Leave Money in Their Pockets

Premier Tim Houston spoke with Jeff Douglas of CBC Mainstreet about removing the bridge tolls and reducing the HST as a means for the NS Government to leave money in people’s pockets.

Student Money for Transit?

Some of the people who cross the bridges with Halifax Transit see no benefit by removal of the toll. Many people who bring their cars across the bridges can afford to pay for the infrastructure that benefits them when crossing the harbour.

The HST reduction leaves more money in the pockets of people who can afford to buy expensive goods and provides a little relief for those who cannot buy expensive items.

As a 40 year retired resident of suburban HRM who travelled to work in Dartmouth and Halifax on the bus, and who, now, often chooses Halifax Transit to avoid street congestion and parking difficulties along the harbour, I can testify to the benefit to students of a bus pass. If the students or their financial supporters are denied help with the cost of transit, money will be removed from the pockets of another group that often has very little disposable income. A petition to restore the bus pass is available to sign for submission to the Premier.

The hardship that the Premier is concerned about is likely to increase for young people and low income residents and be even more unlikely to over-tax the residents who may not notice the 1% HST reduction.

Strong Mayor and Weak Democracy

In a recent Facebook reel, Premier Tim Houston spoke above the tag line that he will always stand up for Nova Scotians and fight for what matters most. He cites the displeasure of those who travel to Halifax with the traffic situation in the Capital city. He speaks of a serious disconnect between serving the needs and aspirations of the citizens of HRM and the actions of HRM council with regard to traffic management on a particular street in central Halifax. 

2024 Nova Scotia General Election results

A review of the 2024 Nova Scotia General Election results shows the success of Houston’s PC’s in most of the Province. Urban Areas of HRM and CBRM voted for parties in opposition to the government. The claim of the Premier to speak with more concern for the people than their elected HRM councillors in these areas is less credible when the election results are considered. When the legitimacy of elected representatives is questioned, particularly in those in high population areas, the threat to democracy is salient.

The threat that a mechanism to overrule decisions by elected representatives through establishment of a “strong mayor” with power to overrule and hire or fire municipal employees may create a scenario where political support or connections of the “strong mayor” to other layers of provincial or federal administrations may be an anti-democratic path to realise political objectives impacting urban citizens in a manner not approved by their elected councillors.

An article by Lyndsay Armstrong of the The Canadian Press suggests that some Halifax councillors are worried about “strong-mayor” powers that may be coming. Tom Urbaniak, a political scientist at Cape Breton University, comments that the province would be wise to wait and see how stronger mayoral authority plays out in Ontario municipalities before following suit.

“In our world today, where democracy is very much at risk, I’m going to respectfully advise caution about major (government) restructuring that was not on the agenda when people last voted,” (Armstrong, n.d.)

“It’s sort of like a mini American presidency, but actually with less congressional oversight. So we need to be very, very careful,” (Armstrong, n.d.)

Armstrong reports that Premier Houston said Thursday he is both “looking at” the possibility of strong-mayor powers and considering using a bill that has passed — but not yet entered into force — to overrule Halifax council’s recent decision to move ahead with a bike lane on a south-end city street.  Armstrong notes that Councillor Sam Austin presented the motion and told council that a move toward strong-mayor powers would undermine councillors’ ability to adequately represent their constituents. Austin said putting so much power into one person’s hands is “deeply problematic,” and Councillor Janet Steele said strong-mayor powers could mute the other voices on council. Steele is reported as saying during the meeting on Thursday”

“It’s moving towards almost authoritarianism, it’s not the way we want to go. These are slippery slopes. I for one don’t want to be sliding down that slope,” Steele said during the meeting on Thursday. (Armstrong, n.d.)

We need only look to the republic to the south to see the negative consequences when political leaders refuse to “stay in their lane” and attempt to enforce their political agenda in areas that are the democratic responsibility of other components of our democracy.

