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HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025

Sixty-fifth General Assembly

First Session

1:00 P.M.

SPEAKER

Hon. Danielle Barkhouse

DEPUTY SPEAKERS

John White, Marco MacLeod, Tom Taggart

THE SPEAKER » : Order, please. We'll begin the daily routine.

PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition, the operative clause of which reads as follows:

We, the undersigned, call on the Nova Scotia Government to pass legislation that will lower people's power costs, and protect people's private information.

I have dozens of signatures from across Halifax, and I have affixed my own as required by the Rules of the House.

THE SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition, the operative clause of which reads as follows:

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We, the undersigned, call on the Nova Scotia Government to pass legislation that will lower people's power costs, and protect people's private information.

This is a petition with several signatures from Dartmouth North, and I have affixed my own as per the Rules of the House.

THE SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

The honourable member for Halifax Chebucto.

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition, the operative clause of which reads as follows:

We, the undersigned, call on the Nova Scotia Government to pass legislation that will lower people's power costs, and protect people's private information.

There are approximately 30 signatures from Halifax Chebucto, and I have affixed my name at the top as per the Rules of the House.

THE SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

The honourable member for Halifax Armdale.

ROD WILSON « » : Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition, the operative clause of which reads as follows:

We, the undersigned, call on the Nova Scotia Government to pass legislation that will lower people's power costs, and protect people's private information.

I have affixed my name as per Rules of the House, and I present 27 names on behalf of the constituents of Halifax Armdale.

THE SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, I would like to table a second petition, which is slightly different, and the operative clause reads:

We the undersigned call on the Nova Scotia Legislature to pass legislation that will lower energy bills, support made-in-Nova-Scotia clean energy, and implement the recommendations of the energy poverty task force report.

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There are many signatures here from across Dartmouth North, and I have affixed my name as per the Rules of the House.

THE SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

HON. TIMOTHY HALMAN « » : Speaker, I beg leave to introduce a report entitled Powering the Transition: Clean Economy, Climate Action, Sustainable Prosperity. The Annual Progress Report on the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act and Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia's Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. (Applause)

THE SPEAKER « » : The report is tabled.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I'd like to table the following documents pertaining to my member statement. It's the "80-20 rule" for the Truckers Association of Nova Scotia, the truck rates for haulage of bulk material, and the truck safety and training documents from TANS.

THE SPEAKER « » : The documents are tabled.

The honourable Minister of Growth and Development.

HON. COLTON LEBLANC « » : Speaker, I beg leave to table a report, an update on year two of our five-year Action for Housing plan. We made significant progress. There is a heck of a lot more work to be done, but 167 percent of our five-year objective is done already. (Applause)

THE SPEAKER « » : The report is tabled.

STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

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THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Premier.

RESOLUTION NO. 207

HON. TIM HOUSTON (The Premier) « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas this year Canada was reminded of the importance of our sovereignty and showing our pride as Canadians; and

Whereas Nova Scotia is a founding province in Confederation, with a strong ongoing history of contributing to our nation's culture, defence, and national identity; and

Whereas in singing our national anthem we honour the brave men and women who fought for our freedoms and reaffirm our true patriot love for our country;

Therefore be it resolved that "O Canada" shall be played in this House every day on which the House sits, following the moment of quiet reflection and before the House is called to order by the Speaker to begin the sitting.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried. (Applause)

The honourable Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

HON. KENT SMITH « » : Speaker, I beg leave to make several introductions.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please do.

KENT SMITH « » : In the gallery opposite, we have three members of the DFA family: We have Executive Director of Policy Lesley O'Brien-Latham; we have Special Advisor Kelly Corkery, and we have Deputy Minister Jason Hollett. In your gallery, we have the subject of this notice of motion: Dr. Simone Le Gendre. (Applause)

THE SPEAKER « » : Welcome to the House. We hope you enjoy your time here.

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The honourable Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

RESOLUTION NO. 208

HON. KENT SMITH « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dr. Simone Le Gendre, director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, was recently awarded its inaugural Leadership Award by Edward Jones Canada at the 2025 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant gala awards night; and

Whereas the award honours immigrant leaders who demonstrate visionary leadership, break barriers, and create meaningful change in public service, education, or community development; and

Whereas Dr. Le Gendre, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, became the first immigrant Black woman to serve as provincial director of immigration and settlement - I am so proud she is part of our team - where she leads the province's Ocean Governance Secretariat, helping to shape marine policy and intergovernmental collaboration;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Dr. Simon Le Gendre on receiving the Leadership Award by Edward Jones Canada and thank her for her leadership and for inspiring others to lead with vision and courage.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried. (Standing Ovation)

The honourable Minister of Natural Resources.

HON. TORY RUSHTON « » : Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please do.

TORY RUSHTON « » : Speaker, in your gallery, I am very honoured to introduce the recipient of this year's 2025 Woodland Owner of the Year Award. Erin Bremner, who is representing her family, and in memory of her father, Jim Bremner, helps manage her family's forest, Castle Frederick Farms in Upper Falmouth. The family is advancing ecological forestry practices, old traditional land-use opportunities, sustainable forestry, and also providing to the economy of her area and the province.

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Not only does Erin take care of the family forest, she also works for the department. She organizes the Hunt NS program for our department, and more recently, she was playing sort of a background role while supporting the firefighting efforts in our province.

Also, it would be worth noting that her family forest has been in the family for 250 years. Her father was the seventh generation.

Joining Erin is Simon, a forester with our province. Erin, please stand and accept a warm welcome from the House of Assembly. (Standing Ovation)

THE SPEAKER « » : Welcome to the House. We hope you enjoy your time here.

The honourable Minister of Natural Resources.

RESOLUTION NO. 209

HON. TORY RUSHTON « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas most of Nova Scotia's woodlands are privately owned and managing them in a sustainable way is key for healthy forests, good jobs in a strong forestry sector, and business activity that supports our rural communities and the provincial economy; and

Whereas the Nova Scotia Woodland Owner of the Year Award recognizes private landowners who practise ecological forestry on their land and highlights how important they are to the forestry sector and sustainability in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas this year's provincial winners are the Bremner family of Castle Frederick Farm, Upper Falmouth, Hants County, in memory of the late Jim Bremner, and the regional winners are Jane Ross-MacEachern and Brian MacEachern of Antigonish County in the Eastern region and Judy and Glenn Rosse of South Scots Bay, Kings County;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House join me in congratulating this year's winners and commending their outstanding work to support healthy, sustainable forests for today and generations to come.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

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Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

RESOLUTION NO. 210

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection that affects millions worldwide and can lead to severe health complications, long-term impacts, or death; and

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Whereas sepsis is one of Canada's leading causes of death and fatalities continue to rise, impacting over 30,000 people in Canada each year; and

Whereas the Nova Scotia Health Authority has made sepsis care a top priority with a strong commitment to early detection and timely treatment;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this Chamber recognize World Sepsis Day on September 13th and Sepsis Awareness Month in September as opportunities to raise awareness of this significantly overlooked condition and highlight the need for continued action and research.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

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Bill No. 134 - An Act Respecting the Administration of Justice. (Hon. Becky Druhan)

Bill No. 135 - An Act Respecting the Delivery of Safer Mental Healthcare to Nova Scotians. (Lisa Lachance)

Bill No. 136 - An Act to Amend Chapter 93 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Consumer Reporting Act. (Hon. Derek Mombourquette)

Bill No. 137 - An Act Respecting Regulatory Burden Reduction and Service Efficiency to Enable Economic Growth. (Hon. Timothy Halman)

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Chebucto.

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction relative to my colleague's bill introduction.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please do.

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : Today, I welcome someone whose strength and advocacy has transformed personal tragedy into a powerful push for change. Since the heartbreaking loss of her brother outside a Halifax bar in 1999, she has worked tirelessly for accountability and safety in the province's night life spaces. Today, I welcome to your gallery Terri Giffin, a dedicated advocate for safer communities. (Standing Ovation)

Bill No. 138 - An Act Respecting the Provision of Security Services and Investigative Services. (Lina Hamid)

Bill No. 139 - An Act to Ensure Transparency and Accountability in Cybersecurity at Nova Scotia Power. (Hon. Iain Rankin)

Bill No. 140 - An Act to Protect Private Data. (Hon. Derek Mombourquette)

THE SPEAKER « » : Ordered that these bills be read a second time on a future day.

NOTICES OF MOTION

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

RESOLUTION NO. 211

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ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the government has recently removed the 80-20 rule that has for decades ensured the fairness and transparency in the distribution of trucking work on provincial contracts, guaranteeing that local truckers have a fair opportunity for local work and work co-operatively with interprovincial contractors to supply trucks when needed, enabling contractors to bid on government contracts in Nova Scotia, while still prioritizing fairness for local truckers; and

Whereas the Truckers Association of Nova Scotia - TANS - administers the 80-20 rule in a non-partisan manner and ensures that all dispatched members comply with the safety standards required by government contracts, protecting both workplace safety and public safety; and

Whereas the 80-20 rule not only secured work for Nova Scotia truckers but also established a guaranteed rate, providing stability and predictability for truck owners who finance their vehicles and rely on this work to support their families, and when the government removed the 80-20 rule recently, it has eliminated both this fairness and the guaranteed rate, creating uncertainty and hardship for the many men and women who have invested in their trucks and who keep our province moving;

Therefore be it resolved that on a future day this House allocate 40 minutes for debate on the merits of reinstating the 80-20 rule.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

I hear several Noes.

The notice is tabled.

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Premier.

MACLEOD, ALFIE: HEALTH BATTLE - BEST WISHES

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THE PREMIER « » : Speaker, I rise today to honour my friend and former colleague, Alfie MacLeod, who continues his courageous battle. Alfie is a former Speaker of this House, a champion for Cape Breton, and especially a champion for health care in Cape Breton and for all Nova Scotians. He is also an advocate for veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and a tireless voice for the residents of New Boston Road.

I want him to know that he and Shirley and his entire family are in my thoughts, and I am sure in the thoughts of many inside and outside this Chamber who would say the same. Alfie, keep fighting, my friend.

I would ask for the members to join me in a round of applause for our friend, Alfie MacLeod, as we send him good spirits and good wishes along his way. (Standing Ovation)

THE SPEAKER « » : Before we move on, I understand that there were some members in the audience who were recording the honourable member for Cumberland North's Notice of Motion.

I ask that that get removed from your phone. You are not allowed to record in here. It's on YouTube, it's on TV, and you can get it from there. There is to be no picture taking, no recording of this session.

The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please do.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Joining us in the gallery today are Dr. Isabel Smith and William Hayes. I will be telling you more about Dr. Smith in just a moment. (Applause)

Welcome to the Legislature.

THE SPEAKER « » : Welcome. Welcome to the House of the People. We hope you enjoy your time here.

The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

SMITH, DR. I. - RECIP.:

LIFETIME AWD. IN PEDIATRIC DISAB. RESEARCH - CONGRATS.

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, I ask all members to join me in congratulating Dr. Isabel Smith, who, this past year, received a Lifetime Award in Pediatric Disability Research from Bloorview Research Institute. Dr. Smith is a clinical developmental psychologist and researcher, slowing retiring from the IWK's Autism Research Centre, and has also recently retired as the Joan and Jack Craig chair in autism research.

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She has dedicated her extensive career to advancing our understanding and treatment of autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities in children and youth. She has consistently championed an evidence-based approach in the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of autism. Her advocacy and professional expertise have shaped provincial and national frameworks, contributing significantly to improvements in care delivery. She is a compassionate clinician who has supported hundreds of autistic Nova Scotians and their families.

I ask all members to join me in extending our congratulations to Dr. Smith for her ongoing contributions to making life better for autistic Nova Scotians. (Applause)

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

MACLEOD, ALFIE: HEALTH BATTLE - BEST WISHES

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Speaker, I also want to rise in my place and say hello to my friend, Alfie MacLeod, at home. I had a chance to spend some time with him last week. We had a great chat about politics, a great chat about family, and a great chat about everything in between.

I send my love to him - he's the toughest guy I know. I send my love to his family. He will go down as one of the political heavyweights in Cape Breton. The work that he's done, the work that he continues to do, what he continues - it's amazing to see the work that Alfie has done to support kids in our community.

I just want to rise in my place to say hi to my buddy. I was so happy to talk to him, and I send my love to Shirley.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Colchester North.

NAT'L LEGION WEEK: VETERANS SUPPORT - RECOG.

TOM TAGGART « » : Speaker, as we mark the third annual National Legion Week, we celebrate the remarkable impact our Legion branches have on communities across Canada. For nearly a century, the Royal Canadian Legion has served veterans, serving military, RCMP, and their families while building strong communities. These 1,350 branches represent one of Canada's largest volunteer networks.

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Here in Nova Scotia, our 102 branches exemplify the Legion's spirit through dedicated service seen in supporting veterans, assisting seniors, funding youth programs, and providing a community gathering place. This week allows us to not only show support for our Legions but to also celebrate the incredible work they do. So let us use this week to connect to supporting our veterans and the Legion branches across the country and the important work they continue to do for our province and our country.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

U.K. LEGISLATION: NDA BAN - CELEBRATE

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an historic piece of legislation that has passed into law in the United Kingdom - an amendment to their employment rights bill banning the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence victims of workplace sexual misconduct or discrimination.

This is due to the active leadership and dogged perseverance of the Can't Buy My Silence Advocacy Group founded by Harvey Weinstein accuser Zelda Perkins and Canadian law professor Dr. Julie MacFarlane. Speaking on the bill, Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister of the U. K., said "The use of NDAs to cover up abuse and harassment is growing - and sadly amongst those in low-income or insecure employment across multiple industries and workplaces. This cannot go on." This puts the U. K. in the same category as Ireland, the United States, and here in Canada, P.E.I.

Speaker, it is my hope that this government will upgrade their jurisdictional scan, keep their campaign promise, and ban NDAs in Nova Scotia.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

OLIVER, DONALD: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Don Oliver. I know that he would be a dear friend to others as well in the House. He was actually a former business partner of mine when I first moved back home, and the legacy of Donald Oliver was a trailblazer, visionary, and steadfast advocate for equality. He passed away just recently at the age of 86.

While he was born in Wolfville, he had connections across the province. He had family connections in Beechville, and of course in Queens County where he resided. From an early age, he witnessed both the struggles and resilience of his community - experiences that would inspire his life's work and ignite his tireless commitment to public service, justice, inclusion, and cultural recognition in our country.

A proud Nova Scotian, Senator Oliver's path led him to an accomplished legal career. He became a respected lawyer known for his sharp intellect, integrity, and for championing the rights of those whose voices were too often not heard.

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In 1983, Senator Oliver helped found the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Cherry Brook - a milestone that signified far more than the opening of a building. Through his vision and leadership, the centre became a beacon for the preservation, celebration, and education of Black history and culture in our province and our country. In 1990, the senator made history when he was appointed to the Senate of Canada - the first Black man to serve in this esteemed Chamber.

I will miss our chats about forestry and other topics of the day at his farm. I ask the members here today to join me in a moment of silence to honour Senator Oliver's legacy, leadership, and courage to make positive change for not only Nova Scotia but our entire country.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please stand.

(A moment of silence was observed.)

You may be seated.

The honourable member for Halifax Atlantic.

FLEMMING, TERRY JR.: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: Recently, our community was hit with a tragedy when Terry Flemming, Jr., passed away at the young age of 46. Terry was known to a lot of people in our community and was a friend to all. Speaker, a lot of people said a lot of great things about Terry, but to me Terry will always be the definition of a man, a father, a husband, a friend, a protector, and a provider. He had a big, unforgettable smile that made you feel like you had known him forever.

Terry was the guy who would show up for everything and would not hesitate to help. He was a family man and he was fiercely protective of his family, as I am too. He raised two beautiful girls, one of them who looked after my own children.

At 46 years old, Terry had achieved a lot in life. I just wanted to say to his wife Dorothy and to his two daughters that your dad won't be forgotten. We love him to death. To Maureen and Terry Sr., you raised a hell of a man. To his sister, just remember that Terry has left an incredible mark on our community and a lot of us mourn with you.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

LEBLANC, ANDRÉ & BARBARA: 65^th WEDDING ANNIV. - CONGRATS.

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SUSAN LEBLANC « » : I rise today to wish my parents, Barbara and André Leblanc, a very happy 65^th wedding anniversary. Both from working-class families in northern Ontario, my parents met in Alberta through mutual friends. They married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Calgary and started their family soon after.

Sixty-five years later they find themselves blessed with five children, 10 grandchildren and their first great-grandchild is due in January. My parents have supported us all in our various endeavours and have loved us unconditionally. Their strong faith and a wonderful community have supported them in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.

This anniversary will be the last in their family home in Prospect Bay where they have lived for 51 years, as Andy and Barb are moving in October. It is a bittersweet occasion as they will be sad to say goodbye to their home full of rich memories and a beautiful ocean view, and start a new chapter in a retirement residence where they will meet new neighbours and join a new community.

Speaker, I ask the House to join me in congratulating Barb and Andy Leblanc on the happy occasion of this milestone anniversary and in wishing them much love, health, and happiness to come.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HADDAD, JOEY: PRES. C.B. EAGLES - CONGRATS.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I rise in my place to recognize a great guy in our community, Joey Haddad, who was just promoted to president of the Cape Breton Eagles hockey organization. Many people would know Joey from his hockey career, a very successful hockey career in major junior, as well as internationally.

He is a big role model in the community and to see him get promoted to president is great news. Many people in the community are very happy for him. I rise in my place to recognize my friend Joey. As I said, he's a role model in our community and I want to congratulate him on now becoming the President of the Cape Breton Eagles.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank.

ROSH HASHANAH: CONCLUSION - CELEBRATE

HON. BRIAN WONG « » : Today I rise to celebrate the conclusion of Rosh Hashanah at nightfall this evening. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, marks the beginning of the High Holy Days, initiating 10 days of repentance that cumulate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is a time of spiritual reflection and renewal for Jewish communities here in Nova Scotia and worldwide.

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During this two-day celebration, families come together to share meals that represent hope for a sweet New Year, from apples dipped in honey to pomegranates symbolizing abundance. These ancient customs connect generations through tradition.

Beyond simply spiritual significance, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the traditional anniversary of Creation, according to Jewish teaching, marking humanity's role in the Divine Plan.

As we celebrate this sacred time, we recognize the importance of faith and traditions that strengthen our diverse communities. May this New Year bring peace, prosperity and renewed hope to all who celebrate.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

WILDFIRES: FIRST RESPONDERS/FIREFIGHTERS - THANK

KENDRA COOMBES « » : Summers are usually a time for relaxing by a campfire, camping, hiking, enjoying all summer outdoor activities, but this summer was different. Due to drought conditions, firefighters and first responders spent their summer battling wildfires across the province.

Many community members spent the summer worried about the damage being done by those wildfires and the fear of the unknown. In areas where wildfires had not yet broken out, firefighters and first responders stood at the ready for the call.

It has been a tense and anxious summer for so many Nova Scotians. Speaker, please join me in thanking all the firefighters, first responders, and community members who answered the call for help, giving of themselves and of their summers. We must do more to protect our environment and the residents from the effects of climate change.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

LEBLANC, HON. ARTHUR J.:

CHANCELLOR UNIV. SAINT-ANNE - CONGRATS.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : I want to congratulate the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc on his appointment as Chancellor of Université Saint-Anne. He is an outstanding choice and his commitment to education, culture, and community will serve the university for years to come. Before becoming Lieutenant Governor, Mr. LeBlanc served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia where he earned deep respect for his wisdom and fairness.

He was also a close friend of the late Allan J. MacEachen, as was my own family. Because of that mutual connection, he gave me a copy of In Pursuit of the Public Good: Essays in Honour of Allan J. MacEachen. That gift has always stayed with me, and it speaks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of Mr. LeBlanc.

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Félicitations, M. LeBlanc. I want to extend best wishes to you and your wife, Patsy, as you embark on the next chapter of your lives.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.

DAY, ASHLYN/ARULDOSS, UZZIEL:

NAVY LEAGUE ACCOMPLISHMENTS - CONGRATS

RICK BURNS « » : Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Petty Officer First Class Ashlyn Day and Petty Officer First Class Uzziel Aruldoss of St. Margaret's Bay Branch of the Navy League of Canada for their accomplishments and awards this year.

Petty Officer First Class Ashlyn Day received a National Sea Cadet Scholarship as the acting Coxswain this past year, and was accepted to Saint Mary's University where she began her studies in engineering.

Petty Officer First Class Uzziel Aruldoss was one of two cadets in Canada to be awarded the 2025 Beaverbrook Vimy Prize, which permits youth across Canada to tour the battlefields of France and Flanders in an academic setting.

These impressive efforts by our youth are two great examples of leadership and perseverance through years of rigorous training. I wish both these cadets the brightest future and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our community and the region.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

GARDIN, SILVANA: 76^th BIRTHDAY - CONGRATS

SUZY HANSEN « » : Speaker, I rise today to wish a happy birthday to Miss Silvana Gardin. She's celebrating her 76^th birthday. A long-time Italian Canadian Cultural Association member and tireless volunteer, Silvana Gardin - fondly known as Mama to many - was born in Torre di Mosto, Veneto, Italy.

