HALIFAX, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON SUPPLY
11:30 A.M.
CHAIR
Dave Ritcey
THE CHAIR: Order, please. The Subcommittee on Supply will come to order. It is now 11:30 a.m. The subcommittee is meeting to consider the Estimates for the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services on Resolution E38. I’m going to read it.
Resolution E38 - Resolved, that a sum not exceeding $359,570,000 be granted to the Lieutenant Governor to defray expenses in respect of the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services, pursuant to the Estimate.
THE CHAIR: I will now invite the honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services to make opening remarks up to one hour, and if they wish to do so, to introduce their staff to the committee.
The honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services.
HON. COLTON LEBLANC: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. It’s my pleasure to take part in Budget Estimates and address the Subcommittee of the Whole House on Supply to speak about the budget of the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services.
To start, I would like to introduce those who are here with me today to help answer questions. Any question we can’t answer, we will be pleased to get back to the member and get them the information in a timely manner.
Joining me today from the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services are Joanne Munro, the deputy minister; Valerie Pottie Bunge, ADM; Natasha Clarke, ADM and Chief Digital Officer; as well as Lisa MacKinnon, Executive Director of Financial Services.
Mr. Chair, I’m very pleased to join you today, as this is the first time the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services has had the opportunity to participate in the Estimates debate since its merger back in 2019. I’m excited to talk to you about our achievements and our priorities for the year ahead.
Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services is a very unique department. We provide the vast array of services to citizens and businesses of Nova Scotia. We also provide the services, the tools, and the supports that enable other government departments and public sector entities to focus on providing quality services and deliver on their priorities.
When I say, “a vast array of services,” I really mean that. It’s a department that I don’t think most people really understand how big it is, the range of work that is being done, or the direct impact it has on the vast majority of Nova Scotians and the more than 10,000 employees across government.
I can speak from experience. When I became minister, I had an idea of some of the work being done by the department, but what I knew then didn’t even scratch the surface. Until I got in there and met the amazing employees, saw the great work that was being done, and visited different parts of the department, I didn’t realize and fully appreciate how broad it really is. I can say that I’m very much looking forward to continuing my provincial tour once the House rises.
Because of this, I’m going to take some time today to share some insight into what we do, our priorities, how we do what we do, and the service standards that hold us accountable every step of the way. Suffice to say, Mr. Chair, I have every confidence that by the end of my remarks you and all members here today will be as impressed with the team at Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services as I am each and every day.
When I think of the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services and how to describe it, there are a lot of things that come to mind. To truly understand the department, I think it’s important to look first at its beginnings. The Office of Service Nova Scotia and the Department of Internal Services were two different entities that shared a mandate for client service excellence and digital service delivery to Nova Scotians. In May 2019, they came together to form the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services.
We are one of the largest departments in government, with a team of just over 1,600. The merger was made at the time to focus on innovation and excellence, and to explore visual delivery of the services that are important to Nova Scotians. Today, the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services brings together the end-to-end expertise needed to achieve a unified and coordinated approach to client service and the technology and processes to support it.
We serve the citizens of this province, about 10,000 employees across government, and a broader range of public partners in health, university, and municipal sectors. Our strong and solid commitment to service excellence guides and supports everything that we do. The department helps people interact with government programs and services that enable other departments to deliver programs and services quickly and easily. The Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services carries out broad legislative mandates, and is responsible for the administration and enforcement of a wide array of legislation and regulations. We are also the first to know the most popular baby names, thanks to our vital statistics team.
Some of the work the department is responsible for includes:
· maintaining the provincial registries of vital statistics, land, businesses, lobbyists;
· in partnership with the Department of Public Works, providing services relating to drivers and vehicles;
· processing services for obtaining licenses, permits, registrations, certificates, refunds, and rebates;
· providing contact centre services and access to citizens and businesses - staff at our contact centre are a single point of contact for information related to all provincial government programs and services. They had a critical role during the height of COVID-19, and there’s more on that later;
· balancing the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords and providing them with efficient and cost-effective services to settle disputes through the Residential Tenancies Program;
· empowering consumers and regulating Nova Scotia’s consumer marketplace, balancing the need to protect citizens with ease of compliance for businesses;
· providing government-wide services, including financial services, internal audit services, including government’s fraud reporting services, procurement services, continuous improvement and innovation, physical security, insurance and risk management, business continuity management, public safety and field communications, and geographic information services, leading government-wide efforts to deliver more and better digital services through the Nova Scotia Digital Service. The NSDS team works collaboratively across government and with all departments to consider how provincial public services can be delivered with digital technologies to meet user needs, how data can drive change, and to plan for and lead Nova Scotia into a digital future;
· licensing and regulating alcohol and gaming activities, including the administration of fuel and tobacco and vaping product taxation. This also includes all related compliance and enforcement activities and ensuring public safety; and
· protection of the public good relating to regulated activities under our mandate.
As you can see, we are a very, very - I emphasize “very” - busy department, but the examples I have given barely scratch the surface of the work under way. When it comes to the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services, we have a clear and focused strategy that helps guide our day-to-day operations and our long-term planning and projects.
The strategy has four components. The first focuses on the services that we provide to Nova Scotians. We aim for service excellence in valued client experiences. We engage with clients to provide high standards of seamless service across programs and channels. We enable clients to meet their needs and accomplish what they set out to do while providing value to the client and the public interest. We also aim to provide responsive and trusted programs and services. We are committed to building trust by understanding evolving client needs and balancing them with the public good. Our structure, processes, partnerships, and teams enable quick and easy delivery of programs and services.
The second component is how we function internally when creating or modernizing programs. We always aim to protect the public and reduce the burden programs have on Nova Scotians. We partner with key clients and stakeholders to identify how we might protect the public effectively while minimizing the regulatory burden on businesses and consumers.
Whenever we are developing or updating a service, the design is focused on our clients. The client is at the centre of our service-design process. We engage, we advise, and we educate on options for service delivery, and find ways to deliver high standards of services across all channels. We engage with government and private-sector partners to identify and meet client needs, bringing partners and clients together to focus on client outcomes, solve design challenges, and deliver seamless services.
The third component focuses on our goal of always growing and learning. We constantly look at how we do things and what opportunities there are to do them better and to grow as a department. Empowering and supporting our teams to achieve excellence is a big part of this. We are a diverse and inclusive department, bringing a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to our work. Team members are engaged and supported in their efforts to reach excellence. Continuous improvement and learning play a big role in what we do as a department and are embedded in our organization.
[11:45 a.m.]
When it comes to making important decisions, we are sure to make them based on data. We collect relevant data and generate insights that drive our decision-making. We act on facts. We also share data with our government partners and take our responsibility to protect user privacy very seriously.
As a department, we are always growing and modernizing the work we do. Digital culture and innovation are a big part of how we approach our work. We find new and better ways to do valued work and achieve our goals. We put user needs first and test our assumptions. We are flexible, agile, and focused on the mission. We start small and iterate. We do the hard work to make things simple.
The fourth and final piece of our strategy is strategically allocating and managing our resources. We are accountable and practice responsible financial management. We make strategic investments in our people, in our systems, and in our technologies that build resilience and support effective service delivery. When I think of our strategy that guides us in our work and has helped Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services accomplish so much today and will continue to do so in the future, none of this would be possible without the amazing employees.
The strategy’s strong, but it takes solid and unwavering commitment from our staff to execute it. When you think of the service excellence - the trust in our programs and services, protecting the public in burden reduction, designing services around our clients’ needs, working with our partners, empowering our teams to achieve greatness, making informed decisions, innovation, and strategically allocating and managing our resources - none of these things would be possible without the buy-in of every single one of our staff. I’m not just saying this, but our employees are truly the best in government - second to none.
As I mentioned earlier, the department is very large, with a broad range of work and divisions. I would like to take a minute to acknowledge each of them for the important work that they do, and for the significant contribution they make to our province and its citizens.
The divisions that make up the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services are: Registries; Corporate Business and Consumer Services; Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco; Information Access and Privacy Services; Corporate Innovation Unit; Government Services; Citizen Services; Internal Audit Centre; Procurement; Financial Services; SAP Modernization Program; Mission IT and Core Internal Services; Infrastructure and Cyber Security; Chief Health Partnerships and Service Excellence; Strategy, Policy, and Governance; Platforms; Service Design and Delivery; and finally, Transformation in Partner Services. These divisions play an essential role in not only how the department functions, but how government as a whole functions.
I’d like to take some time to recognize a few of the achievements the department and our staff have made over the last couple of years. Modernization and innovation have always been important in the work of the department, but the last two years have really amplified just how important this work is. As the world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic - severely changing our daily lives and forcing us to stay home - government still had a responsibility to provide services Nova Scotians need. The department and its staff rose to the occasion and began figuring out how they could continue to provide these necessary services while following the public health guidelines to keep Nova Scotians safe.
During the pandemic, our Citizen Services Division had to be flexible and adapt to the challenges that we were all faced with. Most of the services provided by our teams at the Access Nova Scotia centres were provided in person, which was obviously affected by the pandemic and the various lockdowns. Department staff were quick to pivot, looking at how to reduce the number of people in the offices at any given time to help accommodate physical distancing and still provide services people needed and wanted in a timely manner. They also needed to figure out how to reduce the number of calls to the contact centre looking for clarification on the services that were still being provided. This would allow the contact centre the time it needed to help respond to callers concerned about COVID-19.
This resulted in the introduction of the online appointment booking system for Access Nova Scotia services. Nova Scotians were able to quickly and easily go online and book an appointment for the service they needed at a centre near them. And it didn’t stop there. Staff went the extra step to send clients a text when it was time for their appointment so they could wait in the car and not in a long line. Mr. Chair, I can speak positively of my personal experience, having switched over my previous licence plate to an Acadian licence plate and the seamless transaction that the Yarmouth access centre were able to provide me, and that I know all the access centres provide across Nova Scotia.