References

Armstrong, L. (n.d.). Strong-mayor powers and why some Halifax councillors are worried it could be coming. Global News | Breaking, Latest News and Video for Canada. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://globalnews.ca/news/11287363/halifax-strong-mayor-powers/ 

No Kings No Uranium

Political heat is the radiation that may indicate a dangerous attitude of “My way or no Highway” beginning to glow as Premier Houston reacts to less than enthusiastic support of renewing uranium mining in Nova Scotia.

Some Press Coverage of Uranium Mining in NS

Haley Ryan of CBC News reports that Premier Houston sent West Hants and Pictou County lengthy lists of projects and groups that have seen provincial funding.

Houston said the province has invested about $227.3 million into Hants County — aside from health care — through about 88 projects and groups since he took office in 2021.

The list of projects and funding recipients included flood-risk infrastructure, public housing maintenance, Highway 101 twinning, the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia, legions, bridges, Mermaid Theatre, ground search and rescue teams, and a bullet point item saying simply "various programs."

"These are just a few of the investments and I have no doubt that your council has many more wants and needs. We would love to be able to meet every ask, but to do that, we need the resources to move forward," (Ryan, n.d.)

Taryn Grant of CBC News reports that the Province plans to issue exploration licences for uranium this summer even as some municipalities ask the province to hit the brakes on uranium exploration in N.S.

"We just have had no communication," said Coun. Brian Connell, who put forward the motion in Annapolis.

"No one can believe how fast the province is moving on this, and many feel that that is by design," said Coun. Alison Smith, who put forward the motion in Lunenburg.

Coun. Alison Smith says the Municipality of the Distrtict of Lunenburg is not taking an advocacy position yet on uranium exploration and mining; it simply wants things to slow down. (Alison Smith/Facebook)

Smith said she was not asking for a vote on whether uranium development should happen. But she noted that there may be an opportunity to take such a stance in the near future.

Last month, Smith and her colleagues asked for a staff report on the risks of uranium mining and exploration in the LaHave River Watershed. Smith said she expects that report back next week.

"When we have more facts in front of us, we may want to take a 'for' or 'against' advocacy position," she said.

The request for a pause builds on several months of public outcry about the province's plans for uranium development. (Grant, n.d.)

In a report by Lyndsay Armstrong of The Canadian Press, published by the CBC, Mi'kmaw chiefs in Nova Scotia advise that continued failure to consult on uranium exploration is a harmful mistake. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young says 'The lack of consultation is unacceptable,'

In her statement, Young said the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia understand that Nova Scotia's economy is facing international pressures.

"But any resource development in Mi'kma'ki must include our consent and participation as we are the rightful owners of these lands, waters and resources," Young said, speaking as co-lead of the environment, energy and mines portfolio on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs.

Rosalie Francis, a Mi'kmaw lawyer whose firm is based out of Sipekne'katik First Nation, said the province risks further damaging their relationship with Mi'kmaw communities and sabotaging the potential uranium industry by failing to consult adequately and early.

"By choosing not to consult, it scares away investors, destroys the relationship and gets us back to starting at zero," Francis said in an interview Tuesday.

"It all comes down to trust, and this completely diminishes any kind of trust." (Armstrong, n.d.)

Taryn Grant of CBC News reports that Premier Tim Houston says the province will keep pushing for more resources development even after there was zero interest in Nova Scotia's call for uranium exploration.

The mining association said the province is "on the right track," and now needs to streamline the permitting process for mining projects.

Opposition politicians said the lack of bids on uranium licences begs questions about Houston's "agenda."

"Where is the urgency coming from when Nova Scotians didn't ask for this and there doesn't seem to be interest from industry?" said NDP MLA Lisa Lachance in a statement.

Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said he was not surprised.

"Obviously, at this point right now, industry isn't looking at uranium in the province," he told reporters. "I think we need to engage with communities and take a pause." (Grant, n.d.)

Perhaps consultation with other elected representatives, possible industrial partners, and Mi'kmaw communities before executive proclamations to continue pushing for more resource development would be a more democratic process with a higher probability of offering less “smoke” and more “fire”.

