Latest news with #Chender
Global News
a day ago
- Politics
- Global News
N.S. opposition call government out over withholding environmental racism report
Nova Scotia's provincial opposition parties are criticizing the government for continuing to keep a year-old report on environmental racism out of the public eye. Their comments came after Becky Druhan, minister responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, told reporters Thursday that government has requested a meeting with the environmental racism panel that created the report to 'discuss with them before sharing any additional information.' The report was completed by an eight-member panel appointed in June 2023 to look at how racism affects a community's natural environment in Nova Scotia. Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism where environmentally hazardous activities like landfills, trash incinerators, coal plants and toxic waste facilities are set up near Black and racialized communities or Indigenous territories. The report was delivered to the province about a year ago. 'In this instance, the (panel's) mandate didn't include a public report. The mandate was advice to government. So we want to respect the parameters of that,' Druhan said after a cabinet meeting when asked if she will release the report. Story continues below advertisement The panel members included community leaders with expertise in subjects such as Mi'kmaw and African Nova Scotian history, law, health and environmental sciences. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We do know that Nova Scotians want to hear more, and we want to respect the panel and have a conversation with them before we do that,' Druhan said. Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender and Liberal member Derek Mombourquette both said Thursday it's puzzling the province is choosing to withhold this critical information about environmental racism. 'I think they probably don't like what it (the report) says,' Chender said of the provincial government. 'We're talking about a legacy of wrongdoing and harm that this government is now complicit in, because they will not address what it was that came forward' from this panel's work, she added. The idea for the panel came from the NDP, who proposed it in an amendment to climate change legislation that was passed in the fall of 2023. Chender said it 'was no one's understanding' that this panel's work would be kept from the public. 'That report came from an amendment that was put forward by our caucus that specifically called for the establishment of a panel that would provide recommendations to the province for redress,' Chender said. 'It didn't say that it would privately provide some things that the government might consider, and then not tell anyone about it. That doesn't make any sense.' Story continues below advertisement Mombourquette agreed, saying it's 'really shameful' that the report has not yet been made public to Nova Scotians, adding that he represents a constituency that has faced environmental racism in the form of the Sydney tar ponds and coke oven sites in Cape Breton. 'I think that the government should release it immediately. I don't buy this argument that there needs to be a meeting with the panel beforehand. Release the report, let Nova Scotians see what's in it,' he said. When asked if he thinks the report ought to be made public, Premier Tim Houston did not directly answer. 'We're using that to formulate public policy. It's having a positive impact. There is a meeting being organized with a number of ministers and the panellists to talk about… the ways forward,' he said after Thursday's cabinet meeting. When pressed on if he is of the opinion that it should be public, he said 'we'll have a discussion with the panels. I think the most important thing is that the work is actually used.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
N.S. opposition call government out over withholding environmental racism report
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia's provincial opposition parties are criticizing the government for continuing to keep a year-old report on environmental racism out of the public eye. Their comments came after Becky Druhan, minister responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, told reporters Thursday that government has requested a meeting with the environmental racism panel that created the report to 'discuss with them before sharing any additional information.' The report was completed by an eight-member panel appointed in June 2023 to look at how racism affects a community's natural environment in Nova Scotia. Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism where environmentally hazardous activities like landfills, trash incinerators, coal plants and toxic waste facilities are set up near Black and racialized communities or Indigenous territories. The report was delivered to the province about a year ago. 'In this instance, the (panel's) mandate didn't include a public report. The mandate was advice to government. So we want to respect the parameters of that,' Druhan said after a cabinet meeting when asked if she will release the report. The panel members included community leaders with expertise in subjects such as Mi'kmaw and African Nova Scotian history, law, health and environmental sciences. 'We do know that Nova Scotians want to hear more, and we want to respect the panel and have a conversation with them before we do that,' Druhan said. Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender and Liberal member Derek Mombourquette both said Thursday it's puzzling the province is choosing to withhold this critical information about environmental racism. 'I think they probably don't like what it (the report) says,' Chender said of the provincial government. 