The Gardin family has been deeply connected to the ICCA for nearly 50 years. Silvana's late husband was a past president and contributed many things to the ICCA. Silvana's daughter Sandra is the current president, and her daughter Nadia serves on the ICCA board. Her niece Sabrina is the lead chef in the ICCA kitchen.

Silvana Gardin is the queen of the cannoli. If you've had her cannoli, you know why. She has given her time and experience at the past three Festa Italiana weekends, and this is one of the many contributions to the clubs that she has made. The Gardin family always lends a hand at every ICCA event, and we know that their community spirit is amazing.

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I'd like all members to help me join in thanking Silvana Gardin for her tireless service to her community, and I'd like to wish her many more years of blessings and happiness.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

TRUCKING IND.: 80-20 RULE - REINSTATE

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I rise today in support of the hard-working truckers here in Nova Scotia, the men and women who are the backbone of the economy of our province.

For over 30 years, the province has had the 80-20 rule in place for provincial road work. That policy guaranteed that at least 80 percent of the work went to local trucking companies throughout rural Nova Scotia. It was a fair balance that kept small family-owned businesses here in Nova Scotia strong while still allowing for competition.

With the rule removed, many truckers are concerned. They've invested heavily - financially - in their equipment and carry loans that depend on work. Without the safeguard of 80-20, local companies risk being undercut by large firms. By removing the 80-20 rule, it could possibly create a monopoly in the trucking industry, and Nova Scotia does not need another monopoly.

Speaker, I call on the government to reinstate the 80-20 rule for truckers in Nova Scotia.

THE SPEAKER « » : Actually, honourable member, I'm glad you brought up this member statement. The people watching you earlier filmed in here. I will ask you to ask them to erase it.

The honourable member for Sackville-Uniacke.

MT. UNIACKE FIREFIGHTER FAIR: 45 YRS. - RECOG.

HON. BRAD JOHNS « » : Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Mount Uniacke Firefighter Fair, a cherished annual tradition that has been held every year since 1966. What began as a fundraiser to help purchase new equipment for the fire department has grown into a beloved community event, one that continues to run the third weekend of June, every Friday and Saturday, for more than 45 years.

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This year, I was once again honoured to participate in the parade, alongside my colleagues and fellow MLAs from Hants West and Hants East. It was heartwarming to see so many smiling faces and creative floats. The strong sense of community spirit was certainly on display.

[1:45 p.m.]

I would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the Mount Uniacke community and all the dedicated volunteers who organized such an incredible event. It was a beautiful day full of joy and pride. What more could one ask for?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

HANWELL DR. BUILDING FIRE: COMM. SPIRIT - RECOG.

PAUL WOZNEY « » : Speaker, I rise today to express sympathy to the residents of Sackville who suffered a great loss and to thank those in our community who brought them solace and safety.

Just over a week ago, a great tragedy befell Sackville. On the evening of Sunday, September 14^th, an apartment building on Hanwell Drive was engulfed in flames, which destroyed the homes and belongings of nearly 200 residents.

What went unscathed, though, was Sackville's selfless nature. Fuelled by the hope that lives could be mended with sympathy and generosity, folks from all around came together to donate food, dollars, clothes, and essentials.

I ask that the members present join me in thanking those who donated, those who shared their sympathies, and of course, the members of the IAFF Local 268, who fought the blaze head-on. Sackville's collective work means that the victims of this unthinkable event have support to rebuild and move forward.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Richmond.

MALCOLM, MAJOR-GEN. SCOTT: HON. LIFE MEMBERSHIP - CONGRATS.

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize Major-General Scott Malcolm. Major-General Malcolm was recently bestowed Arichat Royal Canadian Legion - Isle Madame Branch 150's first ever honorary life membership, a prestigious honour given in recognition of his distinguished military career.

Major-General Malcolm grew up in Lower River Inhabitants and credits his time in Richmond County with shaping him into the person he is today. He attended Harvard University, receiving a biochemistry degree and then attended Dalhousie University, where he obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree.

[Page 1751]

Joining the Canadian Armed Forces in 1999, he has dedicated his life to service, becoming a flight surgeon, a diving medical officer, and conducting multiple tours in Afghanistan and with NATO. In 2024, he was appointed as surgeon general of the Canadian Armed Forces, overseeing the health and well-being of Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

Please join me in thanking Major-General Scott Malcolm for his lifelong dedication to service.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

TRUCKERS ASSOC. OF N.S.: SAFETY STANDARDS - RECOG.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the vital role of the Truckers Association of Nova Scotia, known as TANS. TANS represents more than 475 members across our province and places safety above all else. Every member must provide documented proof of first-aid certification, WHMIS training, and transportation of dangerous goods certification, where required. They must carry workers' compensation coverage and valid liability insurance and undergo an independent annual safety audit to maintain their certificate of recognition.

TANS also requires that every truck be properly equipped, from asphalt tarps to backup beepers to 360-degree amber lamps and certified protective equipment for operators. These safeguards ensure not only fairness in road-work contracts but also public safety on Nova Scotian highways. Speaker, these standards matter. We all remember Humboldt Broncos, and we don't need another tragedy like that happening here in Nova Scotia.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Chebucto.

TRUCKERS ASSOC. OF N.S.: CONTRIBUTIONS - RECOG.

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Truckers Association of Nova Scotia, or TANS - as we have heard - a dedicated team of truckers that supports the Nova Scotia government in the building, repair, and maintenance of our roads and bridges through Nova Scotia. The association was founded over 50 years ago to create a strong, united voice to represent truckers in the province and now has over 500 members, from independently owned operators to large-fleet owners.

TANS is also a faithful supporter of two charitable organizations: the IWK Health Centre and the Nova Scotia Early Childhood Development Intervention Services. Today, TANS is a not-for-profit association committed to supporting the economic welfare of the trucking industry, advocating for its members' well-being, and maintaining high safety standards in transport trucking. On behalf of the Legislative Assembly, I would like to thank TANS for everything that they do to contribute to the province of Nova Scotia.

[Page 1752]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Digby-Annapolis.

DIGBY SCALLOP DAYS: 50^TH ANNIV. - CONGRATS.

HON. JILL BALSER « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50^th anniversary of Digby Scallop Days, which took place in Digby from August 7 to August 10, 2025.

This milestone festival was filled with community pride, tradition, and celebration. From the Grand Street Parade and scallop shucking competitions to live music, various vendors and delicious seafood, it was a weekend that truly showcased the heritage of our world-famous scallops and the spirit of Digby.

I want to sincerely thank the organizing committee, volunteers, sponsors, participants, and everyone who came out to make this year's event such a success. A special highlight for me this year was the Children's Parade, where this year's theme, "Then and Now", was beautifully represented by the then MLA Joe Casey from 1975, and me as the now MLA of 2025. Clara and Indie McCormick-Young, thank you so much for your great costumes. Indie, you looked just like me.

Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the Digby Scallop Days Association on the success of the 50^th Scallop Days festival, and thanking everyone who made this year's celebration such an unforgettable milestone for our community's history.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

DOWNING, GRACIE: WOMEN'S BASEBALL GRAND SLAM - CONGRATS.

LINA HAMID « » : I rise today to celebrate the outstanding achievements of all the young athletes from Fairview-Clayton Park who represented Nova Scotia in the 2025 Canada Games in St. John's.

I want to specifically highlight one of Fairview's own, Gracie Downing, a multi-talented athlete who played first base on Nova Scotia's women's baseball team. This year marks the very first time that women's baseball was included in the Canada Games. Team Nova Scotia achieved an incredible result, fourth place in the country.

During the tournament, Gracie made history and put Nova Scotia on the map by hitting the first grand slam in the history of women's Canada Games. Well done, Gracie. This accomplishment reflects Gracie's skills and dedication on the field, and the receipt of the 2024 junior volunteer award with Halifax Minor Baseball. She has shown her commitment by having a positive impact off the field as well. I ask all members to join me in extending a huge congratulations to Gracie, and all of Team Nova Scotia. You have made us all very proud.

[Page 1753]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg.

BLUENOSE GOLF CLUB: CPT. ANGUS WALTERS STATUE - THANKS

HON. SUSAN CORKUM-GREEK « » : There's a new sentinel keeping watch over Lunenburg Harbour these days and guarding the entrance to the Bluenose Golf Club course. Earlier this year, property owners Ron and Shelley Kaulbach and the club's board of directors commissioned an extraordinarily talented artist from your neck of the woods, Jay MacKay of DaVinci in Wood Chainsaw Carvings, to create a life-size wooden statue of our most legendary skipper, Captain Angus Walters of Bluenose racing fame. A fitting tribute, this monument stands tall reminding golfers and all visitors about Lunenburg's iconic captain and his queen as they overlook our historic harbour.

Speaker, I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Kaulbach for their continued stewardship of the golf course property, and the commitment to sharing Lunenburg's storied past.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

NORTH WOODSIDE COMM. CTRE.: COMM. SERV. - THANKS

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I rise to recognize the North Woodside Community Centre, its director, Gordon Hayward, the Centre manager, Debby Meier, and their hardworking team. Recently celebrating their 30^th anniversary allows us to reflect on all that they have done for North Woodside and the surrounding communities of Dartmouth South.

Since 1994, the volunteer-led non-profit organization has dedicated themselves to ensuring that the energy and skills of citizens be focused on the overall growth of the community. The North Woodside Community Centre works to facilitate connections within an inclusive space that they have created. They are a home for boxing, dancing, child care, crafting, yoga, and more.

From their annual Kris Kringle Craft Show - my favourite - to their community pancake breakfast, they never miss an opportunity to foster fun and togetherness. Thank you for all you do to strengthen communities.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

[Page 1754]

ARBY'S BRIDGEWATER: RAPID REPAIRS - RECOG.

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : I rise today to recognize Arby's in Bridgewater, the sole location in all of Nova Scotia, making it not just a restaurant, but a legend.

The restaurant, owned by Aldine Koster and her family for 30 years, holds a special place in the hearts, and stomachs, of residents and visitors alike. Whether you're craving curly fries or a classic roast beef sandwich, Bridgewater has become a pilgrimage spot for Arby's fans from across the province.

On July 20th, the restaurant sustained significant damage after a vehicle careened into the building, forcing a temporary closure during South Shore Exhibition week, one of the busiest times of the year. In true small-town spirit, Aldine and her team rose to the challenge. Among those incredible staff is manager Elaine Zwicker-Frank, who has been with the Bridgewater Arby's since it opened in 1987.

With swift engineering assessments and rapid response by staff and contractors, Arby's reopened just days later. Their perseverance is a testament to the strength and resilience of small business and the appeal of a good sandwich.

I ask all members to join me in applauding the Koster family and their team for ensuring that "we still have the meats."

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

SCOTIAN SHORES CLEAN UP PROJECT: VOLS. - THANKS

LISA LACHANCE « » : Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the great work of the Scotian Shores Clean Up Project. Nova Scotians are passionate about protecting their coastlines. Since 2020, Scotian Shores has supported grassroots efforts of communities to gather and collect debris off coastlines, removing garbage and items dangerous to sea life and to the ecosystem.

If you are on their website, you can check out an interactive map of everywhere that coastal cleanups have been hosted and what has been found. There have been cleanups across Nova Scotia. In fact, thanks to the support and organizing of Scotian Shores, over 1.5 million pounds of debris have been removed from our coastlines.

Despite challenges presented by permitting delays and ongoing advocacy to protect our coastline, the volunteers at Scotian Shores continue to inspire many Nova Scotians to pick up their garbage and debris that they see along the coastline.

I ask all members to extend their gratitude to the volunteers at Scotian Shores and to all those who take care of our coastlines.

[Page 1755]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clayton Park West.

FAIRVIEW FARMERS' MARKET: COMM. SPIRIT - CONGRATS.

ADEGOKE FADARE « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize the organizers, vendors, and supporters of the Fairview Farmers' Market, held every Thursday until October 30^th. The market has become a vibrant hub where neighbours gather to celebrate creativity, culture, and community. Visitors can enjoy the crafts of Adanne Designs, the Harper House Studio, the baking of Celtic Cookies or BooBoo's Bread, and specialty foods like Carla's Place Italian Goods.

This market is more than a place to shop. It reflects the spirit of the community, families, artisans, and entrepreneurs whose efforts sustain our local economy. Every purchase supports a dream and keeps money circulating right here at home.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating the Fairview Farmers' Market for its creativity and community spirit.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

DARTMOUTH NORTH ATHLETES: 2025 CANADA GAMES - CONGRATS.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the athletes from Dartmouth North who recently attended the 2025 Canada Games. From August 8^th to 25^th, athletes from across the country travelled to Newfoundland and Labrador to compete in this year's games. With a wide representation in age and skill, this year's athletes showed why Nova Scotians are so proud of their talent and dedication.

Specifically, I would like to recognize Dartmouth North's own Canada Games medallists: canoe kayakers Duncan Giles and Nick LaPierre, cyclist Julia Snelgrove, and soccer player Emily Hall. The dedication, strength, and discipline that these athletes continue to demonstrate while representing our beautiful province are beyond worthy of recognition and applause.

I ask the House to join me in congratulating these talented athletes and all the athletes on Team Nova Scotia on their performance at the 2025 Canada Games.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Preston.

RILEY, RUTH: COMM. SERV. - CONGRATS.

[Page 1756]

HON. TWILA GROSSE « » : Speaker, I rise to recognize Ruth Riley from the historic African Nova Scotian community of Lake Loon.

Ruth embodies the values of service, leadership, and purpose. A devoted volunteer, she has given her time generously to her church and community, contributing through her involvement on numerous boards and committees.

Inspired by elders' teachings on land and water conservation, she developed a passion for science. Ruth earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2022 and a Master's Degree in Marine Management from Dalhousie University in 2025. She leads science workshops to inspire Black youth in STEM fields. Ruth is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal and an HRM volunteer award.

Speaker, I ask all members to join me in congratulating Ruth Riley, an accomplished scholar, inspiring mentor, and a true game changer.

THE SPEAKER « » : Perfect timing, minister. Order.

[2:00 p.m.]

THE SPEAKER « » : The time is currently 2:00 p.m. We will finish at 2:50 p.m.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

PREM.: POVERTY RATES - LOWER

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Housing costs are soaring. Power bills have gone up by an average of $400 per family in this province and will soon rise higher. Under this government, the number of Nova Scotians living in poverty has risen by 59 percent, and our poverty rate is the highest in the country.

My question to the Premier is: Why won't this government take action to lower people's power bills?

THE PREMIER « » : The fact of the matter is we've taken a number of steps. If not for the steps that we've taken, power rates would be significantly higher in this province. As we continue to take steps and as we take steps, the Opposition - the NDP in particular - try to block it. They try to vote against it. They tried to block it when we cut taxes to the tune of $500 million for Nova Scotians. They voted against that. When we took the tolls off, they voted against that. Parking free at hospitals - they voted against that, and the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program, the list goes on and on.

[Page 1757]

We are working on behalf of Nova Scotians. We know there is work to be done, and we will keep doing it despite the objections, despite the attempts to block us, by the NDP.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Speaker, I didn't hear an answer, so I will try a different way. Nova Scotia Power's plan to hike rates again will drive costs higher for Nova Scotians. At a time when everything is more expensive and after a recent data breach that put our personal information at risk, this is the last thing that Nova Scotians need.

Power is not a luxury that people can choose to do without, and it is the government's job to make sure that essentials like power are affordable and reliable. With a $1.2-billion deficit, this government has been spending taxpayers' money at record levels. Why won't they help families afford their heat this winter?

THE PREMIER « » : That $1.2-billion investment is investments in Nova Scotians. I'm not happy about a deficit, but I am of the knowledge that we need to invest in Nova Scotians, and we will continue to invest in Nova Scotians. We will continue to work to move this province forward. If the member opposite doesn't like what we are investing in, then the member opposite should just be clear with Nova Scotians about which programs they would like to see cut, which investments they would rather we not make, but we will continue to invest in Nova Scotians. They have a right to expect it, and they will get it from this government.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Speaker, $1.2 billion of debt and a 59 percent rise in poverty doesn't sound like it's doing very well for many Nova Scotians. We have proposed regulatory changes, a low-income power rate, and a utility ownership study to make power more affordable for Nova Scotians, and none of this has happened. Now we are calling for a 10 percent rebate to give people a break on rising costs.

Other provinces have stopped corporations from keeping private information for no reason and have given people more protection under the law if data is stolen, and it has not caused chaos. Why does this government think that Nova Scotians deserve the bare minimum and not the solutions that are on the table?

THE PREMIER « » : As the member would know - because the member voted against it - we cut taxes to the tune of $500 million. As the member would know, there are 334 schools in this province right now where over 104,000 students get provided lunch at school. The member knows because the member voted against it, and I find it extremely laughable to hear that member talk about standing up to Nova Scotia Power.

The last time the NDP was in government, they were flying around in Nova Scotia Power private jets. The only time they stood up to Nova Scotia Power was when the pilot said, "Time to disembark the flight."

[Page 1758]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

PREM.: N.S. POWER PROJ. OUTLOOK - ADDRESS

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Everybody is worked up today.

Nova Scotia Power recently released its 2025 10-Year System Outlook. I'll table the document because it contains several starting revelations that this government is going to need to confront.

For example, Nova Scotia Power is projecting that energy use will decrease over the next two years, even as our population grows. Despite this projected decrease, the company still does not believe that we'll have enough generating capacity in January 2026 to comfortably meet demand. We can't afford rolling blackouts.

My question to the Premier is: What urgent action will he take to ensure that Nova Scotia Power can meet the energy needs of Nova Scotians?

THE PREMIER « » : There are incredible opportunities for this province in the energy space, particularly in the generation space, which I think the member is talking about. Obviously, Wind West is a generational opportunity for our country, led by Nova Scotia. We can lead that.

We have incredible opportunities in geothermal. We have incredible opportunities to expand wind in other ways. We have incredible opportunities to restart our offshore natural gas. These are all initiatives that we are pushing on.

We are here to build Nova Scotia. We are the builders. They are the blockers. We will continue to build despite their attempts to block the progress of this province.

DEREK MOMBORQUETTE: In the same report, it makes it clear that our goal to phase out coal by 2030 will depend heavily on burning significant amounts of heavy fuel oil. Achieving the goal of 80 percent renewable energy by 2030 seems out of reach and will require massive investments in fast-acting generation. Nova Scotia Power is already facing delays and huge cost increases on these projects.

My question to the Premier is: Can the Premier still guarantee that we will meet our target of 80 percent renewable energy generation by 2030?

THE PREMIER « » : Speaker, I think the minister tabled a report today on the progress we're making toward the goals. We want to green the grid. We want to do our part. That's why we're talking about the transition in many ways. We are also focused on affordability, so we won't do anything that unnecessarily jeopardizes the cost of power.

[Page 1759]

We're focused on supporting Nova Scotians, and that's exactly what we'll do. That has always been our focus. It remains to be our focus. Everything we do is to try to make life better for Nova Scotians. We'll continue that.

DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : We support the federal government's push for offshore wind in Nova Scotia, but we need to be realistic about the timelines on these projects. It will take a lot more than five years for offshore wind to deliver power to our grid. To meet our climate and affordability goals, we need major investments today in onshore wind, solar, and transmission to connect to other provinces.

In the four years under this government, we've seen little movement on onshore wind, cuts to our solar programs, and not a single coal plant closed. Nova Scotians need clean, reliable, and affordable energy now, not vague PR campaigns. How can the Premier claim we'll meet our targets when his record shows he is not even getting the basics done?

THE PREMIER « » : Not accurate, Speaker. Not accurate in any sense. What the member just said is totally inaccurate. I think we've approved somewhere in the range of 17 wind farms since we've been in government. That's probably 17 in the last 20 years.

For the member to make the statement or the insinuation that there's nothing happening is totally inaccurate. It just shows that they're not paying attention to the good work that is being done.

Yes, there is work to be one. We acknowledge that. That's the reason my hair is grey. We've put everything we have into this on behalf of Nova Scotians. We will continue to move forward. We will continue to build up this province. We will build. We know what they'll try to do . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

DHW: FEDERAL CONTRACEPTION FUNDING REJ. - ADDRESS

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : My question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. Instead of taking immediate action to give Nova Scotians more options for their health and letting them keep more money in their pockets, this government chose to walk away from federal funding for contraception and do nothing. Their inaction is costing Nova Scotians $300 a year on birth control alone. For months, women and gender-diverse people in British Columbia and Manitoba have been saving hundreds of dollars and accessing the health care they deserve with free birth control.

[Page 1760]

With costs so high in this province, why has this government failed to get free birth control for thousands of Nova Scotians?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : The federal Pharmacare deal that was offered to us is very prescriptive, and unfortunately, we weren't able to separate birth control from the diabetes program. A number of the things in the diabetes program we already cover in Nova Scotia. It actually wasn't a good deal for Nova Scotia. We're very interested in going back, under this new Prime Minister, under this new mandate to understand whether or not there is more flexibility. We need to make sure that we can afford this program when the federal money sunsets, which it will. Right now, that is not on the table.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : We have heard this answer several times. With respect, other provinces have decided that investing in women's health care is worth it and have actually gone it alone. Women and gender-diverse people across this province tell me they're worried about health care they're not getting. Provinces like British Columbia recognize that covering contraception is an important investment in health care, and they went forward with no federal funding.

Nova Scotians who rely on contraception for health care, for birth control, and for autonomy over their own lives deserve an answer. Why won't this government cover this basic need?

