Withdraw Problematic Legislation - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER: Yesterday, the Premier finally admitted that he was wrong to undermine the independence of the Auditor General. This was never about being in line with other jurisdictions. Blocking impartial information from Nova Scotians and imposing policies on them without consultation and debate is wrong. There is still a long list of other problematic proposals from this government. Will the Premier also abandon his attack on the Information and Privacy Commissioner and his plan to scrap the report about ER closures?
HON. TIM HOUSTON (The Premier) « » : Thank you. (Applause)
THE SPEAKER « » : You guys just clapped away 10 of his seconds.
The honourable Premier.
THE PREMIER « » : Obviously, these are important discussions. We know we live in a highly charged political environment where people say things, jump to conclusions, and kind of put their own spin on what legislation might do, but Nova Scotians know that we're coming from a place of our heart and doing good things. I had a good discussion with the Auditor General, and we will continue those discussions. I've spoken with the Information and Privacy Commissioner to understand her concerns. The emergency department closure report doesn't need to be done annually. We do it every single day in this province.
CLAUDIA CHENDER: Nova Scotians I talk to live in fear of being labelled as special interest, for whatever that will bring. During this campaign, people made it clear they wanted primary care, they want affordable homes, and they want to build a good life in a province they love, but this government has spent all its time in this House trying to consolidate power instead of improving the daily life of Nova Scotians. Instead of pushing his agenda, the Premier needs to listen to the people of this province, even those who disagree with him. Will the Premier also drop his plan to limit debate for members representing tens of thousands of constituents on the important issues facing them and all Nova Scotians?
THE PREMIER « » : As leaders, we have a responsibility to stick somewhere close to reality. There's lots of opportunity for debate. We welcome actual productive debate. We listen carefully, and we learn from it. The reality is that Nova Scotians voted for more doctors. We're delivering on that. Nova Scotians voted for more homes. We're delivering on that. Nova Scotians voted for lower taxes. We are delivering on that. We are prepared and ready to talk about the issues in this Chamber. We've done that with an incredible budget that we've tabled. We're just waiting for that moment when the Opposition says, Let's talk about some of those things, too.
CLAUDIA CHENDER: Nova Scotians didn't vote for policies to be pulled out of thin air without consultation or debate. My colleagues and I are imploring this government to listen to Nova Scotians. Listen to people who are worried about the unilateral decision, not campaigned upon, to remove bans on fracking and uranium mining. Listen to the families who need help now not empty promises of potential in 15 years. Listen to the property owners who are afraid that large corporations will ignore the rights they already have. Will the Premier acknowledge that he was wrong to remove the resource bans with no consultation, re-examine his decision, and listen to the people of this province?
THE PREMIER « » : We listen very carefully to the people of this province. I do that every single day in a number of formats. We listen and we respond. We know we need to grow the economy of this province. We know it's going to require action. We know it's time to take the No out of Nova Scotia. We listen. You know who didn't listen to the people? The people spoke very loudly and very clearly. The last NDP government, when they raised taxes and when they made cuts to our health care system - the NDP government was a one-term government because they cut education. We remember those days, and I think maybe a few members opposite might remember those days too.