March 3, 2026

Today, the Nova Scotia Liberals will table three important bills aimed at protecting victims of gender-based violence and ensuring greater accountability in workplaces and institutions.

House Leader Derek Mombourquette will table the Misuse of Non-disclosure Agreements (NDAs) Act, informed by the work of the Nova Scotia Women’s Liberal Commission and advocates who will be present at the legislature for the bill’s tabling. The legislation, following recommendations from the Canadian Bar Association, recognizes that Nova Scotians – mostly women – have suffered from violence, harassment, discrimination, coercion, or coercive control in the workforce. 

“Women in our province have too often been silenced by the misuse of NDAs and other mechanisms of control,” said Mombourquette. “I’m proud to table this bill on behalf of the Women’s Liberal Commission in hopes that it prevents NDAs from being used to hide abuse, harassment, or coercion, and that victims have the ability to speak out safely.”

In addition, Interim Leader Iain Rankin will table two bills to strengthen supports for survivors. An amendment to the Labour Code would act on recommendations from advocates to implement a gender-based violence leave. This builds on the Code’s current provisions for domestic violence leave and acknowledges the broad range of violence that is often experienced by women. The other bill would initiate a long overdue review of victim services, giving victims and survivors a meaningful role in evaluating the supports available to them.

“We are seeing cuts in this budget to some of our most vulnerable groups at the very time supports are needed most,” said Rankin. “Gender-based violence is a crisis affecting people across Nova Scotia. It is an epidemic, and it must be treated as such. These bills are a step toward ensuring Nova Scotians have the protections and services they deserve.”

February 27, 2026

Nova Scotia Liberal MLAs are tabling the Women’s Health Strategy Act – legislation that would require the province to develop and implement a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy to improve health outcomes for women. 

Women’s health in Nova Scotia continues to face serious gaps. The province has some of the highest rates of breast and cervical cancer in the country, placing many women at increased risk. At the same time, essential supports for new parents have been reduced, including the closure last fall of Halifax’s publicly funded Infant Feeding Support Drop-In Clinic, leaving families without critical guidance and care. These challenges have real consequences: a recent survey by IWK Health found that three in four women avoid seeking medical care out of fear they will be dismissed or neglected.

“Women’s health cannot be an afterthought,” said Interim Leader Iain Rankin. “This bill creates a clear, accountable plan to improve care, strengthen research, and ensure women are heard and taken seriously in our health system.”

Informed by the IWK’s WHEN (Women’s Health Equity Now) initiative, the legislation would establish measurable targets, annual public reporting, a Women’s Health Advisory Council, and a Provincial Women’s Health Lead to coordinate action across government.

“When women are telling us they don’t feel safe seeking care, we have a responsibility to act,” said Health Critic Derek Mombourquette. “Instead of cutting research, we should be investing in it. This Act ensures women’s health is backed by data, accountability, and real progress.”

February 26, 2026

Nova Scotia Liberals are introducing a series of bills today aimed at reining in Nova Scotia Power and putting ratepayers first. After months of hearing from Nova Scotians frustrated by rising bills, unreliable service, and a lack of accountability, Liberal MLAs are putting forward practical measures the government can pass immediately.

“Nova Scotians want a utility that works for them, not the other way around,” said Interim Leader Iain Rankin. “When the Premier made himself Energy minister, he gave himself the responsibility to act. Today, we’re providing him with practical steps he can take right now to lower costs, increase accountability, and restore trust. His own government has already supported some of these ideas in submissions to the regulator. It’s time to follow through.”

Rankin will introduce legislation to cap Nova Scotia Power’s return on equity at 7.6 per cent – the same limit the government called for in their submission to the Nova Scotia Energy Board. Further amendments tabled by the Liberals would require the Energy Board to order an independent review of Nova Scotia Power. The Liberals were the first to call for this review in October, citing serious concerns about the utility’s finances, reliability challenges, and the fallout from its cybersecurity attack.