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Currently, birth control is covered under the Family Pharmacare Program in Nova Scotia. There's also a number of Nova Scotians throughout the province who have private health care coverage through their employment or their family member's employment. Also, people who are living at low income who are receiving income assistance can qualify at no charge. There are options for people across this province to access birth control. We continue to invest in women's health. Next month is World Menopause Month. We'll have more to say about that. We're very keen on making sure that women have access to the care they require, and we'll continue to do so.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Armdale.

DHW: PERSONAL HEALTH INFO. COLLECTION ACCESS - ADDRESS

ROD WILSON « » : This government gave itself the power to retain the personal health information of all Nova Scotians. This has raised serious concerns among health care professionals and Nova Scotians about what exactly is being collected and who has access to their personal information.

Can the minister tell Nova Scotians what personal information is being retained by the minister's office? Where exactly is this information being stored? More specifically, what company retains all of our personal health information?

[Page 1761]

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : We have kind of talked about this in the Legislature before. As Nova Scotians, we have to meet all the federal and provincial requirements for personal health information. We have strong regulatory frameworks in our province, and we also have federal regulatory frameworks as well. If information cannot be stored in Nova Scotia, it has to be stored in Canada. All the tenders that go out make sure that there are very robust rules and expectations that have to be met in order to store data. We take this very, very seriously. We work with CSDS to ensure that people's information is protected, and we'll continue to do so.

ROD WILSON « » : I didn't hear a specific answer to my question, but I'll move on. Nova Scotians have good reason to be anxious about their personal information. This year, personal data of thousands of Nova Scotians was exposed in a major breach at Nova Scotia Power. Nova Scotians deserve to know their data is safe and secure.

What is the minister doing to ensure Nova Scotians' personal health data remains private and secure wherever it remains?

[2:15 p.m.]

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Again, as I mentioned in the first response, we do have strict regulatory frameworks in this province that we have to adhere to. We meet the highest standard for personal health information. We have a number of experts who work in CSDS, Nova Scotia Health Authority, and the Department of Health and Wellness to make sure that these standards are met. We continue to monitor.

We have great faith in those professionals in order to keep our personal health information safe. We've invested a great deal of money in digital technology, as well as the security that's required. The AG did a report. There were 20 recommendations. We've accepted those. Nine are complete; 11 are in progress. People can feel safe about their personal health information in this province.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

SNS: RENTERS - PROTECT

SUZY HANSEN « » : Renters across Nova Scotia are already struggling to make ends meet. Instead of strengthening protections, this government's first move is to take rights away. Families who rent rooms in someone's home can now lose the few rights that they have. My question is for Minister responsible for the Residential Tenancies Act: Why is this government more interested in making it easier to evict people instead of protecting renters?

[Page 1762]

HON. JILL BALSER « » : Our focus is, of course, on making sure that tenants feel safe and protected in this province. That is why our focus is continuing to be on looking at our housing supply. The minister also tabled a report now that we are exceeding our housing goals, which is incredible. We also know that we have to bring in unique ideas. The minister earlier, I think last week or this week, had mentioned about home sharing.

We want to make sure that Nova Scotians have choice. If that means now that a homeowner is going to open up their home to someone, a boarder, that's really important for us to be able to look at all options, but our focus is still going to be on growing the province, growing the amount of homes, and making sure that tenants feel safe.

SUZY HANSEN « » : I'm just not sure that mentioning home sharing and then taking away the rights of boarders is really something that's workable. It doesn't make any sense, actually. People who rent rooms are being singled out and stripped of their basic rights in this particular legislation that's being put forward. With no cap on rent and no real protections against eviction, they will be left completely at the mercy of their landlord. Why won't this government stand up for renters rather than make life even harder for the people who can least afford it?

JILL BALSER « » : Nova Scotians know that we are a government that's looking at all options when it comes to the rights and supports for tenants, but we're also focused on making sure that we have a balanced program in the Residential Tenancies Program. That remains a focus for the Service Nova Scotia team.

As we mentioned, we want to make sure that we have flexible options and more options for Nova Scotians that we hadn't necessarily been talking about before. Making sure that boarders now have options to be able to rent a room in someone's home, that's opening up a whole new conversation that we haven't had before. Making sure, again, that we stay focused on building the supply that is required. Again, I am very proud of the Minister of Growth and Development for the announcements in public housing. We're going to continue to grow the province the way that we need to.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member Sydney-Membertou.

DPW: 80-20 RULE REMOVAL - EXPLAIN

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : For decades, the 80-20 rule has guaranteed that the majority of trucking work on provincial highway projects stayed within Nova Scotia companies, supporting good jobs and investment in our communities. In the minister's letter to the Trucking Association, he justified cancelling the rule because of trade issues, but in the most recent letter, that explanation disappeared.

I'll ask the Premier « » : What is the real reason this government is scrapping a policy that has supported Nova Scotia workers for generations?

[Page 1763]

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : This is an interesting question coming from the Leader of the Third Party. In 2017, it was that government that removed the exemption from local trucking from CFTA. That's one of the major things that has put us in this case today.

DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Speaker, this government slipped this decision out quietly in the middle of the summer, with no consultation and no clear explanation for the small trucking companies that depend on this work. Now 475 businesses are at risk supporting thousands of jobs across this province. The minister can't explain why he's putting these jobs at risk.

Will the minister pause the decision and commit to standing with Nova Scotian truckers instead of leaving them behind?

FRED TILLEY « » : Speaker, facts matter. They sure do. Again in 2017, removal of trucking from CFTA against all of the purchasing agreements, the Atlantic Procurement Agreement, the Sustainable Procurement Strategy, and our own procurement policies.

With regard to quietly through the night, I personally have met with over 60 truckers around this province to discuss this issue. We're working with TANS, we're working with roadbuilders, to make sure this works.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

SNS: FIXED-TERM LEASES - REMOVE

LISA LACHANCE « » : Last month, renters at The Scotian building in Halifax were without power for more than two weeks. Residents of 50 units were unable to store or cook food, charge their devices, use their medical devices, and many were unable to work.

I went back day after day to check on residents, like an 85-years old woman who couldn't safely manage the darkened hallways full of cords and debris. Even after more than a week and the municipal fire violation, the minister wanted to wait for tenants to go through the Residential Tenancies Program.

Everyone there was on fixed-term leases and they were scared of losing their homes if they spoke out about the poor living conditions.

When will this minister stop passing the buck and protect renters?

HON. JILL BALSER « » : I want to thank the member opposite for the important question and for making sure that I was aware of the situation happening at The Scotian. This gives me an opportunity to share a little bit more about the Residential Tenancies Program. It is application-based, Speaker. I think it's really important that tenants know they can come to the Residential Tenancies Program when they need to.

[Page 1764]

I know that staff also reached out to the tenants of The Scotian to make sure they knew what their options were. Nobody should be fearful in the place that they are living, even if they are on a fixed-term lease or a periodic lease, it doesn't matter. They need to know what their rights are, Speaker, and there shouldn't be fear in anyone coming forward for retribution.

Speaker, that is also why it's important that they have the right information and they can trust that they can come forward when they need to.

LISA LACHANCE « » : The issue is bigger than The Scotian building. Even amongst those 50 tenants, four people have reached out and actually have been discouraged by the Residential Tenancies Program from pursuing anything.

Renters in Nova Scotia are scared. They face a system where they are constantly at risk of losing their homes. Their only protection is a system that is famously overwhelmed and toothless without an enforcement unit. The government has even ignored expert advice to create an enforcement unit.

Why is this government making it easier to evict renters instead of giving them the protections they need?

JILL BALSER « » : I also want to thank the team for making sure the tenants knew that any application that did come forward was going to be expedited in emergency circumstances. I think that also speaks to the positive attributes of the program, that the team can be flexible and nimble in a time of an emergency.

Yes, we know that we had about four applicants who came forward. I am very appreciative of the fact that they took the time to do that, Speaker. If the member also said that the team had shared information or discouraged anybody from coming forward, I'd love to be able to have that conversation to know if and what was shared specifically.

Speaker, I think it's important that tenants get accurate information, that they know this is a program they can come to in their time of need. The team will be responsive. In this case we expedited applications and we will make sure to support tenants always.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

DOJ: BOUNCERS - REGULATE

[Page 1765]

LINA HAMID « » : Almost three years ago, a young man tragically lost his life after an altercation with a bouncer. His family has been very clear that half measures will not keep people safe. Why is this government refusing to bring in stronger protections to regulate the entire industry?

HON. BECKY DRUHAN « » : We acknowledge the tragic circumstances that have led to this discussion in this House. We have had many conversations about the need for change and the need for support to ensure that we have safe spaces and that the tragedies that have occurred previously are prevented from happening again.

This is currently a new bill on the floor of the House, which I generally expect is subject to debate and not Question Period, but we take this issue very seriously, and we look forward to having further conversations about it.

THE SPEAKER « » : Before we move on, for people asking questions, when you ask a question, you're not allowed to talk about bills that are on the floor. If there's a little bit in the preamble, that's fine, but we are not allowed to ask questions about any bills that are on the floor. I'm just stating this for information. Perfect.

The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

LINA HAMID « » : This government is continuing to leave dangerous loopholes that let staff with a history of violence bounce from bar to bar without accountability. Families who have lost loved ones want comprehensive oversight of private security to prevent more tragedies.

Why is this government ignoring those calls?

BECKY DRUHAN « » : I want to be very clear: Our government is not ignoring the calls of Nova Scotians to make change in this area and to address this issue. This is a bill on the floor of the House, and we look forward to discussing it at the appropriate time when it comes forward for debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Chebucto.

DPW: 80-20 RULE - CLARIFY

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : Speaker, as we've heard, the Province is scrapping the 80-20 rule, which has provided opportunity and fair distribution of public work contracts to local truckers who are entrepreneurs. For 30 years, this rule has stopped big come-from-away corporations from undercutting prices and safety standards. It helped stop local truckers from being driven out of business.

When will this government admit that they aren't on the side of the little guy?

[Page 1766]

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : I would like to address the issue at hand with the 80-20 Rule. Again, in 2017 removed from CFTA, which opens the government to potential fines of $2 million and potential lawsuits for breaking trade rules.

With regard to not meeting with local truckers, we're meeting. We have a committee in place, a transition team that's working with road builders, working with TANS. As a matter of fact, there was a meeting held this morning at the Public Works building that was very progressive. We hope to have some good information to share soon.

KRISTA GALLAGHER « » : I'm happy to hear of the meeting this morning. I am curious why the flopping back and forth: we're reinstating it; we're not; it's on; it's off.

My question to the minister is: Why the on-and-off of the 80-20 rule?

[2:30 p.m.]

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : There has been no on and off of 80-20. As we have said, we are removing 80-20 effective with the 2026 contracts. It will be held from all contracts that have previously been signed, but it is very important that we identify the fact that audits have shown that this contravenes the rules of purchasing and procurement. We have heard from the Opposition: You must follow the auditor's rules. Which auditor's rules do they want us to follow? Do they want us to follow them? Do they not want us to follow them or only when it makes sense for the Opposition?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

DPW: 80-20 RULE: RURAL N.S. BUS. OWNERS AFFECTED - MANAGE

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : This is a really interesting conversation. I'm so happy to see my colleagues join me in questions and bringing up the issues around the 80-20 rule because this is affecting 475 local business owners in rural Nova Scotia who really have not had a voice here in this Legislature. They deserve a voice that represents over 1,000 families. The reality is this government removed the 80-20 rule that they rely on to pay their bills without any consultation with them - zero.

Now they are backtracking, saying, "we will provide" - they will provide a guarantee of rates. What is the good of rates if there is no guarantee of work?

My question the minister is: Who came up with this idea, and why did they scrap the 80-20 rule?

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : The member opposite is great at creating fear but not great at identifying facts. What we have done since this decision has been made - and to answer the question, I made the decision for many good reasons: contravening Canadian free trade agreements, contravening Atlantic Procurement Agreement, contravening sustainable procurement, and contravening the Province of Nova Scotia Procurement Regulations.

[Page 1767]

We are committed to small business in this province. We are working with TANS. We are working with road builders. We are going to make this work, and we are putting out half a billion dollars per year . . .

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : My job is to come to this Chamber and bring the voices of the people I represent. If I am bringing forth fear, then that is because the truckers who have mortgage payments and financial obligations to banks to pay off their trucks are fearful. They deserve the respect in this province to have the minister give a real answer of who is behind this, because we have seen documentation. We have seen some letters.

I would like the minister to table, in this Chamber, the procurement laws that are currently being broken, because I question that. There have been trucks coming from P.E.I. and New Brunswick for years despite this. Can the minister table these documents?

FRED TILLEY « » : When it comes to fear, when we look at the social media posts of the member opposite talking about companies from the United States coming in to take work from locals, that is not going to happen. The road builders in this province need the members, all the independent truckers.

We are putting out half a billion dollars worth of work. There is so much work that there are not enough trucks to go around, but we are going to continue to support small business. We have actually cut the small business tax from two and a half to one and a half this year. Small business is the backbone of Nova Scotia, and we will continue to support them.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

ACSW: LACK OF GBV TRANSITION HOUSE SUPPORT - EXPLAIN

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : After repeated calls from frontline organizations yesterday this government finally offered some support to survivors of gender-based violence, and it is about time. Now survivors who are renters can remain in their homes without signing a new lease or facing skyrocketing rents. This is long overdue and familiar. The NDP suggested this move in the spring sitting, but back then the minister refused to budge.

Gender-based violence is an epidemic. Why did the government leave survivors waiting so long to make this life-saving change?

THE SPEAKER « » : That question is out of order. I'm going to say it again - there are bills on the table. I ask that if you're going to ask questions, read the bills before you ask your questions. Okay? Okay. Let's try another question.

[Page 1768]

The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Here's a new question. When gender-based violence survivors are ready to move on from a shelter, a major barrier is the severe lack of housing, specifically second stage housing, where they have some supports and services from organizations. Demand is very high. Shelters are too full because survivors have nowhere to go when they're ready to move on. When will the minister give transition houses the funding they need to ensure every survivor of gender-based violence has a safe home to move into?

HON. LEAH MARTIN » : We recognize that there are many challenges that people face when they are leaving domestic violence situations. We don't believe that housing should be one of them, which is why our government is working so hard to build more housing across the continuum of housing. I do believe that our housing starts are up an incredible amount. Work is under way.

Transition houses and second stage housing are an important part of that combination and an important part of that mix. This is why we do currently support Alice House in core funding to the tune of $310,300 each year to support second-stage housing. We continue to have these ongoing conversations with the sector.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

DPW: OVERREACH IN MUN. AFFS. - STOP

KENDRA COOMBES « » : This government is finally committed to letting municipalities set their own speed limits. New Democrats and community leaders have been calling for this for years. It may have taken too long but it's better late than never.

Can the Minister of Public Works tell us: Will this government finally start trusting municipalities to make their own decisions, or will they continue their pattern of overreach with regard to municipal affairs?

THE SPEAKER « » : Could the honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier rephrase that, because it's very close to what's in the bill?

KENDRA COOMBES « » : Thank you, Speaker - it's very close but not out of line. I'm assuming that's what you meant. Just assuming. Sorry.

This week, we're seeing the government taking steps to finally listen to municipal and community leaders about important issues in their community. It may have taken too long but it's better late than never.

[Page 1769]

Can the Minister of Public Works tell us: Will this government finally start trusting municipalities to make their own decisions, or will they continue their pattern of overreach into municipal affairs?

THE SPEAKER « » : It was vague enough for it to be a question, but obviously that's something that's going to have to be watched very closely in this House during Question Period. It's day two. I was trying to be nice.

The honourable Minister of Public Works.

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : It's clear with all the debate around the questions around bills on the floor that we're doing everything, so it's hard to come up with good questions. What I will say is that we work very closely with our municipal partners in the Province of Nova Scotia. We have great relationships. We'll continue to work closely, and we'll continue to have those wonderful relationships.

KENDRA COOMBES « » : Yet just in the last few months, this government has pushed changes to override municipal infrastructure decisions while forcing them to cover the cost, threatened municipal councillors over a bike lane, and rejected Halifax Regional Council's Regional Municipal Planning Strategy.

Can the minister tell us if he wants to work with local governments or just steamroll them?

FRED TILLEY « » : We will never apologize for doing what's right for Nova Scotians. We will continue to work with our municipal partners as we move forward. As we know, the TSA - not the TSA. (Interruption) My brain is gone because I'm so confused with the questions.

We're currently doing a street review of HRM in consultation with HRM, believe it or not. We'll continue to hold those relationships, and we'll continue to work together for the better part of Nova Scotians.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

EECD: CHILD CARE SPACES - PROVIDE

PAUL WOZNEY « » : This government isn't telling the whole story on child care spaces in this province. Parents are being told there are more than . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. Can you please rephrase that? That's pretty close - come on. (Interruption) Hey - who's sitting here? If you want to argue with me, I'll recognize you and we can have some fun, but we're not going to. That's frustrating to me. Please.

[Page 1770]

There are certain rules in this House. One is that you cannot call an MLA a liar or holding or anything close to that, and that is one thing I will hold clear. We have all worked very hard to get here, and we should not be judging each other's character on this floor. Let's try this again.

The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

PAUL WOZNEY « » : This government's framing of child care spaces is lacking for many Nova Scotians. Parents are being told there are more than 7,000 new spaces but in reality, there are less than half that number. Before- and after-school programs are helpful to many families, but they are not the same as full-time accessible child care spaces.

Why is this government conflating the options and confusing families struggling to find reliable child care for their children?

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: We have reduced child care fees by 50 percent, Speaker - 50 percent. We just renewed the child care agreement with the federal government, and we fixed the child care agreement that was previously signed. I don't know if members read the media, but we were just down at Acadia University where we announced new child care spaces at Acadia. Before that, we were at St. Francis Xavier University. We announced spaces at StFX. We're working tirelessly to create child care spaces for everybody.

PAUL WOZNEY « » : Child Care Now says before- and after-school supervision is a patchwork, not a system. This leaves kids without care for nine weeks every summer and every school break in between. Parents can't keep their jobs or plan lives around a patchwork system.

How can this government pat itself on the back when it's failing to deliver the full-time reliable child care that Nova Scotian families need?

BRENDAN MAGUIRE: I would ask that that information be tabled. I have yet to read that information from Child Care Now. What I do read is the facts, and the facts are that we're building more space than ever before. We support our child care sector. We are ahead of where we are - any other province when it comes to creating new child care spaces. This government is investing in families from one end of the province to the other while that party is voting against them.

[2:45 p.m.]

[Page 1771]

THE SPEAKER « » : Before I recognize, the information has been tabled.

The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

DOE: TENDERING NEW ONSHORE WIND - ADDRESS

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Speaker, the Province finally opened up tenders for the 2020 Green Choice Program in December 2023. Fast forward another couple years to this year, six wind farms were chosen through the procurement process and awarded an opportunity to sign power purchase agreements with Nova Scotia Power. Since then, only two of the six, with a combined total capacity of 260 megawatts, have actually signed agreements. The rest of the projects are now considered withdrawn.

With the Green Choice Program scaled back, leaving Nova Scotians without clean, reliable power they were promised, will the Minister of Energy quickly tender new onshore wind before costs go up even further, as they have over the last few years?

HON. TREVOR BOUDREAU « » : We were very disappointed that four of the projects didn't move forward in the Green Choice Program, but we do have two that are there. We have already begun the process of hiring - looking at an administrator to do a new procurement as part of the Green Choice Program.

What we do have is over 900 megawatts of power for onshore wind, with PPAs as we speak right now as a province. We will continue to do what we can to make sure that we reach those renewable targets (inaudible).

IAIN RANKIN « » : Speaker, we've heard a lot this summer about the potential offshore wind in Nova Scotia. We share that optimism, but with huge government subsidies, it is still more expensive than the onshore wind price right now.

This government gave away prime land for green hydrogen projects, which have so far gone nowhere. That land could have been used and competitively tendered for low-cost wind, and now the government has admitted that the Green Choice Program has stalled. Why is the government not allowing more competitive wind, and handing it over to a billionaire who may or may not produce one bit of hydrogen in this province?

TREVOR BOUDREAU « » : I think I reiterated our stance that we are very focused on getting to that 80 percent renewables, and we have a number of initiatives in progress to get there.

I did try to take a look back and see the history of the Liberal Party's onshore wind progress. I looked at 2021, before we came to power, and there were zero megawatts of power put forward. I looked at 2020, and again, zero megawatts of renewable built here in Nova Scotia. How about 2019? How many built in Nova Scotia renewables? Zero. I could go on, and I will when I have more time.

[Page 1772]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Needham.

EECD: SJAM REOPENING - ADDRESS

SUZY HANSEN « » : Speaker, students across Nova Scotia returned to their schools this month, but not at St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay Elementary, which has been closed for years. This government has been promising for years that their school will reopen, and parents were told the last delay would be the final one. That was not the final one.

My question to the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development is: Why has this government, once again, failed to keep its promise to families at SJAM, and when will the minister finally give parents a straight answer on when SJAM will open?

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: I want to thank the member for the question and for the daily texts and updates from her on SJAM. As she knows, there are people there around the clock working. She texted me the other day to tell me there were painters in there.