References

Armstrong, L. (n.d.). https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/uranium-exploration-consultation-mikmaw-chiefs-1.7559302. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/uranium-exploration-consultation-mikmaw-chiefs-1.7559302 

Grant, T. (n.d.). There was zero interest in Nova Scotia's call for uranium exploration | CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/there-was-zero-interest-in-nova-scotia-s-call-for-uranium-exploration-1.7559745 

Grant, T. (n.d.). 3 more municipalities ask province to hit the brakes on uranium exploration in N.S. | CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/3-more-municipalities-ask-province-to-hit-the-brakes-on-uranium-exploration-in-n-s-1.7558276 

Ryan, H. (n.d.). N.S. premier says municipalities who want funding must allow 'economic development' after uranium concerns | CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-premier-municipalities-want-provincial-funding-must-allow-economic-development-uranium-1.7562763 

Different Understanding of Housing Concerns

The housing emergency in Nova Scotia is increasing daily and the understanding of the problem by provincial political leadership appears to differ in important details with the assessment of the situation by at least one Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor. This development resonates with concerns expressed in the Housing and Ideology post in June 2023. As noted then, political ideology may be a serious obstacle to effective action in the area of housing. 

Housing is a Human Right

Haley Ryan of CBC News reports on differences between the understanding of housing fees and timelines in Halifax between Nova Scotia Premier, Tim Houston, and Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor, Shawn Cleary for District 9, Halifax West Armdale.

Houston said the municipality is taking too long to approve housing projects, while fees for building, construction and waste water have climbed "through the roof" and are too expensive for developers to handle.

Cleary said it's unclear whether it's Houston personally who is not up to speed, his staff, or Housing Minister John Lohr — "but clearly someone is not providing him with correct information." (Ryan, 2023)

Housing Concern	Houston understanding	Cleary understanding
approve housing projects	Taking too long	cut waiting times in half for construction and mixed-use permits,
fees for building, construction and waste water	have climbed "through the roof"	council raised building permit fees by 25 per cent; but following the CPI they would be 69 per cent higher.
Delay in construction	No mention of labour and supply chain issues	labour and supply chain issues are the real holdup right now.
bulldozing forests and putting up all new infrastructure	special planning areas fast-tracked by the province that will create new neighbourhoods.	want developments which are more financially sustainable and more environmentally sustainable
Competitive fees for Halifax		Halifax has the lowest development charges of any major, or other city, across Canada; below the national average when it comes to development charges
waste water and water fees for building projects	have climbed "through the roof"	Halifax Water, not HRM, controls those fees, which are regulated through the Utility and Review Board (UARB).

Haley Ryan expands on some of the details of the difference of understanding between the Premier and the Councillor.

Data that planning staff presented to regional council in August shows Halifax has cut waiting times in half for construction and mixed-use permits, compared to last year. Other permit timelines, including residential, are either below or slightly over their targets depending on the project size.

Development agreements can take the longest, a range of eight months to more than two years, but staff said those lengthier waits are for complicated projects that might need new services or roads — like many of the special planning areas fast-tracked by the province that will create new neighbourhoods.

Fees have gone up in recent years, but not exponentially as suggested by the premier. In 2019, council approved an increase to planning and development fees after a staff report suggested moving them up from 13 per cent of the cost of processing these applications, to 33 per cent. 

As part of this year's budget, council also raised building permit fees by 25 per cent as they had not been adjusted since 1997. A staff report noted that if fees had been increased annually to account for the consumer price index (CPI) up to 2022, they would be 69 per cent higher.

"Halifax actually has the lowest development charges of any major, or other city, across Canada and we're well below the national average when it comes to development charges," Cleary said.

Cleary did agree with Houston on one point — that waste water and water fees for building projects are certainly steep, and Cleary said some could run up to $6,000 a unit.

But, Halifax Water controls those fees, which are regulated through the Utility and Review Board (UARB). (Ryan, 2023)

In the crisis of homelessness that we are experiencing in Nova Scotia, and particularly HRM, one essential criteria for efficient progress on this catastrophe is cooperation between all levels of governments that avoids political “half truths”and acceptance rather than shifting of responsibility.

