Liberals must cancel legislation against Crown attorneys

Halifax -- The NDP is calling on the McNeil Liberals to withdraw Bill 203, which takes away Crown attorneys’ right to arbitration. The bill was tabled in the middle of negotiations for a new contract with Nova Scotia’s 100 Crown prosecutors last week and is quickly making its way through the Legislature.

“These lawyers are on the frontlines of our justice system, without them major crimes would go unprosecuted,” said NDP Justice Spokesperson Claudia Chender. “The McNeil government has pushed Crown attorneys to the breaking point and is responsible for the job action they are taking today.”

The majority of the province’s Crown attorneys are on strike today with pickets taking place in Sydney and Halifax.

“The McNeil Liberals’ continuous attack on collective bargaining is astonishing,” said NDP Labour Spokesperson Tammy Martin. “We have seen this before and I bet we’ll see it again. The McNeil Liberals do not respect the bargaining process and when they don’t like where a deal is heading, they walk away from the table and push through legislation.”

The Liberal government legislated the teachers’ contract in 2017 and passed Bill 148 which imposed a four-year wage package on thousands of public sector workers. Both of these laws are currently being challenged in court for being unconstitutional.

-30-