October 8, 2026
The following is an opinion piece from the Hon. Dr. Kevin Murphy, ECNS, who served as the former MLA for Eastern Shore and first person with a disability to be elected Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, in Canada and the Commonwealth.
When government asks Nova Scotians to weigh in on the next provincial budget, it matters who is listening.
The Houston government has appointed a committee to review what it hears through its budget consultation. It includes many esteemed Nova Scotians from the business community, the arts and other sectors. But one perspective is notably absent: there is no one from the disability community.
Nearly 40 per cent of Nova Scotians identify as having a disability. That is a significant part of our population, and one that was disproportionately affected by the government’s proposed cuts last year.
Those cuts were ultimately reversed, but the experience should have reinforced the importance of having people with lived experience involved in decisions that directly affect them.
There is a difference between asking a community to submit feedback and having someone from that community at the table when that feedback is being considered. When government is making decisions with significant consequences for people’s lives, lived experience matters.
And there is good reason to be concerned about what comes next.
Last year’s budget included more than $300 million in cuts, including proposed cuts to programs and grants supporting persons with disabilities. This year, the government is committed to a total of $600 million in spending reductions, making this budget consultation particularly important for the disability community.
Disability organizations and individuals with disabilities who rely on government funding are already stretching every dollar. Organizations are delivering essential supports and working towards making Nova Scotia barrier free and more inclusive, often with limited resources, and they cannot simply absorb another round of cuts without consequences for the people who depend on them.
We saw what happened when disability supports were put on the chopping block last time. The government ultimately restored funding following significant opposition, including $21.4 million in grants supporting seniors and persons with disabilities, along with additional funding for community programs.
We cannot assume the same supports will be protected next time.
That is why representation matters for persons with disabilities. Government needs to understand not only what a line in a budget means on paper, but what that decision means for a person who relies on a support, a family trying to make ends meet, or an organization already doing more with less.
As the provincial government prepares another budget with more cuts on the horizon, it has an opportunity to make sure the voices of persons with disabilities are part of the conversation from the beginning.
They should not have to wait until after the decisions are made to make their case.