Nova Scotia PCs move to regulate the private collection of Social Insurance Numbers

Power rates and a privacy breach were topics of the first day back for the Nova Scotia Legislature.

Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservatives introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at tightening rules around the collection and storage of Social Insurance Numbers by private companies.

The Social Insurance Numbers Protection Act was introduced after a major data breach at Nova Scotia Power was uncovered earlier this year. It was revealed hackers stole personal and financial information, including sensitive SIN data, from about 140,000 customers both past and present.

“Social Insurance Numbers are a sensitive piece of personal information that needs to be protected,” said Colton LeBlanc, the former minister of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions.

Under the new law, private companies will be prohibited from collecting SINs unless authorized by the new regulation.

Government agencies will still be able to use them for administrative and program purposes, while businesses will be permitted to collect them only for legitimate reasons, such as income tax reporting.

LeBlanc also reminded Nova Scotians that providing a SIN is often optional and individuals should protect and think twice before sharing it.

“You do not have to give it when asked,” he said. “Always ask if it is mandatory to provide the information and why.”

NDP introduces bill to reduce power rates

Meanwhile, NDP leader Claudia Chender introduced a bill that would reduce power rates by 10 per cent by offering a rebate to Nova Scotia Power customers.

“It’s the government’s job to make sure that essential services like power are reliable and affordable and they (government) have failed at that job so far,” said Chender.

Chender estimates the 10 per cent rebate would cost the government around $140 million to execute. She said it would be a one-year pilot project, acknowledging it would take cooperation from the PC party, which holds a supermajority in the legislature.

The NDP also tabled a bill aimed at protecting Nova Scotians’ private information.

“We still don’t have an answer as to why Nova Scotia Power had everyone’s Social Insurance Numbers for years and sometimes decades,” said Chender.

The NDP privacy bill would allow credit freezes and modernize rules around storing data, allowing people to recover their money if they are harmed financially when their data is stolen,” said Chender. “Something they can’t do right now.”

Amendment to Crown Lands Act

Eight legislative amendments were introduced Tuesday in an omnibus bill the PCs have called the “Protecting Nova Scotians Act.”

An amendment was also made to the Crown Lands Act, which would make it illegal to “block, obstruct the use of or impede access to” forest access roads.

It’s not clear why this amendment was included or how it protects Nova Scotians, but it appears it was drafted to give authorities stronger powers to clear protesters and structures that block access to Crown lands.

“If we have to relocate those people so they can protest someplace else and not impede around heavy machinery like skidders and porters and such that you see in forestry operations,” said Orlando Fraser, director of conservation service for the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. “We would need to remove those people for safety reasons.”

There is currently an Indigenous-led blockade of Crown land at Hunter’s Mountain in the Cape Breton Highlands, where Mi’kmaq people and supporters have blocked a logging operation.

Other amendments in the omnibus bill included changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to protect victims of domestic violence. It would allow tenants who want to stay in their rental unit to keep the same terms of the lease agreement after their abuser has left.

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