During the beginning of the pandemic, access centres were closed. Extensions were given on drivers’ licences to help reduce the need for clients to travel to our centres for in-person services during the height of COVID-19, protecting them and our team. While it was the right step to take, it did create a large backlog of renewals when centres were finally able to open again for in-person services. The folks in the department once again took to this challenge and came up with a solution. The online drivers’ licence renewal service was introduced. The service allowed Nova Scotians to renew their licence quickly and easily online, reducing traffic in access centres and creating a more efficient renewal process. Since the new service was introduced in August 2020, over 116,000 people have used it to renew their driver’s licence.
We also introduced the online knowledge test in October 2021, which is available in English and in French. This service offers a more convenient way for people to get their learner’s licence from the comfort of their home. This reduced the amount of people travelling to access centres and gave another option for people. Since we launched the online knowledge test in late October 2021, almost 8,000 people have used this service.
We also began accepting applications to resolve tenant and landlord disputes online, once again making the program more accessible and efficient for those who need it, and helping the province-wide effort to control the spread of COVID-19.
Our staff at the Nova Scotia Digital Service have had a major role supporting a number of government initiatives during the pandemic. One of these - and I’m sure all members are aware - is of the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in. In August 2020, the Safe Check-in was launched for anyone entering the province from outside the Atlantic Bubble. This allowed for better data collection and tracking of how many people were entering the province.
The Nova Scotia Digital Service also developed the easy-to-use proof of vaccination app that allowed businesses to easily download the app on a mobile device and then scan the QR code on the proof of vaccination documents to confirm if someone had been vaccinated.
When the pandemic first began, our team from the Nova Scotia Digital Service also played a significant role in ensuring that government continued to function effectively by helping civil servants get set up to work from home. This was no small task, but they took to the challenge and went above and beyond to accomplish it. They were also the team who set up the computers and the rapid testing sites.
In March 2020, collection services suspended outgoing debt recovery efforts due to the pandemic. The team continued to maintain current account payment arrangements and assisted any clients experiencing hardship due to the pandemic. As a result of the reduced debt recovery activities, this team joined the public health efforts to protect Nova Scotians. The team has had to pivot, create, learn, and apply new processes multiple times to better support public health order management, the contact centre COVID-19 information line, the Department of Health and Wellness COVID-19 exemptions team, the Nova Scotia Health Authority to create a process to import negative test results and contact those people, the Department of Health and Wellness immunization clinic project, the traveller pre-approval initiative, and provincial COVID-19 working groups.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an extremely stressful and challenging time for all Nova Scotians, but I cannot stress how proud I am of the support of our staff and the support that they have shown, and the incredible work they have accomplished to help keep Nova Scotians safe and able to access the essential services they need.
[12:00 noon.]
Another area of work that is extremely important and our department takes great pride in is our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. In early 2022, Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services finalized its diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan. Having a diverse and inclusive public service makes sure Indigenous people, African Nova Scotians, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and racially visible persons, persons with disabilities, and many others are included and celebrated in our successes.
The Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services works hard to create an environment that is welcoming, culturally competent, and free of discrimination. Our workplace and every workplace across this province needs to respect and include the many cultures and communities of our province.
Being truly inclusive doesn’t stop there. It’s also about making sure that we are inclusive to all Nova Scotians we serve. This means making sure that our services are accessible for all communities in our province. Mr. Chair, I would like to share with you some of the specific actions we have taken to strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion within Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services. They include hiring a senior advisor for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As mentioned earlier, we developed a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan for my department. The action plan was presented to directors and managers by the senior advisor for diversity, equity, and inclusion, who brought in a staff member from the Public Service Commission to educate managers and directors on designated positions, including what they are, how to get involved, what benefits to have, and how to answer questions about them.
We reached out to equity groups within the department to find out what it is like to work in the department, what they like about it, and the challenges they may face. Eight students will work with the department this Summer from the Black Youth Mentorship Program. This is the second year the department has hired students from this program, and the completion of the 2018-2021 Accessibility Directorate commitments, as well as developed a pronoun training course for access centre employees to learn the importance of pronouns. This will be delivered in May/June of this year. Our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion is only the start. We know there is always more work to do, and we are committed to making our workplaces truly inclusive.
In early 2021, our registries division launched the new Registry of Joint Stock Companies. There are more than 250,000 registry transactions completed each year, so as you can imagine, this was a big job. But as our staff do with everything, they faced the challenge head-on and rose to the occasion, creating a new system that is easy, fast, and efficient for users.
The modernized Registry of Joint Stock Companies provides businesses and others with an integrated 24/7 online customer self-service experience. The new system includes features such as 24/7 secure access from a computer or mobile devices; smart forms for all business types so users can save their forms and complete them later; the ability to submit, manage, track their filings and orders online; real-time notifications and improved search functions. The department’s work to modernize the Registry of Joint Stock Companies alone is estimated to generate more than $7 million in reduced burden for businesses and reduce 9,000 hours of time.
We are very proud of our work with the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness on projects such as the modernization of the Registry of Joint Stock Companies. We very much look forward to continuing to work with them to cut red tape, to help reduce the burden on businesses and help them grow. We are also looking for more ways to reduce the hours for citizens accessing and using our services.
We are also very proud of the work we are doing through our corporate Business and Consumer Services Division to help some of our most vulnerable citizens. We know home heating costs can be difficult for low-income Nova Scotians to afford, especially this year. Our Heating Assistance Rebate Program continues to make a positive difference in the lives of many Nova Scotians. So far this year, almost 45,000 eligible Nova Scotians have received a rebate of up to $200 to help them with their heating costs.
As we have all seen, rises in the cost of living have made things more challenging for our most vulnerable. We know this, and we are taking action as a government. This year, all recipients of the Heating Assistance Rebate Program will receive an additional $150 to help them cover their heating costs. This was part of a $13 million announcement prior to our budget being tabled. I believe it was March 24th that we made that announcement.
We are also working with the Salvation Army and Nova Scotia Power to provide the HEAT energy assistance top-up fund. This is a program that is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when a not-for-profit, a government, and the private sector come together with a shared goal. The fund provides emergency home heating support to keep thousands of vulnerable Nova Scotians warm during the Winter months. The maximum assistance is up to $400. We are very pleased to invest $800,000 in this fund annually. So far, over 2,560 Nova Scotians have received support through this fund.
Another program we are very proud of is the Property Tax Rebate for Seniors, which helps allow low-income seniors afford to stay in their homes longer. Eligible seniors receive a rebate on municipal property taxes paid during the previous year to a maximum of $800. Over 17,000 seniors benefited from the Property Tax Rebate program this year. Seniors qualify for this program if they are receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement or the allowance from Service Canada and their residential property taxes are in their name and paid in full.
In 2019, the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services introduced a HARP opt-in option on the application form, which to date has provided more than 12,000 seniors with HARP without requiring an additional application. It is yet another example of how our staff are always working to see what can be done to make it easier for people to access our programs.
Another division I would like to highlight is Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco. This division is responsible for licensing and regulating liquor, gaming, and amusement activities, and ensuring these activities are conducted with honesty and integrity, and enjoyed safely by the public. This division does extremely important work that helps to keep Nova Scotians safe. During COVID-19, they went above and beyond their normal activities to help enforce the health protection order to stop the spread of the virus and to keep Nova Scotians safe.
One of their activities that some may not know about is their extremely dedicated compliance and special investigations unit, which works to keep illegal tobacco and vape products off the street and out of the hands of children. In early March, with the assistance of the East Hants District RCMP, the compliance and special investigations unit had the largest illegal tobacco seizure in Nova Scotia in over 12 years. Within an hour of getting a tip that an illegal product was being delivered, our dedicated staff dropped everything they were doing and set up surveillance in the pouring rain. They later seized the illegal products, and the RCMP arrested the individuals involved. They seized 164 cases of cigarettes containing more than 1.6 million cigarettes. These had a tax value of $451,000 and a retail value of $1.3 million. Thanks to our compliance and special investigations unit, they will stay out of the hands of our youth.
Mr. Chair, Procurement Services is helping to deliver value for taxpayer dollars while ensuring that our partners in the municipalities, the universities, and the health sector benefit from a more consistent approach to tendering for goods and services. Financial transaction services ensures that bills are being paid, that social assistance recipients are receiving their money, and that employee payroll is smooth and efficient, even when outside conditions are challenging.
Our business continuity management team, under our government services division, works with provincial government departments to ensure that the government services that Nova Scotians most depend on are able to function even during challenging circumstances such as Winter storms, hurricanes, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
As I’ve mentioned, at Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services we are always looking at opportunities to modernize the work we do, whether it’s in new programs, regulations, or legislation. Since our government took office and I took over this portfolio, we have made incremental changes to modernize the legislation that we’re responsible for. This session alone, we have introduced amendments that impact a large number of Nova Scotians. We introduced a bill to give provincially regulated companies, cooperatives, societies, and condominium corporations the option to continue meeting virtually or with a mix of in-person and virtual participants.
This pandemic has changed the way the world works. These organizations were allowed to meet virtually under the state of emergency, and they did so effectively and responsibly. We’re now making the legislation fit the reality of how the world works. Not only are we giving them the option to do so, the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness estimates this option will save businesses about $4 million annually and 468,000 hours of time.
We also brought forward amendments to the Condominium Act this session. The amendments will improve governance and management of condominium corporations and enhance consumer protection. They will make sure the rules condo owners and corporations have to follow are current and reflect today’s industry. They include clarifying voting percentages, prohibiting the developer from purchasing additional units on behalf of the corporation until the first elected board is in place; requiring more frequent reserve fund studies; and allowing corporations to modernize voting practices such as accepting emailed ballots. The amendments will also create more transparency by requiring unit owners to disclose property rental agreements to their condo board and that bare land condominiums be clearly advertised as condos.
