.

We have an opportunity here. It's not too late, there is still a vote. There could be a vote to not pass this bill as it exists and send it back for further work.

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When we look at participation and when we look at access, it is what either strengthens or weakens our democratic process. The amendments I have brought forth in Committee of the Whole on Bills were part of that effort. I want to be clear, they weren't brought forward for me. I've already said that, Speaker. I bring them forth and I place these comments here for the future and for future candidates, for the next person who wants to step forward who may not be part of a party structure, for the person who simply wants to serve their community and for the person who listens to neighbours, listens to a community and believes they have something to offer here in this Legislature.

The things that I've suggested are practical and they are grounded in one principle, that participation in our democracy should be strong and as open as possible. As I said, I've spoken with individuals who want to run as an Independent in the future elections. They don't necessarily align completely with any one party, but who hear the voices of those in their own area and feel that if they came to this House they could make a difference.

They want to represent those voices. They should have an opportunity to put their name on the ballot and be able to be part of the democratic process.

Because of the way this current Act is structured, an Independent has very little chance to build and sustain a campaign in the same way that a party-backed candidate can. I am not saying that to make people feel bad, I'm just stating it is a fact of the way it is structured. It is structured purposely to disadvantage those who are not part of the party system.

Some people here in the House may know this but others may not. Nunavut is our newest territory, and it is set up - I love it actually - the legislative chamber is set up similar to the Knights of the Round Table; it's oval and round. It's not set up in an adversarial manner. It's set up more of a consensus-building approach. Every elected representative is an independent. I have no doubt that there's still conflict, but I also know that there is less. There are alliances built, but those alliances are built not on an authoritarian or fear-based style of leadership. Alliances are built more based on what is most important to the people that they represent. In some communities or some areas of Nunavut, natural resource development might be important, but in other areas it might be health care. Those alliances are formed based on the needs of the people that they represent, again, not a fear-based approach, do as you're told or follow these ways or you'll be punished.

I believe democracy matters. I believe very strongly in that. This Bill No. 205 is an opportunity to make democracy stronger here in the Province of Nova Scotia. Again, I encourage people to vote against this bill and to recommend that the minister take it back to Elections Nova Scotia for further input.

There's no question that as the rules currently stand, they are discriminatory. Those rules can be changed to create a more even playing field. Like I said, there is currently a case before the courts right now. We'll see what the findings of that court case are. I'm not involved in that because I was able to find an auditor to sign my papers, but sadly that is a barrier and shouldn't be. It's one that could be removed if we really wanted to strengthen democracy. If we really wanted to strengthen voter turnout in this province, encourage the Premier to go back to his fixed election date as he campaigned on, as he said was important.

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Participation should not be seen as a threat. Participation should be seen as part of democracy and something positive. More voices are not a weakness. They are a sign of democratic health and should be welcomed. If some people feel disconnected from party structures, a healthy democracy does not shut that down.

Speaker, in closing, I want to return to Section 3 of the Charter. At the core, this is not a debate about administrative changes to the Elections Act. It's really a debate about participation. Throughout my comments, I have had a few members from government chirp me and get upset at some of the things I have said. Stand up. When I'm done, they can stand up and have their say. I would love to hear their debate on this bill.

Section 3 of the Charter guarantees the right to vote. Section 3 of the Charter, for our country, also says everyone should have the right to a qualified run as a candidate. Those rights should be meaningful, not theoretical, not symbolic.

Meaningful participation requires more than allowing a name on a ballot. It requires that people have a real opportunity to step forward, a real opportunity to be heard, and a real opportunity to represent their communities - not represent a party leader, but represent the people. That's what people want and that's what we tell people when we go door to door. "I'm going to be your voice. I'm going to take your concerns to the Legislature." None of that means anything if an MLA, someone who is elected, then chooses to follow what a party leader tells them to do.

[8:30 p.m.]

That is why we see poor voter turnout, because people are disillusioned and they're sick and tired of the way politics currently exists, not just here in Nova Scotia. People deserve better and changing this bill to create an even playing field would allow a greater chance of that happening.

When we amend the election laws, we are not simply maintaining a system; we are shaping them and we are deciding who can realistically take part. We are deciding how accessible participation will be. We are deciding how well our democracy reflects the people it serves, and there are Nova Scotians who want to serve their communities who currently, under the current Elections Act rules and laws, are seeing too many barriers to be able to participate in democracy.

These people want to step forward for their communities. They want to bring forward new ideas and new perspectives and new voices, and we have a responsibility to make sure that it's not too difficult for them to do so. Our responsibility in here is not to protect ourselves or to protect our party. It is to protect democracy.

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We have a responsibility to ensure that the laws here in this province for the Elections Act reflect the principles of our Constitution of Canada. This bill moves forward in the right direction, but that doesn't go far enough, and when it comes to the foundation of our democracy, we should not stop short. We should aim for a system where participation is meaningful, where opportunity is real, and where every Nova Scotian can see themselves reflected in the process.

We just all voted in favour of the Chéticamp bill. That stands for what I just said. Let's go even further and ensure that we continue to strengthen democracy even more. It's what Nova Scotians deserve and for these reasons, I will not be supporting this bill in third reading, and encourage the government to make positive changes to strengthen democracy here in Nova Scotia and make sure that we are honouring our Constitution of Canada.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : Speaker, I just felt compelled that I had to get up and speak to this bill. I am the member for Northside-Westmount and I support this bill, but there are a couple of things that the Independent member mentioned that I just have to address.

You know, the member there espoused about the dangers of being part of a party. When you go door to door, you have to talk about what you are going to do for the leader. You have to support that leader, no matter what. That's really rich coming from somebody who wanted to be a leader of a party, who was part of a party system, who was probably a member of the federal party, and will be part of that team, probably, going forward at some point.

I felt that the democracy in Nova Scotia is not ruined - it's not a point of order, Speaker.

THE SPEAKER « » : Thanks for trying to do my job, though.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Thank you, Speaker. I do believe that my rights are being violated when another member tells the public about the future of my political career, when it is none of his business and he has no idea what my plans are.

THE SPEAKER « » : That's a disagreement amongst members. That's not - point to the point of privilege it is, then.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, how does the member have the right to espouse . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Point to the point of privilege. Say what it is.

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The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I can't do my job in here if the member is trying to tell the public . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. Order. Disagreement amongst members - a lot of people in here like to throw things at each other, and it is a disagreement amongst members. It does not cross a line.

The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : Thank you, Speaker. I sat here for 45 or 50 minutes listening to the member talking about allegations about what the Premier wanted to do or what this party wanted to do. I called a point of order. I tried that route and realized it's a disagreement among members, so it's my opportunity to get up and talk about what I feel are my rationales. I would caution the member when talking about being an Independent being so much better than being in a party, if in the future you ever want to be part of a party, that could not be good.

Another thing - and I'll let that go. The other thing that I - before I go over the line, another thing that I want to address is when the member was talking about the barrier to Independents due to not being able to secure an auditor. I think the member mentioned there are 190 people who are trained to be auditors in this province. The funny part for me is that we want transparency, and we want accountability on this hand, yet we shouldn't have everybody have to have their election stuff audited. That's crazy, and if an auditor won't take you on as a client, that tells you something. At the end of the day, there are auditors out there. I'm a CPA myself. As the member said, they don't want to take on the work. It's a lot of work, and that's granted, but there are 190 in this province who are willing. What do we have? Fifty-five candidates multiplied by 3 or 4 across the different party lines - I'm not good at math. I'm just an accountant. (Laughter)

I'm sorry, Speaker. I wrote my notes in crayon because I thought this was just an absurd bit of a debate here. Again, when we look at audited statements, they're important for democracy. We are collecting money from the general public, and we are supposed to be spending that money on election materials not ice cream. I'm sorry, but I disagree with the member; that is not right. You can't go and take money that you've collected from John Doe and Jane Doe and then give it to a business and say, "Whoever pops in, give them ice cream." Wink, wink. "Say it's from the candidate from Cumberland North." You can't do that. Maybe Elections Nova Scotia is listening, and they may want to take a note on that.

The third piece that I want to mention is about the voter identification cards. The allegation was made that we did that on purpose. We told Elections Nova Scotia not to send out those voter cards because we don't want our people to go vote. That's absurd. The member says she wants to put in legislation a way to make sure, if Canada Post goes on strike at another election, that we find a way. So what we're going to do is we're going to ask Elections Nova Scotia to build a warehouse and house a bunch of carrier pigeons. (Laughter) The carrier pigeons will deliver the voter cards if Canada Post ever goes on strike. Just absurd - some of the pieces.

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The final piece that I'm going to address, because it's important to me - and this is an important piece. The member indicated that the Premier kicked her out of a party, and then she was forced to go as an Independent. Well, I can tell you one thing; this Premier is a man of integrity and is a man who I was drawn to in a leadership role. The only way you get kicked out of a party is if you deserve it. I'm sorry, but that's the case here, and to place that on the plate of the Premier is not fair. I want it on the record, Speaker, that you can't go out and do something that is against all of Nova Scotia and expect to stay in a party where someone has to do the right things. So allegations can go both ways.

With that, I will say that I'm supporting the bill and I'm sorry I had to address these points.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : I appreciate the opportunity to stand and talk about Bill No. 205. I have a few things that I want to say but I first want to respond to one thing that the member for Northside-Westmount said. There's a bunch of things that he said that I'm just not going to dignify with a response, but I do want to finish his equation for him because he mentioned he was a chartered accountant but not good at math and I thought that was actually a helpful exercise that he started but didn't finish. The issue that my colleague, the other Independent member, raised is there are not enough auditors and having not enough auditors means that people who are interested in running in an election may be excluded from that and so he began down a path of identifying that we have 55, soon to be 56, constituencies and we have three recognized parties.

You can guarantee that each one will run a candidate and very regularly we have another party or an Independent. If we average that out and say there are four in each constituency, we have 190 auditors but there will be 224 candidates. There are not enough auditors. By his very own admission and the math that he embarked upon but couldn't finish, he proved the point he was trying to disprove. There are not enough auditors and that poses a significant barrier for all of us potentially because there's definitely the possibility that a variety of Independent members who are members from smaller parties will get access to auditors who exist and some of the established parties, possibly even the government, may find themselves out of luck and not having an auditor to represent them. That's a very distinct possibility and so I would think they should be equally concerned about the barriers that that particular provision poses to democracy, to any one of us who may wish to run again, to anyone who is seeking to run, and more important than the individuals who want to run, all of Nova Scotians who should have the ability to be represented by whomever they choose, not just the people who won the auditor lottery and managed to secure an auditor first out of the limited pool that's available, which we have just established will not be enough likely for the next election.

