We have a new subsection of In the News on NSFM: NS Democracy Issues
BACKGROUND
Democracy at Work: The”Forest Funeral” on Oct 17, 2017 This event “was organized by the Healthy Forest Coalition and the Ecology Action Centre to highlight and mourn the losses of mature and old growth Acadian forest and associated wildlife due to extensive clearcutting over the last 50+ years. The clearcutting has taken place under the tenure of governments variously formed by the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP.”
View Words, rhythms and songs of the Forest Funeral at Province House, Nova Scotia, Oct 19, 2017 Post on NSFN 20Oct2017. Many of the participants were actively and constructively involved in two successive reviews of forest management in NS, the Natural Resources Strategy (2008-2010) and the Independent Review of Forest Practices of 2017-2018. The current NS Gov has adopted major recommendations of the latter, but notably not as of yet at least, the Forest EA which would provide transparency and public engagement in ongoing forest management on Crown lands.
Lack of transparency surrounding NS Governments’ handing of forestry and of environmental issues more broadly has been a major issue for decades, and regardless of the party forming government. Those governments more recently were formed by PCs (1999-2009), NDP (2009-2013), Liberals (2013-2021) and PCs again (2021, ongoing).
The first PC Government (2021-2024) under Premier Tim Houston, acted quickly and progressively on some major environmental issues early on.
However, early in its new mandate, the Houston Government has targeted “Special interests [who] have captured too many parts of our economy and have had an out-sized voice in policy creation.” “That” said Houston “must end.” (CBC, 22Jan2025)
These Special Interests evidently are those who in any way question the PCs “push for more natural resource development in Nova Scotia” (CBC, 22Jan2025).
In short order the PC Government has “introduced a series of government bills that will make them a lot less accountable, transparent, and accessible to the media and the public” (LP, 24Feb2025).
This NEW subsection of NSFM’s In the News compiles related news items beginning with the Premier’s Letter to Caucus on Jan 21st, 2025. Items are listed in reverse chronological order (most recent items at top).
NSFM also provides some coverage of comments in Social Media under On Social Media.
View In the News: NS Democracy Issues