'We're talking about a legacy of wrongdoing and harm that this government is now complicit in, because they will not address what it was that came forward' from this panel's work, she added. The idea for the panel came from the NDP, who proposed it in an amendment to climate change legislation that was passed in the fall of 2023. Chender said it 'was no one's understanding' that this panel's work would be kept from the public. 'That report came from an amendment that was put forward by our caucus that specifically called for the establishment of a panel that would provide recommendations to the province for redress,' Chender said. 'It didn't say that it would privately provide some things that the government might consider, and then not tell anyone about it. That doesn't make any sense.' Mombourquette agreed, saying it's 'really shameful' that the report has not yet been made public to Nova Scotians, adding that he represents a constituency that has faced environmental racism in the form of the Sydney tar ponds and coke oven sites in Cape Breton. 'I think that the government should release it immediately. I don't buy this argument that there needs to be a meeting with the panel beforehand. Release the report, let Nova Scotians see what's in it,' he said. When asked if he thinks the report ought to be made public, Premier Tim Houston did not directly answer. 'We're using that to formulate public policy. It's having a positive impact. There is a meeting being organized with a number of ministers and the panellists to talk about… the ways forward,' he said after Thursday's cabinet meeting. When pressed on if he is of the opinion that it should be public, he said 'we'll have a discussion with the panels. I think the most important thing is that the work is actually used.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
N.S. opposition call government out over withholding environmental racism report
HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's provincial opposition parties are criticizing the government for continuing to keep a year-old report on environmental racism out of the public eye. Their comments came after Becky Druhan, minister responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, told reporters Thursday that government has requested a meeting with the environmental racism panel that created the report to 'discuss with them before sharing any additional information.' The report was completed by an eight-member panel appointed in June 2023 to look at how racism affects a community's natural environment in Nova Scotia. Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism where environmentally hazardous activities like landfills, trash incinerators, coal plants and toxic waste facilities are set up near Black and racialized communities or Indigenous territories. The report was delivered to the province about a year ago. 'In this instance, the (panel's) mandate didn't include a public report. The mandate was advice to government. So we want to respect the parameters of that,' Druhan said after a cabinet meeting when asked if she will release the report. The panel members included community leaders with expertise in subjects such as Mi'kmaw and African Nova Scotian history, law, health and environmental sciences. 'We do know that Nova Scotians want to hear more, and we want to respect the panel and have a conversation with them before we do that,' Druhan said. Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender and Liberal member Derek Mombourquette both said Thursday it's puzzling the province is choosing to withhold this critical information about environmental racism. 'I think they probably don't like what it (the report) says,' Chender said of the provincial government. 'We're talking about a legacy of wrongdoing and harm that this government is now complicit in, because they will not address what it was that came forward' from this panel's work, she added. The idea for the panel came from the NDP, who proposed it in an amendment to climate change legislation that was passed in the fall of 2023. Chender said it 'was no one's understanding' that this panel's work would be kept from the public. 'That report came from an amendment that was put forward by our caucus that specifically called for the establishment of a panel that would provide recommendations to the province for redress,' Chender said. 'It didn't say that it would privately provide some things that the government might consider, and then not tell anyone about it. That doesn't make any sense.' Mombourquette agreed, saying it's 'really shameful' that the report has not yet been made public to Nova Scotians, adding that he represents a constituency that has faced environmental racism in the form of the Sydney tar ponds and coke oven sites in Cape Breton. 'I think that the government should release it immediately. I don't buy this argument that there needs to be a meeting with the panel beforehand. Release the report, let Nova Scotians see what's in it,' he said. When asked if he thinks the report ought to be made public, Premier Tim Houston did not directly answer. 'We're using that to formulate public policy. It's having a positive impact. There is a meeting being organized with a number of ministers and the panellists to talk about… the ways forward,' he said after Thursday's cabinet meeting. When pressed on if he is of the opinion that it should be public, he said 'we'll have a discussion with the panels. I think the most important thing is that the work is actually used.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NDP leader wants Halifax transportation study released