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Having said that, changes to an Elections Act should be about engagement, representation, and support and preservation of democracy. That should be the lens. That should be the lens with which we view changes that are foundational to the Elections Act which is foundational to the support of our democratic institution and representation. Our system is fragile. Our democratic system is fragile. We see democracy under assault internationally. We see democracy under assault at times domestically and we see locally here the challenges that democracy is facing. We don't have to look any further than declining voter turnout. That right there is a key indicator of the way in which democracy is struggling. So I hope that we can all agree on the importance of this as a lens when we're talking about the Elections Act: the need to preserve and support democracy. That should be the only lens through which we view this particular piece of legislation

I just want to talk for a couple of minutes. I won't belabour the point just about what this bill is, why we've got it, and some of the elements of it that I think are important. What is the bill about? After each provincial election, the chief electoral officer reports on how the election was conducted and often the chief electoral officer offers recommendations for improvement.

[8:45 p.m.]

Government can then choose whether or not to move ahead with those recommendations, and Bill No. 205, the Elections Act, follows that pattern. We regularly see legislation tabled after a Chief Electoral Officer reports on the outcome and the process of an election that was conducted.

This particular bill does reflect a number of recommendations from the 2024 election, but they are largely administrative ones, and they leave out key changes relating to finance. It also includes a few changes that were not actual recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer.

Bill No. 205 makes targeted administrative changes, removes the nomination deposit, which we've heard discussed and does reduce a barrier or remove a barrier, which I think is a good thing. It updates certain voting procedures, including write-in ballots. We've had conversation about that and the impact that may have for people who are not part of a party, allowing the limited use of personal credit cards for campaign expenses, enabling electronic sharing of voter participation data and updating MLA eligibility language.

There are a few things that this bill does not do. I mean there's a lot of things the bill does not do, but there are a few things that I think bear mentioning that the bill does not do. My colleague, the member for Cumberland North, mentioned a number of these as well, but I'm going to go through them. Some of them are offered in a different lens.

I would submit that Bill No. 205 does nothing to address declining voter participation, which is one of our significant challenges in the support for and preservation of democracy in Nova Scotia. There's really nothing there to me that does much for that.

[Page 4647]

It does expand internet voting, but only to a very limited group. I think that's positive, but I think there could be consideration that goes beyond that.

It does not remove key barriers for Independents and smaller parties. I have just personally spoken about one of those. We've heard the member for Cumberland North speak about others. Not only does it not remove key barriers but it actually introduces additional barriers, and this is a problem.

It also doesn't fully implement or go any further down the road of the question of transparency and reformations around electoral finance issues. It also introduces some elements of discretion in the operation of elections. I know our election staff are very diligent, and they work really hard to apply rules, but whenever you have discretion you introduce the likelihood that community members will question the exercise of discretion.

That is through no fault of anyone who has that authority to use their discretion. That's the nature of discretion. It opens the opportunity for rules to be applied in different ways, even with the best intentions, and it opens the opportunity even if those rules aren't applied in different ways for Nova Scotians to question the possibility that they are, which undermines confidence and undermines faith in our system.

What I've heard that people are concerned about. This may not relate specifically to what is in the bill but what should be in the bill, from people's perception. One of those elements is oversight and reporting of finance and potential misconduct. There is an interest publicly in ensuring we have better transparency. These are not public funds - I recognize that - but funds associated with elections.

There is little in here to improve voter access and participation, which should be a key driver to changes in the Elections Act. There is little in here that constitutes measures to strengthen public confidence as well. It also doesn't meaningfully address fairness concerns raised by Independents and smaller parties. Particularly, it doubles down on some of those issues and creates barriers that are needless.

I would say with resect to the provision on auditors - and that's just the one I'll focus on. I think the other Independent member has done a really good job of outlining the variety of measures that are either in here or are not in here or should be addressed that constitute barriers to Independents and smaller parties.

I will say a little bit more about that provision of auditors. The Minister of Justice did speak earlier in the course of debate on that particular clause, and I appreciate the reason for that. I think I've gotten it correctly; we have seen - not in Nova Scotia, but in another riding across Canada - I don't know if "abuse" is the right word, but the manipulation of candidates such that it really made the election difficult to proceed. We saw - I believe it was over 100, maybe 200 different people registered to be candidates for the purpose of impacting how the result of that election would play out in that constituency.

[Page 4648]

I think that's a valid issue. That's a valid concern. We need rules that ensure that people who are putting their name forward are doing so for the purpose of actually representing and not for the purpose of undermining a valid election and undermining valid candidates' or bona fide candidates' attempts to put their names forward and participate in an election.

The reasoning behind it is sound and justifiable and reasonable, but I think the measure goes too far. Given the math that we just did a few minutes ago, the result of this is going to be - unless we see an influx of auditors, we are going to have a significant number of candidates who will find themselves without representation. I question whether there may be a court intervention around that in terms of the implications of that for our democracy and for representation.

I think that the purpose that the Minister of Justice spoke to could be accomplished with a less stringent measure. I would submit that that particular provision requires an amendment and should have an amendment before this bill passes. We've demonstrated with a very basic mathematical calculation that this is going to have a significant impact on likely the next election that is had in the province - or potentially the next by-election, but definitely the next general election.

Those were really the comments that I wanted to make. I support a number of the provisions of the bill, but I have significant concern with a few of the elements, one of which is that issue around the auditors. More broadly, as I've described, I think the bill doesn't go far enough to achieve the objectives of strengthening our democracy, strengthening representation, and ensuring that Nova Scotians are able to select from all the people they may wish to select from when electing a representative.

For those reasons - although I do support many of the elements of this, because of those issues that I've identified - I'm not supporting the bill. Again, not to take this as a condemnation of everything that's in this bill - this could easily be remedied. This could be remedied with a couple of simple amendments by government to move it forward. If that happened, I would be happy to support it, but as it stands now I can't, because it doesn't do what it should. Further than that, it restricts the ability of people who want to put their names forward to do so. I think that's the opposite direction that we should be going.

For those reasons, I appreciate the comments of the other Opposition MLAs who've spoken on this, and particularly the other Independent member. I won't be supporting the bill unless there are amendments coming forward, but I'm hopeful that maybe we'll see that. I do want to see some of these changes implemented, for sure.

With those words, Speaker, I'll take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : You've already spoken, but I was questioning because I didn't know if it was a point of order or not. Please remember, everyone, if you're going to raise a point of order, say "point of order" nice and loud and clear as you stand.

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If I am to recognize the honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General, it will be to close debate on third reading.

The honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : I listened closely to my colleagues as they commented on Bill No. 205. I'm not going to address too much about this. I think the bill speaks for itself in terms of administrative changes that were recommended by Elections Nova Scotia themselves.

I want to address a bit about the voter identification cards that were traditionally sent out in elections, both federally and provincially, in Nova Scotia. I can say, as someone who has run multiple campaigns, someone who has run as a candidate both federally and provincially, that as a representative of a rural constituency - including at one time where the member for Cumberland North runs as well - our party is representing almost every rural district in this province. We were devastated when those vote cards were not sent out. We wanted them sent out. We have a lot of senior citizens who were not sure where to vote. A lot of them didn't believe they could vote unless they got that card. That was the problem we were facing in many campaigns. As someone who has been a provincial co-campaign Chair, I know for a fact that the central campaign of the Progressive Conservative Party was on the phone to Elections Nova Scotia to make sure that was happening. That's one thing I will address.

With that, I want to thank my colleagues across the aisle for their comments. I move to close debate on Bill No. 205.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 205.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 200.

Bill No. 200 - Cannabis Control Act (amended).

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : I particularly want to thank our House Leader for calling all three of my pieces of legislation in one day. That may be a record, Speaker.

[Page 4650]

I would like to move that Bill No. 200, amendments to the Cannabis Control Act, be read a third time.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

SUZY HANSEN « » : Speaker, I was waiting for the process to happen.

I want everyone to know that on this particular bill, I've said a lot. A lot has been said by a lot of us in this House, and very disappointed that none of the amendments were put forward by government to make any changes. I want to be very clear about a number of things.

We all want our communities to be safe places for everyone to live and work. The way we approach challenges and engage one another matters. Listening to and working with First Nations leadership is not optional. What we have seen from the PC government over the last couple of years is consistent disrespect and disregard for Mi'kmaw chiefs and their communities: A refusal to engage about lifting fracking bans, deep budget cuts that hurt First Nations jobs, programs and services - and now a total refusal to meaningfully engage with Mi'kmaw leadership on matters that directly impact Mi'kmaq across the province.

Nova Scotians understand that working with people you sometimes disagree with is part of being a leader. The Premier should know that. The Premier doesn't get to ignore the law or his constitutional obligations whenever it suits his own agenda, and neither do we, as government officials and MLAs who represent constituencies across this province.

Many First Nations chiefs have spoken out about the government's failed approach. The Chief in Council of We'koqma'q said in a written statement that trust cannot exist where enforcement replaces engagement and where policing measures are used instead of collaborative problem solving. This government has an understanding that they should be following through every piece of legislation in this House that passes through here that needs to be examined by the lenses of a number of different equity-seeking groups. Yet here we see the legislation put forward as is with the problems that it has. We have seen the things that are happening because of that.

[9:00 p.m.]

This government has proven again and again that they won't do the hard work of listening, having hard conversations, and working constructively toward solutions. What we are witnessing in Nova Scotia today is not simply legislation, it is not simply policy, and it is certainly not about public safety, even though that is what this bill is being put forward as. What we are witnessing is a pattern, a timeline. It's a deliberate sequence of decisions that, when laid out plainly, reveal something far more troubling that a cannabis regulation bill. We've seen it in a number of pieces of legislation that came across this floor through our time here. It reveals control, it reveals targeting, and yes, it reveals systemic racism.

[Page 4651]

All Nova Scotians want safe communities and fair laws. The government's legislation proposes sweeping changes, including designating people as law enforcement officers called "illegal cannabis enforcement" - that is what was in the briefing - interfering with judicial decision-making and changing how laws are enforced on reserves. This bill cannot be successful without engagement or buy-in from Mi'kmaw leadership, which this government has to do before they do anything else.

All Nova Scotians deserve clear and consistent rules and a government that handles issues fairly and transparently. I will not belabour this point. We have spoken at length about this particular bill - Bill No. 200. I'm disappointed by the MLAs who are sitting here in this House and those who have been here who have voted and have shown who they stand with and which Nova Scotians they represent. With that, I will take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : I share my colleague's disappointment that we are here. I share the disappointment that has been expressed to me from hundreds of Nova Scotians who have reached out about this bill.

As my colleague just mentioned, we've laid down hours on this floor on this bill. I'm not going to repeat that tonight. We have talked at length about the challenges and problems with this bill as drafted and offered multiple solutions along the way for a path that would be better in so many ways. Disappointing is an understatement - disappointing to me, disappointment to the myriad community members who have reached out to me - that none of those pathways to improvement have been taken up by the government.

I will not go for the full hour, but I want to give an overview of what we're talking about because this is what we're going to vote on, and this is the last kick at this can before it moves forward. I will start with the ray of hope that I have infused a couple of times now and may continue to do as our third readings go on. I'll start with that, and then I'll go back to the overview.

