JAMIE BAILLIE: ... We have a Premier whose style, to be blunt, is so confrontational and so mean-spirited that people of good faith get pushed away . . .

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. I think "mean-spirited" is just a little bit over the edge.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BAILLIE: Let me claw that back closer to the edge, Mr. Speaker.

LENORE ZANN: Mr. Speaker, could you please ask people to stop walking in front of me while I'm giving this speech? Somebody's done this several times now, and it's very distracting. He's done it several times.

MR. SPEAKER: Order. The walking between would be between you and me. It's perfectly appropriate for people to come and leave the Chamber as they please on that side. Continue.

MS. ZANN: Thank you for the reminder. I told myself before I came here tonight that I wasn't going to say "you," but it is hard to remember that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, my question through you is for the Minister of Justice. Teachers, students, parents, and others interested in Nova Scotia's education system want to voice their opinions about the bill introduced by the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development last night. Our system allows them to do that at the Standing Committee on Law Amendments.

My question to the minister is quite simple: will the minister, as Chair of the Law Amendments Committee, guarantee that everyone who asks to be heard by the committee will have their say?

MR. BAILLIE: Mr. Speaker, it has to be said that the Premier has had exactly zero agreements with the teachers. He may have had tentative agreements, but they were never ratified, meaning he's still at zero in terms of agreements, and that's the problem. When you legislate a contract when you have zero agreements, it's going to be challenged in the courts.

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE: I think for the record I will read this press release and table it because this will go down in history. The title is, "McNeil government's anti-education legislation results in Province wide teacher strike. The complete lack of respect displayed by Stephen McNeil and his government towards teachers, students and their families has left NSTU members with no choice but to initiate a one-day province-wide walk-out on Friday, February 17. In the entire 122 year history of NSTU, our members have never faced a more anti-education Premier than Stephen McNeil."

HON. MICHEL SAMSON: Mr. Speaker, prior to moving to close debate on second reading, earlier, around four o'clock this evening, I announced that the Law Amendments Committee would be meeting this evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. As well, I indicated that I would be introducing a motion regarding how the Law Amendments Committee will proceed tomorrow.

HON. MICHEL SAMSON: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, based on discussions that were had with the Opposition House Leaders regarding Law Amendments, the fact that we are going to meet this evening from 7 to 10, I am advised that that entire slot has been filled by Legislative Council, so you are able to contact people in time to appear tonight.

MS. ZANN: Yes, I was a backbencher who spoke up.

I have another question from one of my constituents. Ask Ms. Casey why teachers have to negotiate a review of the inclusion . . .

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. I would like to remind the honourable member that Question Period is not an opportunity to ask questions directly from constituents. If you could paraphrase or work around that.

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: Mr. Speaker, everything the Government House Leader just said is completely irrelevant. He never did put a motion that was in order before this House. He continues to defend what was a sneaky attempt to break the rules. We didn't even deal with that motion because it was not on the table in a proper format for delivery.

...

MR. SPEAKER: I just want to remind the honourable Leader of the Official Opposition that the word "sneaky" is unparliamentary.