The school is progressing. This is a massive investment in the north end of Halifax. We are proud to support it, and I can't wait for the school to be open. We know, any time there are delays, it impacts. What I will tell the people of the north end of Halifax and surrounding areas is that this government is here for you. We are investing in your children, and we are investing in your future.

SUZY HANSEN « » : Speaker, is there an answer, an update, for our parents?

THE SPEAKER « » : Order. (Laughter) Order, please. The time allotted for Oral Questions Put by Members to Ministers has expired.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Speaker, I'd like to rise on a point of order. The member opposite during Question Period referred to my Facebook post as creating fear. I'm wondering if the member should be tabling those since he's referring to those during Question Period.

THE SPEAKER « » : There's no requirement to table documents unless there's a direct quote.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: I stand on a point of order/clarification. During her Notice of Motion, the member for Cumberland North, in reference to the removal of the 80-20 rule, said: "We all remember Humboldt Broncos, and we don't need another tragedy like that happening here in Nova Scotia." Speaker, I'm seeking clarification from the member as to whether she's implying that truck drivers from other provinces are not adequately qualified to drive in Nova Scotia, or if she's implying that because the driver in Humboldt was an immigrant, that immigrants pose an additional risk while driving.

[Page 1773]

It also calls into question the competence of all professional truckers and the integrity of our safety and enforcement branch. I would ask the member to retract the statement and apologize.

THE SPEAKER « » : That is not a point of order; that's a clarification. If it comes up in a debate, this can be debated.

The honourable member for Cumberland North.

ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : I'd like to rise on a point of privilege. During my question period, the minister gave a response that the member opposite is great at identifying fear. I submit that that is restricting my privilege. As a woman in this Chamber, I should be able to speak on behalf of my constituents and other members and not try to be intimidated and harassed that I'm creating fear in this Chamber from a man.

THE SPEAKER « » : I don't see any infringement of the member here. We have free speech in this House. We will now move on.

OPPOSITION MEMBERS' BUSINESS

PRIVATE MEMBERS' PUBLIC BILLS FOR SECOND READING

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 133.

Bill No. 133 - Social Media Responsibility Act.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

IAIN RANKIN « » : May I make an introduction first before I start?

THE SPEAKER « » : Please do.

IAIN RANKIN « » : In the gallery opposite, we have with us a number of outstanding advocates related to the issue we'll debate here shortly. I'll call the names - if they could rise. We have first a few folks from Unplugged Canada. We have Jenna Poste, Robin Kean, and Bethany Lund, and also Marcy Martin from Phone-Free Schools Movement. If you could rise up and get the applause of the House. (Applause)

[Page 1774]

THE SPEAKER « » : Welcome to the House. We hope you enjoy your time here.

The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : I want to kick off the debate today, which is a very important topic, by thanking the government for putting out a release today highlighting the issue and making sure they're paying attention. It's important that Nova Scotians know that Opposition members are putting forward ideas worth debating.

I think that most members agree in this House that there is a simple truth in that our youth are not okay. If you talk to teachers, counsellors, parents, they'll tell you the same story: that kids are more anxious, more depressed, and more withdrawn than at any other time in recent memory.

I would also submit that we are losing entire generations to this rush for "likes" and less of an ability to cope in the world. We're witnessing a profound shift in the nature of childhood itself, and it's no coincidence that it began at the same time as the rise of smartphones and social media. Psychologists refer to this as the great rewiring of childhood. It has come at a devastating cost.

I want to talk about the mental health emergency with a few facts. Since around 2012, roughly when social media became ubiquitous and embedded in everyday life, mental health of teens has declined dramatically. Suicide rates among children aged 10 to 14 have more than doubled. Emergency room visits for self-harm have skyrocketed. Surveys consistently show record levels of loneliness, sadness, and despair. These are the same patterns we see throughout the Western World: here in Canada, in the United States, in the U.K., and other nations. What has changed is that childhood has moved online.

Think about what childhood used to be. You learnt resilience by facing challenges, navigating playground politics, handling rejection, bouncing back from awkward moments. These experiences built what psychologists call a psychological immune system. Now, instead of learning to cope in the real world, kids are exposed to daily algorithmically curated feeds that amplify comparison, ridicule, and exclusion. Their immune system against stress never has a chance to develop. As a result, teens are more fragile, more anxious, and less able to handle the normal ups and downs of growing up.

The thing about this is that it's not by chance. These multi-billion-dollar companies actually admit it: It is addiction by design. Every like, every notification, every endless scroll - which I see members doing as I speak - they are not neutral features. They are carefully designed to exploit the brain's dopamine system, the same system that gets hijacked by drugs and gambling. The brains are rewiring from dopamine desensitization. A 13-year-old doesn't stand a chance against trillion-dollar algorithms fine-tuned to keep them hooked, and it works. Studies show that teens spend an average of nearly five hours a day on social media, five hours that could be spent sleeping, studying, playing sports, or simply being friends face to face. Their brains need more and more, and they feel less and less.

[Page 1775]

We would never hand a pack of cigarettes to a middle-schooler. We'd never give them vodka. We wouldn't let them loose in a casino, yet social media combines elements of all three: addiction, risk, and exploitation. We're handing this to kids.

It's not limiting choice - I've heard that argument before. This is about giving kids back their choice. Harm is not spread evenly. Girls are actually hit especially hard according to the data. Days of depression among teenage girls have surged since the arrival of Instagram and Snapchat specifically. Black youth and 2SLGBTQIA+ teens, already more vulnerable to discrimination and desocialization, are disproportionately harmed - higher rates of cyberbullying, online harassment, and exposure to harmful content. This isn't just a generational crisis; it's an equity crisis. Social media is amplifying vulnerabilities and widening gaps in mental health outcomes.

I want to focus on what is being lost. Beyond the undisputed statistics, we need to talk about what they are missing out on. Sleep, number one, destroyed. One in three teens now get less than the recommended amount of rest, largely because of late-night scrolling and fear of missing out. In-person friendships are declining. Kids hang out less, date less, and spend less time outside. They are trading real human connection for a curated version onscreen. Even basic milestones like getting a driver's licence or applying for a first job are now delayed.

When life is lived online, the urgency of independence fades. Parents know this; they see it happening in their homes every night. They also feel helpless, because if they try to control access for their child, then other children have it, and their child doesn't, and they get further stigmatized, further isolated. That's why this can't be solved at the household level alone. It demands collective action. That's what government is here for.

[3:00 p.m.]

So a few points. Number one: This is why we need to take this action - because the adolescent brain is uniquely vulnerable. The prefrontal cortex - the part that manages the impulses and decision making - does not fully mature until late adolescence. That is why we chose the age along with the precedent of the other jurisdictions taking action. This means kids are neurologically defenceless against the addictive pull of social media.

The second point: because harm is measurable and urgent. We are not talking about vague concerns or moral panic. We are talking about hard data, rising depression, rising anxiety, and rising suicide. I would go to bet that since school started just a few days ago that members like myself are already receiving e-mails related to online bullying. I know that because I see e-mails coming through with children already being bullied online. Even though phones are banned in some schools or some grades, it is a half measure. It is a step in the right direction, but we still have the issue of meaning to have it in place for pre-Primary to Grade 6, for all grades.

[Page 1776]

The third point: because precedent exists. I note that the government did write a release that it is difficult to look at this issue from a provincial or state level as we would, say, globally. That is a fair comment. However, it has to start somewhere, and that is actually how it started literally everywhere else in the world, from the state level.

We already restrict things that are harmful. I mentioned them. You cannot buy alcohol. You cannot buy cigarettes under the age of 19 because society recognizes that some industries exploit immaturity for profit. Social media should be treated the same way.

Several U. S. states have taken this action. I am talking about the state level. Blue and red, by the way. This should not be a political issue about left or right. You see that when I name the states that are already passing laws restricting minors' access to social media. Florida may have been once a swing state, definitely more on the Republican side, more on the conservative side. Utah and California and New York all moved in this direction. Australia is where we have seen a Premier who wanted to take leadership and actually bring this idea forward. Then it went to the national level. Australia, who follows the same parliamentary democracy that we do. This is being debated across the Earth in many different countries and subnational governments.

The urgency is there, and I believe it will happen in Canada at some point, and somebody needs to start speaking up. I want Nova Scotia to lead in the way we did for banning smoking inside bars, or more recently when some members were in the House that are still here, when we banned flavoured tobacco. The same arguments could and actually were made then about why not to act on the evidence.

So, we can continue to allow trillion-dollar corporations to dictate the terms of childhood, or we step in and find a way for kids to get their childhood back without the algorithmic manipulation. We can wait for the federal government as the government release seems to want to do, or we can support this bill. At the very least, we are talking about it today. So, we as the Third Party only get so many Opposition Days. This is not something that was an impulse reaction to bring the bill forward. I have been thinking about this for at least a year and I have never been one to shy from issues that are difficult to talk about and take a stand on issues.

It is not about rejecting technology. It is about responsibility. Just as we protect kids from alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, we must protect them from social media because at the end of the day this is not about politics for myself and my colleagues or profit or convenience. It is about protecting children's lives, their future, and their ability to thrive. So, let us give them back their sleep, their friendships, their resilience, their joy. Let us take this step that is required as a province that is responsible in the jurisdiction of education, of health care, mental health, justice. Let us take that step and move forward and support a bill as we await the petition going to the House of Commons from a Liberal member. I understand members from all parties in that House support moving forward on this. Let's support banning Silicon Valley controlling the lives of our children.

[Page 1777]

THE SPEAKER « » : Before I recognize the next speaker, I would ask the member to formally call the bill for second reading.

The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : I move second reading of Bill No. 133.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : I'm always pleased to rise and talk about how to support the well-being and mental health of Nova Scotian children and youth. The impacts of social media are faced by youth, families, teachers, and all those who work with young people around the world.

We have access to enough research to know the harms are real. I will table this, but I'm looking at an editorial piece from the Canadian Medical Association Journal. They summarize by saying:

Evidence from a variety of cross-sectional, longitudinal and empirical studies implicate smartphone and social media use in the increase in mental distress, self-injurious behaviour and suicidality among youth; there is a dose-response relationship [which means the more the worse], and the effects appear to be greatest among girls.

Along with the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Paediatric Society has also issued a call to action, again really recognizing the negative effects of social media on young people.

This isn't the first time as a Legislature we have grappled with this. Under the previous NDP government, we tried to address situations around cyberbullying with a legislative solution, and it proved to be really tricky, actually. We know that things need to be done. We also know that it's hard to do.

As my colleague outlined, and as we have heard from experts, we know about the harm of online bullying, the potential for sexual exploitation, encouragement of eating disorders and self-harm - the list goes on and on, and the developmental effects on young people.

[Page 1778]

At the same time, we live in a world where communicating through social media is the norm for most young people, whether it's to find community, connect across the globe, or mobilize people to a cause. On one hand, while queer and trans young people are extremely vulnerable in our schools and online, it's also a way for folks to connect with other people if they don't have that safety in their home or don't have people to connect with in their community.

I also think of Indigenous youth who access social media and online forums to learn language. It's a way for young people who are scattered across a territory to be able to come together and learn about their culture from each other.

The question of how to manage social media and young people's well-being will be an ongoing issue, and it's an urgent issue. Social media will continue to evolve, and our ways of trying to control it are in development.

Some of the things that the CMA had to say - the Canadian Medical Association - they talked about things like a need for public awareness campaigns. These are the types of things that we can do now. There is a need for public awareness campaigns and social policy initiatives that promote nurturing home and school environments.

The Canadian Paediatric Society, in their call to action, also offered a number of recommendations for policy-makers: strengthen the standards for age verification within social media apps; fund continued research on the impact of social media; require that information on engaged and critical use of social media be included in both teacher training and in the school curricula; and restrict access to harmful advertising that targets youth. They also note that "A hallmark of adolescent health is respect for youth autonomy" - a system that includes youth in the conversations about what's harmful and how to address it.

There's lots that we could be doing right now to support the well-being of Nova Scotia children and youth. I would say that Nova Scotia children and youth are still not getting the mental health services that they need.

For last spring, for the period ending June 30^th, the IWK and Nova Scotia Health Authority continue to report long wait times for most of Nova Scotia, exceeding their goal times for non-urgent care. Just to give an example of that, from April to June of 2025, 50 percent of waiting young people had their first appointment through Mental Health in the CBRM within 77 days, and within the IWK within 52 days.

So, that's 50 percent of people getting in within 77 days. I think that's too long for young people. That's a semester at school. That's potentially a year lost, and that's another month for 50 percent to have had their first treatment. Obviously, those are statistics. We could talk in terms of what are the outer ends of the spectrum, but the simple fact of the matter is that young people in Nova Scotia who reach out for help and support don't get the help they need within the right time frames.

[Page 1779]

Across the province, the mental health wait times - and I'll table these - continue to be all over the map. The system has not stabilized at all. In some regions the wait time will go down, it will crash back up in the next quarter, so there's lots to be done in this area. We also have questions about how the roll-out for the program that's paying private practice nurses to provide public services is helping young people, and we're looking forward to an update on that.

We also had recently the first Child Death Review for Nova Scotia. I would encourage all members to read it. The majority of children's deaths are preventable. The majority of children's deaths are due to accidents, and accidents are preventable. This is a huge campaign that the IWK has led before. Other vulnerabilities, again, where we could do better; for instance, trans and gender-diverse children and youth who died by suicide were over-represented in the review by a factor of four.

We still have a long way to go in supporting queer and trans youth in this province. I think we need to see more from this government to stand up to bullying and to be an exemplary government. I've invited the Premier on a number of occasions to condemn homophobia and transphobia in this House, not trying to score a political point, but because I know it's important for people to hear. I know it's important for young people to hear, and yet that hasn't happened.

We had guidelines revised with young people to support trans and gender-diverse students that have been apparently abandoned. We're still waiting for a 2SLGBTQIA+ action plan. I want to tell you that that all matters to young people. When young people write me, or we meet, or - young people are concerned, queer and trans people are concerned about how they're going to be able to grow up and thrive in this province. I think at this point, there's been some good words from this government, but there has been no action. People are starting to realize that, and young people are feeling abandoned by that lack of action.

I also think we need to think about young people and housing. We can do a lot better in supporting our young people. Lots of young people, most young people begin life as renters, so facing fixed term leases, the lack of an enforcement unit, the lack of real rent control. We just had the release of the 2024 HRM Point-in-Time Count survey which is a review of homelessness, and the percentage age of first homeless episodes are - the most is within the age range of 13 to19 years old, and then the second is 20 to 29.

So essentially, majority of folks who experience homelessness experience it for the first time as a young person. Also, of the reporting folks, 23 percent were former youth in care. Every time I look at that, I know that we're failing young people in this province, that we can do a whole lot better. I think that social media is an urgent concern. I think it's where a lot of the concerns of the most vulnerable young people in our communities can be exploited. I think government has a role to step in and protect young people from that. I think it should be done in consultation with young people.

[Page 1780]

I think this would be a great issue, for instance - the other thing this government has promised, and I think you're on your fourth minister at this point, but maybe the fourth time's the charm in Community Services/Opportunities and Social Development - there's been a promise for a child and youth advocate. The government has undertaken consultation with young people. The government has undertaken consultation with young people. The government is undertaking consultation with folks who work in that field across the province, and yet we still don't have a child and youth advocate. Like I said, all previous ministers under this government have declared their full intention and support, so we will wait and see. This is really important.

[3:15 p.m.]

I feel like our young people are really struggling in Nova Scotia. When I look at the results in the Student Success Survey, when I look at the results of wait times for mental health services, when I look at housing, a child and youth advocate would be a great place for the research on the advocacy and young people's voices to come together and look at the critical issues facing young people and bring forward some issues. With that, I will take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Dartmouth.

BRAD MCGOWAN « » : I appreciate the opportunity to rise and speak to this bill. We recognize the challenges confronting young people and we continue to focus through public health to provide support and to all departments of government, actually. I am very familiar with this, particularly as a dad and as somebody who was in the education system for 30 years as a principal and a school supervisor, so this is an issue that is very important to me. Quite frankly, I agree with much of what the member across the aisle had to share on this topic.

I am, however, concerned that this bill simply misses the mark and is more of a headline than a policy. The reality is that there was a study in 2022 from MediaSmarts that found that 86 percent of youth between the ages of 9 and 11 have social media accounts and are on at least one platform. Nearly 77 percent of youth have their own smartphones, with most being given between the ages of 11 and 13.

We currently have a reality where most kids are on social media accounts, and most are given cellphones by their parents to be able to access them. Absolutely there have been numerous studies over the years that show a connection between poor youth health and social media. This has been an issue over a decade now and is especially problematic because of the cellphones and computers that we access. I do not, however, believe that this bill will address this issue.

[Page 1781]

Some parents may be allowing their children to have limited access to social media, and some may want to know about ways to better limit access, but don't know how. There is an opportunity to help better explain to parents how they can limit access to social media other than simply taking it away, but this bill would take that away from parents while also failing to be effective at actually limiting access to social media.

We all know how kids operate. They will find a workaround, and as soon as one child in a school finds a workaround, everybody that they know will have access to it. The reality is that this bill will be thwarted on day one. It could be as simple as getting a VPN to get around the limitations of this bill - create an account and be able to access moving forward. The simple prohibition of social media access through this bill will simply be circumvented.

This bill also ignores the larger conversation that is being had and must continue to be had regarding the dangers of the internet and the need to be on guard while online. Just like in all aspects of the lives of youth, they must keep an eye out for concerning characters online. This is a conversation we need to be having with our youth as we give them the tools to safely navigate social media.

Something not captured in this bill is other methods of communication online, including video games. You have games like Fortnite and Roblox and Minecraft that have large audiences with young people and they are communicating with other players. While this has an inherent risk that comes along with it, the best way to fix this is through education, not legislation.

The Liberals point to Australia and Norway as examples where this bill is in effect and how they are following their lead. There are a few points I'd like to touch on. The obvious is that this is a national jurisdiction and they are attempting to mimic it with a provincial-level bill. I would argue that legislation regulating internet access is best addressed at a national rather than a provincial level.

The Liberals said that the lead started at a sub-national level in Australia, but what they failed to admit is that there is no sub-national law in Australia ever passed. In fact, this law is not yet in effect in Australia even on a national level. It won't come into effect for a number of months, and it is unclear how this will be implemented. I'll come back to that point.

Regarding Norway: Norway has also not brought into effect a social media ban. In fact, on a government website, they write: "Developing effective enforcement mechanisms for an absolute age limit is both a legal and technological frontier. Currently, there are no fully effective solutions for age verification." I can table that document as well.

Neither of the two countries that the Liberal Party point to actually have laws currently in effect with methods for verifying age. That's because the only plausible way to ensure no one under the age of 16 uses social media is through ID verification. The information technology website The White Hatter - I can table that, as well - has an article that touches on the proposed Liberal bill. They write: "Another major concern we have with the 16+ age verification legislation, to enforce it, platforms need photo IDs, biometric scans, or use third-party services from all users, not just youth and teens, but from us adults as well. While marketed as secure, we guarantee these age verification companies create tempting targets for hackers and even hostile state actors."

[Page 1782]

This bill, if implemented, effectively will require users to upload their IDs to servers controlled by Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and other media giants, where it is unclear how that information will be stored or managed.

There is a headline from the Guardian just earlier this month regarding Australia. "Not just under-16s: all Australian social media users will need to prove their age - and it could be complicated and time consuming." I can table that, as well.

I don't believe that legislating that Nova Scotians provide these media giants with their IDs is a solution or a correct path to limiting access for young people to social media. Facial age scans may also be part of what Australia implements, requiring social media sites to scan faces on new accounts to verify age and of already-existing accounts. Another Guardian article in July writes: "Measures to be deployed by online services could include looking at your account history, or using facial age assurance and bank card checks. Identity checks using IDs such as drivers licences to keep children under 16 off social media will also apply to logged-in accounts for search engines."

When the Liberals had their press conference about this bill, they mentioned Florida as moving ahead with a social media ban for children, signed into law by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. What they ignored is that that law is not in effect and is being blocked by a federal judge. The same goes in 2023 - signed by a Republican governor in Utah, which was blocked. A similar bill signed by a Republican governor in Arkansas was also blocked by a federal judge. I can table cites of those as well.

I raise examples of the United States simply for the purpose of highlighting the limited number of examples of implementation there are. The Liberals' own bill does not prescribe a way to verify if a user is under the age of 16. They point to no examples of how to implement this, because the easiest way for social media companies to implement this is to simply require uploading a personal ID to social media giants, which raises significant privacy concerns. As I already said, without examples of how this would be implemented, this legislation is more of a headline than it is an actual policy.

In conclusion, I want to assure families across Nova Scotia that our government is a partner in keeping children safe from social media harms. We've acted in schools where we've implemented a comprehensive cellphone directive to restrict access to phones in classrooms, thereby limiting access to social media throughout the school day.

[Page 1783]

We have a curriculum to educate students, age-appropriate lessons on healthy online relationships, privacy, disinformation, and ethics. We've expanded options for mental health support for kids at no cost to universal mental health care and addictions care.

We will continue to work for opportunities to support youth across Nova Scotia. We support holding high-tech giants accountable, building stronger online safeguards, but this proposal would be best implemented at a national level. Even then, deep discussions should be had about how this would actually be implemented to protect kids, while also protecting the privacy of all Canadians.