We also brought forward amendments to the Liquor Control Act, alongside our colleagues at the Department of Finance and Treasury Board. Our part of the amendments introduced will allow third party delivery of alcohol with food orders. Third party delivery companies or individuals were temporarily allowed to deliver alcohol with food orders while the state of emergency was in place. We’ve decided to continue to give businesses and consumers this option to help support our restaurant industry.
Our focus - the safety of Nova Scotians - is top of mind when it comes to alcohol, and there are a number of safeguards that will be in place once regulations are developed, and third party delivery is permanently allowed.
As everyone knows, our province is facing unprecedented housing challenges. We are hearing of Nova Scotians in very tough situations from one end of the province to the other. Our government knows this and is working tirelessly to address the challenges. We have announced a number of initiatives that will help solve the problem. It is a complicated issue, and there is not a simple answer. Last Fall - the Fall of 2021 - I introduced a bill and amendments to help address some of the challenges Nova Scotians are seeing related to residential rental properties while the government works to build the housing supply.
We introduced legislation that has extended the temporary rent cap until December 31, 2023. This capped rental increases at 2 per cent annually for those signing a lease for the same unit they are currently in. This is regardless of if they are in a year-to-year lease or fixed-term lease. This is helping to protect tenants from large rent increases that may force them out of their homes they have lived in for years.
I also introduced amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act to strengthen tenant protections and provide clarity for landlords. Many of the amendments made were around setting out a new process for ending a lease for the purpose of renovating a unit - also known as renovictions. This sets a clear process that must be followed and helps protect tenants against unwarranted evictions for renovations.
[12:15 p.m.]
I would like to take a couple of minutes to outline this new process, as it is important that both tenants and landlords understand the new rules as well as their rights and responsibilities. They include: A landlord can’t proceed with a renoviction until they first contact the tenant to reach an agreement. If the landlord and tenant come to a mutual agreement to end the lease due to a renovation, it must be in writing, using the form that is available on the Residential Tenancies website. If the tenant does not agree to the terms to end the tenancy, they should not sign this form. Landlords cannot pressure the tenant to sign the form.
If tenants and landlords don’t come to an agreement, the landlord can decide to apply to the Residential Tenancies Program. A hearing will be scheduled where evidence will be presented by both the tenant and the landlord. The Residential Tenancies officer will make a decision as to whether or not the renovations are necessary and require the tenants to vacate the unit. The tenant must be given at least three months’ notice before the renoviction is scheduled. If a landlord does not follow these new rules, the Residential Tenancies Program may require the landlord to pay the tenant additional compensation.
We also introduced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to clarify that rental increase notices can only contain one increase amount; that landlords cannot charge different rental rates for different lease terms, a streamlined security deposit claim process, and a requirement for landlords to provide a 24-hour written notice to enter a unit. If any tenant or landlord feels that the other party is not following the rules set out in our legislation, the Residential Tenancies Act, I would recommend that they submit an application with the Residential Tenancies Program.
I would also like to acknowledge that we know the Residential Tenancies Act is a highly technical piece of legislation. I am committed to educating both tenants and landlords on their rights and responsibilities.
We have begun an ongoing public awareness campaign that will focus on important information that both tenants and landlords should know, including new rules and where they can find information should they need it. I’ve spoken with the media - as many as have been interested. I thank the honourable member opposite who used the Legislature as a means to get clarification on the new rules for their constituents.
We’re also getting close to mailing out a fact sheet to all tenants to make it easier for them to have the information they need when working with their landlord. It will outline and explain the changes and include a list of resources for ongoing updates and information.
Mr. Chair, I can assure you that we appreciate the need to generate awareness of the Residential Tenancies Program. My team is working harder than ever to make that happen.
At this point, I want to speak about the importance of our stakeholders. We are very fortunate at Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services to have highly engaged stakeholders who provide extremely valuable insight into the activities of the department. Whether it is amendments to the Liquor Control Act, the Condominium Act, or the Residential Tenancies Act, regulations, or a change to a program, our stakeholders provide valuable feedback and suggestions.
We may not always agree, but I can assure you, we are all working in the best interests of the Nova Scotians we serve. I want to take this opportunity to thank our many stakeholders for their valuable input and insight.
The Province is investing almost $360 million in our department this year. In the coming year, Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services will work with its partner departments to support government’s priorities. We will support health care modernization and improve access to care for Nova Scotians by continuing our role as a key supporting and enabling partner with the Department of Health and Wellness, Nova Scotia Health, and the IWK Health Centre, as well as helping all health care partners achieve their goals.
Specifically, we will support the expansion of the telehealth program and explore virtual care support; support the planning and execution of a procurement process for the expansion and renovation of long-term care accommodations; deliver strategic digital transformation across government; support the secure delivery of virtual care; work collaboratively with the health sector on research and innovation opportunities; and continue to support the Minister of Health and Wellness’ mandate letter to deliver the One Person One Record initiative.
We will also continue to lead and to champion government’s digital transformation by designing and delivering excellent services based around the needs of citizens; enhance efforts to reach underserved communities; and focus on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Through the Nova Scotia Digital Service, we will lead the development of a digital strategy for government to enable safer, faster, and easier services for Nova Scotians and promote internet-era ways of working across government.
Our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion continues with developing a [inaudible] for government and by helping departments use this aggregated data to advance racial equity and understand how various groups are differently impacted.
Work will continue to evolve in digital governance to enable a modern digital organization and publish a digital standards manual that provides guidance for using digital tools and begin to evaluate digital services based on the guidance provided. We will also enhance and add to digital platform offerings; build with reusable components to deliver consistent user experiences; and ensure enabling, scaling, and sustaining of the digital services government offers.
We will also continue to continue the multi-year SAP Modernization project; continue enhancing our cybersecurity measures, including cybersecurity awareness training for government and health sector IT employees to ensure better protection of systems, data, and information.
In collaboration with the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care, we will work with the Canada Revenue Agency to develop and implement an adjudication process, and create digital services pertaining to the Seniors Care Grant program, modernize legislation regulations, and programs including Residential Tenancies, Vital Statistics, and lottery ticket regulations; implement the Affordable Housing Commission recommendations, as well as provide tenants and landlords with efficient and cost-effective services to settle disputes through the Residential Tenancies Program; and modernize the International Fuel Tax Agreement system.
Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services is focused on listening to the needs and expectations of Nova Scotians, and aims to deliver inclusive, high quality, accessible programs and services across multiple channels.
We provide government-wide services, including financial services, internal audit and fraud reporting services, procurement services, continuous improvement and innovation, physical security, insurance and risk management, business continuity management, and printing and mailing services.
We also provide consumer protection services to help consumers make informed decisions and to regulate businesses where necessary and appropriate. We provide processing services for obtaining licenses, permits, registrations, certificates, refunds, and rebates; and provide contact centres and access services to Nova Scotians.
We support and enable the Nova Scotia public service on how they can use new approaches to deliver better government services in the digital era through digital strategies, modern digital governance, digital identity notifications, emerging platforms, and internet-era ways of working. We foster innovation and procurement, and seek new ways to utilize government procurement in a way that supports the economic, environmental, and social impacts of purchases. As well, we look to maintain and expand the open data portal.
We recover debt owed to the province in some municipalities, universities, and health authorities.
We will work to ensure the enhanced protection of personal information and data under the care and control of government by continuing to modernize and enhance privacy practices and awareness across government, balanced with citizens’ rights to access government information. We also provide sustainable geographic solutions to support planning and informed decision-making.
As you have now heard, the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services has a critical and valuable role in this province. I am very proud to be the minister of a department comprised of employees working across the province dedicated to making a positive impact on Nova Scotians. We have accomplished a great deal of work to date and look forward to what is ahead. I’m excited to see what the next year will bring and proud of the leadership that our staff show each and every day. They are committed to serving the needs of our partners and Nova Scotians. They are committed to work and strive for excellence in everything they do.
Mr. Chair, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to share the story of my department. I’ve told a few stories of the great work we have achieved, and I look forward to answering questions from members during Estimates debate.
THE CHAIR: Thank you, minister. According to the practice that has developed in this Legislature, the Opposition caucuses take turns asking questions for approximately one hour each. During a caucus’s turn, the members within a caucus may take turns examining the minister on the Estimate resolution. Only the minister may answer questions. Caucuses are also expected to share time fairly with the Independent member.
To begin the examination, I recognize the Official Opposition. I recognize the honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.
HON. PATRICIA ARAB: Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for getting my riding name right. I appreciate that.
I want to start off by thanking the minister and thanking all the peeps he has in the room with him. I can’t get on the record enough talking about how fantastic the Service Nova Scotia staff are. They are amazing. Our Internal Services staff, our Digital Services staff - they’re the best of the best in the Nova Scotia civil service, in my completely biased opinion.
[12:30 p.m.]
The first question is really a clarification, and I don’t know the answer to this. I noticed that in the budget documents, the Office of Addictions and Mental Health budget is under the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services. I’m just wondering if the minister could explain why that is.
COLTON LEBLANC: I’m just wondering if the honourable member could provide the page in the budget document where she notes that.
PATRICIA ARAB: I can’t off the top of my head. It was referenced when Addictions and Mental Health was up, so it was part of the statement that was read. We’ll get back to that. We’ll hit that in the second hour. It’s all good.
I know that health IT services have been moved back under the umbrella of Digital Services and Service Nova Scotia. I’m curious: First off, what’s the status of the OPOR procurement?
COLTON LEBLANC: The file of One Person One Record has been ongoing for some time. It is a priority for our government - one that will transform the delivery of health care and will enable a digitally supported, patient-centred health care system in our province.
As the member noted, at Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services we support the Minister of Health and Wellness on her mandate to deliver OPOR. It’s very few details that can be said at this time. Our government is very committed to proceeding through the final steps of that procurement.