House Leader Derek Mombourquette will table legislation requiring Nova Scotia Power to present a multi-year rate plan to provide predictability and stability for families and businesses. Liberals called for this framework to give ratepayers clearer expectations and avoid frequent, unpredictable rate increases. Mombourquette will also table the Electric Utility Estimated Billing Interest Act, requiring Nova Scotia Power to pay interest when customers are overcharged due to estimated billing errors.

“Families are doing everything they can to manage rising costs,” said Mombourquette. “If Nova Scotia Power makes a mistake and overcharges someone, they shouldn’t just quietly correct it – they should pay that money back with interest. Accountability has to go both ways.”

February 25, 2026

After the Houston government signalled it will not meet its $10-a-day childcare target by next month, Nova Scotia Liberals are introducing legislation to protect affordability and bring fairness and transparency to a childcare system that families say is increasingly difficult to navigate.

The proposed Childcare Organization and Waitlist Act would establish a centralized, province-wide childcare waitlist and create a dedicated agency to oversee access and planning. The Liberals have previously called for a centralized waitlist to prevent parents from having to register with multiple providers, often as early as when they find out they are expecting. 

The bill would also require the government to invest the necessary funds to reach the critical $10-a-day target – ensuring families are not left paying more because of this government’s inaction.

“Families built their plans around this commitment,” said Interim Leader Iain Rankin. “We leveraged federal funding because Nova Scotia had already laid the groundwork with pre-primary, securing one of the strongest childcare agreements in the country. There is no reason to walk away from that progress now. Parents deserve stability and follow-through.”

Affordable childcare will also be the subject of tonight’s late debate, where House Leader Derek Mombourquette will call on the government to provide transparency and a clear path forward.

“Meeting the $10-a-day commitment should not be optional,” said Mombourquette. “If this government can find money for untendered contracts and poor planning, it can find the resources to support families and meet this critical target. Parents shouldn’t be paying the price for this government’s misguided choices.”

February 24, 2026

Yesterday, the Houston government tabled another deficit budget, cutting programs and jobs while leaving Nova Scotians to shoulder the consequences. Today, the Nova Scotia Liberals will table three bills aimed at improving financial accountability, protecting public services, and laying the foundation for long-term economic growth.

“This government’s financial decisions have put unnecessary strain on Nova Scotians,” said Interim Leader Iain Rankin. “These bills are about making sure we plan responsibly, protect programs people rely on, and set the foundation for a stronger economy.”

The Liberals will table:

• Financial Accountability Office Act, tabled by Rankin, would create an independent budget watchdog, similar to the Parliamentary Budget Office in Ottawa, to provide analysis and hold the government accountable to its spending.
• Amendments to the Finance Act, tabled by Finance critic Derek Mombourquette would act on recommendations from the Auditor General to require all additional appropriations to go before the legislature. In each year of office, this government has spent more than $1 billion outside the approved budget, bypassing oversight and transparency.
• Comprehensive Economic Strategy Act, also tabled by Rankin, would require the government to develop an overdue long-term economic plan that supports traditional sectors while fostering growth in emerging areas such as tech, ocean, and clean energy.

“We were disappointed to see cuts in this budget caused by poor planning,” said Mombourquette. “That’s why throughout this House session, we will continue raising these concerns and offering practical alternatives that strengthen our economy and protect Nova Scotians’ programs and services.”

February 19, 2026

As Nova Scotians brace for what is expected to be another historic deficit from the Houston government, Nova Scotia Liberals are outlining their priorities for the upcoming spring sitting of the legislature, starting with legislation to create an independent Budget Watchdog.

With this session centered on the provincial budget, Liberals say greater transparency and accountability are urgently needed after years of reckless spending, untendered contracts, and mounting deficits that are putting programs Nova Scotians rely on at risk.

The first bill tabled by the Liberal caucus will establish an independent, non-partisan Budget Watchdog – similar to the Parliamentary Budget Officer in Ottawa and Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office – to provide objective analysis of the government’s fiscal projections, the true cost of new spending, and the financial impact of legislation introduced in the House.

