Healthcare, Housing Focus of Fall Legislative Session

Improving healthcare and building more housing were the focus of this fall’s historic session of the House of Assembly, which closed today, November 9.

The session started with new legislation to recognize first responders for their ongoing dedication to keeping Nova Scotians safe. The First Responders Day Act was passed unanimously.

“Every day, first responders place themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. That’s why we’re making May 1 First Responders Day in Nova Scotia,” said Premier Tim Houston. “These heroes deserve recognition for the essential role they play in the safety of our communities.”

The government is taking bold action to build more housing, faster with amendments to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) Charter and the Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act. The amendments give the Province legislative authority to speed up development approvals, increase density and reduce barriers to housing builds in HRM.

Legislation was also passed to make changes to short-term rentals like Airbnbs that will help make more long-term housing available. The amendments include higher fees based on community size and penalties for not following the rules.

The Province is also cementing its commitment to universal mental health and addictions care for all Nova Scotians with changes to the Health Services and Insurance Act. Amendments passed this session allow the minister of Addictions and Mental Health to establish insured service programs to deliver mental health and addictions care as part of a publicly funded healthcare system.

“Mental healthcare is healthcare. This legislation brings us one step closer to all Nova Scotians – not just those who can afford it – being able to access mental health and addictions care,” said Premier Houston.

The Province passed legislation that will hold opioid companies accountable for deceptive practices that have led to opioid-related injuries or illnesses. Amendments to the Opioid Damages and Health-care Costs Recovery Act make consultants subject to potential legal action.

The government is creating consistency across healthcare professions in Nova Scotia and making it easier to respond to future changes in those fields. The Regulated Health Professions Act will eventually replace 21 acts and provide a foundation for each profession by standardizing rules and processes.

A new agreement with municipalities – the most significant update to how municipalities work with the Province in almost three decades – is also moving forward. Amendments to several pieces of legislation allow for the implementation of a renegotiated Service Exchange Agreement.

This session also saw two historic firsts with Karla MacFarlane elected as the first female Speaker of the House of Assembly and Twila Grosse taking her seat as the first female African Nova Scotian cabinet minister.

Other legislation passed this fall includes:

• the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial Act to support publicly funded French first-language education programs and services to ensure the well-being and success of Nova Scotia's Acadian and francophone students
• amendments to the Financial Measures Act that will rebate the HST from the construction of new rental units, expand the Capital Investment Tax Credit to include emerging sectors like aerospace and manufacturing, allow private sector employers to join the Public Service Superannuation Plan and extend a 20-year-old tax agreement between municipalities and Eastward Energy by five years
• amendments to the Electricity Act to help add more renewable energy to the grid and clear a path for energy storage solutions
• amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act to allow gradual onset stress to be considered an injury eligible for compensation
• amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act to remove red tape for construction and traffic control companies to use automatic flagging devices.

Additional Resources:

The complete list of bills passed this session is available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-64-session-1

Action for Health, the Province’s strategic plan to improve healthcare: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth