Objectives Met in Fall Sitting

Premier John Hamm said Nova Scotians should be pleased with the government's accomplishments during the fall sitting of the legislature. Twenty-two pieces of government legislation were passed during 21 days of the sitting that ended today.

"With so many legislative accomplishments in just three weeks, Nova Scotia taxpayers can rest assured that this productive fall sitting was time and money well spent," said Premier Hamm. "Our government remains on course to doing the job Nova Scotians elected us to do."

Among the new laws passed this fall by the government, highlights include:

• the Lobbyist Registration Act, making Nova Scotia only the second province in Canada to pass such a law;
• the Domestic Violence Intervention Act, giving victims of domestic violence more protection, as recently recommended by the Russell report into domestic violence;
• the Consumer Protection Act, giving Internet consumers greater protection;
• the Wildlife Act, keeping the government's commitment to legally enshrine heritage hunting and fishing;
• the Co-operative Associations Act, providing greater flexibility for Nova Scotia's 400 co-operatives;
• the Conservation Easements Act, making it easier for landowners and conservation organizations to protect private lands;
• the Municipal Law Amendment (2001) Act, encouraging municipalities to provide property tax exemptions to registered charities;
• the Revenue Act, implementing the government's second hike in tobacco taxes in seven months;
• the Costs and Fees Act, giving the courts more flexibility to waive fees, particularly for low-income Nova Scotians;
• the Vital Statistics Act, making it tougher to commit fraud using a birth certificate;
• the Agriculture and Marketing Act, eliminating needless red tape for farmers; and
• the Underground Hydrocarbons Storage Act, streamlining the regulatory process for natural gas storage underground.

The premier added his support for measures taken by Finance Minister Neil LeBlanc this fall to protect the province's financial position.

"The Minister of Finance continues to make the necessary adjustments to ensure we remain on course to table a balanced budget next year," said Premier Hamm. "We do this not only to keep our promise to Nova Scotians, but because a government that no longer runs on borrowed money is a government that has the resources for health care, education and transportation."

Premier Hamm also noted the work of Education Minister Jane Purves in addressing the financial problems uncovered at a number of school boards.

"The Minister of Education has taken important steps to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are spent where they belong, in the classroom," said the premier. "She has been open in bringing forward the necessary information and calling in independent, outside investigators through the RCMP and forensic auditors. The minister has also used her authority obtained under this spring's Bill 20 to make third-party agencies like school boards more accountable for the taxpayer dollars they spend."