Bill No. 200, an Act to Amend Chapter 3 of the Acts of 2018, the Cannabis Control Act, "comes into force on such day as the Governor in Council orders and declares by proclamation." I'll remind folks what that means. That means it does not take effect as law when we leave here. It does not take effect as law until the Executive Council - until Cabinet - proclaims it to be so, so there is still an opportunity for Nova Scotians to influence the progression of this. Even when we walk away from our final opportunity here on the floor of this Legislature to take a different path, that is not the end of the road for Nova Scotians who still want to try to impact this and try to effect change on this. I want to open with that solution and that ray of light.

What is this bill about? The bill proposes a series of changes to Nova Scotia's cannabis laws. It is focused largely on enforcement, penalties, and compliance. Flying in the face of a variety of suggestions made by multiple people, me included, but many others as well, about how we could improve our cannabis regime, government has chosen to focus strictly on enforcement. To be clear, enforcement absolutely has a role in our system, but we already have one of the most restrictive cannabis regimes in the entire country, and this bill just takes us further in that direction. It expands enforcement powers and increases penalties without addressing the underlying gaps in access, licensing, and fairness that are driving many of these problems at the outset.

[Page 4652]

It introduces new enforcement officers, and we've heard them already referred to as ICE. That is something community members keep coming up with and keep going back to as a reference to their concern around what these officers are and how they will be used. It creates new offenses, including for landlords and advertising. It increases fines and introduces additional financial penalties, and it adds evidentiary provisions that may make enforcement easier. More enforcement, broader powers, and higher penalties is what this offers.

It doesn't offer licensing options for small, private, or community-based operators that would expand access to safe, legal cannabis. It doesn't offer pathways to the expansion of safe, legal cannabis in rural communities where we currently have a deficiency of that, as we examined in depth when we reviewed the availability of Nova Scotia Liquor source.

This absolutely does not strengthen relationships with our Mi'kmaw communities through respectful collaboration. It is, in fact, the exact opposite of that and takes us further down a path of relationship degradation. It does not help further the public's understanding or legal versus illegal retail. It just simply creates pathways to enforce on those. It doesn't support a focused enforcement on genuine risks, such as organized crime. Rather it is just a doubling down on blanket crackdowns, which we know do not work and puts the emphasis and the resources and the focus where they shouldn't be.

People have reached out with so many concerns. I asked for input last night. My time has a really weird way of progressing right now. Last night I reached out to community once again, reminding folks that this bill was progressing through the House, letting people know that we were approaching potential third reading, and I have received hundreds and hundreds of messages on this.

I will not be able to do them justice. I'm not going to go through and read them. I think I don't want to focus on some to the exclusion of others, but they all are reflective of the comments that Opposition has made throughout debate on this bill. They are all reflective of the concern that people have for the direction government is taking around cannabis - cannabis enforcement, cannabis access, the cannabis regime that we have here in Nova Scotia.

The vast majority - I have to dig and dig through these hundreds of responses to find anyone who says anything even remotely positive about government's actions, and when I find them, they are just a blanket recognition that enforcement is necessary. There needs to be access to safe cannabis and harms should be reduced, but the overwhelming majority of people who have reached out from my community specifically and from across Nova Scotia around this bill, they are - Nova Scotia does not support what government is doing here.

[Page 4653]

Nova Scotia community members do not support the direction that Bill No. 200 is taking our province, and taking the cannabis regime, and taking the government's further involvement in law enforcement, and taking the lack of access to safe, licensed cannabis in rural areas. There is almost no public support for this. I'm not going to say no, I'm sure there is some, but it's certainly not showing up in the voices who are reaching out to me.

There are just so many concerns. Just an overview, those concerns include: expanded enforcement in an already restrictive system; new enforcement roles without clear independent safeguards, and we have been over and over this throughout the course of the sitting. Government has still not been able - nobody in government, not the Minister of Justice, not the ministers responsible for each of the departments that have officers within them - nobody has been able to point to the safeguards that need to exist to protect the independence of enforcement officers, so the expansion of that within government is of deep concern to community members - as it should be.

Concerns also include that powers will go beyond inspection and into quasi-policing functions, which is a disturbing step. Governments across the country have a role in enforcement, but regularly, the government's role in enforcement relates more to an inspection-type function and less to a policing function. That is not the direction this is going in.

Concerns also relate to the fact that there is no pathway offered here for smaller community-based operators. To be clear, when government jumps in with enforcement ahead of creating those pathways, what may happen is that people who want to participate will find themselves shut down on the pointy end of the enforcement stick and never find themselves on a path to a bona fide participation in a licensed market, even if government opens it up down the road. Once you've been on the pointy end of that stick, from an enforcement perspective, that pretty regularly precludes you or prevents you from participating in a regulated market. Not only does this not offer that as a pathway, but it is actually going to create a barrier for folks who are currently now not within the licensed regime but who wish to be, so that is a further problem.

The bill in front of us doesn't address continued gaps in rural access. Given the likely result of this for those operators who are not within the licence system now but would like to be, and given the result of a crackdown on enforcement and the likelihood that they will find themselves unable to participate in any future market, this has the risk of deepening the gaps that exist now in rural access and preventing an expansion that would better support safe access in rural communities.

Last but most definitely not least - and certainly the lead that we've led with in many other conversations on this - is the further harm that this path is doing to our relationships with Indigenous communities and the myriad negative consequences associated with that.

[Page 4654]

At its core, this bill increases enforcement without fixing the structural problems in Nova Scotia's cannabis framework. That's what it boils down to, but my goodness, the problems are so much deeper and more significant than that.

For all of those reasons, for the various reasons that I and other members of the Opposition have shared over the course of hours of debate on this, and for the reasons that the Nova Scotians who have reached out - the hundreds, if not thousands of Nova Scotians who have reached out to communicate their frustration and upset with this path, I cannot support this bill. I will not support this bill. I have deep concerns about the potential for this to move forward and the implications it will have for our communities.

I have previously gone over options for a positive path forward in our cannabis regime. Those are out there for anyone who wants to see them. I won't review them again now, but listen, they're not unattainable. That's the path I encourage government to take.

I'm going to end on the ray of hope that I began on, which is a reminder to Nova Scotians that this bill does not come into force on Royal Assent. This bill does not take the force of law at the end of this legislative sitting. This bill will require government to declare by proclamation, through an order in Cabinet, that this bill comes into force, so there is still the opportunity to influence government.

Nova Scotians can still reach out to their MLAs about this specific bill, and Nova Scotians can still reach out to ministers about this specific bill, because Cabinet still has to make this decision to bring this into force. That is the one glimmer of hope that I have and that I offer to Nova Scotians around the path forward on cannabis. I will be continuing my advocacy around this, and I fully expect that Nova Scotians will be as well.

With all of that said, I will not be supporting this, and I hope at some point, government makes the decision that this is not the path they want to be on because I don't see this going well for Nova Scotia, and it could be avoided.

[9:15 p.m.]

With those remarks, Speaker, I will take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I'll just get up for a few minutes to provide our feedback on this as a caucus. A lot of conversation has happened over the last number of weeks on this, and really, we all want what's best for our communities. We all agree that illegal drugs don't belong in our communities and, of course, we all support measures to protect public health, but supporting that objective does not mean we shouldn't ask serious questions about how this bill achieves it, and really, at what cost.

It has been clear through this process that this bill will not make things safer for anyone, but instead targets Indigenous communities. The legislation expands enforcement powers, increases fines, lowers thresholds for action, and creates new offences. When government significantly broadens enforcement authority, it must be precise, fair, and transparent, and that is a big part of this conversation. The government has not met this burden.

[Page 4655]

Over the last few months they have made repeated claims about cannabis that have later turned out not to be true. The bill lowers the threshold from a contravention to reasonable grounds to believe. This includes signage, scent, or common sense. That's a broad standard again and again.

Enforcement officers will also be granted similar powers to police officers, yet there is no plan to increase enforcement capacity. If we are expanding the authority without expanding resources, how will this be implemented fairly and consistently across the province?

We are all concerned that this policy will not be implemented fairly and will target Indigenous communities. The government's relationship with the Mi'kmaw communities is, in my opinion, the worst I've seen it in years, and the government has done nothing to try to improve it, and that is the honest truth. I've never seen the relationship so destroyed.

We are told that any cannabis signage outside of the regulated NSLC system must come down, including on reserve. This raises questions about the jurisdictional relationship considerations with Mi'kmaw communities across the province, and true to form, the government has done no consultation and has instead simply told this House that the bill did not trigger the duty to consult. We do not think that the government's explanation to this is adequate.

Through debate on this bill and the budget in this sitting, it has been clear that the government has not consulted with Mi'kmaw leadership on important decisions. Until that consultation is done and the government finds a way to move forward with Indigenous communities, we could never support this bill.

Consultation matters. Communities have been left out of the conversation before when enforcement approaches were changed, and it does not lead to safer communities. It instead leads to less trust and strained relationships.

We all support the goal of a safe regulated cannabis market that protects public health, but legislation of this scope demands careful scrutiny and consultation. The government has not done the work, and we will be voting no.

I will conclude, Speaker, with - this is just another example of when you don't consult. We've said it on this side of the floor. The government talks about being an energy superpower. You are going to have a duty to consult and ask yourself what that relationship looks like right now, when you have to sit down and do that. I'm telling you, there are a lot of relationships to mend and trust to be built if we are all going to succeed across this province.

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THE SPEAKER « » : If I recognize the minister it will be to close the debate.

The honourable Minister of Justice.

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG « » : I listened intently, both in second reading and in third reading, to comments by my colleagues, and I am going to try to address some of those. They very often ask us to address questions, and I am going to try to do that to the very best of my ability. I am going to be tabling several documents as I do that.

The amendments to the Cannabis Control Act we are discussing today are to support public health and safety, full stop. The problems today are not significantly different from the issues that the federal government tried to deal with when they legalized cannabis in 2018. The goal of the federal Cannabis Act was threefold: keep cannabis out of the hands of youth; protect public health and safety by allowing adults to purchase safe, regulated, Health Canada-approved cannabis; and to keep the proceeds out of the hands of organized crime.

That was the purpose the federal government discussed when they first legalized cannabis almost 10 years ago. The Cannabis Control Act is the provincial legislation that we are amending today. This is just the amendment of former Liberal legislation, Speaker. That legislation and these amendments have the identical goals that the federal Cannabis Act had: keep cannabis out of the hands of youth, provide a safe supply, and keep the proceeds out of the hands of organized crime.

I am going to address my colleague's questions in relation to each of those. I'm going to do it in reverse order. First colleagues asked what evidence we have that organized crime is active in the distribution of a parallel black market distribution system? Nova Scotia's provincial police force is the RCMP. In an article which I will table they address the fact that organized crime was and continues to be heavily involved in the production, sale, and exportation of illegal cannabis which provides said criminals a dependable revenue source. I'm going to quote some things from this article.

The article I'm going to quote from is called "The blunt truth: organized crime taking root in the cannabis market." It's on the RCMP website, Speaker. "It is important" - I am quoting now - "to be vigilant when purchasing cannabis as you may be unknowingly buying cannabis from unlicensed storefronts and retailers, including online and on social media platforms operated by organized crime groups." This is not me speaking, this is the RCMP, at a national level. "When purchasing and consuming illegal cannabis, you are contributing to the organized crime cycle."