References

Ryan, H. (2023, September 15). Halifax councillor says N.S. premier's housing comments based on 'sheer ignorance'. CBC. Retrieved September 16, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-councillor-says-n-s-premier-s-housing-comments-based-on-sheer-ignorance-1.6968719?cmp=rss

Head Butting Climate Emergency

Recent public pronouncements from the Premier of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, concerning policy to reduce GHG emissions, mitigate the effect of sea level rise on the Chignecto isthmus, and a proposed energy link connecting the Atlantic provinces to hydroelectricity from Quebec and Labrador seem to prioritize political head butting over necessary and urgent joint federal/provincial action to save money and provide mitigation of climate disaster. 

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Essential Component for the 21st Century

NDP Leader Claudia Chender comments that  the Houston government didn’t do the work on behalf of Nova Scotians to come up with a carbon pricing option other than the pending tax.

“When the deadline came and went for the Houston government to present their own price on carbon and plan for how to get there and they failed to do that, this is the outcome of the government choosing partisan fights over constructive conversations," Chender said. (Campbell, 2023)

Keith Doucette of The Canadian Press comments that Houston seemed unmoved when asked whether the Isthmus of Chignecto risked being damaged by extreme weather while governments haggled over who will pay to protect it.

"We're not the ones risking it, the federal government is the one that's trying to get away from their responsibility," the premier said. (Doucette, 2023)

Sarah Smellie of the Canadian Press  reports that Premier Tim Houston says he’s lost confidence in the feasibility of a proposed energy link connecting the Atlantic provinces to hydroelectricity from Quebec and Labrador.

 

Federal Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc has previously said he hoped the Atlantic Loop could come online by 2030, but today, Houston signaled some concern without a firm financial commitment from the feds. (Smellie, 2023)

Seth Klein, in the National Observer, asks where are the campaigns urging us to switch to public transit? Where are the promo ads inviting young people to train as renewable electricity technicians and installers, building retrofitters, high-speed rail designers, community planners or electric vehicle manufacturers?

First, the good news: In the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and extreme weather events, we are witnessing a shift in the public opinion terrain. Canadians are increasingly anxious about climate change. They understand it to be an emergency and a major threat to their children and grandchildren. And importantly, a solid majority of Canadians are prepared to accept significant and bold policy responses.*

The bad news? Many Canadians are confused and ambivalent. They could be convinced to embrace speedy and transformative action, or not. A sizable chunk of the public is simply unsure of how ambitious we can be. Moreover, people’s prioritization of climate wanes when economic anxieties and affordability challenges are heightened. And so, we need leadership that seeks to link these issues and animate the ambition in us all. (Klein & Logan, 2023)

It is difficult to find a policy championed by the conservative provincial governments or the Conservative Party of Canada that defines action necessary now to mitigate the impact of GHG emissions and lays out a plan to adapt to a low carbon economy.

References

Campbell, F. (2023, June 16). Premier acknowledges carbon tax will punish Nova Scotians at the pumps, places full blame on Ottawa. SaltWire. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/premier-acknowledges-carbon-tax-will-punish-nova-scotians-at-the-pumps-places-full-blame-on-ottawa-100865039/ 

Doucette, K. (2023, June 15). N.S. premier says Ottawa must pay entire bill to protect land link from flooding risk. CBC. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-premier-ottawa-must-pay-protect-isthmus-from-flooding-risk-1.6877811 

Klein, S., & Logan, C. (2023, February 23). Crisis, what crisis? We need a climate emergency information agency. National Observer. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/02/23/opinion/crisis-what-crisis-we-need-climate-emergency-information-agency 

Smellie, S. (2023, June 16). Nova Scotia, Ottawa butt heads over Atlantic Loop as feds look for summer agreement | Globalnews.ca. Global News. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://globalnews.ca/news/9774122/nova-scotia-ottawa-butt-heads-over-atlantic-loop/