The leader of Nova Scotia's NDP is warning recently introduced government legislation eliminating several independent agencies is putting too much power in the hands of government departments.

Premier Tim Houston’s PC government announced several pieces of legislation last week that would bring the housing authorities, municipal finance corporation, gaming and Perennia under direct control of the provincial government.

The premier argued that if he is to be accountable for the work of these departments his government should have a direct hand in managing the day-to-day operations.

Leader of the NDP Claudia Chender says that interpretation is too broad.

“Well, it will ultimately make him directly accountable for what goes on, of course, because he is the Premier and Nova Scotians will have a referendum in 2025 on whether he remains the Premier. But in the meantime,” said Chender, “the government should be accountable to the people. And by making these changes it is no longer nearly as accountable as it once was.”

A series of government news releases outlines the new pieces of legislation, saying they will increase accountability and create a new Crown corporation responsible for public housing in Nova Scotia; reduce duplication of roles; improve efficiency and bring Nova Scotia in line with other Atlantic provinces by having the staff who conduct and manage gaming part of government and make Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. a Crown corporation so it can work more closely with the government, increase public awareness of its services, and be more transparent.

Chender says the PC government has established a troubling pattern of centralizing power around them, starting with the firing of the Nova Scotia Health board, shortly after taking office.

“Made it accountable to a CEO who reported up to the premier. Now we’re seeing that repeated with multiple formally independent agencies and crown [corporations] right across government. I think we lose a level of accountability; I think we lose the benefit of expertise and I think it fundamentally politicizes basic services from housing to finance to a number of other operations of the government,” said Chender.

Following the recent firing of several high-profile CEOs from their positions in crown agencies and corporations, Chender is concerned about the morale of public sector employees.

“I would say that most people who interact with government would agree that there is what I think would best be described as a chill in the public service. People are afraid of making a misstep and losing their job or being reprimanded and my assumption is that that will only intensify.”

Chender says it is arguable that reform was required in some cases but in many, government is doing exactly the opposite of what reviews have indicated is needed.

As an example, Chender says the Affordable Housing Commission recommended establishing an independent, arms-length body to oversee affordable housing and instead Nova Scotians are getting another department of government.

“The rationale for that is that you can make good policy driven decisions that are not subject to political whims. What we’ve seen from Premier Houston’s time in government is that nothing in government is immune to political whims from hiring his friends to firing well-respected civil servants,” said Chender. “Everything seems to go through the Premier’s office, and this will just solidify that pattern.”

Should the legislation pass during this sitting of the house, as expected, the Housing Act and Housing Nova Scotia Act will be repealed and replaced with the Housing Services and Supply Act effective Dec. 1.

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