The procurement process is under way for a clinical information system to support OPOR. For very complex projects like these, transparency about the ultimate outcome has to be balanced with confidentiality to protect the integrity of the selection process. That’s what I can say about the process for now.
PATRICIA ARAB: I respect the position that the minister is in. However, I’m not looking for specifics. I’m looking more for generalities on where we are within the procurement process.
The department committed to fully implementing OPOR, but there’s no timeline. What timeline does the minister see as reasonable and likely for its full implementation?
COLTON LEBLANC: I appreciate the member’s interest. I share that interest in this important project for government. It’s a priority for our government to tackle health care, and this will be a pillar of that. However, as this is an active procurement, and as with any procurement, there are no details that can be provided. We must maintain the integrity of the process and follow through that process throughout the entire procurement process.
PATRICIA ARAB: Since an RFP was put forward on this, can the minister give details as to if there were any standards that were put into the RFP that ensured timely delivery of the product for OPOR?
COLTON LEBLANC: In general, I think it’s the philosophy of the department here to implement best practices. Part of those best practices would be to ensure that contract expectations are met. Again, as this is an act of procurement, and to maintain the integrity of that procurement process, there are very few details that we can provide at this moment.
PATRICIA ARAB: Without getting into the details of the current procurement process - the stage of procurement that OPOR is in - I’m curious if the department has looked at any accountability measures that they will implement if OPOR is not implemented in a timely fashion.
COLTON LEBLANC: What I would say to the honourable member would be that with any contractual agreement the Province engages in with a service provider, there would be implementation of best practices. Those best practices would include accountability measures, service standard levels, and penalties.
PATRICIA ARAB: I’m curious - for the information of the committee - if the minister would have an explanation of what best practices would be in a situation like this.
COLTON LEBLANC: What I can say, again, is that no details on the RFP process can be communicated until the contract is, in fact, awarded. I can assure the member that there’s been a lot of stakeholder consultation throughout this process. As well, I can provide the information to the committee that a fairness monitor who is a third party is engaged in this process to ensure that there are no biases in place throughout the process.
PATRICIA ARAB: I guess I’m just confused a bit. Wouldn’t best practices be a matter of public record? I’m not asking specifically to this procurement; I’m talking in general about systems that are similar to this. They’re looking up best practices, so what are those best practices? What have they found within their research?
COLTON LEBLANC: Unfortunately, I can’t have the whole 1,600 department staff in the boardroom here with me to help answer some of these questions, but what I would say is that I acknowledge I don’t have that information in front of me. I can offer this solution to the member: that we can connect the member with a subject matter expert within the Procurement Services branch to ensure that they have the information on best practices.
[12:45 p.m.]
PATRICIA ARAB: I do appreciate that offer. I guess I would just put an offer out to the minister to perhaps have a document or something that could be tabled for the benefit of the House entirely, not just myself.
COLTON LEBLANC: I’ll certainly bring that back to the team, and we’ll see what can be brought back to the committee as appropriate.
PATRICIA ARAB: The previous government spent approximately $7.4 million on OPOR, including $4.8 million on the procurement process, including a fairness monitor as the minister just mentioned - consultants, legal, et cetera - and $2.6 million on readiness for the NSHA and IWK. Have the costs increased in this budget?
COLTON LEBLANC: I’d say that this is ongoing work, so not necessarily an increase, because it’s a continuum of getting to the final product of the OPOR system in our province. Last year, there was a forecast of $2.312 billion that was transferred to us from the Department of Health and Wellness. This year, there is an estimated budget line for a health transformation of $945 million.
PATRICIA ARAB: But that would be all of the health infrastructure budget, not specifically to OPOR. Is there a line item and a number in this budget dedicated specifically to OPOR, and what is that number?
COLTON LEBLANC: Staff have indicated I misspoke. I said $945 million, but not $945 million - $945,000. Just for clarity, I’ll start again.
We were transferred $2,312,000,000 from the Department of Health and Wellness for the OPOR project that was forecasted for 2021-22. This year, we have in our budget line for health transformation to support the OPOR project $945,000. That’s to support the legal work and the active procurement work.
PATRICIA ARAB: Got it. Thank you. That makes more sense.
Can the minister tell us how much the federal government would be contributing through the federal virtual care bilateral and Canada Health Infoway funding, specifically to the delivery of OPOR? Has there been any commitment, and what is that commitment?
COLTON LEBLANC: Staff has indicated to me that that would not be within our purview. That would be a question for the Department of Health and Wellness.
PATRICIA ARAB: No problem. I can go back until they geek it out. I can geek it out. We can go talk about digital.
Talking about OPOR, is there any sort of projection, or does the minister and his staff see that this infrastructure could be expanded to include other information pertaining to Nova Scotians, such as driver’s licences?
COLTON LEBLANC: OPOR will be a clinical information system that’s truly focused on health information to support the delivery of health care in our province, so there’s no particular correlation at this time with driver’s licences. However, as I noted in my opening remarks, the department is very engaged in modernizing the programs and services that we offer here. We’ve continued that work in the last few months here, and I know there’s more great work being done with more to come.
PATRICIA ARAB: Does the minister see this OPOR project in the context of delivering all government IT services? Moving us into the digital world, is this going to be a tool that can go beyond health care information and effective health care delivery, and be used to have better access to all government services?
COLTON LEBLANC: My answer would be not at this time, no. The priority for OPOR is, in fact, the clinical information services to support the delivery of health care in our province. With that being said, the department and NSDS continuously look at ways to modernize and improve the delivery of government services and programs, and provide to Nova Scotians internet-era solutions - like I noted in my opening remarks - whether it be the online knowledge test, the renewal of your driver’s licence, your vehicle permits. You can buy a fishing licence. I know the Minister of Health and Wellness - the essay was on the book, a fisher’s guide book, so hopefully after the House rises, I can get out to do a little bit of fishing myself.
Those are some of the services, but we know there’s more. We want to ensure that Nova Scotians have an ease of access to government services and provide them in a timely manner.
PATRICIA ARAB: How many systems are no longer vendor-supported? What’s the risk to health care delivery if any of those systems go down?
COLTON LEBLANC: The line of questioning would fall under the umbrella of cybersecurity. As the member can appreciate, what any business, institution or organization can say regarding cybersecurity is limited because we cannot afford to jeopardize or divulge any information. I’m sure there are folks watching right now attentively. Some cyberhackers are probably watching this and looking for some way to hack into the Zoom call and perhaps jump on Legislative TV. I don’t know.
[1:00 p.m.]
What I can say to the honourable member’s question is that managing cybersecurity is one that is a provincial risk. It’s an international risk, and one that our government takes very seriously. That’s why we’re making investments and supporting the new and aged systems that we have that enable government to provide the excellent services that Nova Scotians require.
PATRICIA ARAB: I appreciate the minister’s confidence that hackers are watching this procedure intently and looking to his answers. I appreciate that confidence. Keeping along the lines of cybersecurity, does the minister know when there will be a time for all Nova Scotia Government employees to take cybersecurity training?
COLTON LEBLANC: The pandemic has really opened our eyes to cybersecurity. As I mentioned in my earlier response, it’s a risk to every level of government, every individual, and most organizations, if not all. There’s no organization or individual that’s 100 per cent free of risk when we talk about cybersecurity.
What I can say is that part of our department’s actions to address and manage our cybersecurity risk is, in fact, ensuring that our staff, civil servants, have cybersecurity training as part of the layers of protection in ensuring that as an organization we do what we can to mitigate any risk.
All IT employees have received cybersecurity training. Over the next couple of months, training will be rolled out across government. We expect that over the next two years, all civil servants will have gone through the training.
PATRICIA ARAB: What is the FTE complement for the cybersecurity team?
COLTON LEBLANC: As I’ve noted, it’s everybody’s personal responsibility to take an active role in protecting their information, and when it comes to government employees, protecting the information that they’re transacting - emails or putting on a different service, for example.
What I would say specifically to the member’s question is that is part of the information that cannot be shared - whether it be how much money exactly that we’re spending or how many service systems are created or whatnot - when it comes to particulars regarding cybersecurity, neither can the number of cybersecurity folks or FTEs dedicated to cybersecurity be shared. That is information that could potentially compromise the department’s position.
PATRICIA ARAB: I’d like to move back to procurement, more generally speaking. What is the department doing to ensure that procurement is equitable and that Nova Scotian companies are able to compete fairly with multinational companies?
COLTON LEBLANC: What we’re doing right now - there are a number of community groups that are recognized on a vendor list that assist with what the member is outlining in her question. What we’re planning on doing is the ability to direct under a number of evaluation points to press certain procurements towards those sort of community groups.
THE CHAIR: We’ll take a five-minute break and return at 1:15 p.m. The honourable member has 20 minutes left in her questions.
[1:10 p.m. The committee recessed.]
[1:15 p.m. The committee reconvened.]
THE CHAIR: Order. The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park, with 20 minutes to go.
PATRICIA ARAB: I’m curious about how the department is ensuring that procurement is selecting projects that are the best value for Nova Scotians.
COLTON LEBLANC: What I will say is that with an e-procurement system that we have in place, we’re making it much simpler and easier for vendors to bid. That information is more readily available to the vendor community. In general, we take all that we can to market while respecting the trade agreements to ensure that, one, there’s transparency, and two, there are multiple bids.
When we go more specifically into the current process, of course we’re following our own policies and ensuring that all that can go to the market did get best price, best value, following the best process so that we can get value for our province.
PATRICIA ARAB: I wish I had more hours with you, Minister LeBlanc. I’m going to actually stay on procurement for a little bit, but I want to speak generally about social procurement. There are numerous employees within your department who have extensive knowledge and understanding of the benefits of social enterprise within the procurement process or are experts on social procurement.
