Tariffs and 'Special Interest Groups' - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER: I hope that these representations by the Premier are not the kind of non-partisan information that we're going to get now that there is an attempt for media to be silenced. The Premier and his friend Doug Ford came up with the plan for interprovincial trade last week while campaigning together in Ontario. Our representatives from labour, industry, and workers were not present, nor was our media. Yesterday, President Trump made it clear that these tariffs are coming, and it's Nova Scotians who need to know what the plan is to help them weather this storm. Will the Premier finally engage with Nova Scotians . . .

THE SPEAKER « » : Order.

CLAUDIA CHENDER: Speaker, they clapped for 10 seconds.

THE SPEAKER « » : Everybody has been clapping during everybody speaking. Order.

The honourable Minister of the Department of Finance and Treasury Board.

HON. JOHN LOHR « » : The issue of tariffs, of course, is one that hangs over our whole nation. I do want to acknowledge the work the Premier has done on that in conjunction with other Premiers. I know the member would be aware that we've put a contingency in our budget and received kudos for it. I hope the member will support the budget. We are addressing that - the trade issue.

CLAUDIA CHENDER: As the Auditor General has told us, this government's willing to spend over $1 billion per year over budget. So $200 million - bravo. We don't know what it's for. We would be happy to engage with that when we have any information. The reality is that over the past weeks, this government has shown contempt for anyone labelled a special interest group. The engagements that have happened around tariffs and around policy are not transparent. It certainly seems as though this is their way of gatekeeping and leaving important voices out of this conversation and all conversations. Will the Premier finally come clean with Nova Scotians about whom he considers to be special interest groups, and who is actually dictating the policies that come forward in this House?

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister for Growth and Development.

HON. COLTON LEBLANC « » : The assertion that government is not meeting but doing things behind closed doors is simply wrong. The Department of IGA has met with over 125 businesses in the last number of months. The Premier and I had a meeting this morning with some of the members of our business community. That is in addition to the meeting that we had a few weeks ago with members of the Chambers of Commerce. We are a government that is listening to the needs of Nova Scotians, and guess what? We're a government of action. We'll continue to support the best interests of Nova Scotians.