A Government That Works For You

Proclaim the Coastal Protection Act

The Coastal Protection Act was passed with all-party support during the previous Liberal government. However after Tim Houston was elected, he spent several years waffling and, in the end, decided not to proclaim it as law, despite widespread public support.

A Nova Scotia Liberal government would respect the will of Nova Scotians, proclaim the Coastal Protection Act, and implement the required regulations across the province. We will work with municipalities to transition any existing coastal protection action plans to one unified set of rules for coastal protection across the province.

Implement Proportional Representation

Our province needs electoral reform to make sure that politicians are accountable to the people and our system reflects the society we live in. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will amend the Elections Act to implement a moderate proportional representation model that maintains strong regional representation. We will appoint an expert commission to determine the details of the plan and ensure that our electoral system maintains the protected representation of Acadians and African Nova Scotians.

Fix the Fixed Election Date

Nova Scotians expect their politicians to follow the law, including the fixed election date. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will strengthen our fixed election date legislation so that any governing party that breaks that law to call an early election must pay a $250,000 fine.

Improve Schools

One of the provincial government’s primary responsibilities is providing kids with a safe, productive place to learn, where each student gets the attention they need to succeed. To improve our provincial education system, a Nova Scotia Liberal government will:

• Initiate a proactive, long-term strategy for building schools across the province that accounts for the future growth of our communities,
• Hire more educational staff to ensure schools have the personnel they need to run smoothly and provide a high quality education,
• Invest in professional development for existing school staff and new hires, increasing their capacity to support students who have complex needs,
• Implement a provincewide strategy to address violence in schools following the recommendations outlined in the 2024 Auditor General’s report,
• Implement the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies educational curriculum in all elementary schools to help all students improve their emotional and social competency, and
• Implement a course with a focus on developing strategies and skills for building and maintaining mental health in all high schools.

Require All Spending to be Approved in the Budget

Each year the Houston government has spent more than a billion dollars in out-of-budget spending, which was not voted on and approved by the legislature. As the Auditor General has said, this financial mismanagement is costing Nova Scotians—there’s absolutely no way to tell if we are getting the best value for this money. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will pass a law that requires all provincial spending to be approved by the legislature and will review all non-approved spending by the current government to save up to $828M a year.

Modernize Government

In order to ensure that Nova Scotians are getting the best from their government, a Nova Scotia Liberal government would empanel a Commission on 21st Century Governance to examine and make recommendations to improve all branches of government, the public service, municipalities, the extended public sector, service delivery, program management, digitization, and AI preparedness.

Bring Back Flexible Work for Public Servants

A Nova Scotia Liberal government will allow all provincial staff to work from home or work in a hybrid setting if their position allows, which will improve work conditions, save the government money on office rent, reduce congestion in Halifax, and provide more opportunities to those that live in rural areas.

Support Local Fisheries

The current provincial government hasn’t done enough to discourage and prevent illegal fishing. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will:

• Hold an inquiry into illegal fishing in Nova Scotia,
• Introduce a no-tolerance policy for illegal fishing,
• Introduce mandatory fines, and revoke buying licenses for repeat offenders,
• Modernize the provincial department of Fisheries and Aquaculture by creating an office responsible for working with the other levels of government to protect our fisheries, and create a dedicated fisheries enforcement unit to ensure enforcement officers have the resources and focus necessary to protect this essential industry.

Improve Emergency Access to Communities

A Nova Scotia Liberal government will create a fund to build emergency access and connector roads in areas deemed high-risk by municipalities, emergency management officials, and other experts. We will make funding available to any community that completes the FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program so they can implement safety improvements that will protect lives and property in cases of wildfires.

Implement a Vulnerable Persons Registry

A Nova Scotia Liberal government will implement a province-wide vulnerable persons registry to ensure that at-risk Nova Scotians can stay safe during emergencies. This will also be a tool to help proactively provide support to Nova Scotians as we ensure that we are prepared for emergencies.

Support Foster Families

A Nova Scotia Liberal government will introduce a retirement saving plan for foster families, providing financial support to foster families, after age 65, to ensure they can afford the cost of living after their many years of service caring for our most vulnerable. These families give so much to our province and we have a responsibility to ensure they receive the support they need.

Invest in Youth Programs

Across the province, organizations like BGC Canada run youth programming that keep at-risk youth engaged, out of trouble, and out of our justice system. These programs save lives and save our justice system resources in the long run. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will invest $4M in ongoing operational funding to expand these programs and ensure that they can serve their communities.

Ban the Misuse of NDAs in Sexual Assault Cases

Too often, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are being used to silence victims and maintain the power imbalance. We will ensure that no Nova Scotian is forced to sign these agreements. A Nova Scotia Liberal government would ban the mis-use of NDAs in cases of sexual assault and harassment.

Support our Firefighters

In order to support our firefighters, a Nova Scotia Liberal government will:

• Pay the full cost for the volunteer firefighters to receive either basic or advanced medical first responder training, whichever the volunteer firefighter chooses, and
• Create a provincial office of the Fire Commissioner to help coordinate fire services across Nova Scotia, increase links between departments, and ensure that all firefighters are receiving the support they need from the provincial government.

Create a Nova Scotia Ethics Commissioner

Many provinces in Canada have an ethics or integrity commissioner to ensure that legislators are behaving ethically, and public money is being spent responsibly. A Nova Scotia Liberal government would create an Ethics Commissioner position that would be responsible for ensuring ethical behaviour by politicians and public servants, and ensure that public money is being spent responsibly. This commissioner would be an officer of the Legislature and would be able to investigate actions and spending by MLAs, staff, and public servants to ensure they meet high standards of ethical behaviour. They would also proactively work to educate MLAs and prevent ethics issues before they happen.

Empower the Privacy Commissioner

Nova Scotia is the only province where the Privacy Commissioner can’t make binding orders on the government. A Nova Scotia Liberal government would give the Privacy Commissioner order-making authority by making them an official commissioner of the Legislature. This will allow the Privacy Commissioner to properly enforce Nova Scotia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, ensuring more transparency from our government.

Provide Additional Resources to the Auditor General

A Nova Scotia Liberal government would provide $1.1M in additional funding to the Auditor General’s office. The Auditor General has indicated that this funding is necessary so the office can better examine healthcare-related spending.