Nova Scotia NDP urging public to weigh in on the government’s ‘overreaching’ bills

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender speaks to reporters following a televised leaders debate in Halifax on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chender is calling on the public to appear before a legislative committee next week to weigh in on controversial changes to several government bills. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

HALIFAX — A series of contentious Nova Scotia government bills -- including one that would lift a ban on fracking and uranium mining -- come before a legislature committee next week, and the province’s Opposition leader is urging the public to make its voice heard.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said people and groups with concerns should attend Monday’s meeting, during which seven bills are up for review, touching on subjects such as university governance and the administration of the civil service.

“This is your chance to speak directly to the government about the issues that matter to you,” Chender said at a news conference on Thursday about the public bills committee hearing.

She referred to most of the bills under review as “a suite of overreaching and concerning laws.”

The province’s bans on fracking and uranium mining have been in place for decades, Chender said, adding that she doesn’t want legislation reversing the policies to be rushed through the legislature without proper public consultation.

“It is important that this government (takes) the time to listen to Nova Scotians,” Chender said.

Premier Tim Houston has faced strong pushback to several of his government’s recent proposals, including to limit the independence of the auditor general and increase barriers to accessing documents and records.

In response, Houston has said he would withdraw several proposals that would have allowed the government to fire the auditor general without cause and veto the public release of reports. The premier said last month that the amendments had become “something they weren’t intended to be,” and no longer supported them.

Houston followed up two days later, telling the legislature that there would also likely be changes to a bill that the province’s freedom of information commissioner said would weaken the public’s right to access government records and documents. He did not provide specifics.

Tricia Ralph, whose term as privacy commissioner recently ended, had taken issue with what she said were “broad” changes the government wanted to implement, such as permitting departments to refuse access requests on the basis they are trivial, frivolous or vexatious.

Chender said Thursday that her party has yet to see anything in writing on the government’s intention to walk back some of its more controversial proposals.

“They have not seen fit to share any of those amendments which makes it very difficult to understand if these are in fact the changes that Nova Scotians want or the changes that ought to be made to make this legislation useful and productive,” she said.

In an emailed statement, government house leader Brendan Maguire said committee members on Monday will listen to comments from the public, but won’t amend the bills during the hearing. Changes will be made when the bills return to the legislature, he explained.

“This will include removing the sections pertaining to the auditor general and tweaking the freedom of information amendments based on feedback from the former commissioner,” he said.

The legislature resumes sitting next week after a week off for the province’s March school break.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2025.

By Keith Doucette