Following government backroom deals, NDP names critic for Ethics and Accountability

HALIFAX — On Thursday, Opposition Leader Claudia Chender announced Sackville-Cobequid MLA Paul Wozney as the NDP Critic for Ethics and Accountability. Wozney is taking on this new position, dedicated to getting answers for Nova Scotians and reforming the rules that give governments too much power to keep people in the dark about their spending, lobbying and procurement practices.

“Nova Scotians deserve to know who benefits from government’s decisions,” said Chender. “They deserve to know how their hard-earned money is being spent and if government policies are actually making a difference. While Nova Scotians are working hard to afford rent, power, and groceries, the Houston government continues to strike backroom deals with party insiders and personal friends instead of working for the Nova Scotians they were elected to serve.”

The Houston government is now openly considering selling off West Mabou Beach Provincial Park for a project with no registered lobbyist that is being blatantly pushed by Tory insiders. The premier is openly musing about overturning a municipal bylaw that would allow plans to infill Dartmouth Cove, a project proposed by one of Houston’s “close personal friends.”

This news comes days after media reported that the PC government handed a $1.9 million untendered Nova Scotia Loyal contract to a company run by Tory insiders, including Tim Houston’s former director of communications.

“This government seems to think that they can ignore the needs of everyday Nova Scotians – all while lining the pockets of Tory friends and insiders,” said Wozney. “This government spends billions of dollars outside the budget process. They legislate away Nova Scotians’ right to protest on Crown Lands. They hide reports on emergency room closures and environmental racism. They break their word when it serves them, and they just wrapped up one of the shortest legislative sessions in Nova Scotia’s history. Meanwhile, so many issues like the high cost of rent, power, and other essentials go unaddressed. The bottom line is: this government was elected to serve all Nova Scotians, not just their backroom buddies.”

“We’re going to use every tool available both inside and outside the legislature to get answers for the people of this province,” said Chender. “We’re going to reform the lobby registry so that people know who this government is listening to and working for. We’re going to make procurement processes better so governments can’t cut million-dollar cheques to their friends with no competition. We’re going to ensure the government does the work for Nova Scotians in the legislature instead of wrapping things up whenever they feel like it.”

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