Opposition criticize N.S. legislative committees for going MIA amid COVID-19
“In the midst of a pandemic that posed the biggest threat to Nova Scotia's health-care system in recent memory, the chair of the legislature's health committee has not called a single meeting and has rejected repeated interview requests.
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New Democrat MLA Claudia Chender said it would be particularly valuable for the public to have the public accounts committee, which scrutinizes government spending, and the health committee meeting at a time when the province is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to try to help the economy and the health-care system is grappling with a public health emergency.
‘This government decided that they wanted to have a health committee,’ she said.
If this isn't the time for a committee like that to be functioning, so we can hear from senior civil servants and the folks in charge of both our COVID response, our COVID recovery and how we're prepared to head into a second wave … then there never has been a time.’
Chender said it made sense to hit pause on the committees at the beginning of the pandemic, but it's time for MLAs to resume their committee duties.
‘I can get a haircut or sit at a bar, but I cannot perform my legislative functions, and I think that should matter to all Nova Scotians,’ she said.”