The Liberals fail to point to a method where this legislation has been successfully implemented to do either of these things. I appreciate the discussion on this. We are happy to keep the conversation going with a focus on practical steps to keep youth in Nova Scotia supported and safe.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I'm really honoured to rise in my place to join the debate on such an important conversation to have across this province and around the world. I do want to recognize the folks in the gallery today for their leadership, for their compassion, and for their love of supporting our kids.

Obviously, the government has indicated they are not going to support the legislation, but the goal was first and foremost to have the conversation. I can tell you that from travelling around Nova Scotia we talk about a lot of issues. Great response, a great way to get around and just gauge what people are saying.

There was one conversation in particular for me that I had with a Grade 11 student in Halifax. This conversation around social media came up. She laid it out for me, Speaker: the dangers, the anxiety, the stress that her friends feel if they are not on social media. That's what this has become. Social media has become such an avenue for everything in our life and to hear the stories of the impacts her friends had early on in their lives as a result of being on social media is heartbreaking. It is.

I want to thank the people in the gallery and advocates around our province and really around the world who are opening up about this conversation around social media and how fast social media is, the evolution of social media, and how we really need to have this conversation about age limits to ensure we are doing whatever we can to help our kids be kids.

I do want to table a letter from Jonathan Haidt, who is the author of The Anxious Generation. I thank him for his letter because in his letter he says:

[Page 1784]

By putting this bill forward, Nova Scotia can spark a broader conversation across Canada and signal parents everywhere that their concerns are being taken seriously. This legislation builds on Nova Scotia's history of leading on public safety - from banning cell phones while driving to removing them from classrooms - and once again puts children's well-being at the centre of policy. Establishing a minimum age for social media is a sensible, necessary step that we hope the current Nova Scotia government will give strong consideration.

I'll table that, Speaker. I can say that in my over 10 years as MLA, I've seen a lot of issues come across my desk. We've tabled a lot of bills in this House on the Government side and on the Opposition side, but this was one that completely engaged families across the province because, finally, somebody was going to have a conversation about this. It gave a lot of thought for people who started coming forward and telling their stories.

[3:30 p.m.]

To the member opposite, the national level plays a big part in this. It does. This is something that we're talking to our federal colleagues about - with the national government. The government today put out an op-ed. I'm not sure if it was tabled or not. I'm not going to reference the letter directly, but I will say that the best thing the government could do is send a letter to the federal government to ask for their dialogue. That could be the best takeaway from this debate today.

If they're not going to support this bill, instead of an op-ed, let's spark that conversation at the federal level, because we've seen it in other jurisdictions, where this conversation is actually started at a state level and then made it to the national level. That would be my ask for the government today. If you're not going to support the bill, at least send the correspondence. Let's all have a conversation, politics and partisan parties aside, and let's have a debate, let's have a chat, let's have a talk with our federal colleagues who are very interested in this, as well.

We had the opportunity to talk with many of our federal colleagues this weekend at our AGM. It was a great opportunity for the member for Timberlea-Prospect and me to talk about the importance of why we're bringing this forward, which they also see. They see this, as well. I'm sure that the journey may take some time to get there, but they know we're debating this today. They're well aware of it. We know they're paying attention to this. As I said, if the government is not going to support the bill that we've tabled here today, what the government can do is work with us, work with our national colleagues - also the NDP caucus, as well - and talk about this conversation and send a unified letter to the federal government to say that this is something that's important in Nova Scotia. We want to continue to have this conversation, but ultimately the decisions and some of the legislation will be made at a national level.

[Page 1785]

If I could make a motion to do that - I know you can't - but that would be my goal from today: as three parties and as our Independent, that we all say, "You know what? We're not going to let this conversation die today because we're not going to support a bill. We're going to continue this conversation united as 55 MLAs to say: Let's have a conversation with our federal colleagues. This matters to all of us.

Whether you believe in the bill - we can sit here and debate the particular bill that's not going to pass today. I know in my experience with all of you in here, at some level - at a professional and personal level - we all care about our kids. There is no question. We all want the best for our kids. That's why governments come in and pass policies around making sure that our kids can have a healthy breakfast or have a healthy lunch, or in the government's case, issues around cell phones in the classroom. That was a good move. It was a very good move. That student in Grade 11, whom I talked to, talked about that. It was a transition for students, but they got used to it. They did. They got used to it, and they actually - this student in particular - said it's meant a lot. It has. It's meant a lot around putting it down, having a conversation with their friends, and learning to take a break from it. That's a great example of what this government has done that we support.

Now we're into this conversation. I fundamentally believe, as my colleague does - and I do want to thank him now that he's back. I want to thank him on the record on the floor of the Legislature for the work and the advocacy that he did around this. This is a big conversation for him and me. We both have young children who are - he has really young children. This is a conversation for us. I have two daughters. One is 11 and one is 9, and they're in that realm where they start hearing from their friends. We made decisions as families not to at this point, of course, because we have some concerns.

That's really the message that I wanted to put out today; you're hopeful that the government will support a bill when it comes forward. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes it does. I don't think anybody on the floor of this Legislature disagrees with the principle of this. Nobody disagrees with the foundation of this, but how do we get there? We wanted to start this conversation. We all have families. Many of us here in the Legislature are raising families, and I have no doubt that you have similar conversations that we have had with many Nova Scotians about bringing this bill to the floor.

That would be my hope today, that all 55 of us could send a letter - or whomever in government, with the support of all of us - indicating that every MLA supports the idea of extending this conversation around what we can do to look at legislation specific to this. We're limiting age before access - but also to continue the conversation around the challenges and the stories that we're hearing from kids who are being impacted by social media. We all have examples.

Unfortunately, all our offices have had many conversations with families about what is taking place online, on social media. It's really heartbreaking. We can't just let this go today. We need to continue to have the conversation.

[Page 1786]

I want to thank the Nova Scotians who have come forward and I give credit to Jenna Poste, in the gallery today. She did a ton of work helping us on this. I can't thank her enough for her advocacy on this. It was an honour to stand with her when we did the announcement a few weeks ago.

As I said, you debate lots of topics in here. Some get more heated than others. Some die on the floor here very quickly. We don't want this to stop today. We want to continue to have this conversation today, and I think the government - that's the one thing that they can do today. You're not going to support this bill, but I fundamentally believe that everybody in this House supports what needs to happen. We can all stand united as MLAs here in the Legislature to send a letter to Ottawa - I also said I know who's paying attention - to say we want to have this conversation about supporting our kids and, as I've said multiple times, letting our kids be kids. I'm very hopeful for that.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to talk on this bill. I appreciate the comments from all over Nova Scotia. We received thousands of them. I appreciate the love, support, and compassion from advocates all around this province and beyond who have applauded my colleague and applauded the advocates for bringing this forward.

Nova Scotia has been a leader when it comes to - the letter that I tabled. There are vast lists of this province being progressive, being first out of the gate. Look at smoking - flavoured tobacco. Look at some of the policies that we have already put in place to support our kids around ensuring that they have mental health supports and programs that have been recognized nationally to ensure that our kids have the safest environment possible in the school system. As I said most recently, the phone ban was a huge success.

This can be one of them, too. We can be a leader in this. We can lead the way nationally on this when it comes to doing whatever we can to ensure that our kids can be kids but also, beyond that age limit, informing our kids and educating our kids around, you know, social media, the effects, the negative impacts it can have on social media that have affected so many families that I have talked to across the province.

So with that, Speaker, I will adjourn debate on Bill No. 133.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is to adjourn debate on Bill No. 133.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Liberal House Leader.

[Page 1787]

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Thank you, Speaker. I appreciate the comments from my colleagues.

Would you please call Bill No. 129.

Bill No. 129 - Electric Utility Reliability Standards Act.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : Speaker, I move second reading of Bill No. 129.

As you have seen, a big part of the theme around what we have been talking about the first few days of the Legislature is the accountability for Nova Scotia Power. We've seen the situation where the cyber breach has really brought to light, what oversights can we put in place to ensure that people's information is protected. We've seen a breach of hundreds of thousands of people. We have seen personal information of customers and former customers taken, and that's a piece of the big part of the narrative that we have been talking about over the last number of weeks.

This bill in particular ensures that various aspects of Nova Scotia Power is publicly reporting information on reliability standards. It will mandate that Nova Scotia Power provides Nova Scotians with outage information every quarter because we have seen some massive outages happen in the last little while. I use the example of the western side of Cape Breton Island this summer. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the lights went out and nobody knew what was happening. So we want Nova Scotia Power to be providing more reporting from their perspective on any outages. It will also require Nova Scotia Power to file plans with the Energy Board on three important areas that we all hear about - vegetation management, storm hardening, and emergency response - and the board will also be required to amend and approve these plans.

So you know this very well in Glace Bay. You know what I mean. You had your own concern around outages out there and we have seen some on the western side of the island too as well and we want to make sure that we are all aware of the plans that Nova Scotia Power has in place to deal with various aspects of ensuring that we are doing whatever we can to stop those outages.

Also, the emergency response plan will include written procedures on mutual aid, procedures for emergency management collaboration between levels of government, and prompt response to power restoration of critical infrastructure.

So, again, we know Nova Scotia Power is doing some of this work now; but for us it is really about transparency and clarity, so that all Nova Scotians can see that plan and that it is more frequent.

[Page 1788]

Also, within the bill, the storm hardening plan will report capital investments and timelines for hardening measures including pole replacements, undergrounding, flood protection, and smart grid enhancements to ensure Nova Scotia Power is prepared for our worsening weather. We all know that the climate has changed drastically. I think today is the day that is the anniversary of Hurricane Fiona. I saw that on social media that one of the reporters at home had a picture on it. This was actually - yeah, this is the anniversary of it. So, we, you know, that is big part of it as well.

Nova Scotia Power also will be held responsible for improving their telephone text messaging and online portal customer notification services. You know, as technology continues to evolve, we want Nova Scotia Power providing more up-to-date, reliable information when it comes to using that technology to get information out to people in the result of a power outage in their area. Ideally, if there is going to be a power turnoff, if there is going to be some sort of service work that is going to be done, people in the area could receive notification from Nova Scotia Power directly to their phones that indicates that is happening.

[3:45 p.m.]

We know that Nova Scotians are facing increasing outages. I have a number of examples I can provide. This also goes to the reliability standards. Clearly, year after year Nova Scotia Power has missed its reliability standards and faces fines. Clearly, it's time for the Nova Scotia Energy Board to have more power to intervene to ensure that Nova Scotia Power becomes more reliable, and outages become less frequent.

The bill also highlights three areas of reliability standards that must be strengthened: emergency response, vegetation management, and storm hardening. We're putting this forward because the utility has boasted about the tens of millions of dollars they spend on vegetation management each year but do not publicly report on it. If they're going to do the work, I think it's in the best interest of Nova Scotians that Nova Scotians can see it and can report on it and indicate where the resources are going to do that. Also, there is no standard for how often lines should be inspected. That's something else that's part of this bill that we would want Nova Scotia Power to do more often.

Speaker, as I said, ultimately, we want to make sure we hold the utility to account as much as we can. This bill outlines a number of steps to do that, to strengthen what we all see and what we all hear from our residents when it comes to reliability, when it comes to "why my power has gone out," why we've seen these mass outages in the last number of months. As our climate changes, we want to ensure that we can get as much up-to-date information - that Nova Scotia Power uses every ability to communicate with residents. I urge all parties to support this bill.

[Page 1789]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : I am happy to stand and speak to Bill No. 129 about reliability and Nova Scotia Power. Unfortunately, as my colleague has said, it's universally known in Nova Scotia that Nova Scotia Power is unreliable, or the power part is unreliable. In some cases when there's bad weather, when there are big storms, power can go out for days, sometimes weeks at a time, depending on where you live.

We also know that it doesn't take a big, large storm to knock out power. It seems like a slight wind or a salty fog can disrupt the grid. As my colleague just said, sometimes it's a beautiful, sunny day that disrupts the grid, and it's troubling. That's why storm chips are so popular, Speaker, because we know that if the power goes out, we might have to hunker down and need to make sure we have food in. All joking aside, it's time to get those storm kits ready, and with healthier food than just storm chips.

Power is not a luxury; it's a necessity in our province. We have cold winters, and we are getting increasingly hot summers. People rely on power in a very real way most days of the year. Nova Scotians rely on the grid to keep them warm, obviously to make food, to keep food frozen or good in the fridge, to run medical devices, and increasingly even to drive cars, with electric cars becoming more and more popular and available.

Power isn't a luxury. We should be able to depend on it, yet we can't depend on it, and it's coming with a luxury price tag these days - a luxury price tag.

This bill is great. This bill is fine. I mean I'm pretty sure that, with all the meetings I've had with Nova Scotia Power over the years - like community meetings but also critic meetings - Nova Scotia Power, as the member for Sydney-Membertou said, is doing most of this work, so this bill seems to just be asking them to make it official, to put it online so it can be tracked. The usefulness of that is to follow when things are not going well so that we have a tool to say, "Nova Scotia Power wants to raise the power rates 8 percent, yet they're not meeting their reliability standards again." That's fine.

If this bill came to a vote, I would say, sure, let's vote for it. But let's just talk about the underlying issues for a moment. This would not be a bill that has been brought forward to the Legislature if things were going well in the realm of power in Nova Scotia right now.

Let's talk about how much, for instance - I can imagine a situation where this bill passes and then Nova Scotia Power says, "Okay, well, if we're going to do that, we're going to need to hire a team to run that website and report all of those things. That means your power rates are going to go up by this much, or we're going to have to ask for an increase at the NSUARB" - or whatever the new power regulator is - "to cover those costs."

It seems like every time something happens, the costs are being passed on to ratepayers, which has to stop. There needs to be a way to ask or compel Nova Scotia Power to be responsible to their customers without asking them to bear the brunt of the cost of that responsibility.

[Page 1790]

That leads me, Speaker, to talk about power bills. Again, if power rates were sky high, that's a problem - I mean, they are sky high. That's a problem because our bills are high. What would happen if we took real measures to make our bills lower? This is the question at hand. This is why it's a problem that power rates are so high and that there has been another request for another increase.

It's universally known that in Nova Scotia, power just keeps going up. That includes on this government's watch. Since 2021 - the year that this government took power - the average family's bill has gone up $400 a year - $400. That's a huge amount. That's a couple of carts of groceries. (Interruption) Depends on where you shop, I guess. At Costco, that's one cart of groceries.

It's best to think about this in the way - because the fact of the matter is that groceries are very expensive too. Housing is very expensive. Food, power, everything is going up. Nova Scotians cannot afford skyrocketing costs, and we cannot afford another rate hike.

The Premier says that the rake hike disappoints him. That disappoints me, Speaker. As the Premier, he can step in to make a difference on people's monthly power bills, as can the Minister of Energy. It's disappointing that we haven't heard from the Premier or the Minister of Energy any creative ideas of how to do so.

I've got one. I've got many, which I will outline, but the first one, I will say, is to give people a break. Make Nova Scotia Power responsible for reporting their reliability standards and their vegetation plans and all of that stuff, but also give people a break on their power bills. A 10-percent rebate off monthly bills could come about quickly. It could make a difference to families around the province - a real difference. It's not a perfect solution, but it's something that we need right now. If bills have gone up on average $400 in the last four years, and then we add another 8-percent increase, where are we going to be? We cannot continue this growth.

The other thing, and the minister alluded to it yesterday in Question Period, but honestly, we are playing around the edges here when it comes to energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is the cheapest form of power that we have. We could ensure that all homes have access to good insulation - properly sealed windows and doors. That makes an impact on one's monthly bill. We can do this for houses. We can do it for renters. We can do it with anyone who has a drafty window or a loosely sealed door. All of that stuff pushes monthly bills up.

We do not have universal access to these types of programs. We have the HomeWarming program. It's amazing. It helps a lot of people in Dartmouth North, but if someone makes a dollar over the income threshold, they don't qualify for the program, yet they cannot afford to do the work on their homes, even with the rebate programs.

[Page 1791]

We need to take a look at this. We need to train people who can come in, in a massive way, and do energy assessments. We don't have enough energy assessors right now to be able to - even if we wanted to fund a program where every home in the province got an energy assessment, we couldn't do it because there aren't enough people. We could train those guys - and girls and people - and then they could do that work. Then we could train more people doing insulation installation and heat pump installation. These are green jobs. These are jobs. We don't even have to call them green jobs. They're jobs, which the Premier - and rightly so - says we need in this province. We do need jobs, but we need jobs that are actually going to be good jobs and also make sure - putting people to work at things that are going to help Nova Scotians in a variety of ways and meet our greenhouse gas reduction goals.

We talk about efficiency, the minister mentions efficiency, but I still have not seen a real push - a real massive push - to energy efficiency. As our energy demand grows from population growth or increased demand from electric vehicles, demand is also going to increase on the grid. We keep hearing about this; if we use less power, we'll be able to deal with our green issues later, and it will contribute to reliability issues. Installing heat pumps is another good efficiency project. The rest of the country is still catching on to that. Some folks don't see the need because they have cheaper power, so there's no incentive, but we've known for some time out east that it is a good way to reduce power bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We need to make sure everyone has access to these tools. They aren't free. We know that. Families are already finding their power bills stretching their monthly budgets. Cost should not be a barrier to the tools that can ultimately save everybody money and green the environment.

Another option that we need to see more of is solar power. Solar power is a great option. By having their own solar panels, Nova Scotians can make their own power. That helps with monthly bills. By pairing solar panels with battery storage, Nova Scotians can have access to power when the power goes out. We could use our electric cars - for those of us who have them. I do not have one. People could use their electric cars to power their homes when the grid goes down - when the grid fails - and they could sell their power back to the grid.

This new technology, along with smart thermostats and smart hot water tanks - it all holds promise to help manage power needs in the future, but we need to make sure that people have access to these things. These options could help many Nova Scotians.

The bill that the Liberals have put forward proposes to set some targets for reliability. The real problem, though, is that Nova Scotia Power isn't hitting the reliability targets that they already have. For the last eight consecutive years, Nova Scotia Power has missed their targets. The power was off for too much of the time, which is unfortunately no surprise to Nova Scotians.

[Page 1792]

In 2024, in Middlefield in southwest Nova Scotia, there were more than 31 outages through the year. A CBC investigation found that there were 47,000 outages across the province that same year. That means there was only one day in Nova Scotia without an unplanned power outage somewhere in the province. That's unacceptable. There aren't enough storm chips in the world to keep up with that.

People are frustrated. It's a joke - the storm chips part, we know, is a joke, obviously - but people are feeling ripped off every month when they get their power bills. They're always higher, and the service doesn't match up.

Not only that, but the company has proven that they can't be trusted with our data - with our personal information. Nova Scotia Power's data breach this year has affected thousands of Nova Scotians. Critical private information was stolen. This has significant ramifications for those affected. A little bit of credit monitoring - two years, now possibly they've changed it to five - is not enough. The government should take action and provide credit freezes at no cost so that Nova Scotians can protect themselves.

[4:00 p.m.]

To conclude, the bill is fine, but fine doesn't cut it.

AN HON. MEMBER: Give it a grade.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : What?

AN HON. MEMBER: Give it a grade.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : I'd give it a C+. I mean, it's fine. It's average. It's not that great. It's fine, but the problems are so much bigger, so let's talk about the big problems. Let's introduce legislation in this sitting that fixes the actual problems that Nova Scotians are facing when it comes to high power bills and Nova Scotia Power's unreliability.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Inverness.

KYLE MACQUARRIE « » : I would also agree the bill is not enough. I've had the experience of living through that summer power outage. I did not have my storm chips, and that made it a little more difficult.

In all seriousness, we know that bold change is required to meet the needs of ratepayers and provide affordable, reliable power. That's why our government has been making numerous amendments to legislation these past few years to create more opportunities for clean energy, to improve reliability, to increase transparency, accountability and competition, and most of all, to make sure ratepayers always get the lowest cost option.

[Page 1793]

We engaged the Clean Electricity Solutions Task Force in 2023 and passed legislation in 2024 to implement the first and largest of their recommendations. The Nova Scotia Energy Board has been implemented. I can think of numerous conversations I had with Nova Scotians on the doorstep this past election about Nova Scotia Power. Absolutely, our constituents have concerns about reliability of service, and they're right. They deserve better service from their utility.

A 24-hour outage on a beautiful summer day is not something that we expect, but when it happens, we're not surprised. It affects our personal lives and makes the day difficult. Most stores close, and community events are cancelled or delayed. This summer, it happened in Inverness County. It happened on the weekend of one of our largest festivals, the Inverness Gathering. Some areas of western Cape Breton were affected for about 24 hours, some were less.

Communication from Nova Scotia Power was not enough to keep our residents informed so that they could make decisions about their events. With the help of the Minister of Energy, we were able to communicate directly with affected organizers, and they were able to make better decisions for their events, based on better information.

In particular, the Broad Cove Scottish Concert - which is a very large concert, famous in Inverness County and farther - they were able to continue as normal because of the information that we were able to have in their hands. The harness races at the Inverness Raceway were able to work around a planned power interruption. Other events had to be cancelled. In this bill, there's a focus on reporting, and I can tell you that the residents of Inverness County already knew that the power was out. They didn't need more reporting. They needed more reliable power.

The Nova Scotia Energy Board must agree with these concerns, because just two weeks ago, on September 10^th, they made the decision to fine Nova Scotia Power a million dollars for failure to meet their own performance standards. Events like the one in western Cape Breton cost Nova Scotia Power a million dollars in fines.

