N.S. opposition concerned about Houston government's consolidation of power

Bills introduced in the last 48 hours at Province House aim to fundamentally change the way 11 provincially funded organizations are run, including Nova Scotia's five housing authorities, the body that oversees gambling in the province, as well as the Crown corporation created two decades ago to ensure economic development was no longer a strictly partisan exercise.

Nova Scotia's opposition leaders are worried the Houston government is taking control to ensure government funds are, once again, doled out in a partisan way and to reduce accountability and scrutiny by people outside government.

"This government is firing independent boards, independent CEOs, assuming power of these organizations," said Liberal Leader Zach Churchill. "Obviously the concern is they're going to use the massive resources in these organizations for partisan purposes."

NDP Leader Claudia Chender is worried about secrecy and a loss of accountability by having cabinet ministers assume control that is currently in the hands of boards made up of industry representatives and other individuals with experience or expertise.

"Democracy is inconvenient," said Chender. "It's inconvenient sometimes to have accountability to the public in the form of boards but it's democracy."

A bill introduced Wednesday creates Invest Nova Scotia to "consolidate the work of Nova Scotia Business Incorporated and Innovacorp." That proposed law also creates Build Nova Scotia, an amalgamation of Nova Scotia Lands Inc. and Develop Nova Scotia, the agency responsible for the government's multi-million dollar high-speed internet project.

Cabinet vs. board of directors

Both of the new Crown corporations will be run by CEOs who will answer to cabinet rather than arm's-length boards of directors. Current board members will be asked to be part of advisory groups.

Similar pieces of legislation were introduced Thursday to shift control of the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, the Municipal Finance Corporation, five regional housing authorities and the non-profit agriculture corporation Perenna from outside government to cabinet ministers.

The outside bodies control hundreds of million of dollars in assets and disburse or loan hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

Premier Tim Houston described the move as a way to not only streamline operations and speed up decisions, but make him and his government directly responsible for those bodies.

"I think what it ultimately does is make me more personally accountable for the use of taxpayers' money, for the decisions that are made," said Houston. "I'm going to be held accountable by Nova Scotians and I welcome that. That's what I signed up for.

"But being held accountable means that you have to be able to get things done and move the province forward and that remains our focus."

A need for change

Houston praised the work of the existing boards and those running the organizations but stressed the need for change.

"Feeling responsible and being held accountable means you have to build the team that can get things done and that's what's happening right here."

The changes flow from a review started last winter of 20 agencies, boards and Crown corporations. On July 26 the Houston government announced a consolidation of some and changes to others.