We can look to other provinces like B.C. and Manitoba, specifically, that have been extremely successful at using social procurement as a way to engage individuals who are at risk.
What is the status of fulsome utilization of social procurement within your department? I’m running out of time, so I’m going to put a bunch of questions in one. Is there any collaboration being done with the Department of Community Services or the Department of Public Works in regard to social procurement and utilization of social enterprise
COLTON LEBLANC: I’m happy to report to the committee that there’s actually a policy in its final draft stages that addresses the goals and objectives, and then looking at exactly what the member’s raising through her question. We do work with different departments including the Department of Public Works and the construction space, the Department of Community Services, working with the intergovernmental committee. Staff are working with the intergovernmental committee on socio-economic impacts. Of course, we’re also working with the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives. We’re also working with other jurisdictions, including the provinces that the member mentioned, as well as our federal counterparts.
PATRICIA ARAB: That’s wonderful news. I can’t wait for another update in a year’s time to see where we’re at.
Just yesterday, Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services suspended a funeral home licence because of what was referred to in a press release as a wrongful cremation. What is the department doing to ensure that future mistakes like this never happen, and is the department considering any modernizations to the funeral home regulations?
COLTON LEBLANC: First and foremost, this is a devastating incident, and my thoughts are with the family impacted during this time. No family should have to go through what they’re going through. It’s unacceptable and should have never happened.
What we’re committed to here at the department is working with our partners, the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, as well as the Funeral Service Association of Nova Scotia, to see what needs to be done to improve compliance with the current legislation. Of note, as the Registrar had noted in her decision, what was violated within the Act were actually the legislative changes that were brought forward by the previous government, so we’re focused on working with our partners on how we can improve compliance with the existing legislation and regulations.
PATRICIA ARAB: Along those same lines, what steps is the department taking to ensure that people are able to afford basic dignified memorial services?
COLTON LEBLANC: I appreciate the member bringing forward this question. The funeral industry is a competitive market. There are legislative and regulatory parameters that they must operate within, as I pointed out in my initial response on this topic that the member mentioned. But I can appreciate, and I do appreciate, the financial burden that funerals have on families. I hear about it from my constituents - that whether it’s an expected death or an unexpected death, that cost for some families is significant. We’re not talking hundreds of dollars here; we’re talking thousands of dollars.
I know in my personal experience, some of my family members who have had to deal with and manage funerals - that was challenging for them. Fortunately, there were funeral homes that were compassionate and empathetic, and willing to work with my family.
[1:30 p.m.]
I’d hope that would be across the province, but certainly with the cost of living going up, as we’ve discussed in the Legislature, the impacts of a variety of things - whether it be fuel, transportation, food, housing - are all real issues that impact the pocketbooks of Nova Scotians. Again, when we’re talking about thousands of dollars - upwards of $10,000, if not more - for a funeral service, that is quite impactful. It has impacts on the pocketbooks of families.
What I’d say is that it’s a competitive market in Nova Scotia, as with other jurisdictions. I understand and appreciate that the cost of a funeral home can be a significant challenge for those who have to deal with that.
PATRICIA ARAB: With the time that I have left in this hour, I’m just going to ask the minister about some processing times within various areas of his department. Could the minister let me know - and bear with me, because I’m going to list off a few - what the current wait times and the backlog are for Residential Tenancies? Also, what are the processing times at Vital Statistics, the Registry of Joint Stock Companies, and the Land Registry?
COLTON LEBLANC: For the Residential Tenancies division, it’s about eight to nine weeks, and that timeline there is impacted by staffing. For Vital Statistics, we have a turnaround time of about 18 days. The standard is 10 days. Again, staffing and COVID-19 are having some impacts there. With the Land Registry, we don’t have that data in front of us; however, we’ll endeavor to get that information. Regarding the Registry of Joint Stock, it truly depends on the type of transactions. There are 40 to 50 different types of transactions. We are meeting the timeline for the incorporations submitted to RJSC, and we’re close to meeting the standard for name changes.
I’d like to highlight that our access centres for the year to date, it was 82 per cent that were meeting the per cent of our service standard, which is serving our clients in 20 minutes or less. That’s pretty significant. I think it speaks to the different means of accessing services - so we’re not just in person. The ability that folks can . . .
THE CHAIR: Order. Time has elapsed for the Official Opposition and their questions. It’s now time for the NDP caucus.
The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.
KENDRA COOMBES: I’m going to start with Vital Statistics. We know that there are many updates that are required for the province’s Vital Statistics Act. One issue is related to the registration of births in the province, and the process and the forms that do not reflect our current understanding of families.
I’ll use myself as an example. When I had my first child, my partner and I had to go out to the nurses’ station and he had to declare about three times that he was, in fact, the father. He had to sign a document stating that before we could register our daughter, because we are not married. Then there are other issues, such as there aren’t just two parents - in some situations, there could be three parents. I’m just wondering: Is this something that the minister is looking at?
COLTON LEBLANC: Thank you to the honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier for asking this question. She may be aware that two of her colleagues - the member for Halifax Needham and the member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island - have met with my department staff regarding the modernization of the Vital Statistics Act.
It’s a commitment from myself and the department - continuously looking at modernizing and looking at the legislation within my purview. This is one that we’re looking at. We’re looking to bring meaningful changes to the Nova Scotia birth registration process through modernization of the Vital Statistics Act.
As the member outlined in her question, there are changes that are needed to acknowledge, reflect and respect the many ways that Nova Scotia families are comprised and the diversity of our citizens. Staff have met with MLAs. Staff have met with community groups and organizations, associations, other departments, and many others to ensure that we understand the existing issues and the potential impacts of any proposed changes.
I’ll quickly go through the list here. It’s quite extensive. We’ve met with organizations from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community: the South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre; the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project; the Community-Based Research Centre, Atlantic Region; the Youth Project; and Halifax Pride.
For organizations that serve women, the department’s met with Second Story Women’s Centre; Every Woman’s Centre; LEA Place Women’s Resource Centre; Pictou County Women’s Resource and Sexual Assault Centre; the Lotus Centre: A Resource for Women Society; Easter Seals Nova Scotia; the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities; Bryony House; Alice House; Wellness Within; the Elizabeth Fry Society of Cape Breton; and Stepping Stone.
Within the family law experts and practitioner folks, we’ve met with the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University; the Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission; the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service; the Canadian Bar Association, family law section, the Nova Scotia branch. Also met with the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia, the Family Law Information Program Centre, surrogacy lawyers, and the Nova Scotia Public Trustee. We’ve also met with bioethicists, a university research professor of bioethics at Dalhousie University, as well as another university professor at Dalhousie.
We’ve met with birthing hospitals, the IWK Women’s & Newborn Health Program; the Women and Children’s Unit at Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow; the Women and Children’s Unit at Colchester-East Hants Health Centre in Truro; the Women and Children’s Unit at the Cumberland Regional Health Centre in Amherst; St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish; Cape Breton Regional Hospital; South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater; Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, Yarmouth Regional Hospital, and the Association of Nova Scotia Midwives.
We’ve also met with immigrant and newcomer organizations: the Immigrant Settlement Association of Nova Scotia, Immigration Francophone Nouvelle-Écosse, YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth. Surrogacy and fertility groups: We’ve met with Atlantic Assisted Reproductive Therapies, Fertility Matters Canada. We met with a fathers group, the Nova Scotia Brotherhood Initiative. We’ve met with other racially and ethnically diverse groups - members of the L’nu community and the Nova Scotia Association of Black Social Workers.
KENDRA COOMBES: Thank you, that’s great. I think that’s definitely a great list to be having conversations with and very much needed. I hope at some point we’re going to have some of those changes brought to us. I’m going to assume - and the minister can confirm yes or no to this - that the department with all those types of changes is going to make efforts to remove the gendered language in all those forms.
COLTON LEBLANC: Yes.
KENDRA COOMBES: That’s great. Sometimes one-word answers are all you need. That’s wonderful.
I have another issue. This is related to name changes. I know the minister is very much aware of this, because we’ve had really good correspondence. A constituent who was a survivor of spousal abuse was told by Vital Statistics that she would need to get permission from her spouse to change her last name - even though one of the reasons she was seeking the name change was to prevent further contact from him.
We’ve had correspondence on this, and it appears from our correspondence that the legislation is the issue. I know that there have been briefings and discussions that the department is - and a direction from yourself - conducting a research analysis regarding the issue, and possible changes that can be made to the legislation. I’m just wondering what updates can you provide to us on that ongoing process?
[1:45 p.m.]
COLTON LEBLANC: Thank you to the member for bringing forward this issue. We’re very happy to respond to her correspondence. Since her correspondence, the issue has been resolved. I certainly empathize with her constituent having to go through a difficult situation.
There are a number of scenarios and situations where Nova Scotians may want to change their name, and that could be for blended families, gender identity, or personal preference, just to list a few. Some reasons can be a little more difficult, as noted by the member through her question. Our job here at the department is to be sure that the rules we have in place for changing a name are appropriate for all situations.
Since the member has brought this forward to my attention - to my department’s attention - I’ve asked staff to see how we can make improvements and what’s being done in other jurisdictions. A jurisdiction scan is under way. I’d be very pleased to provide the member opposite with an update once we have more information.
KENDRA COOMBES: That’s great news - considering we brought the issue to you not too long ago - that a jurisdiction scan is already under way. I’m happy to hear that.
As you mentioned regarding other changes in names, I’m just wondering, is the department looking at or working to eliminate any of the fees associated with name changes, specifically around the 2SLGBTQ+ individuals who are transitioning and want their deadnames removed from their government identification?
COLTON LEBLANC: I assure the member we have great staff at Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services who are quick to act and quick to get to work. They’re always ready to go above and beyond. I’m really blessed to be in the position that I’m in, and to have the support of staff.
