BILL NO. 28
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 59th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
55 Elizabeth II, 2006
Public Service Act
(amended)
The Honourable Ronald S. Russell, C.D.
Government House Leader
2nd Session, 59th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
55 Elizabeth II, 2006
The Honourable Ronald S. Russell, C.D.
Government House Leader
First Reading: May 8, 2006
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
![[home]](../../../images/n-home.gif)
![[bills]](../../../images/n-top.gif)
Clause 1 amends the list of government departments in the Public Service Act by replacing the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries with the Department of Agriculture, and adding the Departments of Energy and Health Promotion and Protection.
Clause 2 repeals provisions in the Public Service Act respecting the Petroleum Directorate and the Office of Health Promotion and adds provisions respecting the Office of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Clause 3 repeals provisions in the Public Service Act respecting the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and adds provisions respecting the Department of Agriculture.
Clause 4 adds provisions respecting the Department of Energy.
Clause 5 adds provisions respecting the Department of Health Promotion and Protection.
Clause 6 provides that the Act comes into force upon proclamation.
1 Section 2 of Chapter 376 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Public Service Act, as amended by Chapter 14 of the Acts of 1992, Chapter 38 of the Acts of 1993, Chapter 31 of the Acts of 1994, Chapter 1 of the Acts of 1995-96, Chapter 8 of the Acts of 1996, Chapter 25 of the Acts of 1996 and Chapter 4 of the Acts of 2001, is further amended by
(a) repealing clause (a) and substituting the following clause:
(c) adding immediately after clause (g) the following clause:
(2) The Governor in Council may assign to a member of the Executive Council responsibility for the Office of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
(3) The Office of Fisheries and Aquaculture shall be presided over by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture who has the supervision, direction and control of all affairs and matters relating to the Office and who shall supervise the performance of the functions of the Office.
(4) The Governor in Council may appoint a person to be Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Fisheries and Aquaculture who shall be paid such salary as the Governor in Council determines and who shall perform such duties as are from time to time prescribed by the Governor in Council.
(5) Such other officers and employees as are required for the purposes of the Office of Fisheries and Aquaculture may be appointed pursuant to the Civil Service Act and that Act applies to those employees.
25B The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture has, unless specifically assigned to another member of the Executive Council, the supervision, direction and control of
(a) all matters over which the Legislature has jurisdiction relating to fisheries and aquaculture;
(b) the administration of Acts, orders and regulations relating to fisheries and aquaculture in the Province; and
(c) such other matters as may be assigned to the Minister by the Governor in Council or by statute.
3 The heading immediately before Section 26 and Sections 26 and 27 of Chapter 376 are repealed and the following heading and Sections substituted:
26 The Department of Agriculture shall be presided over by the Minister of Agriculture who has the supervision, direction and control of all affairs and matters relating to the Department and who shall supervise the performance of the functions of the Department.
27 The Minister of Agriculture has, unless specifically assigned to another member of the Executive Council, the supervision, direction and control of
(a) all matters relating to agriculture;
(b) the administration of Acts, orders and regulations relating to agriculture in the Province; and
(c) such other matters as may be assigned to the Minister by the Governor in Council or by statute.
36A The Department of Energy shall be presided over by the Minister of Energy who has the supervision, direction and control of all matters relating to the Department and who shall supervise the performance of the functions of the Department.
36B The Minister of Energy has, unless specifically assigned to another member of the Executive Council, the supervision, direction and control of all matters relating to energy resources, including oil and gas, electricity and renewable energy and other natural resources when used for the production of energy, including
(a) developing and implementing energy policies and programs;
(b) conducting research and analysis related to the effective management, including exploration, development and use, of the Province's energy resources;
(c) liaising with other governments, departments, organizations, advisory groups, regulators and associations to advance the interests and concerns of the Province and facilitating co-ordinated energy policies, activities and programs;
(d) managing the Province's energy resources in order to achieve optimum economic, social and environmental value from the energy sector, including issuing rights to use the Province's oil and gas resources and monitoring the use of these rights;
(e) promoting the efficient, effective and environmentally sound use of energy;
(f) the administration of Acts, orders and regulations relating to the matters referred to in clauses (a) to (e); and
(g) such other matters as may be assigned to the Minister by the Governor in Council or by statute.
5 Chapter 376 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 46 the following heading and Sections:
46A The Department of Health Promotion and Protection shall be presided over by the Minister of Health Promotion and Protection who has the supervision, direction and control of all affairs and matters relating to the Department and who shall supervise the performance of the functions of the Department.
46B The Minister of Health Promotion and Protection has, unless specifically assigned to another member of the Executive Council,
(a) the supervision, direction and control of all affairs and matters relating to development and implementation of an integrated and strengthened public health system emphasizing both the promotion and protection of the health and well-being of Nova Scotians by
(ii) leading a co-ordinated population health approach to youth sexual health,
(iii) increasing physical activity through sport, recreation and facility development,
(iv) promoting reduction in tobacco use through the implementation of the Province's comprehensive tobacco-control strategy,
(v) providing leadership and ensuring intersectoral collaboration with respect to the Nova Scotia Injury Prevention Strategy,
(vi) providing a continuum of addiction-related care and service spanning health promotion, addiction prevention and problem gambling,
(vii) promoting chronic disease prevention by leading the Province's co-ordinated and integrated multi-year initiatives, and
(viii) protecting public health in the areas of communicable-disease prevention and control, environmental-health and public-health emergency preparedness and response;
(c) such other matters as may be assigned to the Minister by the Governor in Council or by statute.
46C In addition to any powers given to the Minister of Health Promotion and Protection by an enactment or the Governor in Council, the Minister may
(a) co-operate with departments of government and support the work of those departments to improve health promotion and protection throughout the Province; and
(b) collaborate with private, public and non-profit sectors to strengthen health promotion and protection initiatives in the Province and to take advantage of improving opportunities to create environments that support improved health.