Extraction Ban Removal - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER: Nova Scotians were clear about their priorities in the last election - homes they can afford, attachment to primary care, and relief from the high cost of living - but this government has put forward a very different legislative agenda. Nova Scotians are voicing their concerns about this government's plan to remove the bans on uranium mining and fracking with no warning, no consultation, and no debate. Why didn't this government tell Nova Scotians about their plan to drop these bans at any point during the election?
HON. TIM HOUSTON (Premier): Nova Scotians had a chance to have their say on how they wanted to be governed and who they wanted to govern them, and I think they spoke pretty loud and pretty clear about their thoughts on the job we did in our first mandate - a mandate where we attached almost 100,000 people to primary care, a mandate where we delivered more doctors and more nurses. More homes are being built in this province. We know that at this point in time, we need to really focus on and understand how we can provide the services that we need to provide to Nova Scotians. That means growing the economy. That means focusing on natural resources.
THE SPEAKER « » : Before I recognize you, just to remind people that the clock's on the TV. (Interruptions)
The Leader of the Official Opposition.
CLAUDIA CHENDER: Yet nothing in the last term of this government or in the campaign was said about this policy, which can impact Nova Scotians' health, their environment - and, yes, their economy - in a variety of ways. The Premier didn't campaign on this and didn't explain that they would vilify anyone who stands in the way of their agenda - media, public servants, the Auditor General, the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and all those currently labelled special interest groups. As the upswell of opposition to removing these bans rises, will the Premier level with Nova Scotians and let us know: Is anyone who opposes government policy now a special interest group?
THE PREMIER « » : I think Nova Scotians - they saw what we did in government, and they said, Do more, keep going. We've shown that we work with Nova Scotians. We've shown that we listen to Nova Scotians, and we know that there is an absolute opportunity for this province. We can change the economy of this province for generations to come. Day after day, the Opposition will stand in this Chamber and say, You should spend on this, you should invest in that. Why aren't you doing this? Do more, do more. Well, the only way we can deliver on all those things - because of course we want to; of course we want to do more for Nova Scotians - the only way we can actually do it is when we handle the economy and grow the economy, and we will do that.
CLAUDIA CHENDER: It's great to finally hear a word about economic development. This government didn't campaign on mining, uranium, or fracking, but these policies have consequences for people in our province. Nova Scotians are worried about the potential impacts on their drinking water, on their property rights, and they're frustrated that this policy has been sprung on them. Protests are being organized by Nova Scotians who are fed up with the secrecy and impunity that they are seeing from this government, and so again I want to ask the question: Who are the special interest groups that the Premier is referring to?
THE PREMIER « » : We just urge all Nova Scotians to get on board with moving the province forward. That's what we want to do. That's what Nova Scotians want us to do. Nova Scotians know that they can count on us to do what's right, and if we get it wrong, we'll fix it. What they also know is a little bit of history: The NDP, in their one time in government, broke every promise they made. They promised no new taxes; they increased the HST. They promised better services. What did they do? They cut health care. They cut education. They failed to invest a single dollar in affordable housing. We won't do that. We're here for Nova Scotians. We're going to move this province forward.