“Nova Scotians deserve to know the real numbers,” said Interim Leader Iain Rankin. “When deficits and costs keep climbing, families are left wondering who is looking out for their tax dollars. An independent Budget Watchdog would bring transparency, accountability, and facts back into the budgeting process.”

After years of growing deficits and financial uncertainty, it is critical to put safeguards in place to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and transparently.

In addition to establishing an independent Budget Watchdog, the Liberal caucus will focus on key priorities to strengthen Nova Scotia’s economy, including:

• Addressing pocketbook pressures by reining in Nova Scotia Power through an independent review and a stable, affordable multi-year rate plan that gives families and businesses predictability. Liberals will also stand up for the $10-a-day childcare so more parents can access the affordable childcare they were promised and return to the workforce.
• Investing in infrastructure that supports growth, including tackling traffic congestion, ensuring major healthcare infrastructure projects are delivered on time and on budget, and closing export gaps in regions like Cape Breton so communities across Nova Scotia can fully participate in economic growth.
• Strengthening government to strengthen the economy by reducing over budget spending, ending untendered contracts and partisan appointments, and delivering a credible economic plan that restores accountability, builds investor confidence, and ensures taxpayer dollars are focused on long-term growth.

“This session needs to be about accountability and results,” said House Leader Derek Mombourquette. “Nova Scotians expect responsible budgeting, stronger public services, and an economy that works in every region of our province. We’re putting forward practical solutions that restore transparency, protect the services families rely on, and ensure government is focused on the right priorities.”

February 6, 2026

Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin is calling on the Houston government to reaffirm Nova Scotia’s interim target of protecting 15 per cent of provincial land, warning that failure to meet the commitment next month could put critical federal funding at risk.

Under the Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement, the province committed to reaching 15 per cent land protection by the end of March 2026. As recently as October, the former Minister of Natural Resources said the government was still committed to that goal, but with just weeks to go, that goal is in question.

“This matters not just for our environment, but because federal funding is on the line,” said Rankin. “If Nova Scotia fails to meet its commitments, Ottawa can claw that money back. With a massive deficit and growing financial pressures, every single dollar counts.”

Just this week, New Brunswick reaffirmed its commitment to the same 15 per cent protection target. In order for Nova Scotia to meet the same deadline, the government would need to protect an area of land roughly the size of Kejimkujik National Park by the end of March.

“Provinces like New Brunswick recognize that land protection is about long-term stewardship and accountability,” said Rankin. “The government needs to recommit to this target and explain how it plans to protect that much land in the coming weeks, before federal funding is put at risk.”

January 7, 2026

Today, Interim Leader Iain Rankin will intervene on behalf of the Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus in Nova Scotia Power’s latest rate hike application, opposing yet another increase and calling for a shift to a stable multi-year rate plan to end the cycle of constant, reactive power bill hikes.

Nova Scotia Power is seeking an 8 per cent rate increase over the next two years – a proposal that would force families and businesses to pay hundreds of dollars more annually at a time when affordability pressures are already stretched. The request follows years of repeated increases that have created uncertainty for households and employers alike, prompting the Liberals to urge the Energy Board to use its authority under the Public Utilities Act to implement a multi-year rate plan.

“Nova Scotians cannot afford to keep paying more, year after year, for electricity that is too often unreliable,” said Rankin. “Other jurisdictions have adopted multi-year rate plans to give families and businesses the predictability they need, while requiring the utility to manage costs responsibly instead of coming back again and again for more. Nova Scotia should do the same.”

The Liberals’ submission also points to government failures that have contributed to rising power costs, including delays in modernizing the grid and accelerating the transition away from coal. 

“We need long-term planning that puts affordability and reliability first,” said Rankin. “Nova Scotians deserve an electricity system that works for them – not one that keeps asking them to pay more for less.”