If you purchase cannabis from an illegal storefront or get it illegally online or buy it in someone's apartment down the street, very likely, according to the national RCMP level, you are contributing to organized crime.

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The profits from selling illegal cannabis are often used by organized crime groups to support and fund other illegal activities which are harmful to Canadians. Now how do organized crime groups exploit the cannabis market and why does that matter? "Organized crime groups" - I'm quoting - "production methods include: illegal grow operations (commonly known as grow ops); misuse and exploitation of legal production methods and licensing."

For those of you who think a lot of these storefronts get their illegal cannabis from Ricky and Julian behind the Sunnyvale Trailer Park, you are sadly mistaken. That's not where it's coming from. That is illegal but this is a highly organized criminal network in many cases - not all of them, Speaker. "The impact of organized crime groups involvement in illegal/legal cannabis sales: Funding criminal enterprises [. . .] Undermining legal risk to public safety markets, competitive pricing, and social impacts" - I'm quoting - and it's a severe "Risk to public safety."

I've saved the best one for last because the media have reported on this and this is in the RCMP article: "Exploitation and human trafficking." I'll say it again: "Exploitation and human trafficking." Again, this is not me saying this. This is coming from the RCMP, called "The blunt truth." Think about that.

Why is that important here in Nova Scotia? As Minister of Justice and Attorney General and as a former high school principal, I'm devastated by the fact that Nova Scotia has the highest human trafficking rates in the country. That's shameful and we have to deal with that. I'm going to deal with it.

One of the ways we're going to deal with it is by eliminating organized crime's ability to profit from illegal cannabis sales to help fund things like human trafficking. Now we're not saying that illegal cannabis storefront shops are anything to do with human trafficking, other than the fact that some of them are linked to organized crime networks and they can use the proceeds for things like that. It's a piece of the puzzle and we have seen a growing number of concerns with organized crime in Nova Scotia and that has to be dealt with. I will table that.

Is organized crime active in illegal cannabis sales here in Nova Scotia? The answer to that is yes. In a CBC interview with RCMP Superintendent Jason Popik, the host asked: How do you know the product is coming from illegal sources and organized crime? Superintendent Popik replied: I would suggest that the volume of the product we're seeing go through these illegal storefronts wouldn't come from a local producer. There's far too much product for that.

One of the goals of the original Cannabis Act, federally, was to keep the proceeds out of the hands of organized crime. I think we've established through the RCMP that organized crime is still heavily involved in some illegal cannabis sales - not all.

Now I'm going to move on to the second goal of the amendments: ensuring that adults who use recreational cannabis have a safe, Health Canada-approved supply. The Cannabis Act, which is the federal legislation, says that only cannabis that's been produced by a Health Canada-licensed producer can distribute and sell cannabis.

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The level of security, the level of testing, and the level of expertise Health Canada requires in a licensed cannabis production facility would astound you. I've been in one before. I've seen it. We have several of these production facilities working in Nova Scotia. You should see the high bar that Health Canada has to make sure that the product they are producing is safe for Canadians, is safe for Nova Scotians, and safe for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to distribute. It is high, and it is expensive.

When you compare that to unlicensed cannabis distribution - which can happen online, it can happen down on the street, or it can happen in a storefront - that has no safety regulations, no testing, and no Health Canada approval - you can't compare the safety of the two products. You simply cannot do it.

In fact, a 2023 Health Canada survey of dried cannabis from illegal and legal distribution centres, including five dispensaries here in Nova Scotia, showed that illegal cannabis is often contaminated with heavy metals and pesticides far above Health Canada guidelines. I'll table that.

For example, arsenic: 44 percent of illegal products - this is Canada-wide, now - contained high levels of arsenic. Copper: 98 percent of all illegal sources exceeded the Health Canada limit for copper. We've seen that in illegal seizure after illegal seizure, the THC level in illegal cannabis far exceeds the 10-milligram limit that Health Canada has set per package. RCMP report that some of the seized contraband has THC levels advertised at 2,000 to 8,000 milligrams. Think about that. The Health Canada legal limit is 10 milligrams per package. Some of this cannabis that's being advertised and sold through these storefronts and online and other sources is advertising their THC level is between 2,000 and 8,000 milligrams.

We have circulated a picture of a recent Nova Scotia RCMP seizure that lays out the concerns of the amount of THC in the products. That's been distributed to all the MLAs here, and I will table that as well. As concerning as that is, look at who they're targeting with this product. When you look at the picture, what do you see? Do you think that is targeting adults for safe recreational use of cannabis? When you look at the picture of the products the RCMP seized - I invite all MLAs to do that who are here, because they can see it - and you look at the product labels and the colours they use. Right next door, the RCMP have set up legal products you buy in the grocery store - legal brands. How difficult is it to tell the difference?

[9:30 p.m.]

I grew up in the 1970s. I remember the ads on Saturday mornings. I remember wanting to build the Honeycomb Hideout in behind my house. I remember Sugar Crisp. I remember Lucky Charms. Those things were advertised on cartoons on Saturday mornings. Why? Because that's when kids watched television back then. I know they're watching their phones now, and they're watching other things on their tablets, but back then, three channels: CTV, CBC, and maybe one you watched fuzzily from Bangor, Maine - Channel 6 from Bangor, Maine.

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On Saturday mornings, that was the type of product. When you look at that picture - and I'll read some off to you: Skittles, Cap'n Crunch. When was the last time an adult had Cap'n Crunch advertised to them? Never. These are kids' brands that these products are imitating. Wow. This can't be allowed to go on. They are trying to brand these products for children, and the THC levels are at a rate you couldn't expect. If you are an adult who purchases some of these products in an illegal cannabis shop, online, or from your friend down the corner, you take it home, you have children in your home, and they see what looks like a bag of Skittles, what's to stop them from opening it up and taking them, thinking it's candy? They're children.

I have grandchildren. They would do that, especially Weston, my six-year-old grandson. If he sees candy, he eats it. Emergency rooms could have these children come to the emergency room because they've been poisoned by illegal cannabis. Their parents are probably devastated because they brought it into the house. This can happen. Look at the targeting. Look at how these products are being marketed.

Then, when you get them to the emergency room, they don't know what's in it. If it's a Health Canada approved product, we know what's in it. There are ingredients. There are up to 10 milligrams in one package. There are other things. You know what's in it. It's been tested. At least the people in an emergency room, a doctor, or the people you call at Poison Control can say, "Yes, if you purchased it at the NSLC, this is what's in it." If it's coming from an unknown source, health care professionals don't know what's in it, so it makes treatment much harder. There are all kinds of health dangers.

When Opposition says this has nothing to do with keeping people safe and health and safety, that's wrong. That is the purpose. That is why we are trying to do this. I invite MLAs to support that and keep this out of the hands of children.

We have an illegal black market that sells products being produced by organized crime, in many cases, which is untested and unverified, sometimes has metals, and has incredible potency, as we've discussed.

The last goal I want to talk about, again, is keeping it out of the hands of children. This isn't just because of allergic reactions and other problems. This is the mental health impacts of cannabis. I have tabled document after document that outlines the dangers of cannabis on the human brain. Those dangers are even more consequential for young people - the developing brain. We have all kinds of brain research now that we didn't have in the past. We know that the young brain develops, in the case of many people, up until the time they're 28 or 27.

Many people are pushing for cannabis to be sold at a higher age level than 19. Difficult to implement in Canada, but if we look at it from a public health point of view and a brain research point of view, having cannabis available to older people is better than younger people because of the negative impact it has on the developing brain.

[Page 4660]

I was a high school principal, and I can tell you, in terms of these mental health challenges young people are facing today, you can draw a line around 2020: pre-pandemic and post-pandemic. You can talk to any teacher. There are a lot of teachers in this Legislature. You can talk to people working in emergency rooms. You can talk to people who are child psychologists and anyone who works with cohorts of young people. The challenges that young people are facing now are worse than any other time in history in terms of mental health challenges.

I'm going to present a study here in a minute that talks about the impact cannabis has on that but higher rates of depression, higher rates of anxiety - and we know that's happening - psychosis, and bipolar disorder. This is a mental health crisis that young people are facing, and cannabis exacerbates that. There's study after study. I will table two or three before I finish tonight. But in terms of the mental health of young people, the earlier they take and are introduced to cannabis, the worse outcomes they have or can have in terms of mental health outcomes. I said this earlier and I'm going to say it again.

A landmark study that was released February 20^th this year across Canada, done with students between Grade 7 and Grade 12, shows that Nova Scotian children are being exposed to the ingestion of cannabis more than any other children across this country. Thirty percent of children in Nova Scotia between the ages of 12 and 17 or 18, Grades 7 to 12, have tried cannabis. All the medical research shows clearly that the younger you are exposed to cannabis and the more cannabis you do and a higher potency of THC that you take - and we've already established how potent some of this cannabis is - the larger the impact on the mental health negative outcomes I've outlined here. That affects them every day for the rest of their lives.

To sit back as a government and not take this on - not protecting our children - I would argue that would be the worst thing any government could do. This is a health care crisis that we must take on and that is the motivation. That is why we're doing it, Speaker. This is a public health and safety challenge.

I'm going to wind up here. So what problem are we trying to deal with with these amendments? We are trying to simply support our law enforcement as they deal with the significant threat to public safety - one that threatens mental health, particularly mental health of children. We're trying to make sure adults have access to a safe and verified supply, and we're trying to stop organized crime from profiting and supporting other crimes like drugs and firearms and human trafficking.

In closing, I'll address a couple of the accusations made that this is racism. I mean, some cannabis shops, illegal storefronts, are on reserves. Some are off reserves. Some are big. Some are small. Some probably have a local supply of cannabis. Many do not. Many are linked to organized crime but not all of them. But what do they all have in common? They are a health and safety risk, and they provide cannabis to those who shouldn't have it at a THC level that shouldn't exist.

[Page 4661]

We reached out to First Nations bands. We changed some rules and regulations last March, about a year ago, that allows First Nations bands to participate in legal cannabis sales on reserve. We encourage them to continue to work with us and follow this model. We think it's a sweet spot. So the NSLC would partner with any band in Nova Scotia that wants to be involved in cannabis sales on reserve and here's the kicker - every cent of the profit from the cannabis sales would remain with the band administration. So they could distribute it and fund positive social programs.

We want to partner with them. Our door is open. Why do we want to do that? Because the supply would come from a Health Canada approved supply through the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. That meets that challenge of both these pieces of legislations, the federal Cannabis Act and the provincial Cannabis Control Act. It accomplishes the three goals that the federal Cannabis Act had established in the first place. I've talked about them many times and it meets the challenge that we put forward in the Cannabis Control Act. That is our goal.

We want to work with First Nations, but we want to work with them in a way that protects the public health and safety of the population of Nova Scotians both on and off reserve, from one end of this province to the other. That is our goal. That is our plan. We encourage anyone who is working in a First Nations band to follow that plan and work with us. We want to work with them. Think about it. The profit would not be going in the hands of a small few who are making huge amounts of money. It would go to the band administration, which could share those profits with everyone in community and build a better society for everyone across this province.