To the member’s question, that’s something that is not currently on the radar. However, I’ll certainly bring it back to the department for discussion.
I will share for the committee that for First Nations communities, an initiative under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is that there’s no cost for members of the First Nations community to change their name to their First Nations name or their Mi’kmaw name.
KENDRA COOMBES: Thank you, and I do hope this does go on your radar as part of - I believe you mentioned the diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan. I hope maybe also this kind of situation can be considered.
With that, Mr. Chair, I will hand this over to my colleague, the member for Halifax Needham.
THE CHAIR: The honourable member for Halifax Needham.
SUZY HANSEN: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do want to say that the minister is absolutely correct when he says that he has amazing staff and that they are on the ball, which is why most of our questions are follow-ups from our meetings.
I’m just wondering, is there an update on the processes in the name changes and people’s circumstances? As we know, if one person is coming forward, more people will come forward, knowing that there’s access for that.
I’m going to shift the conversation completely, but before I do, minister, I want to say that I do appreciate our conversations, and as well, the clarity in which I receive information.
You mentioned diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a process that’s going forward within your department. I just have a few questions on that. Firstly, is the consultation being done by local consultants? Then secondly, is there a position that will be dedicated for this particular role after the consultation is finished?
COLTON LEBLANC: Thank you to the member for her question, and of course, the ongoing dialogue that we are able to have in sincerity, and her passion for the issues that she brings forward and, of course, for her community.
Great question. Who is doing the consultation? Well, it is members of our staff who are members of the equity-seeking groups who are themselves engaging with staff within the department. We want to hear first voice of what’s going well, what’s not going well, challenges, barriers, so we can act on those accordingly.
Regarding the member’s question about if there’s a position - yes. We have a senior advisor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Danielle Elias. She sits at our executive table to be part of those discussions. Of course, last but not least, we’re also establishing a working group with staff to help inform senior leadership within the department.
SUZY HANSEN: I appreciate that, thank you. I’m glad to hear that.
We’re going to move right into renovictions because this is the hot topic, as we know. When I asked the housing minister during Question Period about renovictions that were happening, the minister specifically said that the process is working. We know that the process works for those who put their name forward and for those who are really involved in knowing the clarity on this process. I’m just curious as to what information you are using to make the assessment that the process is working, and who are you hearing from in order to make that call?
COLTON LEBLANC: I appreciate the opportunity to speak on renovictions. I’ve done so a little bit in the House, and a bit with media. I understand that it is a new process. I’ve said that and acknowledged that perhaps the new process is not clear for everyone. That sentiment or expression goes probably with other sectors of the Residential Tenancies Act. I’ll talk about that in a bit.
Our government accepted the recommendations of the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission’s report. Within a very short time, my first few months as minister, we implemented one of the recommendations - I don’t remember if it’s 3 or 14, one of the numbers - to address the ban on renovictions. We knew it wasn’t going to go on forever, because - I said it before, and I guess I have a little more time now than 45 seconds in Question Period - there are instances that renovations are required.
I just think of my own house. I’m in a privileged position to own a house. As with any piece of infrastructure, whether it’s one of these high rises in downtown Halifax, whether it’s the Legislature, whether it’s an apartment building, whether it’s the Scotiabank Centre, or if it’s a piece of infrastructure such as a vehicle, there are repairs and upgrades that are required to maintain its integrity. We hear about instances where tenants find themselves in a position where perhaps the roof over their head’s not safe anymore. What leads to that happening is - I’m not going to presuppose or make assumptions - there may have been a requirement for renovations or upgrades that may or may not have been done.
Tie that back into the purpose of establishing a legislated process that enables tenants and landlords to follow the process. It is a concise process where the landlord ultimately has a responsibility to do their homework and demonstrate through the requirement of a building permit - demonstrate to the tenancies officer - that they need vacant possession to do substantial renovations. I emphasize “substantial,” because when we’re talking about renovations - and I’ve seen a picture of a building permit that was like paint the walls, change the toilet seat - maybe an exaggeration, but it was very minor upgrades.
It’s truly up to the residential tenancy officer to adjudicate the process and look at the evidence that’s being put forward by both parties. That’s part of the process, that both the landlord and the tenants have an opportunity to present that information. Again, perhaps it’s getting lost in this entire discussion of a new process that people are getting renovicted for small repairs.
I tie that to renoviction notices that landlords may be posting on the wall or the door of the apartment unit: you’re being renovicted. Well, if that’s happening, they’re not following the process.
Another interpretation of a renoviction notice could be that the landlord’s showing up with the DR5 form - the form that if an instance where a tenant and a landlord mutually agree to end the tenancy for the purpose of a renoviction or renovations, then they sign on that. We’re unaware of those instances. We’re unaware in the department of those renovictions, because those are mutually agreed upon, considering the form was signed by both parties.
Perhaps there are folks who are feeling pressured. I spoke to that in my opening remarks - that landlords can’t pressure tenants to sign a document. It’s the same thing with any document. If I’m walking in downtown Yarmouth doing some shopping, and somebody is on the street corner saying, hey, Colton, you should sign this form - well, I’m probably going to want to take the time to look at it and see what I’m signing, right? That’s another important element. Those two things there may be interpreted as eviction notices, but again, it’s in bold.
We’ve looked at the form and stuff. We’re going to review that some more. It outlines that the tenant’s not obligated to sign the form, and if they have any questions, they should be calling the contact centre. We’re more than happy to provide the information to tenants and to landlords regarding the process, or regarding the legalities of the hearing itself, and that would have to wait until the hearing process. I hope that helps a little bit.
I don’t want to rehash my opening remarks, but there could be a mutual agreement between tenant and landlord, we don’t hear about it. If the landlord and tenant don’t agree, the landlord is to apply to the Residential Tenancies Program. I’ll get to the data on that in a few minutes. In the instances where there’s a perception of an eviction notice being given by the landlord to the tenant, and if it’s an unresolved dispute - whether it be that or any other dispute that’s within the purview of the Residential Tenancies Act - then my recommendation to tenants would be to file an application to the Residential Tenancies Program.
With that being said on the renoviction piece, we’ve been keeping track of the data since it’s been coming in through the department. We’ve received 26 applications prior to the ban being lifted.
Actually, before I get to the data, the three-month notices. That three-months’ notice is once the application’s gone to a hearing and a decision has been made by the residential tenancy officer. If you can’t express intent - notice is on April 22nd, in three months you’re going to be out. It has to go through the adjudication process to the residential tenancy officer. Their current timeline is about eight to nine weeks. Folks who are getting a notice without going through a hearing, the process is not being followed.
We received six applications prior to the ban being lifted. In total, we’ve received 28 applications. We have had five of the 28 have go to hearing. Out of those five, one resulted in mutual agreement between the tenant and the landlord. It resulted in mediation, and both parties agreed to end the lease. Then the four others were actually in favour of the tenant.
[2:00 p.m.]
What we have in place here leads me to say it is working. With the data that we have, and as I said in my opening remarks, we make our decisions on data. We’re data-driven at the department. That’s what leads me down to the processes work. Regarding whether folks understand the process is a different story. That’s why I took seriously the comments from the member for Dartmouth North last Fall regarding public awareness and education. Education would [Inaudible] the entire Residential Tenancies Act. I think most folks understand or are aware that the rent cap is extended to December 31, 2023, so that public awareness was quite easy, but we’re still including that information into our fact sheets.
We’ve developed two fact sheets, one dated December 2021. It talks about the rent cap, and it talks about the renovictions, and then the changes in the process. We have another fact sheet that’s dated March 2022. When I go back to the Legislature, I’ll table these again, but these are the same documents that were tabled during Question Period. This March 2022 goes over renovictions and the process, the rent cap, and then resources of where to get information. I’m more than happy, if members opposite want copies of this, we can certainly send it through the caucus or directly to members from the department so they can have this information.
Finally, we’ve also done targeted public awareness on social media. We’ve done some social media ads on Facebook that would pop up on Facebook feeds that would be generated in the Facebook marketplace. We did Google Ad word searches. You would search residential tenancies and somehow the masterminds of Google created a situation where the first thing that would come up would be an ad on renting information for tenants and landlords, financiers, and it’s a link directly to the Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies Program.
Then we’ve also done some ad placements on Kijiji, understanding there are folks who advertise their apartment units on Kijiji. We’re trying our best to get the accurate and up-to-date information into the hands of those who need it and recognizing there’s more - we’re not stopping. Like I said earlier, we’re wrapping up a direct mail piece that will go out to 92,000 tenants across the province, which will focus on changes made to renting and creating more awareness to where tenants and landlords can find the answers to questions they may have.
Finally, before the hour runs out, during the February to April online advertising, the ads were seen by a lot of people - 800,000 people - and with almost 12,000 of them engaging with them. That’s a significant part of our population. I would expect if these were engagements on Kijiji, folks who were looking for apartments, probably the folks who are particularly within the rental [Inaudible] they’re looking for rentals. So a lot of good work. Understand that there’s more, but hopefully that helps to provide clarity to the member.
SUZY HANSEN: Absolutely. I mean, completely. We’ve talked about this many times, about getting the message out there, letting people know. When I said today, like a marketing campaign, I’m only saying this because that’s huge and that’s wonderful - 800,000 people have been reached via social media or any other avenue, right? We know that happens with word of mouth too.
But we also know that there are still people - and I mean out of the four that you mentioned who had successful residential tenancy hearings. I’m assuming this is one of them. Their landlord’s response was demolition to their home. They were successful in being able to say: your case is valid, we want to make sure that there’s not a reason for him to send you out, and evict you based on a toilet seat change. You know what I mean? I don’t know if that’s the issue, but I’m just using that as an example.
My thought is, if that’s the case and there are successful cases, and there are still landlords literally removing walls around people who are living in their homes, what particular enforcement is happening? Are there any regulations? Is there any penalty to the landlord for not following the residential tenancy officer’s decision?
