Houston must listen to Nova Scotians, reverse course on overreaching changes

HALIFAX – On Thursday morning, NDP Leader Claudia Chender committed to ensuring Nova Scotians’ concerns are raised for debate and that changes to the overreaching laws put forward by the Houston government are enacted when the House sits again next week.

“People have reached out in record numbers. They’re concerned about Tim Houston’s surprise policies which limit unbiased information, eliminate consultation, reduce public debate, and undermine the public service, the privacy commissioner’s office and now, our province’s post-secondary institutions,” said Chender. “Nova Scotians have been clear. They’re protesting in the streets, writing to their MLAs and organizing online to say: this is not what we voted for last fall.”

When Nova Scotians spoke up against threats to the independence of the Auditor General’s office, the Houston Conservatives were forced to back down. Proposed changes to university governance, the powers of the Privacy Commissioner and unilaterally removing mining and fracking bans must be reevaluated as well.

On Monday, Nova Scotians will have another chance to make their voices heard at the Public Bills Committee.

“As the government continues to ram these laws through, we are listening to Nova Scotians and doing everything in our power to propose the changes people want to see,” said Chender. “Public Bills Committee is another chance to speak directly to the government about what is needed. They work for Nova Scotians and it’s time they started acting like it.”

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