I want to note for the record that the cost of this fine cannot be passed on to ratepayers. Nova Scotia Power shareholders are responsible for paying this fine. I'm sure they're asking the same questions we are: "What is the utility going to do to ensure that this doesn't happen again?" That's for Nova Scotia Power to answer, but it's clear that more reporting is less effective than serious consequences for meeting performance standards.

That's why in 2022 we made changes to the Public Utilities Act to dramatically expand the scope of the areas of performance the Nova Scotia Energy Board can regulate. Right now, the Nova Scotia Energy Board is considering which new areas of performance are important to customers and where Nova Scotia Power should be held accountable.

[Page 1794]

At the same time, we further modified the Public Utilities Act to increase the allowable amount of a fine from $1 million to $25 million. These are real consequences for Nova Scotia Power. This is something that ratepayers should know, that these fines cannot go on their rates, that they are not paying the fines of Nova Scotia Power for its failure to miss their standards. This gets passed on to their shareholders. These reports don't drive change. Fines will, and the Nova Scotia Energy Board has signalled to Nova Scotia Power that its decision on fines will continue until performance improves.

During a power outage, people aren't happy; I wasn't happy. My power was out at my home. I had the task of communicating with no internet, which of course, means the cellphone network is overburdened, because the fibre is not functioning with no power. It's not a good situation, and I can understand how people felt at that time. I was struggling to communicate with my constituents to provide them with good information. I was driving to areas where there was power to do so.

The whole time, people were asking me: "How do you hold Nova Scotia Power to account?" This million-dollar fine certainly is a way to encourage change and more reliability, more accountability. I think people can take comfort in that.

I'd like to point out a few things that this government has done outside of this Chamber to ensure this province has a future with reliable, affordable energy. First, we are putting wind to work. Our government has lined up almost 900 megawatts of onshore wind energy to reach commercial operation before 2030. By the way, 900 megawatts is almost a terawatt. Since onshore wind is the most affordable kind of energy available, this project list will ensure that power rates are stable and predictable. No more unpleasant surprises from a fluctuating whole market. Our clean power also includes a diverse mix of energy sources to make sure that the lights stay on even when the wind isn't blowing.

Second, we are investing in energy efficiency measures to the tune of $250 million. If we can reduce the amount of energy used on our grid, we can better utilize the resources we have and get Nova Scotians more bang for their buck.

Third, we are building regional ties that can support our reliability efforts. This year our government announced the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick Reliability Intertie Project, which will strengthen our connection to the rest of North America. This project will enable us to bring in energy when we need it and, even better, to sell energy when we have an excess - and we're going to have a lot of excess.

We made sure to help save ratepayers money on that project too, by allowing project partnership through the Public Utilities Act with the Mi'kmaq through WMA, as well as the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Ratepayers benefited from $200 million in savings because of that partnership.

[Page 1795]

Speaker, I could go on at length about all the ways that Nova Scotia Power needs to clean up their act. That's not news to anyone in this Chamber. I want to close by reiterating that this government is committed to transforming our energy system and charting a new path. Negativity on the other side of the aisle is not going to slow us down.

THE SPEAKER « » : Before I recognize the honourable member, there is a member on the left side of this room who has a phone that keeps dinging. Can you please turn off your ringer? It has been constant.

You're all looking at me like I know who it is. I don't know who it is. Check your phones and turn off your ringer. Thank you.

The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : I appreciate the comments from the member for Inverness. I think it's appropriate that the member got up to speak, as he represents one of the many areas across the province that had to go through over a 24-hour period at his place, but lots of places across the province had to endure long periods without power.

Bill No. 129 speaks to the ways we can actually strengthen reliability standards. Forgive me for being negative against Nova Scotia Power and their record on reliability when you have successive years of not delivering on the standards we have in place today, with limited ways that the Public Utilities Act can actually enforce those standards. We have to come up with solutions in this House to try to make things better.

The government wants to rely on a $1-million fine. Well, a lot of Nova Scotians see that - when they see the profits and the bonuses paid to executives - as a cost of doing business for that multi-million-dollar company.

The way this bill looks at supporting those families and businesses and institutions that lose their power on and on again for increasingly prolonged times, is looking at ensuring that we address the preventable failures in the grid - poor vegetation management, aging infrastructure, or lack of timely communication from the utility.

It is cold comfort when you allow people to know that their power will be out for 24 hours when some of those businesses in that member's constituency and around it don't have generators to keep the food at restaurants. The Red Shoe was closed - a seasonal business that is open only in the summertime - in a peak period, where they rely on that because they close in the winter; grocery stores.

We need to build a framework for prevention and enforcement. Right now, the Public Utilities Act regulates Nova Scotia Power, but there are very few enforceable standards, especially tied to reliability. The Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities can look at service levels, but only in the context of rate data when there's a rate application. There is no stand-alone obligation for the utility to file detailed reliable data on each quarter. There is no statutory requirement for a vegetation-management plan and there's no systemic approach to storm hardening.

[Page 1796]

[4:15 p.m.]

We've had this topic on the House floor a number of times, trying to advocate for greater accountability. Legislation has been reduced to cap executive bonuses when reliability targets weren't met, but those proposals didn't become law.

The government has announced, occasionally, reviews or working groups after major storms, but Nova Scotians know that studies without enforcement won't keep the power on. What we have today is a bit of a patchwork - voluntary commitments, ad hoc directives, and general oversight - but we need some clear obligations and penalties when those obligations aren't met.

This bill addresses six main areas: reporting, which is an accountability metric; vegetation management; emergency response; storm hardening; customer notification; and enforcement.

With the reliability reports, this bill would mandate Nova Scotia Power being required to file a service reliability report to the board within 30 days of each quarter, which would include outage frequency and duration by customer class, cause analysis, compliance, and corrective actions. Most importantly, these reports would be published online and accessible to all Nova Scotians.

Vegetation management, which we know is a major cause of trees falling on lines - and this bill requires utilities to have a board-approved vegetation management plan. It would set inspection cycles not exceeding three years. It mandates record-keeping and provides independent audits. If you compare this to what's happening now, vegetation management is often deferred to save costs, with predictable results when the next hurricane comes or the next ice storm comes, which is becoming more frequent.

Thirdly - and this is a big one - emergency response planning. We need to have a more consistent approach with emergencies in general. We are seeing that if it is not fires - two major fire seasons in the last three years - hurricanes and most major events disrupt power, yet we have to wait for a response from the Premier leading a press conference. This would mandate having a response plan, staffing levels, mutual aid arrangements, coordination with municipal and provincial emergency management agencies, and prioritizing restoration of critical infrastructures like hospitals, water systems, and shelters. The board would be empowered to order exercises or simulations so that the plan isn't just a binder sitting on a shelf.

[Page 1797]

With respect to storm hardening, utilities would be required to file a storm hardening investment plan every three years which would look at the vulnerabilities and setting out capital investments for resilience. That could mean stronger poles, selective undergrounding, flood protection, and smart grid enhancements, and crucially, that each plan must include a cost-benefit analysis so that ratepayers know their dollars are going to the measures that pay off in the best way for reliability.

Customer notification will require utilities to implement a customer notification system that provides timely outage information, estimated restoration times updated at least every two hours, and multiple channels of communication.

Then sixth, this bill would make non-compliance an offence under the Public Utilities Act. Administrative penalties would be up to $25,000 per day and could be imposed for failure to comply. Right now there are no direct, daily penalties for failing to maintain reliability standards.

Other jurisdictions in Canada and the U.S. have long recognized the need for this. Ontario, for example, requires detailed reliability reporting and has performance-based regulation that directly ties outcomes to utility incentives. In the U.S., North American Electric Reliability Corporation sets binding standards that apply to transmission operators.

Here in Nova Scotia the opposition has put forward ideas in the past, some focusing on limiting rate hikes and others on accountability for executive pay when reliability slips. Those efforts were well-intentioned, but they often are reactive or partial. This bill is more comprehensive, and it doesn't just punish with a $1 million fine after. It sets out preventive standards that reduce the chance of failure happening in the first place.

Power outages are not just a matter of inconvenience. They shut down businesses, interrupt medical care, and disrupt learning. They spoil food for families who cannot afford to replace the week's groceries. They impose costs that never show up on utilities books but are real to households and communities.

We have some of the highest power rates in the country. We should at least guarantee them that a utility meets clean, enforceable standards of reliability as we try to harness those increases year after year - record increases. This bill would deliver that guarantee. This would move us beyond vague commitments and after-the-fact excuses and put in place real obligations and consequences.

My colleague's bill will build on good ideas raised by Opposition members primarily in the House and would align Nova Scotia with best practices in other jurisdictions in North America. I think probably most importantly, it responds to Nova Scotians who themselves are seeing that they need a utility that is reliable, transparent, and accountable. So, I am happy to support my friend's bill, and I will ask for adjournment of debate.

[Page 1798]

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is to adjourn debate on Bill No. 129.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

I recognize the honourable minister - member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : You can say "minister." Thank you.

I think that maybe up there they are tired of hearing from me.

I would like to call Bill No. 132, please, for second reading.

Bill No. 132 - Electric Utility Capital Accountability and Transmission Competition Act.

I recognize the honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Thank you, Speaker. So, for our final bill today, we are again looking at trying to reform the regulatory framework of how we embark on a transition in our energy grid. The Act Respecting Electric Utility Capital Accountability and Transmission Competition speaks to the need to look at, when we build transmission, it being done in a competitive way, but also that it makes sure that it is there and affordable and urgent. This is about protecting ratepayers in the long run and limiting the funding that is going into capital from profits. The transmission that we will be building over the next number of decades will be massive - in the multi-billion-dollar range.

It is not just a commodity; it is the backbone of our economy. The reality is that we are facing a deadline in front of us. By 2030, which is five years from now, we legally must be off coal. That is not an optional target. This government, before negotiating any federal funds to build the transmission that we require, made it provincial law. We need that transmission. We need to connect to baseload sources through to Quebec and Labrador, and without that transmission, we cannot integrate new variable wind projects here at home, whether it be onshore wind or offshore wind.

The member spoke a little bit about the 900 megawatts of onshore wind that is being developed today. The reality is the vast majority of that wind was under development before they took office. They can speak to the 350 megawatts that was tendered under my time, under my six months of being Premier. That's a lot of megawatts for six months being approved, with my colleague announcing that at CBU. We could speak to the 115-megawatt wind farm at Mersey River that was a result of the Renewable to Retail legislation that was passed in this House in 2015. That has had delays, to my understanding, in the bureaucracy of the provincial government to get moving on Crown land there, which will make rates more affordable in the long run, has customers like HRM that have promised to buy a lot of that power.

[Page 1799]

We could talk about the Green Choice Program - that was launched under my colleague when he was energy minister, in 2020 - and the hundreds of megawatts of energy coming from that. Or we can talk about some of the prescribed regulations that give full authority for a potential hydrogen project to get free access to land, which we actually could have competitive tenders on. We have heard a lot about hydrogen as the economic saviour in term one - don't hear that much about it anymore.

Without transmission, we cannot build a modern, reliable grid that has been talked about for decades - way before this idea of sending offshore wind westward. You can call it Wind West if you like, to put your stamp on it, PR campaign, or Atlantic Loop or the Eastern Energy Partnership. There are other names that go back to Dexter's time when that was at the Premier's table and there were issues with New Brunswick - trying to get the grid aligned up through New Brunswick to Quebec.

The reality is we should be much further ahead. Anyone who is in this space knows that. In June 2023, the federal government, which this government did not like to get along with, was offering $4.5 billion in support for the Atlantic Loop. The financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank extended repayment all the way to 2075.

This is public information. There was a lot more being offered that I know. This is what has been publicly reported. They were ready to sign agreements, restructure risks, and start building. And the people who work in the federal government were telling the Province, to try to get them to accept the money, that these lines would be bi-directional, that when offshore wind - at the time a very nascent industry - was ready to be built up, those lines could help export energy out. The urgency was certainly there for the feds for years.

The urgency was even there for Nova Scotia Power. They were clear that for a chance to get off coal by 2030, we needed to get this under way in 2021. I think the Premier himself knew that we needed to get started when he convened the meeting, within weeks of being elected, with the partners engaged.

All we needed at that time, in the last few years, was for this government to put the boxing gloves down, accept the money, and step up to be a partner. We have lost years, when we could be building and protecting the long-term interests of ratepayers.

Of course, delay makes transition harder and more expensive. Look at the delay and collapse of some of the onshore wind projects with the Green Choice Program. Look at the delays in getting permits for the Mersey wind project.

[Page 1800]

That's why this legislation that I'm asking the government to look at is considered. It would set clear, practical rules so that when we do finally build the transmission that should be under way - I'm not even sure there are shovels in the ground for the intertie, by the way - we have open, fair competition in the best interests of Nova Scotians.

The bill holds utilities accountable for how they finance projects, the first part of the bill. Right now, Nova Scotia Power can pass along costs to ratepayers with little regard to risk. When the utility finances a project with more equity than its approved ratio, it faces less financial risk, yet ratepayers are still expected to pay the full higher return. Our party believes that's unfair.

This bill would require the Nova Scotia Energy Board to adjust the return on equity based on the actual risk of each project. If the utility puts in more equity, its guaranteed return must come down.

This is a fair approach. It ensures financial rewards match financial risk. Right now Nova Scotia Power can finance projects with high equity ratios. That lowers their risk, and they earn the same high return. Less risk, same reward - guess who pays the difference? Ratepayers.

This bill also makes sure that all of this is transparent, where utilities must disclose the financing structure of every major project. This is about long-term affordability by aligning returns with real risk so we can predict more long-term stable rates.

Then again, in the second part, that's where we talked about the competition piece.

We don't have any major requirement for competition right now.

[4:30 p.m.]

There will be no more sole-source development in contracts. I know this government likes to sole-source contracts, and that's why this is urgent for us. Nova Scotia Power should not automatically receive exclusive rights to build. It should be the best proposal, whether that comes from the incumbent utility or from new players so we can drive down costs and encourage innovation.

Of course, there would have to be exceptions accommodated for projects that need to be immediately built to keep lights on, or if there's some kind of technical integration that makes it impossible for anyone except Nova Scotia Power. The baseline, I think the assumption should be that big projects and all decisions have to be disclosed publicly and that within 60 days, Nova Scotians know exactly why a decision was made.

I think the first part of the journey in how we started to move away from Nova Scotia Power and the regulated monopoly goes back to 2015. Members will remember when the Renewables to Retail Act was passed, which created a pathway for large renewable projects to sell directly to its customers, bypassing the structure of Nova Scotia Power.

[Page 1801]

At the time, I remember this because members thought the other parties in the House would not agree with that approach. Why? Because wind was higher at the time. Higher cost. We envisioned that wind would come down in cost. Wind projects under the NDP COMFIT program did have an impact and have high power costs, which is why, when members talk about how we didn't build all kinds of wind in 2013, 2014, 2015, it was because we had to find a way to bring it on in a more cost-effective way. We saw Alberta and Saskatchewan looking at the tendering process to bring on lower-cost wind.

We wanted to set up a way also that new major companies could sell directly to customers, similar to how we have with certain municipalities that have the good fortune of having their own energy sources and have lots of revenue coming in, like the AREA company. That gave us space for competition. We saw innovation catching up, we saw economies of scale happen, and then we drove down the lowest cost of wind energy in the province.

Most recently, the government came up with the creation of the Nova Scotia Independent Energy System Operator. We supported that legislation because it is another step towards more independence and more transparency in how our system is managed. I credit the government for that because it will be a space where we can add competitive procurement of new generation storage and related services.

The federal government has been clear for five years that it is prepared to invest billions in transmission. The question is, will Nova Scotia finally be ready to maximize the benefits? This bill ensures that. It says to investors: Bring your ideas and they will be considered fairly. It says to Nova Scotians: Your government is putting your interests first, making sure transmission is built quickly and that your rates are protected.

We cannot afford more delays. We cannot afford four years-plus of missed opportunities and rising costs. The Electric Utility Capital Accountability and Transmission Competition Act is a practical and balanced way to ensure that our province gets on with the work of building the grid as we need. This is about protecting families from unpredictable bills; it's about giving businesses confidence power will be affordable and reliable; and it's about, as I said way back in 2021, seizing the economic opportunity of a lifetime while we still have the chance.

I suggest that all members of the House support this bill and send a clear message that Nova Scotia is ready to build.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

[Page 1802]

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Thank you to my colleague for introducing this bill, the Electric Utility Capital Accountability and Transmission Competition Act. One thing we know for sure is that people are really frustrated with Nova Scotia Power and really frustrated with high power bills. I've been going through Dartmouth North for the last several months with the petition, when I go door-to-door. The petition is about energy poverty, because lots of people in Nova Scotia - 43 percent - live with energy poverty. When I take this petition to the door, and I say, "I want to talk about energy poverty when I get into the Legislature this fall," people say, "Give me that! Give me that petition!" They grab it out of my hand to sign it.

People are mad, frustrated, and somewhat despondent about the state of power in this province right now. My colleague from Inverness alluded to negative comments. I'm not being negative, Speaker. I mean, maybe he wasn't referring to me, but I am telling it as it is. Every time I knock on a door and ask people about power rates or power bills, they want to sign the petition that says we've got to do something.

Then, they often will talk about it. The comments will range from, "The government has to do something to lower the bills" to "We've got to break the monopoly of Nova Scotia Power" to "We've got to take back ownership of Nova Scotia Power" to "We've got to take ownership of the grid." The people have lots of different ideas about what we should do, but the fact is that the issue is people cannot afford the power bills that they are paying, and they certainly can't afford another rate increase.

Now it seems like, from my colleague from Timberlea-Prospect's comments, that a lot of this bill is about breaking up a monopoly, allowing other companies, other proponents, to get in on the power action. I think that's a great idea. The wind power that is being talked about in this House is really exciting. It's clean, there's a lot of it being produced, and it's great as long as we make sure that every Nova Scotian has access to that clean power before we start shipping it westward. We need to make sure that we green Nova Scotia and make sure that we power Nova Scotia first.

A quick Google search in this moment - I Googled the words "Stephen McNeil Nova Scotia Power monopoly," and the first hit that came up was a CBC article from 2013. It reads like this:

The leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party says if elected he would introduce legislation that would allow private power producers to sell directly to consumers.

In one of his first promises of the provincial election campaign, Stephen McNeil said he would make rates more affordable.

"Nova Scotians are now being forced to pay the highest electricity rates in the country and that has a day-to-day impact on everyone who lives here," he said.

[Page 1803]

That's 2013, Speaker. He wasn't wrong.

AN HON. MEMBER: Did you Google NDP?

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Yeah, well actually, Darrell Dexter is quoted in this article, too.

He said:

"The Liberals have voted eight times to put the HST back on home energy. We think that's a bad plan. Mr. McNeil said taking the HST off home energy was bad public policy. I don't see where giving seniors and ordinary, everyday family a break on power rates is a bad thing," he said.

I'll table it. (Interruption)

THE SPEAKER « » : We could hear you.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : That's a voice trained with thousands of dollars of university tuition right there.

The point in bringing all of that up is that we've all been here before. It's great that the current Liberal party wants to introduce legislation that will break up a monopoly. I just have to say on the record that they had 2013 - how many years? Nine years? Eight years to do it, and they didn't do it.

They didn't do it, Speaker. They didn't do it, but what the former NDP Premier says about giving everyday families a break, that still is happening. It could happen even more with the bills that we have introduced this year - just this week.

We know that bills are getting higher. We know that Nova Scotia Power makes a profit on bills and capital projects. We know that people are already struggling to pay high power bills. We have among the highest rates of Canadians who pay more than they can afford for power each month. I see them in my office all the time.

I hear about it on the doorsteps, as I told you. I go out weekly talking about energy poverty and solutions to it in Dartmouth North. Last week the New Democrats were out all over the province - in Truro, in Sydney, the Valley, Hants County, we were talking to people about Nova Scotia Power.

Again, with that petition, which is a different one, I tabled two of them today, they were grabbing the petition at the door. They were so eager to lend their names to making changes to Nova Scotia Power. With winter coming, people are deeply worried.

[Page 1804]

This government has said they want to do more things faster. Well, here is a great way to do that: give people a break on their power bills.

Real relief for Nova Scotians on their power bills must come now and not in the future. People cannot wait. It's clear that the government seems to think they can. They haven't brought down monthly power bills, they continue to rise. Stephen McNeil had eight or nine years to do what he could. Nothing happened, bills went up. This government - yes, bills went up, I'm sure. Rates went up, sorry. Anyway, I have the floor.

The monopoly wasn't broken and this government has been in power. Since they've been in power, bills have risen by $400. They are about to rise more if Nova Scotia Power gets the 8 percent increase. People cannot afford another increase. Families across this province are paying more for groceries, for rent, for essentials, and power is an essential. It's not a luxury that you can skip every once in a while when you can't afford it. We need it to keep us warm and to keep us cool, to prepare our food, to run medical devices. These are basic needs and we need to do something now. This bill won't do it.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou West.

MARCO MACLEOD « » : Speaker, we were all on doorsteps last fall and we heard the concerns about affordability, including power rates. We also heard about the optimism folks have for the future of power in our province, including our transition to clean energy. We are 25 years into the 21^st century and it is time to bring our power system into the 21^st century.