The last thing I want to address is this question of peace officers and expanded enforcement. There's no intention to have a one-off cannabis enforcement unit. Nova Scotia is not big enough. We don't have the resources for that. We do have people who are inspectors for alcohol and tobacco. A lot of these different places sell both tobacco and cannabis - illegally - and often inspectors run into that. We want to be able to someday down the road give them the training, the expertise, and the ability to enforce. Right now, they have to call police to come in, and that's somewhat problematic.

The other situation that has led to this - I've got close ties to the Mass Casualty Commission. The Mass Casualty Commission recommended a police review for how policing is distributed in Nova Scotia - how policing is done in Nova Scotia. Currently, our provincial police force is the RCMP, but we have 10 other municipal police agencies across the province. We need to work with them to deliver policing in a better way. We know that.

Deloitte issued a report that we asked them to do after the Mass Casualty Commission recommended it. One of the founding changes they want us to make is to look at what they call layered policing. Layered policing is where you would have the RCMP or a municipal police force delivering policing in a community or across the county or across the province, but also, they want visibility of police. When consulting across the province, Deloitte discovered that one of the things Nova Scotians wanted to see was the visibility of the police force. That would be the advantage of a local police force.

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In order to do that, there's the opportunity to do what they call layered policing where you might have a fully kitted, fully trained police officer who would be called a special constable, right? There may be cases down the road, as we work through this, where those police officers - who are fully trained, who had trauma-informed training and proper police oversight, because you have to have proper police oversight if you're going to enforce - would be asked to enforce the Cannabis Control Act or the Cannabis Act.

There's no secret here. We're not trying to have a secret force that's under the direction of the government. This is to make sure that this legislation that we're passing today would support changes that may come as a result of a new police framework that we're working on in Nova Scotia. That's all that's there.

I hope that I have been able to answer the questions and the concerns of the MLAs as they presented them in both second and third reading. Many times, as ministers, we're asked to do that. "Why haven't they talked? Why haven't they addressed it?" Well, as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, I have done my very best to listen and to address those concerns tonight.

I know it took a few minutes, but I think it was important to talk about what our motivation was, what goal we were trying to accomplish - why and how. I think I have established that.

I'm going to ask every MLA to please support our children, support safety, and support a fair distribution system for legal cannabis in Nova Scotia through the NSLC.

With that, I'll close debate on Bill No. 200.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 200.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that the bill do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : Speaker, will you please call Bill No. 196.

Bill No. 196 - Community Colleges Act (amended).

[Page 4663]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

[9:45 p.m.]

HON. NOLAN YOUNG « » : Speaker, I move that Bill No. 196 now be read a third time and do pass.

I'm please to rise once again to speak on this, and I'll be brief. I'd like to address some of the things we've heard through debate. I'll start by saying Nova Scotia Community College has done tremendous work for many years. We are grateful for the leadership of the college, the board of governors, the faculty and the staff. In fact, thousands of Nova Scotians have built successful careers because of the training at Nova Scotia Community College.

I'd like to be clear: Nova Scotia Community College will continue to operate as an independent post-secondary institution. This legislation respects the role of the college and its board of governors. The truth is, this bill is about strengthening that work even further. Strengthening alignment between industry, training and the workforce across Nova Scotia, because the moment that we're in today demands alignment.

Nova Scotia has seen significant growth opportunities in sectors like construction, like defence, like infrastructure, like energy and manufacturing. Meeting those opportunities requires a strong pipeline of skilled trades and technical talent. It requires stronger collaboration between education, industry and government. That is exactly what this legislation hopes to achieve.

It gives industry a stronger voice. It better aligns the skilled trades with the labour market and the needs of our province, because we all want the same thing - we all want success for the college. We all want our students and apprentices, the workplaces they join, to all be successful and contribute to the growth.

Some members ask why these changes apply to NSCC but not universities. I think it's important to recognize that NSCC and universities operate under different governance models. NSCC operates under legislation that provides government oversight over finances and operations, while universities are generally more autonomous institutions with self-governing boards. This legislation reflects the existing role and mandate of the college within our post-secondary system.

Also, members have asked about the recruitment of NSCC's president. That process is, and will continue to be, led by NSCC's board of governors. The governor and council appointment simply provides a final oversight and increased accountability. It does not change the board's leadership role in recruiting the president.

Speaker, a couple more brief words. This legislation supports the creation of a new institute of skilled trades to Nova Scotia, and this is great news for students, apprentices, and industry. This institute represents an important and exciting step forward in the skilled trades of Nova Scotia. It will bring industry leaders, educators, governments together to strengthen our training, to modernize their learning environments, and to ensure that students are learning the skills employers need today and into the future.

[Page 4664]

This institute will help position NSCC as the leading technical college in Canada. I also want to recognize the members of the Institute of the Skilled Trades Council. We announced the members in February, and we are truly proud and grateful for these respected industry leaders that have agreed to volunteer their time and their expertise. This will help support NSCC, strengthen opportunities for students and apprentices, ensure training continues to reflect the needs of the province.

Also, our government is continuing to invest significantly in the college: $196.4 million, on top of that, $25 million investment over five years to help modernize learning environments, helping students have the equipment and facilities they need to succeed.

This legislation is about supporting NSCC, not diminishing it. It's about strengthening partnerships, strengthening skills and training, and strengthening the connection between education and industry. Because the opportunities ahead for Nova Scotia require the strongest training system we can build, and Nova Scotia Community College is part of that critical work. With those few words, I'll take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : the honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : I rise today to speak to Bill No. 196, the amended Community Colleges Act on third reading. Earlier in this legislative process, we acknowledged this bill appeared, in some respects, to enable structural changes within the college that could strengthen its capacity to train and deploy skilled tradespeople.

In particular it introduces a school within a school model, maintaining the college as we knew it, while creating a focused internal branch dedicated to trades programming. As we understand it, this branch is intended to empower the college to work more closely with industry to adapt the delivery of trades education, increase graduation rates, and help address significant labour shortages in the construction sector.

We also recognize that the Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration is viewed positively by industry for efforts to address labour shortages through initiatives like enhanced direct entry programs and expanded partnerships with construction trade unions. A new training model at NSCC that deepens collaboration with industry could present a real opportunity for Nova Scotia to close the skilled labour gap in a cost-effective and timely way.

The goal of this legislation, strengthening the workforce central to building, development, and economic growth, is important. The NDP believes that, if implemented properly and with full protection of collective agreement rights for NSCC staff, this approach could deliver real benefits for both workers and industry. However, we have serious concerns.

[Page 4665]

At its core, this bill introduced structural changes that may strengthen trades programming but potentially at the expense of other programs. More troubling still is the continued politicalization of post-secondary governance in Nova Scotia. We must consider this bill in context. It follows closely behind Bill No. 12, which allowed the government to appoint civil servants to up to half of all university board positions in the province, an unprecedented intrusion into institutional autonomy and academic independence.

Bill No. 196 continues in the same direction. It grants the Premier, through the Government in Council process, the power to select the next president of the college. While government members and the minister claim this process is independent, it is unrealistic to suggest that such decisions are free from political influence by the Premier's office in the Westminster system. Without clear language in the bill to safeguard against this kind of influence, this appointment cannot be reasonably perceived as independent.

The bill also places the Deputy Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration on the NSCC board of governors. This represents a significant departure from NSCC's governance structure when it operated under the Department of Advanced Education, which for decades required no statutory insertion of senior department staff on NSCC's board of governors.

This raises a fundamental conflict. The deputy minister, as a senior public servant, is directly involved in establishing government priorities, setting policy, and funding direction for the college. At the same time, they would sit on the board responsible for overseeing the institution and subject to a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the college, expecting that individuals who separate government priorities from the best interests of the college could put the deputy minister squarely in a conflict of interest.

This concern is heightened by the passage and proclamation of Bill No. 1 last spring, which enables the government to dismiss senior civil servants without cause. Under these conditions, it is difficult to believe that a deputy minister could (inaudible) challenge government direction without fear of reprisal. There is simply no credible argument that this arrangement preserves or promotes organizational autonomy or academic independence, protects the college from political influence or interference, or reflects best practices in post-secondary governance.

Unfortunately, the concerns do not end there. Bill No. 196 also requires the creation of a skilled trades council, intended to assume oversight and operational control over all trades-based programs offered at NSCC. Further, the bill compels the board to delegate authority over trades programming to this new council. The composition of this council is not defined in the legislation, and its initial members will be appointed solely at the minister's discretion.

The backdrop of this change is the minister's proud announcement of additional funding and new investment in trades-based programs in the skilled trades institutes, while at the same time, the college is facing a $9.4 million reduction in its operating grant for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Cuts there are already impacting non-trades programs and resulting in layoffs.

[Page 4666]

Taken together, these changes point to a dual system: increased investment and influence for trades programming, overseen by a group hand-picked by the minister, to use expanding investments in the trades, while the diminished board of governors, left to preside over non-trades programs, will face four consecutive years of sustained funding reductions. This raises serious concerns about program closures, job losses, and the long-term balance of the college's mandate, as well as the long-term viability of programs outside the skilled trades, upon which many industries, students, and communities rely.

The Nova Scotia Community College is a made-in-Nova Scotia success story. For decades, it has delivered accessible, high-quality vocational and post-secondary education across the province, particularly in rural communities. It has demonstrated an ability to innovate and respond to labour market needs, including training for health care workers, early childhood educators, and other essential professions on very short timetables.

There is no clear evidence that its current governance structure is a barrier to expanding trades programming, which raises an important question: Why are these governance changes necessary at all? There has been no clear indication that the NSCC board, faculty, or students were meaningfully consulted. There has been no public confirmation that these changes reflect collaboration with those who know the institution best. That silence speaks volumes.

Faculty and union representatives have indicated that these changes came without warning and have expressed concern about their impact, particularly on non-trades programs and staff. While the bill does require the minister to establish regulations for the Skilled Trades Council, it does not require that appointments follow those rules in practice. This leaves open the possibility that initial appointees could remain indefinitely, without transparent criteria or accountability.

We have also raised concerns about the absence of any requirement for representation from equity-deserving groups - communities that have been historically excluded from the skilled trades. Despite initial openness from the minister, no amendments have been introduced to address this gap. If we are serious about addressing labour shortages, we must be serious about removing barriers. That means embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into law, not leaving them to intention or discretion. Legislation that aims to modernize trades training but fails to address systemic exclusion is a missed opportunity and, frankly, a failure of leadership.

Throughout this process, we have offered constructive, respectful feedback. This government has said that it is open to good ideas from all sides of the House, yet this bill remains unchanged since its introduction.

In the end, this bill reflects a pattern: a lack of meaningful consultation with the stakeholders closest to the issue, increased political control over independent institutions, funding choices that risk undermining the broader public good, and a failure to embed equity into structural change. While the intent of addressing labour shortages is valid, the approach taken here risks destabilizing a vital institution, particularly in rural Nova Scotia, and prioritizing short-term gains over long-term sustainability. For these reasons, we will not be supporting Bill No. 196.

