HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s elected representatives will be back to work on Thursday for the start of the fall session of the provincial legislature.
Premier Stephen McNeil says legislation to merge nine of the province’s 10 district health authorities into one will be introduced “very soon.”
Acting NDP leader Maureen MacDonald says it’s legislation she won’t support because she believes it focuses on administrative changes.
Shale gas development and fracking are also expected to be hot topics.
The government has already announced plans to introduce legislation banning high-volume hydraulic fracturing in Nova Scotia.
McNeil said the legislation “only say that if we go forward, that in the future it will have a public debate component to it.”
While details of the Liberals’ plans for the bill aren’t yet known, it’s something Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie already knows he will oppose.
He says banning shale gas development will cost the province job opportunities and will limit the development of natural resources.
“By banning it we’ll never know, and I think that’s wrong when so many people are looking for work,” he said.
Both opposition party leaders say they plan to keep the government accountable this session and also introduce their own bills.
“One of the bills that I will again bring is to take the Ivany report and put it in law and require the government to produce a plan of action,” said Baillie.
“We have a number of things that we will be bringing forward in term of better health care,” said MacDonald. “Better environmental standards and better social program protection for the most vulnerable in the province.”
The session will open at 2 p.m. with a speech from the throne, which can be viewed live online at www.novascotia.ca.
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