REALITY CHECK: Bills do get amended, despite Houston’s claims

HALIFAX – Between 1999 and 2024, more than 300 bills have been amended through the Law Amendments Committee – a fact Premier Tim Houston seemed unaware of during today’s sitting in the House of Assembly.

“I don’t know that a single bill was amended at that committee,” Houston claimed Friday, as his government sought to further erode Nova Scotia’s democratic institutions by weakening the committee’s function.

The Law Amendments Committee exists to allow the public to provide feedback on legislation, and committee members can propose amendments based on that input.

Contrary to Houston’s statement, the committee has long played a key role in shaping legislation. Here are just some of the 310 bills that have been amended through Law Amendments:

• The Accessibility Act was improved following extensive submissions and hearings at the Law Amendments Committee;
• The Residential Tenancies Act was amended to improve definitions and make it easier for tenants to change their lease types;
• The Trade Union Act was amended to streamline the process of settling collective agreements and ensuring arbitration plays a stronger role in dispute resolution.

In yet another undemocratic move, the Houston government is silencing efforts to improve legislation by barring the public, experts, advocates, and committee members from proposing amendments in the newly renamed Public Bills Committee.

“Perhaps the Premier should educate himself before rushing to change the function of a committee he doesn’t understand,” said NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender. “The fact that hundreds of amendments were made during this committee shows that it’s serving its purpose.”

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