[Page 4667]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Speaker, I rise on my feet to talk about this bill. We've had a lot of conversation about this one as well.

I will say it's a difficult time for NSCC right now - lots of conversations with a lot of employees, a lot of concern around budget cuts. Whether the government wants to pretend they're there or not, they are, and they're impacting real people. We're into the new budget cycle as of April 1^st. We're really going to start hearing this stuff now coming out as the community college wrestles with a significant cut that will affect personnel within the community college system. As always, I want to reach out to them and show them support.

I'm glad to have the opportunity to speak at third reading about amendments to the Community Colleges Act. This bill deals with several areas, including the governance of the Nova Scotia Community College aligning with the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration in the creation of an Institute of Skilled Trades.

Our party will not be supporting this bill. This bill is part of the government's recent focus on controlling as tightly as possible higher education in this province. We saw this last spring with the Universities Accountability and Sustainability Act, which gave this government more authority over university boards across this province. We've seen this government interfere with Research Nova Scotia, cutting health care research funding because it isn't adequately aligned with the government's economic goals.

This trend continues with this bill, which will add the Deputy Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration to the NSCC board of governors and allows the Premier to appoint the president. Making this position a political appointment will not make NSCC stronger. Introducing this bill while NSCC is actively recruiting a new president will destabilize that process and potentially cause qualified candidates to remove themselves from consideration.

[10:00 p.m.]

This bill enshrines Progressive Conservative patronage into law. It introduces the risk of politicizing a role that should be filled through a merit-based, arm's-length process.

How can the NSCC remain a strong independent organization? Will it be expected to respond immediately to the whims of the government of any given fiscal year? The minister and government have never indicated why this change is necessary.

[Page 4668]

NSCC has functioned extremely well. All members appreciate the incredible work that NSCC does training our workforce. Of course, it's important that NSCC continues to be responsive to communities and students and adapts programming to respond to the needs of our province. NSCC works best when it's closely connected to communities, guided by educators and industry, and able to operate in collaboration with government.

I can't see how making the president a political appointment will make the institution stronger. This decision sends the wrong signal and raises legitimate concerns amongst staff, students, and stakeholders.

These same staff and students are also worried about this government's 3-percent cut to NSCC this year, which will occur each year for the next four years. This will result in almost a $10-million cut this year and the loss of more than 200 jobs over the next four years.

The government is not strengthening NSCC; they're weakening it. It will be future generations who pay the price.

Before I finish, I do want to say a quick word about the Institute of Skilled Trades at NSCC. The creation of an Institute of Skilled Trades has the potential to elevate trades training within NSCC. We urgently need more skilled trades workers in this province. I hope that we'll see more people choosing a good-paying stable career in the trades here in Nova Scotia. These are the kinds of jobs that keep young families here and support the growth of a strong middle class.

I wish we could focus more on that section of the bill, but unfortunately, this government has inserted a poison pill that will politicize an important institution in this province. Members across the aisle know the importance of the NSCC. I'm surprised the government has allowed this bill to come forward. I'm more surprised the government expects NSCC to do more while the Premier cuts their budget and staffing levels. To all members of the NSCC commission, thank you for your work. To the government, you owe an explanation to Nova Scotians about why you're targeting this great institution. We will be voting no.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I rise to speak in third reading of Bill No. 196, the Community Colleges Act (amended).

I share a lot of the same sentiments the last two speakers have shared. It's really sad for me to see some of the negative changes that have happened under this government to the Nova Scotia Community College. I have been an instructor there with the practical nursing program on two different occasions, and I have been able to work in that facility for that college and see first-hand the direct impact they have on people's lives. They're truly transformative and one of the very few organizations that I can say my experience has been that they truly live the mission of the organization.

[Page 4669]

At this stage of debate, our role is no longer to speculate about what this bill might become. At second reading, members were asked what a bill is trying to do. At Committee of the Whole House on Bills, amendments can be proposed to improve it. I was outside of the Chamber, but I was pleased to hear the minister rise to speak to the bill. I don't understand why the ministers are only allowed to speak to the bills at third reading. We have seen very few comments to ministers on their bills before third reading. I think it would have been richer debate if we had heard from government about their bills before this point in the process. Here at third reading we are no longer dealing with possibilities, but rather we're dealing with choices that the government has decided to make and not accept any amendments that were tabled on this bill. The reality is the government refused to consider making this bill stronger, and the choices that the House is now being asked to approve did not take into consideration the comments and debate of the Opposition.

Questions were asked. Stakeholders came forward in the Public Bills Committee. An amendment was proposed to address one of its most troubling features, and that amendment was rejected. We are left with a bill the way that government wants it - not softened, not narrowed, not improved in that key respect. That means our duty at third reading is clear. It is to say plainly what this bill does, and it is to say plainly what this bill represents. It is to decide whether those choices deserve to stand.

Speaker, let me begin by being very clear about what this debate is not about. This is not a debate about whether skilled trades matter. They do. This is not a debate about whether Nova Scotia needs more skilled tradespeople. We do. We know that. This is not a debate about whether NSCC should work more closely with employers, communities, workers, and industry. Of course it should. No one in this House disputes that. That's not really what this bill is about.

I want to just share before I move on: I still have a sore point from when this government, before this sitting, made changes and made cuts to important programs, not just to the Cumberland campus but around the province - made several cuts to the Business Administration program. There was no real reason given other than saying we need more skilled tradespeople. Well, you can have more skilled tradespeople. You don't have to cut your Business Administration program which supports entrepreneurship in this province. We had very strong business administration programs that basically will not exist anymore in Cumberland County.

This here is a document that I'll table, Speaker, that showed the enrolment. One of the things that the government stated when they were questioned on their decision to remove the Business Administration program through cuts to Cumberland as well as other campuses - one of the things that was shared was it was because of decreased enrolment which is not true. In the fall of 2019 there were 16 students enrolled. In the fall of 2024 there were 19 students enrolled. In the fall of 2023 19 students enrolled. In the fall of 2022 14 students enrolled. If anything, the enrolment went up, not down, and the number of graduates did not go down either. I wanted to make a comment about that.

[Page 4670]

People in our area are still upset about those cuts to the Business Administration program because the graduates from that program went on to do great things in our community, and we know that now that will be a void in our community. We will not have graduates from Cumberland Campus from the Business Administration program.

This bill goes on to make further changes that I do not believe will strengthen NSCC, and neither do many of my colleagues here in this House. This bill is a governance bill, and more than that, it is a bill whose defining feature is once again - common theme here in this Legislature - centralization of power. It centralizes power over the Nova Scotia Community College into the hands of government.

Let us look clearly at what this bill actually does. It makes the president of NSCC a Governor in Council appointment on the recommendation of the minister. It requires the approval of the minister for the appointment of an interim president. It places the Deputy Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration directly on the board of governors. Why is that needed? Are we going to see that happening to our universities next?

This bill creates an Institute of Skilled Trades and allows for the creation of an institute of skilled trades council, and it provides that the initial members of that council are appointed by the minister. It allows significant powers and duties to be delegated to that council while leaving key details about its structure, composition, appointments, qualifications, and stakeholder representation to regulation. That's not administrative. It's not housekeeping. It's governance.

The question is very simple: What problem is the government trying to solve? What is broken? Where is there evidence that NSCC's governance is failing? Where is the evidence that the board cannot appoint its own president? Where is the evidence that the Cabinet control will improve outcomes? At the end of the day, that's what all of our work should be striving to achieve. I haven't seen any evidence.

I believe NSCC already has good governance. It already has a board. It already has oversight. It already has a leadership structure. It already has a presidential search process. While, like many large public institutions, NSCC has faced challenges, the public record shows that the board responded to those challenges and did not fail in the face of them.

In 2025 the board struck the Special Task Committee to oversee the response to anonymous complaints and approve the resulting report. At the same time the board has continued to carry out its responsibilities, including running a structured presidential search process involving board members, employees, a student, industry, and community representatives. That is not evidence of a governance vacuum. If anything, it's evidence of a board doing exactly what they're there to do. Again, my question is: What problem is this government trying to fix? What difficulty justifies this centralization of power?

This is the moment in the process where government had a choice: At Committee of the Whole House, an amendment was brought forward by my colleague, the member for Sackville-Cobequid, and that amendment went directly to one of the most troubling features of this bill. It proposed removing the provision that transfers the appointment of the president of NSCC to the Governor in Council, and in doing so, would have preserved the authority of the board of governors to appoint the president.

[Page 4671]

I think it is important that we say that clearly at third reading. This House and the people of Nova Scotia deserve to know what government chose to reject. Government was given the opportunity to remove one of the most problematic elements of this bill, and it refused. It was given the opportunity to stop, in this instance, the centralization of power, and it refused. We have not heard any justification for this. The government was given the opportunity to say that the board of governors of NSCC should continue to choose its own president, and the government refused.

This was a deliberate choice. This bill does not stand alone; it is part of a broader pattern that we see. Since late February this government has tabled nine government bills in total in this sitting, and in most of those bills, we see the same direction of travel: how we're being moved away from independent bodies, away from people. In fact, in Health, we haven't had a board of directors since 2021.

[10:15 p.m.]

We see power being moved away from independent bodies and away from people, away from arm's-length structures or local decision-makers, and power being placed directly in the hands of ministers, cabinet, and in some situations, like the bill we debated this afternoon, the Minister of Energy, who is the Premier himself. We also see power sometimes being placed directly in the hands of government appointees. We see it Bill No. 193, we see in Bill No. 198, we see it in Bill No. 212, and we see it again here in Bill No. 196 - different sectors, same direction - centralization of power.

In Bill No. 193, the Powering the Economy Act, the Minister of Energy may issue directives that the Independent Energy System Operator must comply with and may require a public utility to enter into contract.

In Bill No. 198, the Financial Measures (2026) Act, ministers are given multiple new enforcement, licensing, appointment, consent, and reporting powers, including significant new authority touching the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission.

In Bill No. 212, the Administrative Measures for Housing Act, the minister may amend the HRM planning document by order, compel information from the municipality and municipal utilities, and authorize work to be carried out under ministerial authority, with costs recoverable from the municipality.

In Bill No. 196, the president becomes a Governor in Council appointment. The board needs the minister's approval for an interim president. The deputy minister is placed on the board, and the minister appoints the initial members of the Skilled Trades Council.

[Page 4672]

Throughout this sitting, we've had several members in Opposition point to examples where there appear to be partisan appointments, and that is what I would be concerned with in this situation as well. Nova Scotians deserve to have the right people chosen for appointments, not because they're friends with someone in positions of power but because they are the people who have the best skills for that job. Partisan politics has no place here in Nova Scotia.