During the last spring session our government brought legislation to set us on a course to modernize our system here in Nova Scotia, to be able to effectively manage our evolving energy mix, to get Nova Scotians the best value for their money. The Nova Scotia Energy Board and the IESO will help us do this.

Traditionally energy utilities fell under the NSUARB, which also included water utilities and auto insurance. Energy is important to Nova Scotians, so our government created the Energy Board in order to effectively regulate the energy sector with full focus. The board plays a key role in balancing the needs of consumers and energy providers while considering the province's environmental goals while considering our clean power plan.

Speaker, maybe a quick refresher about our Clean Power Plan. By 2030 the plan will add nearly 2,000 megawatts of wind, solar and battery storage, will strengthen reliability by expanding our transmission connection to New Brunswick, and end coal use and convert existing fossil fuel facilities to keep costs down and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent from 2005 levels by 2035.

[Page 1805]

[4:45 p.m.]

The plan is designed to be flexible, allowing for investments in local and innovative solutions like advanced battery storage and vehicle-to-grid pilots, demand energy response pilots, and other made-in-Nova Scotia solutions. It's designed to be achievable. Legislation and investment are underway, with clean electricity sources rising to 50 percent by the end of 2026 and another 1,000 megawatts of wind in development. It's designed to be affordable, making sure Nova Scotians are not burdened with excessive risks or uncontrolled costs while transitioning to clean energy.

Investing in local energy also gives the Province more control over our own supply. We will be less dependent on imported power, more protected from global price uncertainty, and better able to keep the cost of electricity stable.

Actions in the Clean Power Plan include phasing out coal by 2030. Moving away from coal power plants is essential to cutting emissions. Investments in clean energy sources will replace coal while ensuring a stable power supply, and by 2035, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity by more than 90 percent from 2005 levels.

The plan includes expanding clean electricity sources. More wind and solar projects will be developed across the province. It means strengthening partnerships with local communities and Mi'kmaw organizations to support clean energy development. With some of the best wind resources in the world, Nova Scotia plans to significantly expand its wind power capacity.

Actions improving energy storage and grid reliability. Advancing battery-storage technology will help store clean energy for when it's needed most. Modernizing the electricity grid will improve efficiency and resilience against extreme weather events. Investments in fast-acting backup generation and smarter grid management tools will help manage load demand and ensure stability.

Reducing costs - keeping electricity rates affordable while making long-term investments in clean energy; programs to help Nova Scotians improve energy efficiency in their homes and businesses; and avoiding reliance on expensive fuel imports by leveraging local resources like wind and solar.

Building green jobs and growing the economy - investing in clean energy creates good-paying jobs in engineering, construction, and the technology sector. Supporting training programs will help workers transition to new opportunities in the green economy. Beyond 2030, offshore wind will present massive future opportunities for Nova Scotia's economy.

We need to act on challenges and solutions. Energy security and reliability - this plan includes measures to manage increased electricity demand from heat pumps, electric vehicles and industry growth. Rising costs and market uncertainty; by investing in local, clean energy rather than costly imports, prices can be stabilized. Impacts of climate change; Nova Scotia has experienced more frequent and intense weather events like hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires. The plan will improve grid resilience against these increasing climate challenges.

[Page 1806]

We have ambitious goals for our province. The Nova Scotia Energy Board will be playing a big role. I'm grateful that the board is stacked with folks much smarter than I am, whose names end with a KC, LLB, MBA, CPA, P.Eng. These folks have been appointed for their professional calibre and experience. This board will ensure accountability, transparency, and regulatory fairness for Nova Scotians.

The Energy Board regulates the IESO, which was able to be created with legislation introduced by our government. The IESO - Independent Energy System Operator - was created in April of this year. They will act as the air traffic controller for electricity in our province. They are responsible for maintaining a reliable supply of electricity and monitoring energy needs and demands in real time.

From power plants and wind farms to the customer, their job is to ensure that the grid is protected. They are responsible to buy and sell, to drive competition, and to ensure that electricity costs are affordable.

The IESO will be ramping up to their full duties over the next two years. This work is already well under way. In fact, the IESO just issued an update on their website from their new CEO. I'd like to share it, if I could. Here's the message:

I'm excited to share this first update since becoming President and CEO of the new Independent Energy Systems Operator - IESO Nova Scotia.

It has been a busy few weeks getting set up and meeting with Nova Scotians about the province's energy future. Although I have worked in and around system operators my entire career, I am also keen to listen and learn about Nova Scotia.

While in many ways we're just getting started at IESO Nova Scotia, we also have a lot to do. This includes standing up a new organization, meeting our regulatory obligations with the Nova Scotia Energy Board, working with Nova Scotia Power to transfer functions and staff over to IESO Nova Scotia and doing our part to support the delivery of Nova Scotia's Clean Power Plan.

Nova Scotia's electricity system is changing in big ways. Demand for power is rising, not only here in Nova Scotia, but throughout North America. At the same time, achieving Nova Scotia's Clean Power Plan has us shifting off coal to other forms of energy.

[Page 1807]

At IESO Nova Scotia, our job is to make sure this transition happens smoothly. That means adding more renewable energy, but also ensuring we have a reliable system at all times even when the sun isn't shining, or the wind isn't blowing.

As an independent, not-for-profit organization, our structure will allow us to engage more effectively with external markets to buy and sell power. Our focus is simple: doing what's best for Nova Scotians by balancing reliability, sustainability, and affordability.

One of our first priorities is making sure we are building our new energy system on a firm foundation; meaning we have the necessary fast acting, firm and dispatchable generation to support a border deployment of renewables. These foundational initiatives will be critical to meeting the Clean Power Plan targets and creating a more resilient system.

This is important work, and we're committed to keeping you updated along the way.

We have a temporary website that is now live - www.ieso-ns.ca - with a more comprehensive version coming later in the fall.

I look forward to working together toward a cleaner, stronger energy future for Nova Scotia.

I will table that.

The goal of the IESO is to stand up an energy system that meets the needs of ratepayers in an open, transparent way that enables competition in our market.

What I'm hearing from Bill No. 132 from the opposite side of the floor is an attempt to politicize an issue that belongs in front of the regulator and the system operator, not in the hands of politicians or staffers. We have given clear direction to the IESO and the Nova Scotia Energy Board to act in the best interest of the ratepayers. They set the terms for cost recovery.

The other party is still living in the old world, where they allowed Nova Scotia Power to make decisions about our grid based on their own bottom line. Speaker, those days are over. We pulled the system operator function out of Nova Scotia Power and we made it independent. That protects ratepayers.

[Page 1808]

We are embracing a new vision for the future as an economic superpower - a clean-energy powerhouse. This government, through the IESO, is creating the framework for a grid that can handle that opportunity. Under this government, just this year, more Nova Scotia-built wind power will come onto our grid than with any previous government since 2015, and we are not slowing down.

More wind projects are set to come online year after year as we implement our Clean Power Plan. We are on track to achieve our goal of 80 percent renewables by 2030. Wind West also presents a new opportunity to move our electricity and supply a quarter of our entire country's electricity needs. I'm not on Twitter - that's one of my personal rules - but I am sure the hashtag #windwest is trending.

Transmission is at the heart of the Wind West project, and it is going to involve open, competitive procurement. Believe me, there are a lot of interested parties. If there's an opportunity to open up transmission to other players for Nova Scotia's grid, then let's let the energy system operator explore how to do that. It's what we put them there to do.

Our energy usage is a big part of how the IESO manages our grid as well. That's one of the reasons this government invested over $250 million in energy efficiency measures. That decision made life more affordable for Nova Scotians, but it also helps manage the needs of our energy system and saves ratepayers money on both transmission and generation. We've also stepped up time and time again to protect ratepayers from large rate hikes.

This is what it's all about: creating energy that is affordable and reliable, providing for the needs of Nova Scotians today, and planning for the energy needs of Nova Scotia's tomorrow.

We are politicians. We enjoy getting our pictures taken while we look like we're doing something important, and we can't walk by an open microphone without speaking into it, but energy accountability and transmission is bigger than us. It is bigger than politics. There is no need for politicians to make new rules regarding competitive procurement for transmission projects or for frameworks for risk-adjusted return on equity.

These decisions need to be made by folks of high calibre and experience in the sector, folks involved in the IESO. I encourage members opposite to move on from methods of the past and to embrace the new energy framework in our province, the IESO.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-Membertou.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE « » : I appreciate the opportunity to get up and say a few words on this bill that we brought forward. I appreciate the comments from my colleagues on all sides. There's a lot to unpack and a lot of history too. That's the one thing about the member from Timberlea-Prospect and me - we've been around this conversation in various capacities over the years. I remember when the Liberal Party formed government in 2013. I wasn't here in 2013, but at that point, there was the work around releasing 148.5 megawatts of clean energy.

[Page 1809]

I remember the time when we built up a lot of the efficiency programs. I heard the member opposite talk about solar and capturing that. I would encourage the government to have a conversation with the solar community right now because they're getting flattened because there is no more incentive. Actually, a lot of companies are really struggling right now, so that would be a conversation that I hope the government has because it is actually not in a very good place right now. It's difficult. Their company is still doing well, but that incentive was the best in the country. If you want to grow the economy, that's one thing that I would encourage the members opposite to look at. That is something that we have got to keep an eye on ourselves.

I go back to the bill. I want to provide a bit of history, too, because we are talking a lot about the future of what the energy mix could be here for Nova Scotia, not only here at home but as an exporter of energy to other parts of the country and beyond. We do want to open it up to competition. We do want the ability for other companies to potentially own this, depending on what the final outcome is and talking about partnering, which we're seeing on the intertie partnering not only with private companies, but our First Nations communities across Nova Scotia. What does that energy mix look like?

[5:00 p.m.]

In regard to Wind West, because it's come up a number of times, there's a lot of history around it. Wind West has been called a vast array of different things over the years. This government tries to pretend like this is a new idea. It's not a new idea. The idea of offshore wind has been around for well over a decade. The challenge becomes - ultimately, the private sector plays a big role in this, because there are going to be companies similar to Nova Scotia Power that are going to invest in these projects. That's ultimately how whatever you want to call it - whether you want to call it Wind West or Energy East or whatever - this is just the new marketing campaign from the government. They just changed the name.

My colleague got into this before: None of this matters unless you can move energy. The transmission is key. As my colleague said, this conversation didn't start with what the government now calls Wind West; this started with the Atlantic Loop. This was a conversation two years ago that talked about the infrastructure to flow energy to and from Nova Scotia. The government walked away from the negotiation. They walked away, and now there's a new Prime Minister. I don't know why at the time government would have done that. You're into a heavy negotiation, there are billions of dollars on the table, and the infrastructure could be under construction right now while you're putting out bids.

[Page 1810]

Now you're putting out bids looking for companies and people to invest in the offshore, and you don't have a commitment on the transmission line, when you could have had the transmission line under construction. This is why we're talking about this and tabling bills like this: because this is going to be a big part of the conversation moving forward. We could be talking about the rate of return that Nova Scotia Power should be receiving if they're a player in the transmission, what those partnerships look like with First Nations communities, what those partnerships look like with the private sector.

The government, for whatever reason, walked away from the table two years ago when the name was different. It was called the Atlantic Loop, but the government needed a new strategy, so we're going to call it Wind West. We're going to come up with our own marketing, and we're going to come up with everything that makes it seem like this hasn't been talked about for years. It's been talked about for years. The challenge became investment. It is cheaper to do onshore wind than it is to do offshore wind. That is still the case.

These are very important conversations that we need to be having in this Chamber - because we're seeing challenges within the market now, like the Green Choice Program. We have seen that four projects have been halted. We're going out to bid on the offshore and we don't have a guaranteed investment. Regardless of who's in government, regardless of whether it's Tory or Liberal or whatever, why would you go out to bid if you don't have a guarantee on how the energy is going to flow to and from this province? In my opinion, whether you agree or disagree with me, you're not maximizing your opportunity for a company to say, I'm going to invest in that project because we've got the guarantee on the transmission.

Now that I've got that off my chest, this whole thing has been backwards for me. This is a huge opportunity for this province, but the government has to stop playing marketing and actually sit down to the table - not walk away like they did two years ago - and hammer out a deal with the federal government, which was committed to doing it two years ago with the former Prime Minister and is still committed to doing it with the current Prime Minister.

That's a lot to unpack, but whether we want to call it Wind West or the Atlantic Loop or Energy East or whatever you want to call it, the important thing is that we build the infrastructure for this. What does the makeup look like? What does a company like Nova Scotia Power, which will partner with other people, as my colleague said, are taking on less risk - why should they continue to receive the same rate of return? That's a good question.

Who else is going to be part of it? Government. What role is government going to play? Is there a royalty? What does the royalty structure look like? What does all of this look like? This is a huge conversation which would be more clear if the government, again, didn't walk away from the table two years ago. What they're going to be asking for now is the same thing. What is the mix going to look like? Is it loans? Whatever it looks like, what investment does the province have to make? What investment are the feds going to come into? What investment is the private sector going to make? All this was happening long before the government said, "Let's call it Wind West." It doesn't make sense.

[Page 1811]

Anyway, here we are with a great opportunity, and I want to congratulate my federal colleagues who see the importance of offshore wind. I refer to it as offshore wind because it has been called multiple things. Wind West is just this government's marketing reiteration of it all, similar to what we're seeing with the energy mix when it comes to offshore oil and gas.

The government talks about, "Oh, we're going to put out bids in the offshore." I was the last one to put out bids in the offshore. My colleague once, too, was Premier. Again, we have a lot of history when it comes to this stuff - the solar. The member is absolutely right; solar is huge. It's huge from a commercial perspective. Battery storage is massive. Whoever figured that battery storage is going to be key to the transition - when you are able to store that energy.

Solar is huge - these programs that have built the economy over the years - but some of these incentives are gone. I would argue that those incentives not only give people the chance to install this stuff at home but also created 70 new companies in a year with that incentive because Nova Scotians would use those incentives. Now some of them are gone; the government cut them. I don't understand why. They just left. It was a financial decision, but they're gone.

In this case, as we said, we want companies competing. We want multiple companies competing for what is going to be a huge transition in energy and a potential massive export in this province.

What I argue is that the government needs to stop focusing on just the marketing side of it because eventually it's going to catch up to you; 2030 is not far away. None of the coal-fired plants are shut down. The construction of the transmission needed for what you like to call Wind West, which I like to call the Atlantic Loop, but some people like to call Energy East and everything else between, could have been under construction years ago. You would be having a more solidified conversation around what the investment looks like, what stake Nova Scotia Power has in it, talking about that monopoly, who else is involved, First Nations, et cetera, but you delayed.

It was delayed - a delay on politics - because at the time the government didn't want to deal with the current administration. They got a carbon tax, and you've got to get rid of the carbon tax. That's what the last election was, period. You can deny it all you want. This government ran against the last federal administration, but that last federal administration was offering a true path to build that transmission line, and the government walked away from it and two years later decided to change the name to Wind West.

[Page 1812]

Wind West, which has no transmission line right now - which thankfully the federal government is interested in doing again. I applaud Prime Minister Carney, and I applaud my colleagues here in Nova Scotia who are pushing this. It is something that they see the potential of. It is something that we see the potential of. Ultimately, if this happens, it's going to be because of them because this is something they've been talking about for years before it was ever called this. They wanted to do this, and the Premier walked away from the table.

Now we changed the name. Now it's called something else. Now the federal government is back, and I encourage and implore that the government does not walk away from the table this time - because they did.

There are lots of articles. I'll probably table them throughout the session. (Interruption) It's all based on polls - that's a great point. This government polls on everything. If the dip comes for this current federal administration, watch what happens. As I said, the whole provincial election was run - they tried to defeat me in Sydney on the carbon tax. It didn't work but guess what? It was a big part of the foundation; it was all federal. Imagine if the government ran with Mark Carney as Prime Minister right now, where you would be, or your fixed election date which you broke.

Right, back to the bill, Speaker, with only two minutes left. There's a lot of conversation. There's a lot of potential around this, a ton. It is wonderful. There is a wonderful opportunity in front of us, but I just want to get on the record that I have been watching this as two individuals who have held various portfolios in the energy or the mining - the member across likes to say there is only two of us and that is fine. I was in here with 35 too, and guess what? I survived. I hope that that member - wait until the tide turns and see if he wins. (Interruption) Right? No, I am being good. If members on the other side want to take shots, that is fine. I am having a conversation about energy.

So Speaker, with two minutes left, as I said, the two members who are over here have held various portfolios on this file for a decade. So we have heard this called a million different names. We have seen a ton of different scenarios. Now, it is called by this government Wind West, which was called the Atlantic Loop by somebody else, which was called Energy East by somebody else, and which somebody else will call something else. Whatever.

The point is that if this is going to work, the government cannot walk away from the table yet, because they did. They do not want people to remember that, but now they are going to be asking for the same thing that the federal government was offering them an administration ago. I hope this time they go to the table in good faith and they get a deal done because there is lots of potential for this province. Thank you, minister.

I move to adjourn debate on Bill No. 132.

[Page 1813]

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is to adjourn debate on Bill No. 132.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

I ask the honourable member for Sydney-Membertou if that is the end of their business or I ask the member for Timberlea-Prospect if that is the end of Opposition Business.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Yes, Speaker, that concludes Opposition Business. Thank you.

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: Speaker, would you please call the order of business Public Bills and Orders.

PUBLIC BILLS AND ORDERS

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: Speaker, would you please call Public Bills for Second Reading.

PUBLIC BILLS FOR SECOND READING

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 130.

Bill No. 130 - Traffic Safety Act.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Public Works.

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : Thank you, Speaker, and I move second reading of Bill No. 130, the Traffic Safety Act.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank just a few of the many people and the groups that have worked so hard to get us here today. I would like to start with Diane Zwicker. She graciously came out of retirement to help us untangle and update 100 years of rules. Originally, her commitment was for a few months. It has now been several years and we are very grateful for her service. I would also like to thank lead lawyer, Nadine Smillie, and all of her colleagues at the Department of Justice for their hard work in getting this bill ready.

[Page 1814]

My gratitude extends to Victoria Horne and Mike Christian and everyone at the Departments of Service Nova Scotia and Cyber Security and Digital Solutions. Their incredible work in getting their systems ready and providing such valuable advice and guidance on this report has been wonderful.

We would not be here today without our many partners including police organizations, municipalities, businesses, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, cycling and pedestrian groups, engineers, traffic specialists, child safety advocates, and many, many others. To the everyday Nova Scotians, who over the years have taken the time to share their experiences and insights on important road safety issues, we thank you.

[5:15 p.m.]

I would also like to thank everyone at my Department of Public Works, including policy lead Bonnie Rankin and everyone in our Registry of Motor Vehicles team. These are only a few of the people who have been involved in bringing the TSA to this Legislature, but it gives you an idea of what a massive undertaking this has been.

I will have more to say on this bill in third reading. For now, I would like to thank everyone for paying attention.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier.

KENDRA COOMBES « » : I am pleased to rise and speak today about the updated Traffic Safety Act. Our caucus has been calling for years to give municipalities the ability to set their own speed limits. Most recently, in 2022, we introduced legislation to make those changes. We've met with families who have lost loved ones in motor vehicle accidents and residents who are scared to walk or drive safely in their own neighbourhoods. I hear this a lot in my community, especially on our local provincial roads, where many of us have the former counties.

Community leaders across the province have been crystal clear about the need for safer streets. They also want to make their own decisions about the issues that affect them, because they know their communities best. This bill is a victory for those communities, and for the people who never stopped fighting for safer roads.

This bill isn't perfect. It fails to clearly define who a vulnerable road user is. That means this bill doesn't fully reflect the reality of pedestrians, cyclists, and others who need stronger protections on our roads, especially in places where sidewalks are non-existent. If this government is serious about road safety, it needs to get this right.

[Page 1815]

This bill also highlights the contradictions in the government's approach to municipal affairs. On one hand, they finally give municipalities a say on their speed limits, but on the other hand, we've seen them override municipal infrastructure decisions, reject Halifax planning processes, and even threaten a municipal council over a bike lane. I'd find that kind of funny if it wasn't so serious, when it comes to interfering in municipal affairs. If this government is finally trusting communities to set their own speed limits, they should also trust them to make their own decisions about the other issues that impact them directly.

New Democrats will always support measures to make our communities safer. But there are lots of gaps in this legislation, and we have questions about why it wasn't implemented sooner. Last year this government said it was working on its information technology system so that they could implement the original Act from 2018, but just yesterday, the minister said the decision to abandon the Act was made in 2022. So which is it? Why not let Nova Scotians in on this decision sooner?

We look forward to hearing directly from Nova Scotians about this at the Public Bills Committee and to hopefully getting some clarity. We hope this government will fill in some of the gaps and change their approach of meddling in municipal affairs. With that, I take my seat.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : I'll be very brief. I understand this is intended to replace Bill No. 80, which was passed in 2018. I think that was the late Minister Lloyd Hines who would have passed the bill. I think it is long overdue to finally allow municipalities to make local decisions on speed limits. It's something that should have been brought forward earlier, I think, in this government's mandate. We should have done it earlier, when we were in government as well. I believe I am on the record in Estimates asking Geoff MacLellan, who was the transportation minister at the time, to actually do this. He was on the record to look into it, because in HRM it's something that comes up all the time.

We certainly do get lots of inquiries about changing speed limits, and a lot of them have changed over the years. This part of the bill eliminates that step to check in with the provincial government. I see it as a positive step in a bill that we'll likely support, subject to the comments that come in through the Public Bills Committee. We'll wait to see what the public has to say and look forward to continuing the debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : If I recognize the minister, it will be to close debate.

The honourable Minister of Public Works.

[Page 1816]

HON. FRED TILLEY « » : Speaker, I move that we close debate on second reading of Bill No. 130.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is for second reading of Bill No. 130.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that the bill be referred to the Standing Committee on Public Bills.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 127.

Bill No. 127 - Protecting Nova Scotians Act.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia.

HON. JILL BALSER « » : Speaker, I move that Bill No. 127 be now read a second time. I appreciate the opportunity, and I am pleased to rise to be able to speak briefly on a bill that protects Nova Scotians.

This is a bill that takes into consideration the best interests of all Nova Scotians to protect not only their personal safety but their personal information. This bill responds to several recent events that we're all very aware of. We know the impacts Nova Scotians have felt.

This bill is a direct response to the Nova Scotia Power breach, where more than 140,000 Nova Scotians had their information stolen, including social insurance numbers. The amendments we are introducing to the Residential Tenancies Act respond to the tragic epidemic in domestic violence. We are also amending the Act to give Nova Scotians greater access to affordable housing. Speaker, as you can see, these are just a few amendments that are also grounded in addressing our government's top priorities, and there's much more.

Amendments to the Liquor Control Act will help to keep bars, staff, and patrons safe in licensed establishments. It is critical to do so if we are to prevent more tragic events from ever happening again. The amendments to the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act and to the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act will strengthen consumer protection, clarify authority for the final arrangements, and support consistent service standards.

We are also amending the Personal Health Information Act to make it easier for health care professionals to intervene sooner when there are concerns for someone's well-being. We are also making changes to legislation of the Department of Natural Resources. We are amending the Wildlife Act and the Crown Lands Act.

[Page 1817]

As Minister of Service Nova Scotia, I'm very proud to stand here and highlight the incredible work of my team specifically and recognizing that a lot of work from across departments went into making sure that this bill hit the mark to protect Nova Scotians.

As mentioned, staff have been working incredibly hard to ensure that, again, this protects Nova Scotians and does what it needs to do. I want to thank them for their work and remind everyone that by working together we can make a difference and do what's right for all Nova Scotians. The goal here is to strengthen supports and keep Nova Scotians, safe and we're going to continue to do that great work.

Speaker, I look forward to hearing some comments from my colleagues in the House.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

LISA LACHANCE « » : I am pleased to rise today and offer some initial reactions to this bill. Today we're talking about a piece of legislation that has a big name. It raises some really important issues. However, this format, as an omnibus bill, is really going to limit Nova Scotians' ability to engage in all the important issues that are in here.

There has been lots written about the abuse of omnibus bills. Omnibus bills should be used rarely. I understand that for those of you new to government, it seemed to be the habit of this government to push everything together in an omnibus bill, search for a way to connect everything, and it makes it faster for government to get this through the House. Instead of having to talk about each separate bill and actually explain the background behind it - I mean, the minister offered nothing on the Crown Lands Act, offered nothing on the Conservation Act. There was literally nothing. I don't know if the other minister is planning to rise and speak to that, but there's very little information.

Then, will Public Bills be scheduled? Probably on Monday. Instead of having the opportunity for all the various stakeholders who all have a piece of this - yes, they can all come in, but it doesn't allow for rational public discussion of these issues. I have lots of questions.

I would be remiss by not talking about the fact that this government is abusing the use of omnibus bills. It's also politically very helpful because if we vote against something in an omnibus bill then we can be accused of voting against everything.

Honestly, we're not that worried about it. People can take shots at us in the House, and it really doesn't bother us because we know that our record with stakeholders is clear. Honestly, Nova Scotians deserve a lot better than this.

[Page 1818]

We are concerned about the changes in the Residential Tenancies Act with regard to boarders. I find this interesting because, obviously, this government wasted a bunch of money on Happipad, and that didn't work out. Here we are again, trying to get at the issue of having people stay in your homes. What this is doing is really stripping away the rights of renters who rent a space in someone else's home. Often these are people who are already in vulnerable situations: seniors, students, people working minimum wage or in a temporary position, folks who are trying to move here to Nova Scotia but can't afford to get a new apartment, and those why rely on income assistance. Under this bill, these folks will actually lose rent cap provisions. In what way does this help our affordability crisis?

I know that the government recently tabled the report on all the housing starts and housing finishes. The fact of the matter is that we have rising homelessness. The fact of the matter is that the wait-list for public housing is exploding. The fact of the matter is that there is housing being built, but it's not solving the problem. It's not getting the results for Nova Scotians that people need. This is one more thing that is going to make it hard for people to afford accommodation. We'll lose rent cap protections; that really doesn't make any sense at all.

I would invite the minister to explain how losing the rent cap provision, as a boarder, helps protect Nova Scotians. They can be evicted with just seven days notice. Again, I would invite the minister to explain how that is protecting Nova Scotians. Landlords will no longer need cause or oversight from a director of Residential Tenancies. Again, can the minister explain this? These are really complex issues that affect the day-to-day lives of Nova Scotians who are trying to live, work, play, grow, and be educated in this province, and we need to hear more about them.

For many, if boarding is the way that they are searching for housing stability, this is actually making it less stable. That doesn't make a lot of sense, especially for a government that has spent a bunch of money on a sole-source contract that generated nothing from Happipad, which was, in fact, a boarding type of situation. In the last term, the government was big fans of boarders. Don't know what happened, and again, it would be great to hear more about this.

[5:30 p.m.]

I want to touch on the Crown Lands Act amendments. We haven't heard from the minister about these, so it is not clear what all the goals are. The bill does make sweeping changes to the Crown Lands Act, and we have lots of questions about that. It is already illegal to block access to forestry roads. What do these changes do that are different from that and why? Who has been spoken to? What stakeholders have been spoken to?

This government has a history of hiding a lot of information from the folks who work in our forests and the folks who rely on our forests for food or hunting - keeping a lot of information secret. We're not telling people where spraying is happening anymore. There is concern in Cape Breton about the moose hunt and moose habitat. There is information that the Department of Natural Resources has collected that they haven't shared. If there is data, why aren't we hearing about this?

[Page 1819]

Again, having this buried in an omnibus bill limits debate. It absolutely achieves the political aims of this government 100 percent. What it doesn't do is it doesn't guarantee that we are making laws that are lasting, that are well thought out, and that take into account the views of stakeholders. I think we should all be concerned about some of the language in the bill.

The minister, under this proposed bill, only has to believe that access is being blocked in ways that harm the economic interests of the Crown. It's a very broad provision. I would love to hear from some legal experts about what that all means. I think we have to be very clear: This is about making it harder to protest. If we think about what's happening in Cape Breton right now, it's just another place where the Mi'kmaq have stood up and said they are not being heard, that this government is not respecting their rights.

I think that this is about limiting people's ability to engage when they feel like there are no other choices. This is the other thing. I don't think people have gone up in Cape Breton to block roads because they feel like - they probably feel like they've tried and tried and tried. They have wanted transparency from government. They want transparency from the Department of Natural Resources. They want to understand what happened with the most recent moose study and the health of the population. They're not getting that. If you don't share with citizens - with the people of Nova Scotia - the information they need to make decisions, then they have to make other choices.

I think when the government closes off every avenue for dialogue, people feel that protesting is their only option, and since everybody has been tagged as a special interest - let's not forget that everyone is a special interest. It's despicable language actually, which was offensive language to have included in a Speech from the Throne, and then in the formal budget speech and budget documents from this government. I do not understand a government that would use that language, but it's clear that that's what the government thinks because that's how you are treating people by not consulting, by not talking to people, by not sharing the scientific information that you've gathered in Mi'kma'ki with the Mi'kmaw people to help make decisions together.

I think some of the other pieces, again, demonstrate why rushing this all together in an omnibus bill actually really limits and does a disservice to people and their concerns. Of course we're happy to see the changes around the Residential Tenancies Act and survivors of gender-based violence. However, there were other things that we understood from stakeholders were very important that were not included in this bill. Again, it's an omnibus bill. I doubt the Minister for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women is going to stand up, but we have to make sure we're making laws that don't go halfway or that have unintended consequences. By cramming this all in and giving it a limited amount of debate, I don't think that we're doing our jobs as legislators. I think we need to know more and understand more. We need to hear from stakeholders. I think we risk making bad laws when we don't.

[Page 1820]

Under the Personal Health Information Act, the removal of the word "imminent," from the provisions for medical professionals to reach out to family and friends for support: This is something that the Nova Scotia Moms for Compassionate & Collaborative Mental Health Care have been working on. The Nova Scotia Moms are a group of people who have been affected by suicide, mostly in their young people: their children or nephews or nieces. Some of them were here on the day that the House opened. They didn't want to be publicly recognized because for a couple of them, there are some recent losses that they're very concerned about. They've done an incredible amount of work on this issue. They have pushed government to consider this, and honestly, you're not doing what they asked for. The government is not actually legislating what they asked for.

If we had time to understand why - if someone from the government would stand up and say: We understand that there was public discussion about removing words like "danger" and "imminent," and we undertook consultation, we spoke to our legal experts, and this is why we've only chosen "imminent", that would be helpful to this debate. At this point, we can't assume that that's the case. We have to view this legislation with some skepticism on why it's not going as far as some stakeholders think it should, and what that means for implementation.

Also, if the minister would stand and talk to that - has the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia been contacted? Who's been talked to about this change? Was it just kind of: We'll just take that little one as a quick political win. The stakeholder group is putting lots of pressure on us, and we'll go from there.

Similarly, the work around security at bars, restaurants, and cabarets, around accountability of security services there - what's being proposed doesn't meet what stakeholders have been asking for. Why? It is a reasonable question to ask why. Again, because it's buried in this bill - I'm going to talk about this bill for 15 minutes tonight, 16 minutes, and I doubt that all the ministers implicated in this bill are going to stand up and provide answers for what choices were made, what the policy rationale is, what the expected results are, why X instead of Y. These are things that we should all understand before we vote for something. Again, this does a disservice.

The provisions around protecting the social insurance numbers. What we proposed actually goes further. We think that Nova Scotia Power should be forced to get rid of everybody's social insurance numbers. At this point, this legislation does not do that. They can still keep them. We have a number of other things that we think should be put in there to strengthen people's privacy protection. Again, we don't know why these choices were made. There's no policy rationale and there's no opportunity to engage Nova Scotians. I think that Nova Scotia Power and the fact that most of us have had our SINs leaked through a cybersecurity breach - this is a major issue for Nova Scotians.

[Page 1821]

I don't know who's all - I assume there are lots of us in this room who have been affected by that, who have had a Nova Scotia Power account at one point or another in their name and provided their SIN, because if you want power in Nova Scotia, you have to go through Nova Scotia Power. Whether that seemed like an irrational thing to ask for or not, you gave it.

This will actually follow you for the rest of your life. It's out there. This is not something that our five-year credit check is - hopefully it catches it for five years, but this will literally follow Nova Scotians for the rest of their lives and put them at increased risk of financial fraud for the rest of their lives. Yet this government is not choosing to do all that it can to make sure that Nova Scotia Power rectifies this situation and that Nova Scotians aren't put at risk again.

What ties all these measures together is not protection. I would argue that it doesn't provide enough rationale or background. The connections aren't there. This should not be an omnibus bill. I think it's a bill that reflects this government keeping information from Nova Scotians, resisting transparency, and bringing forward catch-all bills that then they can fly through legislation. It's true. The goal of having this be law by next week - probably on track for that - because if I spoke for too long, we could also lose our minutes to speak.

I'm wondering how people feel about that. Do you think Nova Scotians are happy with that? You're shoving a bill in for things that are really important: domestic violence, security when folks are out downtown at bars and that sort of stuff, and people who are in a mental health crisis. These are really serious issues. I doubt that anyone in this Legislature, including me, at this point, could explain all the rationale behind all of the pieces.

If you're comfortable standing up and making a law for Nova Scotians without really knowing the background, the information, and the evidence of what stakeholders think, I worry for Nova Scotians. I worry for Nova Scotia's laws, and we should take our role much more seriously.

Nova Scotians need a government that listens, engages, and treats with respect the role of law-making, and does not legislate in a way that closes doors and weakens protections.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : I'll be relatively brief. Omnibus bills do have a role when they're used appropriately to streamline a number of bills that have the same meaning but impact different statutes. It's a common practice for budgets when you're triggering different tax codes and the like.

[Page 1822]

With respect to this bill, it doesn't line up with that objective. When they are abused, then sometimes you see the objective of hiding things from the public. Now, maybe we will hear from ministers to explain each statute. Maybe I'm more optimistic that they'll get up tonight and outline the things that impact the Wildlife Act, the Crown Lands Act, and the Residential Tenancies Act. There are eight different things being amended here.

I've got to give credit to whoever in government came up with the title: An Act to Protect Nova Scotians. You can't get broader than that to try to explain why all these things are relevant, but if everything that they're putting forward is to protect Nova Scotians - in this sitting, in this bill - then why wouldn't you just put in the Traffic Safety Act we just debated, for example. Surely that bill is to protect Nova Scotians, too, when we're looking at reducing speed limits and stuff.

You could probably put every single bill in this sitting and beyond into an Act to protect Nova Scotians. That's basically our job, to protect Nova Scotians, when we're making legislation to begin with. Clever line at the top. We're going to start to see Nova Scotians see a pattern here, with every sitting coming in with omnibus bills.

It's pretty clear when government is proud of legislation. They bring it in separately, and they talk about it in different readings. They bring stakeholders here and get them into the gallery, and they take pictures and run PR campaigns, even when it's not something they did. We'll see in the Public Bills Committee what Nova Scotians have to say before we're prepared to support the bill in its entirety.

THE SPEAKER « » : If I am to recognize the honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia, it will be to close debate on second reading.

The honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia.

HON. JILL BALSER « » : I want to take an opportunity to clarify - or to mention two things and maybe clarify one.

For the changes that are coming forward to boarders, they will be protected under the rent cap. That is another important point to raise. It was a good question. I want to make sure that Nova Scotians recognize the relationship between a boarder and a homeowner is different from a landlord and a tenant. We want to make sure that we're focusing on options for Nova Scotians that work for them. We also recognize that this might not be the option for everyone, but it is opening up options for Nova Scotians to be able to live and rent a room in their home, so they are included and covered under the rent cap.

For the changes under the Residential Tenancies Act that will address and support victims of domestic violence, one thing that was really important to me as minister, in having discussions with community organizations - Nova Scotia Legal Aid, Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, and others were very supportive of this particular change.

[Page 1823]

[5:45 p.m.]

When it was brought up in the House, I made a commitment to look into it and make sure that we spoke to the team, recognizing that there is a pathway to change a lease in that scenario. This goes further. It also opened up the opportunity to be able to talk about protections for occupants, Speaker. Actually, in this legislation we are going to do that.

We know this is going to be sort of new territory for the department to explore, but I'm very excited to be able to work hand in hand with the minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act, knowing that we worked jointly on making this change. So, knowing that there is the ministers' round table, this is a topic we can bring directly to Nova Scotians, community partners, those with lived experience and say, "Help us figure this out because we want to go further." We want to make sure there are protections for occupants when someone is not on a lease.

Speaker, that is work that will be under way. It is included in this bill, and I wanted to make sure we highlighted it because it is important work.

I do look forward to the comments that are going to be brought forward to the Public Bills Committee. With that, Speaker, I adjourn debate on Bill No. 127.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia.

HON. JILL BALSER « » : I close debate on Bill No. 127.

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is for second reading of Bill No. 127.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill be referred to the Committee on Public Bills.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. BRENDAN MAGUIRE: That concludes government business for today. I move that the House do now rise to meet again on September 25^th between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Following the daily routine and Question Period, Government Business will include second reading.

[Page 1824]

THE SPEAKER « » : The motion is that the House rise to meet again on Thursday, September 25^th, from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The House is adjourned.

[The House rose at 5:47 p.m.]

[Page 1825]

NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)

Tabled September 23, 2025

RESOLUTION NO. 196

By: Hon. Kim Masland (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas marriages are an occasion for family and friends to gather together to celebrate the life of two individuals united as one; and

Whereas it was once said that a marriage is the celebration of love, trust and partnership; and

Whereas on May 17, 2025, a very special occasion took place when Nolan Bowers and Ash-Leigh Sherman of Queens County, celebrated their wedding;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Nolan and Ash-Leigh on their marriage and wish them a lifetime of health and happiness.

RESOLUTION NO. 197

By: Hon. Kim Masland (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the birth of a child is a momentous event and marks the beginning of a very satisfying journey down a long road, where the rewards far outnumber the challenges; and

Whereas a new baby is like the beginning of all things: wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities as author Eda J. LeShan wrote; and

Whereas on March 24, 2025, Wayne and Kaylee Oickle welcomed their daughter Eloise into the world;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Wayne and Kaylee on this miraculous event in their lives and wish them many more happy years as parents.

[Page 1826]

RESOLUTION NO. 198

By: Hon. Kim Masland (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the birth of a child is a momentous event and marks the beginning of a very satisfying journey down a long road, where the rewards far outnumber the challenges; and

Whereas a new baby is like the beginning of all things: wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities as author Eda J. LeShan wrote; and

Whereas on August 5, 2025, Cody Frank and Tiffany Whynot welcomed their daughter Malia Flora Anne Frank into the world;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Cody and Tiffany on this miraculous event in their lives and wish them many more happy years as parents.

RESOLUTION NO. 199

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate Bruce MacArthur and Angela Patterson; and

Whereas Bruce and Angela received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for their hard work and dedication in our community and Canada; and

Whereas to receive this medal, candidates will have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region, or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Bruce MacArthur and Angela Patterson and their accomplishments.

[Page 1827]

RESOLUTION NO. 200

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate Demi Johnston; and

Whereas Demi, a dedicated senior student whose passion for sports and exceptional care for our student athletes have made a lasting impact; and

Whereas Demi was awarded the Athletic Therapy Option Student of the Year Award. This award recognizes a senior student in the Kinesiology Department for their passion and care of student athletes at Acadia;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Demi Johnston in her achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 201

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate Ella Mosher; and

Whereas Ella is a student at Horton High and has most recently been selected as a 2025 Loren Scholar. Ella is just one of 36 students across Canada to have earned this with more than 6,000 applicants applying. It is a rigorous interview process with many steps. The scholars benefit from a four-year leadership enrichment program, a network of peers and mentors, as well as financial support; and

Whereas Ella is an active volunteer in our community. Not only does she sit on multiple boards at Horton, but she also volunteers at a retirement home and oversees a positivity program for seniors that she herself established. She volunteers with Girl Guides and is a junior leader and member of Terranaut Club;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Ella Mosher and her accomplishments.

[Page 1828]

RESOLUTION NO. 202

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate the Horton High School Girls Rugby Team; and

Whereas the Girls Rugby Team captured first place in the Moncton SMART tournament in April; and

Whereas after going undefeated throughout the tournament and accumulating an incredible 127–17 points differential, the girls were unstoppable. For the April tournament, despite very challenging wet conditions, the girls truly found their mid-season form;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Horton High School Girls Rugby Team for their exceptional work ethic and skill set.

RESOLUTION NO. 203

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate the Horton Jr. Boys Basketball Team; and

Whereas the Horton Jr. Boys Basketball Team has demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork, and determination throughout the 2025 season, culminating in their victory as Regional Champions for a gold medal; and

Whereas the Horton Jr. Boys Basketball Team has exemplified the values of hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship, both on and off the court, making them a source of pride for their school and community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Horton Jr. Boys Basketball Team for their outstanding performance and hard-earned achievement as the 2025 Regional Champions, and extend our best wishes for continued success in future endeavours.

[Page 1829]

RESOLUTION NO. 204

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate Mac Butters; and

Whereas Mac has been the greatest supporter for many sports at Acadia. His drive and dedication never fail and he is always so full of excitement for the sports he's playing in; and

Whereas Mac was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions, efforts, and service to Acadia's Athletic Department;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Mac Butters in his achievements.

RESOLUTION NO. 205

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate Morgan Flemming; and

Whereas while Morgan played for the U15 Valley Wildcats Junior Hockey Team he had scored 33 goals and 40 assists, totaling to 79 points. He and his team made it to the Provincial Gold medal game for the 2024-25 season; and

Whereas I would like to congratulate Morgan on bringing home the Top Forward Award presented on March 27^th. This award was presented by the Premier himself during the opening ceremonies of this 2025 Provincial Tournament. We are so proud of Morgan and his team for such an accomplishment. Way to go Wildcats;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Morgan Flemming and his accomplishments.

RESOLUTION NO. 206

By: Julie Vanexan (Kings South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I rise to congratulate Peyton Hoyt. Peyton accepted the Randy Dean Farris Memorial Award which was presented by Randy's mother, Mrs. Farris; and

Whereas an Acadia Axemen hockey player who exhibits leadership, a spirit of competition, community service, and academic excellence is honoured with the Randy Dean Farris Memorial Award; and

Whereas I would like to congratulate Peyton on his well-accomplished years at Acadia and with the Axemen team. Your outstanding hard work won't go unnoticed;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Peyton Hoyt for this award.

[Page 1830]