COLTON LEBLANC: I recognize that there are some difficult landlords, and there are probably some difficult tenants, but I wouldn’t want to paint all landlords or all tenants with the same brush when we’re talking about these issues.
Regarding demolition and acts of demolition, that is also a process that must be adjudicated through the Residential Tenancies Program. If tenants find themselves in a position where there’s confusion of whether it’s renoviction or demolition, if they’re finding the walls being demolished around them or if a demolition crew shows up, again, there’s a process through the Residential Tenancies Program. There are also some opportunities through municipal officials [Inaudible] talking in regard to building codes and safety. When there are matters of personal safety and property safety, there are opportunities for law enforcement to get involved.
Again, back to the Residential Tenancies Act, specifically to renovictions. If landlords are found not to be following the process, that’s why we’ve introduced penalties for the landlords in favour of the tenant, where they can get additional compensation through the renoviction process.
SUZY HANSEN: The additional compensation is great, but there’s nowhere to move to. You get three months from your landlord - he gets to pay you whatever, however much it is, but you have three months living in conditions that are probably not the best situation. We hear from people who are saying their landlords are taking the doors off the walls - or that they’re cutting off utilities or they’re removing many different facets of the home that they own, because they’re landlords - because they filed a Residential Tenancies suit. This one in particular was successful.
I bring this to your attention because I think we need to be firmer when it comes to putting some penalties in place that will actually affect the landlord, or if there are bad tenants, there need to be penalties in place for that as well. It has to go both ways. But at the same time, it brings me to - and I know that you’ve heard this - there are renovictions at the Bluenose Inn & Suites in Bedford. I mean, 40 tenants were notified on March 1st. That was before the ban was up. They were given a letter.
It’s good that this information is out there and we’re able to inform people; because they were informed, they went to a lawyer to speak about this process. Let’s just say they’re successful in winning their case. Then, to me, what happens - the landlord is already going to sell the building to make a 105-unit residential building. I think this is a really good opportunity for our government to step in and maybe do first right of refusal, to take it over and provide some non-market housing, some non-profit housing, co-op, whatever. Regardless, I just really feel like these are missed opportunities. As well, people are suffering because their housing is being taken from them or they’re in fear in their living spaces, if they do take their landlord to task.
I just wanted to mention that. These are some serious issues that I get emails for consistently, and I’m pretty sure you do as well in your office. There have to be some penalties or some firm pieces of legislation that state specifically that this is what’s going to happen.
We discussed the many changes that are needed to the Residential Tenancies Act. One of them that we debated in the last sitting related to fixed-term leases. I’m just curious, is the department considering any changes to that Act that would ensure tenants in a fixed-term lease - and I know you mentioned the opt-out - or is that just specific to renovictions? I’m not quite sure. There’s so much going on right now.
My question is: Are you considering any changes to the Act that would ensure tenants in fixed-terms leases have more protections from eviction and rent increases - other than the one you had made changes to from the previous sitting?
COLTON LEBLANC: I just want to respond briefly to the member’s question and comments regarding the renovictions. We recognize - and again, it goes to my initial comments earlier about the purpose of renovictions - there are times where substantial renovations are required to maintain a safe roof over their head. We have to - and that’s why we did - enable a process that permits landlords to do that but puts the onus on them to demonstrate the need and to have all the paperwork and ducks in a row, but also allows that balance.
[2:15 p.m.]
The entirety of the Residential Tenancies Act is a balance of the rights and the needs of tenants and landlords. It also provides the opportunity for tenants to come and say: No, I don’t agree. But I also do appreciate that the housing stock is not where it should be. That’s why our government is acting as a whole. It’s not just the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. There’s involvement with my department. There’s involvement with the Department of Public Works. There’s involvement with the Department of Community Services.
It’s an all-hands-on-deck approach, and I think some of the legislation we did the last session - and some this session as well - I remember going to a bill briefing with three ministers, all with different aspects regarding housing. How often do you see three ministers at a bill briefing? This is an issue that, as a government, we’re taking very seriously. I have a high degree of confidence in my colleagues that we will make progress. We are making progress. As with health care, things will take time, but we are there to support Nova Scotians.
Regarding the eviction timeline for renovictions, once it’s gone through the hearing process, it is a minimum of three months. It can be a maximum of 12 months. I just want to provide that clarification on the record. I’m also really grateful to Dalhousie Legal Aid Service for their input and helping us on our path of educating the public.
Specifically regarding - and I know I’m bouncing all over the place. Specific to the situation in Bedford, staff have advised that staff from the Department of Community Services, from housing support, are there to support folks there. I don’t know the entirety of the specifics of that situation, but again, if it’s for demolition, if it’s for renoviction, if there are doors being taken off, if there’s deletion of services, these are all things that are enshrined within the Residential Tenancies Act that are protections for tenants and there is a process to follow.
I will conclude this answer to answer the member’s specific question regarding fixed-term leases. As I indicated probably a couple of times - at least in Third Reading when I closed debate last Fall - the Residential Tenancies Act amendment book is not closed. There are still items that remain on my desk. Perhaps it’s a little bit of a cluttered desk, but it’s still there. We are looking at those issues attentively where we can. We’re continuing to engage with stakeholders.
We have done consultation or engagement with our stakeholders, particularly regarding fixed-term leases and others. We know there are benefits for fixed-term leases for some, and maybe the others aren’t using them for the intended purposes. However, we will continue to gather the feedback from our stakeholders. As we look to make future amendments to this piece of legislation, we will do so in a manner that continues to look at it through the lens of balancing the rights and needs of tenants and landlords.
SUZY HANSEN: I truly agree. I’m on the same page. I say this with all due respect, you’re very clear when it comes to making sure that the information is thorough and clear, but at the same time, there are realities for many people in Nova Scotia. I respect the fact that you’re working hard at making sure that you’re reaching out and you’re being informed and consulting. I say this stuff because I really feel like we need to look at maybe having stronger punishments for bad landlords, bad tenants, whatever that looks like.
We need to start making people feel like this is a priority. This is a reality for a lot of people. When I mentioned to you about landlords taking doors off - people have no idea, especially when you live in a marginalized community or if you live in public housing. They have no idea that these things can be put through a process, or they can be spoken to unless there’s someone who can tell them these things. I’m grateful that the information is being shared and there are people out there doing the work, but there are still a lot of people who have no idea.
I’m glad that you tied in that the work across departments because I truly feel that a lot of the things that we are doing as government are going to touch every part of the departments that we work with and that we work for. Saying this, and I’m only going to say this because the renoviction ban has been lifted and we see numbers, we see cases. Yes, cases that are coming to your office, and hopefully you don’t have a whole bunch more, but I worry that may be the case.
I’m curious to know, because I’m going to shift it around, is there any money in your budget to provide to the service providers - the organizations - that will be dealing with a larger number of the homeless? Maybe it’s something that you guys pool together as departments due to renovictions. At the end of December, the rental cap is going to be lifted, and that’s going to be a whole other ball of worms. I just think about, is this the time for these things to be happening? I know we won’t know until we pull the bandage off, but we already know that we’re bleeding profusely in the housing market and in health care.
Just thinking about these things may be something that we want to consider when we’re removing things in such a manner. Yes, people are being educated and there are a lot of things that are happening, but I worry that we’re going to overload our own systems, our own departments, when we do things when we’re not ready. Just a thought. Maybe there may be funding for other service providers that will be needed when a lot of these things happen. Just your thoughts - tell me what you think.
COLTON LEBLANC: I appreciate the member’s question. You have a commitment from me that this file is a priority. It’s one that frequently comes up in our department briefings and discussions, recognizing that it impacts a significant portion of Nova Scotians. I said in debate - it’s all coming back to me - that when we make these changes, we want to make sure we’re doing it right, recognizing that it does impact a significant portion of our Nova Scotian population.
The member can rest assured that this is a dossier that’s on top of the pile. We’re continuously looking at modernizing and improving the Act, as with the other Acts.
I want to remind the member that we did, as a government, before the Budget was tabled on March 24th, make an announcement of $13.2 million. That included some investment that was around $6 million from my department for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program. That’s a top-up of $150 for those who were eligible. More than 45,000 Nova Scotians were eligible this year for the rebate up to $200. That’s a good step in the right direction. And of course, the payments to income assistance recipients as well as disability support - those on the disability support program as well as our investment supports to food banks.
We’re always listening. The door’s not shut. I’ve said it, and the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board has said it. We’re all eyes and ears on these issues, because they’re issues that impact our communities, our families, our friends. It impacts everyone in our province and those we represent. We will do what we have to do as a government to ensure that we support those most vulnerable. That’s what we did back in March. Instead of creating a whole new system, which does take time, we already had an existing mechanism of getting that money out the door. If folks haven’t received their $150 top-up yet, it should be forthcoming in the next few days.
Regarding supports, we don’t have any funding within my department’s budget for wraparound supports for housing. That would be more the Department of Community Services, but they do a tremendous job of supporting those in need.
Finally, I’ll leave the member on this note. Supply is an issue. Recognize that supply is an issue. For affordability to improve, availability needs to improve. That’s why it’s a concerted effort to build on that supply. We have these - the bridge and [Inaudible] the rent cap to get us to 2023, to allow us to increase that stock in hopes of having more supply that would improve that availability for Nova Scotians right across the spectrum - whether it be affordable housing to condos and everywhere in between.
SUZY HANSEN: I will say, I’m hopeful too, before we get to the end of this rent-cap ban, that we have enough supply. But if we don’t, are we going to keep the ban on until we get supply? Just a thought. Just think about that.