Some would argue that what we are seeing here in this bill is not governance at all but rather a move toward even more control. That point matters also because governance and control are not the same thing. Governance involves balance, it involves accountability, and it involves oversight. It involves roles, and it involves respect for independence. It involves the understanding that not every decision should be drawn inward to the centre. Control is different. Control centralizes. Control distrusts distance. Control narrows where decisions are made, and control reduces the space between the government of the day and the institutions that are meant to serve the broader public interest.

It's also worth pausing here to acknowledge that governments often defend centralization in predictable ways. They will say centralization creates efficiency. We need to go faster. They will say it allows for rapid implementation. They say it will make large-scale action easier. They say it creates uniformity. They say it promotes stability.

That is the theory. That is always the theory, and on paper, I understand the argument. A government may say that if more decisions are made at the centre, things can move faster, policies can be implemented more quickly, priorities can be aligned more easily, there is less fragmentation, and everyone is rowing in the same direction.

The problem is that theory and reality are often two very different things because centralization does not always produce efficiency. That is a fact. In fact, it often produces bureaucracy. It produces bottlenecks and more red tape. It produces delays because more and more decisions have to travel upward before anything can happen. When more authority is concentrated in fewer hands, those hands become the choke point. That is not agility, and it's not responsiveness. That is something that I hear from people who work mostly in health care, in the Department of Health and Wellness or the Nova Scotia Health Authority, that things very much don't move along because everyone has to wait for the higher-ups' approval. There is a choke point when there is a centralization of power.

The ideal that the centralization of power actually creates more efficiency is false. Government may say that centralization promotes uniformity. That can sound attractive but uniformity is not always wisdom. Uniformity can also mean one-size-fits-all decision-making. It can mean less room for local knowledge and less room for institutional expertise and less room for, importantly, community voices. That matters deeply for a place and a province like Nova Scotia, where our institutions serve very different communities with very different needs.

Government may say that centralization promotes stability but stability without accountability is not good governance, and stability without independence can quickly become something else entirely.

[Page 4673]

When power is centralized, the risk is not only that decisions are pulled away from people and institutions closest to the issue, the risk is also that decision making becomes slower, narrower, more bureaucratic and more disconnected from the realities on the ground. That is why good governance matters.

I believe that this bill is actually going to cause a lot of problems. The NSCC has done incredible work, they have been an incredible organization, and this bill is going to remove some of that independence from their governance structure.

When government says centralization means efficiency I would say that sometimes it means the opposite. It means more bureaucracy and more red tape and slower decisions because everything has to climb its way up to the ladder, to the minister or Cabinet.

Of course, when I compare this with health care, the problem is when there's no board with public representatives, the public voice is missing. We have elected representatives to bring the people's voices, but I certainly think my colleagues in Opposition would agree there is definitely not a spirit of wanting to listen to the people's voices that we bring to this Chamber.

The Auditor General has repeatedly warned about the need for greater transparency and accountability for over-budget spending and the government's position has remained unchanged. Last year the government introduced Bill No. 1, with a clause that would have allowed the Auditor General to be removed by Governor in Council on a two-thirds vote of this House for reasons other than cause or incapacity. That is not respect for independent oversight.

Speaker, this bill has also moved too quickly - too quickly for a bill that changes governance, too quickly for a bill that alters who appoints the president of the NSCC, too quickly for a bill that creates new structures and leaves key details to regulation, and when combined with limited sitting days, long hours, and short notice from the Government House Leader - sometimes we find out what bill is coming next when it is called.

It's one thing to ask for a legislative calendar, it's a whole other level of chaos when the members in Opposition - probably members in government too - aren't even told what's being called that day and we find out when it's called. We need to be prepared for anything that might come at us on any given day.

The NSGEU supported modernization and the promotion of skilled trades but warned that Bill No. 196 would shift NSCC from an independent educational institution towards a direct arm of the provincial government. The NSGEU also warned that making the president a Cabinet appointment risks politicizing the role, that putting the deputy minister on the board blurs governance, and the bill risks creating a two-tiered structure within the college. That is a substantive warning from people who know the institution from the inside, and that warning should have mattered more to this government.

[Page 4674]

When people closest to an institution say a bill risks weakening its independence, the House - the government should listen. When they say the bill risks turning the institution into more of a direct arm of government, this House should listen. When they say the institution has flourished because of the arms-length governance, this House should listen, but government did not and proceeded anyway.

Speaker, let me be clear. I want to finish by reinforcing that I support skilled trades. I support the NSCC. I support students and workers, the staff who are under great stress right now from the cuts, including to programs, professional supports for our educational assistants, cuts made at NSCC as well as other institutions like Mount Saint Vincent University. The workers at NSCC are under a lot of stress from the changes this government is making. I support our students, our workers, and our communities. I do not support centralization of power for its own sake, and I do not support politicizing the presidency of NSCC.

I want to acknowledge Don Bureaux - he did a great job - and wish him all the best in his new role as President of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. I'm sure he'll do very well. I can only imagine what he and others who have been in that position are feeling about this legislation that's before us.

I do not support weakening independent governance, and I do not support placing the deputy minister on the board. I do not support leaving key governance safeguards to regulation, and I do not support a pattern that we continue to see repeated across bills that come before this House.

At third reading, we are no longer judging the intentions, we are judging the choices. As it is written, this bill centralizes power. It's not too late. People don't have to vote in support of this bill. They could listen to the concerns of Opposition and take this bill back and make the changes it should require, that it should have to ensure this institution is made stronger, not weaker.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : I appreciate the comments of my colleagues in the Opposition who we just listened to for the last period of time. I will not spend a ton of time going over them, but I want to reference a few of them.

A few of my colleagues have mentioned the cuts that are already taking place and impacting NSCC and have expressed their thanks and gratitude toward past staff and current staff. I wanted to echo those comments, for sure. It moves us into more specific comments about the Act to Amend the Community Colleges Act, which is Bill No. 196. I just have a few things to say.

This purports to be presented as an effort to strengthen skills training, but the reality is there are targeted but significant changes in the governance of the Nova Scotia Community College, and that's fundamentally what this is about. This bill shifts decision-making authority toward government, particularly in appointments and oversight, and it raises questions and concerns about the independence and the potential for political influence in our community college system. It makes the president a Governor in Council appointment, adds the deputy minister to the board of governors, and enables the creation of an Institute of Skilled Trades with the initial council members also appointed by the minister. This is really about the consolidation of power, and this has been pointed out through the course of debate and in the comments of my colleagues on last reading.

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[10:30 p.m.]

Community and Opposition have expressed concern throughout about this trend because the increase in political influence over education and training decisions will not strengthen or improve that situation. I've had multiple folks reach out to me from community acknowledging that there is always room for improvement, acknowledging that every institution can improve, and in support of efforts that actually work towards that, but also recognizing that this is not a step to that because this is a restriction of the inputs that are currently available at the NSCC in determining programming.

One community member reached out to say that under the current structure - not the future structure, not the structure that will involve more political appointments and less input from community and educators, but under the current system - the program mix ebbs and flows, based on student feedback, job statistics of graduates, and industry consultation, which is already part of the process, community need, emerging trends, faculty training, and other considerations. That's a pretty robust and comprehensive set of considerations. What will we see as a restriction of that? We will not see an improvement on that, and that's concerning.

The lack or the reduction of independence of the college and its leadership is also concerning, and yet again, reflective of a trend of consolidation of power with the government. There are also concerns being raised around the lack of clarity in how decisions will be made and are being made, and uncertainty about whether students, faculty, and communities will be consulted at all as this moves forward.

The concerns that I'm hearing are around balance. There is a recognition from people who have reached out, that a strong community college system does need to be responsive. It needs to be responsive to industry, to the workforce, and to community, but it also needs to be independent enough to serve communities, to serve students, and to reach long-term educational goals, not just the political goals of the government of the moment.

Those are the concerns that I've been hearing. Those are the kinds of concerns that were raised at Public Bills that, unfortunately, we didn't see government take action on. Those echo the concerns of other members of the Opposition who have provided input. I just have to say that for those reasons, I will not be supporting this.

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There are opportunities in legislation on the Community Colleges Act to flesh out how the proposed Institute of Skilled Trades will operate in practice. Those were not taken out. There is no inclusion in this piece of legislation for safeguards to protect institutional independence or to ensure that decision-making is data-driven, based on the factors that will determine the long-term success of education in Nova Scotia. You know, it just misses the mark on that entirely.

It also doesn't set clear limits on ministerial involvement in governance, which again, this is a trend that we see almost without fail, emerging in almost every bill, if not every bill, that is before this House.

I'm not in support of this bill and I will not be voting yes. I am hopeful that members of the government will hear the concerns that have been raised and reconsider their position, but I am not optimistic of that. But I do, before concluding my remarks, want to make a couple of comments about how this will progress going forward, as I have been trying to do with each of the bills, to identify for Nova Scotians what opportunities exist to influence. So my expectation with this bill, because it does not have a specific coming into force clause, the default would be that it will come into force upon Royal Assent. That means this bill will have the force of law. It will be law when Royal Assent is given at the end of this session.

However, having said that, there are still actions that need to be taken by government to give effect to the provisions of this particular bill. That includes that government will need to create regulations before it can take action on certain things.

Clause 6, for example, provides ministerial regulation-making authority in respect of the Institute of Skilled Trades council, so we will expect to see - hang on. Let me scan that provision. We will expect to see regulations made by government - made by order in council or the minister - that will provide direction around this. This is something that Nova Scotians can impact. This hasn't happened yet. Those regulations are not in place yet. Government will have to make them. Community members may seek to reach out to government MLAs and to ministers with respect to the possibility of influencing what those regulations say.

Similarly, there are multiple provisions in here that provide for government appointments. Again, those will happen on an ongoing basis. Those are opportunities that Nova Scotians have to reach out to government MLAs and to ministers to express their opinions about what should happen on those appointments, and to express their dissatisfaction if they are not happy with what happens on those decisions.

Even in the case of this bill, which does seem to have it coming into force, which will happen upon Royal Assent, there is still opportunity for Nova Scotians to make their wishes known, make their beliefs and opinions known, and reach out to government to continue to work to influence the decisions. That's fundamentally what democracy is. Governments should be listening.

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Although we haven't seen evidence of that in the course of this session, a legislative session can be a bit of a hot seat. Sometimes, when government pushes through with long hours and an extensive legislative agenda, there's not a lot of time and space for government MLAs and ministers to take in the input that community members are trying to offer. Once this House rises, and government MLAs and ministers go back to their communities, there's a whole lot more time and space to take in the messages that Nova Scotians are trying to share.

As I always try to do when I provide remarks, I want to offer constructive opportunities for people who want to make a difference and provide influence. Even though this piece of legislation, which I believe will come into force on Royal Assent, there are still opportunities for Nova Scotians to be heard on this matter. I encourage them to continue to reach out and to continue to raise their voices because that's how democracy works.

There are all sorts of channels to influence government decision-making. They don't just exist here in this session. They don't just exist when Legislature is sitting. There are many opportunities, so I want to remind Nova Scotians of that. Once again, I do not support this piece of legislation, but if Nova Scotians are interested in making changes with what's being passed, there are still chances as the days and weeks unfold ahead of us.