With Nova Scotia's capital city continuing to struggle with traffic congestion and cost-of-living challenges — drawing comparisons to Canada's largest city — NDP Leader Claudia Chender says it's time for the public to see a government report on transportation in the Halifax region. Chender was responding several days after a CBC News report showed that housing and transportation costs in Halifax for 2024 were similar to those in Toronto. The Progressive Conservative government has announced steps throughout its mandates to try to boost housing stock, although Chender said more needs to be done on that front. But when it comes to public transit in Halifax Regional Municipality, there has been "almost no action," she said during a news conference on Monday. "We need action on that today. It's becoming less and less reliable to take transit in Halifax at a time when we need it more and more." Having an effective public transit system is a way to save commuters money while also addressing congestion on the roads, which has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chender. During its first mandate, the Progressive Conservatives created the Joint Regional Transportation Agency, an entity tasked with looking at transportation throughout HRM. The organization has since been rebranded as Link Nova Scotia and given a provincewide mandate. Prior to that change, however, the agency produced a report looking at transportation issues and options to improve things for the Halifax area. The government first got a draft of the report a little less than a year ago before eventually getting the final report earlier this year. To date, however, it has not been made public. "One would have to assume that active transportation and public transportation are big chunks of that report that this government so far has not wanted to release, talk about or act upon," said Chender. Some portions of the report, which contemplate expanding the highways leading to and around HRM and exploring a commuter light-rail system, were included in the Progressive Conservative platform during last year's provincial election. But there have been no further details since then. Speaking to reporters recently, Public Works Minister Fred Tilley could not say when the report would be made public or explain why it's taking so long to share it. "We want to action the report, obviously, so we're looking at things that we can get actioned and in a timeline," he said. "I understand the frustration with it, but we will be releasing that report once we have more information to share, as opposed to just sharing the report." MORE TOP STORIES
Global News
5 days ago
- Business
- Global News
N.S. government failure has made affordability similar in Halifax and Toronto: NDP
Nova Scotia's NDP says the provincial government's failure to address the cost of living has made affordability in Halifax comparable to that in Toronto, and the party is calling for urgent action. At a news conference on Monday, Opposition NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the Progressive Conservative government has work to do to help residents who cannot afford the cost of rent, gas or their mortgage. Chender referred to data, first reported by CBC, that said the median percentage of before-tax household income that went to housing and transportation in 2024 was about the same for Toronto and Halifax. Statistics Canada says households in Halifax spent about 31 per cent or more on housing and transportation that year, compared to 30 per cent in Toronto. 'It is now marginally more expensive to live in Halifax than it is to live in Toronto …. That is shocking,' Chender told reporters. Story continues below advertisement Ten years ago, no one would have believed that Halifax could be as unaffordable as Toronto, Chender said, lamenting how many Haligonians who work full-time still can't afford rent, food or gas. 'People come here for quality of life, and in many cases part of that quality of life is affordability, and we need to preserve that,' she said. 1:56 N.S. election: Cost of living among top issues for voters The NDP leader said the province could address the high cost of living by imposing rent control, investing in public transit or by building more affordable housing. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'They can start by appointing a minister whose job it is to deal with housing and to make sure that housing is affordable for the Nova Scotians who need it,' Chender said. In December 2024, after Premier Tim Houston's November re-election, his government combined the housing and economic development departments to create a new Department of Growth and Development headed by veteran minister Colton LeBlanc. Story continues below advertisement 'The Tories had a housing minister and things didn't get better. And now they don't have a housing minister and things are still getting worse. But at the end of the day, government has to take responsibility for the affordability of housing in this province,' Chender said. A spokesperson with Houston's office said cost-of-living issues are a result of more than a decade of under-investment, adding that major development cannot happen overnight. 'Housing vacancy rates are rising for the first time in many years, which shows that our plan to get more people in homes, faster, is working …. While increasing the supply of market-rate housing, we've also made massive investments in affordable and public housing,' Catherine Klimek said in a statement. Klimek added that government has taken many steps to address affordability issues, including by lowering the provincial portion of HST, creating a school lunch program and indexing and increasing income assistance rates. 'Nova Scotians know that we are a government of action and can trust that we will continue to take every opportunity to build a stronger, more prosperous Nova Scotia,' Klimek said. 1:53 Nova Scotia charities bracing for impact of Trump tariffs This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.