The last question that I do have is really good. It’s literally one that I was [Inaudible] and I’m just asking, out of curiosity and hope, that this is something. I heard you mention in your opening remarks about moving to an appointment system for people needing access for in-person services. Many people have indicated that this system is actually way better and more efficient than the previous system that often led to long waits.
I’m curious - and maybe I missed it - does the department plan to keep this appointment system for Nova Scotians?
[2:30 p.m.]
COLTON LEBLANC: Today is the member’s lucky day. We’re looking for testimonials to put out there to best promote the online booking system. It sounds like a five-star rating to me. We’re absolutely continuing to maintain that system and, of course, looking at improvements where we can better support Nova Scotians.
THE CHAIR: The honourable member for Halifax Needham with less than five minutes to go.
SUZY HANSEN: I will say I don’t have any other questions because I know that I can reach out to you and ask you them on your own, but I do want to say that I highly respect the department which you oversee. You have a number of amazing staff and experts who are there, who are doing hard work and are actually listening and understanding Nova Scotians. So, I appreciate all the work that they do and, as well, having this conversation with you, minister.
If my colleague is there and if they have any other questions, I will pass it along to them.
THE CHAIR: The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.
KENDRA COOMBES: Thank you, Mr. Chair, and hello again, minister.
I’m hoping you’ll have your staff there and maybe we can talk about the Public Service Commission - just one or two questions. I’m wondering if you may be able to answer them. How many public sector contracts are outstanding?
COLTON LEBLANC: Respectfully to the member, I’m here in my capacity as Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services. Unfortunately, I do not have my staff available. However, if the member wants to reach out to the Public Service Commission, we’d be happy to provide an appropriate response.
KENDRA COOMBES: I completely understand. It was kind of a shot in the dark to see if you did have your staff there, that we could talk about those contracts.
You might not need staff for this question. I had tabled a bill - as you might be aware - regarding anti-worker legislation. I’m just wondering if I can get the minister’s thoughts on repealing or amending those pieces of legislation?
COLTON LEBLANC: That would be a question better directed to the Minister of Labour Relations, my colleague, the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board.
THE CHAIR: Thank you to the members for your questions, and thank you, minister.
We’ll take a six-minute break, and we’ll start again at 2:40 p.m.
[2:34 p.m. The committee recessed.]
[2:40 p.m. The committee reconvened.]
THE CHAIR: Order. It’s now time to revert to the Official Opposition.
The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.
PATRICIA ARAB: I will try to be brief. I’ll ask the minister to keep his answers brief, if possible, so we can get some good stuff in here in this last 10 minutes.
Just an update. Financial services suspended their debt collection when COVID-19 hit back in 2020. I’m curious how the recovery is going.
COLTON LEBLANC: The short answer to the member opposite - I could answer this question a year from now because we don’t have that data. As I indicated in my opening remarks, the staff from Collection Services were supporting the Province’s public health response, the pandemic response. Since that - there’s an ongoing transition from them supporting Public Health to now going back into the Collection Services. There’s a lot of work being done to help start that process again with the clients we serve. In a year’s time, I’ll be able to provide an answer to the member opposite.
PATRICIA ARAB: That wasn’t a criticism by any means. I appreciate the work that the staff of Service Nova Scotia have been doing in order to help with COVID-19. I was just looking to see if anything had moved forward.
In-person services are often a link between people in rural areas and their government. They can be a lifeline for citizens. I’m wondering if the minister could tell us what the department is doing to ensure that these in-person services return as we learn to live with COVID-19. Could he tell us what new offices are planned? Could he also maybe give an update on the RMV services in Sheet Harbour and Guysborough?
COLTON LEBLANC: What I can say to the member is that for a number of months, all services have been online. All the in-person services have resumed, including the sites that the member has noted. I’d like to acknowledge that there are some impacts on staffing specific to extended hours. There are some sites - RMV sites, access sites - that have extended hours in the evenings. Our last two weeks here - because of the staffing challenges due to COVID-19 - there were no extended hours, I believe, like Bridgewater, Amherst, Sydney, and Dartmouth. Otherwise, all green lights.
[2:45 p.m.]
PATRICA ARAB: The RMV is an outdated registry that is currently being modernized. At one point, there were only a handful of people in the province who had the technical knowledge to support the RMV system. I’m wondering if the minister could update us on the modernization work. Has that number of technical expertise improved, and does the department have a full team in place to complete the RMV modernization?
COLTON LEBLANC: I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the RMV modernization. The partnership that we have with the Department of Public Works - they are the bearer of the legislation, and we do the behind the scenes work to deliver it and implement it to Nova Scotians. There are a number of stakeholders that perhaps members of the committee are unaware that are important to this. It impacts law enforcement [Inaudible] agencies, insurance agencies. I could go on. There’s a list in front of me here, but it has a wide impact for many different stakeholders.
Work is very well under way to build that new and modern system, which includes developing policies, processes, and supportive technology to replace the outdated technology. I believe the member said it was outdated. It is outdated. Not to say that 55 years is outdated, but 55 years is how long this computer system has been in place.
Whether it’s government or whether it’s citizens, there’s the expectation that we are able to meet the needs of our clients. In this case, our clients are Nova Scotians, and our clients are also the other stakeholders who tap in and utilize the RMV. It’s a significant initiative that deals with a very complex registry. There are more than two million records in the registry. That’s approximately 744,000 driver records and 250,000 ID licence cards. There are around 881,000 active vehicles, and the registry generates about $160 million per year.
We’re already on a path to modernization while we work to the modernization of this RMV. We have a number of services, whether it be online booking, renewal of your driver’s licence, the online knowledge. I think of the time that when I went for my driver’s licence and the running back and forth to RMV, and going on a certain day of the week - I think it was Wednesday - between a certain time, and then having to book getting a receipt number, and doing this, and going there. Then if you failed - and I didn’t fail the first time, I was successful. There are instances where people aren’t successful on the first time. That’s true. Now, if they’re unsuccessful and they do it online, they don’t have to commute.
The member’s question about in-person services is important, but the fact is that we don’t have RMV locations and Access Nova Scotia locations at every street corner. For some people, like for me, it’s 25 to 30 minutes to go to the RMV. For others, it’s 45 minutes, maybe an hour. It’s making things easier for Nova Scotians. I would have probably done the online knowledge test at the time, maybe in French. Who knows?
There’s a lot of work being done, including Online Dealer Services that reduces some red tape and some leg work for those who are in the vehicle dealership industry. That eases the process and has some improvements there. We’re continuously looking at how we can improve the vehicle permit process. I know it’s quite easy to go online and . . .
THE CHAIR: Order. The time has elapsed for the questions.
We ask the minister to conclude the consideration of Estimates this afternoon. I invite the minister to offer closing remarks and then read the department’s Estimates Resolution.
COLTON LEBLANC: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I really appreciate the opportunity to take part in Estimates. I wasn’t sure it was going to happen or not, but the eleventh hour is better than never.
I hope that my opening remarks painted a picture for folks. I know that the member for Fairview-Clayton Park understands very well the breadth of this department that I have the privilege of being the minister. Hopefully, it was an opportunity for others to see the amazing work the staff do to serve both government and our citizens. I wouldn’t be here without the amazing support of the staff. I echo the comments of the members opposite who shared their positive sentiments and feedback for our staff. To all my staff, all 1,600-plus from Yarmouth to Sydney, and everywhere in between, thank you very much for your dedication.
Thank you. Merci.
THE CHAIR: Thank you, minister. We have four minutes left.
COLTON LEBLANC: I can still talk. I can keep on going. I’ll just talk a little bit more. I guess I didn’t realize I had that long for closing remarks, but I appreciate that flexibility.
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, the breadth of the department is significant. A lot of folks - let’s take the example that if financial services wasn’t running as it is, on payday you’d have 10,000 civil servants quite frustrated. We would have folks who are recipients of income assistance through the Department of Community Services who wouldn’t get their payments. All the money that we’re debating here through Estimates - in the main Chamber and in the sub-committee here in the Red Chamber - comes in and out through financial services, which maintain the accounts payable and receivable. They have a big task on their hands and a close relationship with our folks at the Department of Finance and Treasury Board.
It’s been an eye opener for me, getting into this seat because what I thought was Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services is that much more and beyond - and to see how interconnected we are with all departments, for that matter. Sometimes we’re not the biggest department - well, we’re one of the biggest departments, FTE-wise, but we’re not one of the attractive departments. I’m not sure if that’s the right way to say it or not. We support the amazing work that every other department does for our province, whether it be Public Works, Health and Wellness or Education and Early Childhood Development. I’m not listing them all, although I have a couple of minutes left and I could, I suppose.
It’s remarkable to see the dedication of the staff I interact with frequently. The feedback that is shared from them is second to none. Of course, although I’m here in my capacity as Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services, I’d be remiss if I did not mention my other portfolios: my responsibilities as Minister of the Public Service Commission and that department - the amazing work that’s done within the PSC to support across government. It’s perhaps coincidental that both of my departments are providing service to government. Finally, of course, the Office of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie - one that is cherished, very near and dear to my heart, a very important portfolio for me.
THE CHAIR: Shall Resolution E38 stand?
Resolution E38 stands.
Resolution E34 - Resolved, that a sum not exceeding $21,101,000 be granted to the Lieutenant Governor to defray expenses in respect of the Public Service Commission, pursuant to the Estimate.
THE CHAIR: Shall Resolution E34 carry?
Resolution E34 is carried.
It is now 2:57 p.m. and the House is set to adjourn at 11:59 p.m. That concludes the subcommittee’s consideration of Estimates for today. The subcommittee will resume consideration - no, it won’t. This is it. I want to thank the minister, the members on the right and the members on the left. Legislative TV, thank you so much for your time and all the work that you guys do.
Please return to your seats in the Legislative Chamber. The Committee of the Whole House must rise and report before the House concludes its business for the day.
The meeting is adjourned.
[The committee adjourned at 2:58 p.m.]
