This is the earliest the legislature has been called back since 1995 — and for good reason. There are major issues that must be debated.
This session will be very heavy as the McNeil government puts forward legislation on some controversial topics.
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly is back in session on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Those topics include education administrative reform, electoral boundaries, cannabis legislation and, of course, passage of the annual budget.
On Jan. 23, Dr. Avis Glaze presented her review of the administration of our education system. Following that announcement, the Minister of Education announced that the government would be moving forward with 11 of the 22 recommendations in the report.
Some of the more controversial of these recommendations include eliminating all the English school boards in the province and removing principals and vice- principals from the NSTU. These are proposals that will require changes to legislation.
There will be intense debate on this topic not only in the House of Assembly, but all over Nova Scotia.
The Dartmouth East PC association will be holding a town hall on education on Monday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Woodlawn United Church. People can attend and have their say about the proposed education reforms.
In 2012, the NDP government removed three protected electoral ridings. In January 2017, the Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia ruled that the removal of these protected ridings was unconstitutional.
The McNeil government must now put forward a bill that corrects this imbalance and ensures a boundary commission redraws the electoral map to ensure Acadian and African Nova Scotian voices are present in the legislature.
On July 1, the consumption and distribution of cannabis will be legal. Provinces will be responsible for the regulation, distribution and taxation of cannabis.
The McNeil government has proposed 19 as the legal age and the NSLC as the distributor.
The goal of the legalization is to eliminate the black market. This debate is sure to be lively, to say the least.
Every spring, the Nova Scotia government passes its annual budget. In 2017–2018, the annual budget for our province was $10.6 billion with $10.5 billion in expenses.
Health care is the biggest investment in our budget, since it accounts for $4.2 billion.
Education and early childhood development is the second-largest investment and accounts for $1.3 billion in taxpayer money.
Not a day goes by where my office does not receive a call asking for help to find a family doctor.
I hope this budget is when the government finally acts to help solve this problem.
While the legislature is in session, my availability will be more limited, but I always want to hear what community members have to say.
Please do not hesitate to reach out about your thoughts on the many issues we will be debating in the weeks ahead.
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