Reforming NDAs in Nova Scotia - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Premier about his comments on the Hockey Canada scandal. The Premier said: "The leadership change at Hockey Canada is an important step towards accountability and meaningful change." He also said: "the work required to earn back the trust of Canadians needs to be transformational." I'll table that.
The survivors of the historic sexual assaults at the centre of this scandal were paid secret settlements by the organization and ordered to sign non-disclosure agreements that silenced them. They are calling for meaningful transformational change. When will the Premier deliver it?
THE PREMIER « » : I'm not sure if the member is insinuating that I have some authority over the actions of Hockey Canada. Of course, I do not, but what I would say is the change in leadership of Hockey Canada is a good step. It's seen as a good step by me, for sure, and many Canadians.
There is work to do. There are still ongoing investigations that will be conducted there, but from my perspective, I think the change in leadership was absolutely necessary. I think that was an appropriate first step.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : The Premier called for change within Hockey Canada, but after that, the Minister of Justice said that banning the use of non-disclosure agreements in the cases of sexual assault is not a priority of this government. I'm not insinuating anything, but I am saying that this government does have responsibility for the administration of justice.
My question for the Premier is whether he is in agreement with the Minister of Justice that reforming the use of NDAs is not a priority of this government.
THE PREMIER « » : I thank the member for this important question. The voices of victims are incredibly important and must be respected and listened to, for sure. That is a priority of our government, Nova Scotians, and Canadians, for sure - listening to the voices of victims.
The specific question on NDAs is one that the government is taking very seriously. We are doing research on that. We want to make sure that any step we take is the appropriate step, for sure. I would encourage the Leader of the NDP, when thinking about leadership abilities on NDAs, maybe they could start with their own caucus and remove all of their employees and previous employees from their NDA agreements.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I'm glad the Premier gets his news for Question Period from Twitter. No one in our caucus and no staff member in our caucus has ever signed an NDA. They have signed the provincial government confidentiality agreement that all provincial employees in all of our offices have signed. Thanks for that bit of gossip-mongering.
The women at the centre of the Hockey Canada scandal are not the only ones.
THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The Leader of the New Democratic Party has the floor.
The honourable Leader of the New Democratic Party.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : We've heard stories from many people who have not been able to access justice because they were required to sign NDAs. The minister says he takes it seriously and he's watching, but P.E.I. has acted, several U.S. states are acting, and this is just not an adequate excuse. NDAs that are used to cover sexual assault are wrong, and again, they are at the heart of this scandal. They perpetuate a culture of patriarchy, misogyny, and silence.
If the Premier won't act and it is not a priority of his government, then the question remains: Who is this government trying to protect?
THE PREMIER « » : I think we've been clear that the government is acting. We are in the process of doing the jurisdictional scans. We need to make sure . . . (Interruption)
THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The Premier has the floor.
The honourable Premier.
THE PREMIER « » : The reality is that we need to get these things right. I've been in this Chamber, and I've seen legislation get to certain stages and decisions of government and had to come back.
As a matter of fact, I made one myself with the non-resident tax. We want to make sure that we get this right. This is a serious issue. We are respectful of the voices of victims. We listen to the voices of victims. We will do the work, and we will make sure that any decision we make is the right decision for Nova Scotians.