With those remarks, Speaker, I will take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : If I recognize the honourable Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, it will be to close the debate.

The honourable Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

HON. NOLAN YOUNG « » : I think both members in the Opposition were at the bill brief when a lot of these points were discussed. Maybe it's selective amnesia, but NSCC is going to remain independent. Oversight will still be by the independent Board of Governors. They know the presidential search committee is well under way by an independent search committee that will independently make recommendations. The other piece on the regulations - for further clarity - will talk about the board composition, the lengths of the duration, et cetera.

In closing, I'm proud of the work that NSCC does. I'm proud of the Institute of Technology. I'm proud of the students who are looking for the opportunities ahead in this province to continue to grow the sectors where labour needs exist, and I'm optimistic for the future of this province.

With that, I move to close debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

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The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

The honourable Deputy Government House Leader.

MELISSA SHEEHY-RICHARD « » : Speaker, that concludes government business for today. I move that the House do now rise to meet again tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8^th, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. Following Daily Routine and Question Period will be Opposition business. After Opposition business, government business will include third reading of Bill Nos. 186, 193, 201, and 212.

I ask that you recognize the honourable House Leader for the Official Opposition to call Opposition business for tomorrow.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable House Leader for the Official Opposition.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Tomorrow we will be calling Bill Nos. 251, 224, and 226.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is that the House rise to meet again on Wednesday, April 8^th, from 1:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

We stand adjourned until Wednesday, April 8^th at 1:00 p.m.

[The House rose at 10:42 p.m.]

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWERS

Given on April 2, 2026

(Pursuant to Rule 30(2))

QUESTION NO. 44

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview-Clayton Park)

To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)

1. Food bank use is up in Nova Scotia by 10.3% since last year, according to the Food Banks Canada Poverty Report Card. This represents a concerning year-over-year trend. The total number of visits is up 66% under this government's watch. What concrete steps will the minister take this upcoming fiscal year to reverse this trend?

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2. Statistics Canada data shows that Nova Scotia's total spending on social safety net programs is the lowest in the country on a per-capita basis. Can the department explain why Nova Scotia has the lowest per-capita spending of any province on social protection?

3. Is there a poverty reduction strategy in the works? If not: how does this department expect this to be resolved without direct intervention?

4. People living with disabilities are disproportionately represented in poverty numbers and no standard poverty measure adequately captures the additional and unavoidable costs of disability (i.e. assistive devices, medication, et cetera) What is DOSD doing to prevent the continued legislated poverty of people living with disabilities?

5. Poverty Reduction Credit:

a) Can the minister show how many people received this so far in the current fiscal year?

b) When addressing the 20 percent cut on this benefit, the minister stated that fewer people now need it. Can the minister table information that would lead the department to estimate that fewer people will need it this year?

c) Can the minister tell us when was the last time the $16,000 income eligibility threshold for this program was adjusted for inflation?

d) Before cutting the estimated amount in the budget, did the minister look at the possible outcome of increasing the income eligibility threshold to account for inflation? If so, can the minister table this analysis?

6. Can the minister clarify if the Affordable Living Tax Credit will be adjusted for inflation?

7. Nova Scotia Child Benefit:

a) This benefit has a lower maximum benefit amount than most other provinces. It also uniquely has a significant "benefit cliff" meaning that any household that makes $1 more than $33,999 loses the benefit entirely rather than the benefit gradually phasing out at higher income levels. Why does the province not have a phase out for the Nova Scotia Child Benefit when it seems like just about every other jurisdiction does?

b) Why has this government not pegged the Nova Scotia Child Benefit amount to inflation?

c) This support is also uniquely stringent in its large clawbacks of the benefit for larger-sized families, with the benefit being cut in half for the second and later children for families whose incomes are above $26,000 and below $34,000. Most other provinces have no reduction at all for the second and third child. What's the reason for the significant reduction for larger families?

d) Is the department aware of emerging research about the impact of these clawbacks for larger families disproportionately affecting racialized households?

QUESTION NO. 45

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview-Clayton Park)

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To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)

1. Nova Scotia is one of only two provinces without a child and youth advocate. Can the minister tell us if this will finally change this year?

2. There is $300,000 in this budget to establish an office of the child and youth advocate. Can the minister tell us what that $300,000 is for?

a) How much annual funding will this office have once it is established?

b) Are regulations for this office ready? If so, can they be tabled? If not, why not?

3. What is the timeline for this office to be fully established? If this budget line is to establish the office this year, what month exactly will that be?

QUESTION NO. 46

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview-Clayton Park)

To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)

1. When FRCs are granted one-time funding, without the ability for it to go towards payroll, how are they expected to expand on programs with no staff to support that?

2. FRCs' funding reports have indicated a huge increase in service users and demand for their supports. How are the annual reports submitted by these organizations taken into consideration when putting out a budget?

a) When was the last time the DOSD reviewed the annual funding needs of FRCs?

3. Family Resource funding grants have been decreased by $310,000. What did the minister base this decision on?

4. Parenting Journey grants have been decreased by $207,000. What did the minister base this decision on?

5. The minister has previously referenced the decrease in the number of children in the care of the province. This decrease can most certainly be attributed to the work that FRCs do. Has the department done any analysis to see what has contributed to this decrease? Can this information/report be tabled?

QUESTION NO. 47

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview-Clayton Park)

To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)

1 The Department's five-year housing strategy, released in 2023 states: "The Province is committing $85M over five years to advance supportive housing, including creating 1,085 new supportive housing units over the next five years." This number of supportive housing units is less than the number of individuals currently experiencing homelessness in Halifax alone. Why is this government not willing to create enough homes for the homeless?

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a) We know that homelessness is now impacting all regions of the province. Can the minister tell us how many supportive housing units are being created in each zone of the province?

2. Homelessness has increased by 96 percent in Halifax, 191 percent in the Western Region, and 72 percent in the Eastern Region. What does the minister see as contributing to these startling increases?

a) The cost of average rent in Nova Scotia has increased by more than $5,700 per year or $477 more per month since 2021. Does the minister believe that the high cost of rent in this province is pushing Nova Scotians into homelessness?

b) How much is in the budget to prevent homelessness (including but not limited to diversion funding)?

QUESTION NO. 48

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview Clayton Park)

To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)

1. We know that social workers are under an extreme amount of stress as their caseloads increase. Can the minister tell us how many social workers have resigned from the department in the last year? How many of those resignations happened within one year of being hired?

2. How many social workers employed by the department are currently out on stress or short-term illness leave?

3. We've heard that there will be no cuts to frontline workers. But when administrative staff are cut, that work get passed along to frontline workers. How many hours a week are social workers in the department doing administrative work? How is that going to change as job cuts start to add up?

4. Why were the provisions around caseload management that were in the old manual removed from the new version?

5. What is the reasoning behind removing information around training on how to address family violence?

6. The new manual recognizes importance of properly supporting children of African Nova Scotian and Mikmaw ancestry, but no mechanisms or training are mentioned. Can the minister outline what training is being offered? Can the minister outline how much of the new budget will go towards this initiative? Will there by additional staff hired to support this work?

QUESTION NO. 49

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview Clayton Park)

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To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)1

1. The Department of Opportunities and Social Development records a cut of $1.5 million to "one-time initiatives" in the list of grant cuts. There is little information here of what that means. Can you provide a list of the initiatives that this comprises?

2. The list of cuts include a $3.6 million cut to the Youth Day Program Pilot. Can the minister explain the details of this program and why it was cut?

3. Why is the province cutting support for people living with disabilities and on income assistance to gain employment? (Ability Works)

4. What about the cut to the Skills Development program? Why is the department cutting a program aimed at helping income assistance recipients obtain employment?

a) How does it make sense to cut a program that helps people get off income assistance through employment? This government has said time and time again that the best social support is a job. How does a cut like this actually save the province money in the long run if it results in people staying on income assistance for longer?

5. Why was the Dalhousie Hearing Aid Assistance Program cut?

a) I spoke with a senior whose hearing was getting worse faster than how often he can get his hearing aids upgraded. The need for a hearing aid assistance program is greater than the current eligibility. Did the minister consider this reality before deciding to cut this program's funding?

6. There is $1.4 million cut to "prevention and early intervention - other programs". This is very vague. Could the department indicate what is included under this line item?

QUESTION NO. 50

By: Lina Hamid (Fairview Clayton Park)

To: Hon. Barbara Adams (Department of Opportunities and Social Development)

1. Can the department explain why, according to the anti-poverty think tank Maytree, Nova Scotia provides the least income assistance in the country for single individuals considered employable?

2. According to the same Maytree report, someone living with a disability and receiving income support in Nova Scotia receive 46 percent less than the poverty line. This is one of the lowest levels of support in the country. For example, it is $5,990 less than someone with disabilities in Newfoundland and Labrador, $5,191 less than Prince Edward Island, $4,728 less than British Columbia and $2,703 less than Ontario. Can the minister explain why Nova Scotia provides less income support to people with disabilities than other provinces?

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3. When was the last time the Department of Opportunities and Social Development completed a jurisdictional scan to see how Nova Scotia rates for income assistance compare to other provinces?

4. Unhoused folks are even more vulnerable as they continue to receive a reduced rate. The constant struggle to survive every day is all-consuming. We continue to have individuals dying in tents and on sidewalks during the cold winter months. We know that an adjustment, above and beyond indexing to inflation, could mean life or death. What is the reasoning behind unhoused folks not receiving the standard income assistance rate?

5. For the essentials rate, can you list what items the set dollar amount is supposed to cover?

6. Investing in Nova Scotians by increasing those rates will lead to more folks being able to get off income assistance in the long run. My question is: Does the department consider the additional costs and hardships that result from the cycle of poverty that low income assistance rates perpetuate?

7. About half of individuals receiving rent supplements in this province are also receiving income assistance. Income assistance rates specifically have three separate streams for three living conditions - renting or owning, boarding, and unhoused. Can the minister explain why income assistance recipients would require a rent supplement?

8. There are a number of areas where income assistance recipients can apply for special needs assistance - including one for utility arrears. We know that families are spending $400 to $600 more per year on their power bills than what they were in 2021. Almost half of Nova Scotian households are in energy poverty. Can the minister tell us how many applications there were in the last fiscal year to support folks who are in arrears in their utility bills? What is the anticipated budget for utility arrears this year?

9. From October 31, 2024, to October 31, 2025, 576 households became ineligible for income assistance due to earning income. Among these, 166 households have so far returned to the income assistance program. Has the Department of Opportunities and Social Development done any analysis to understand why this is happening and what additional supports folks need during that transition?

NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)

RESOLUTION NO. 481

By: Hon. Kim Masland (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Liverpool Regional High School student Daniel Losier earned 2^nd place at the Skills Nova Scotia Public Speaking competition held in Halifax; and

Whereas competing at this level requires preparation, composure, and the ability to communicate clearly under pressure; and

Whereas this result reflects those skills and the work that went into getting to this competition;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating LRHS student Daniel Losier for representing LRHS Music at the Skills Nova Scotia Public Speaking competition.

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