Opposition accuses Houston government of sending mixed messages to employees

Jean Laroche · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 7:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Opposition enactment leaders are accusing the Houston authorities of sending mixed messages astir its plans for Nova Scotia's civilian service and wherefore it needs the powerfulness to dismiss non-union employees without cause.

Premier Tim Houston told reporters Wednesday that his authorities requires that powerfulness to guarantee the authorities is responsive to those it serves.

"I don't deliberation we should beryllium ashamed of looking for occupation solvers," Houston said at Province House, alluding to a connection helium precocious sent to authorities employees astir the request for them to beryllium "problem solvers" alternatively than "problem stretchers."

The premier said the state has a dedicated nationalist work and it's the government's work to signifier the civilian work to astir efficaciously conscionable the needs of citizens.

"I deliberation authorities should person that quality to bash that," Houston said. "That's wherever this is each coming from."

Fair compensation

During question play pursuing that availability, the furniture curate helium appointed to oversee the nationalist service, Twila Grosse, said immoderate authorities idiosyncratic dismissed without origin would person just compensation.

She dismissed the proposition the governing PCs were readying a large displacement successful authorities resources.

"The authorities astatine this clip is not readying connected a reorganization," said Grosse. "We worth our nationalist servants and the enactment that they do. But we besides request flexibility arsenic we proceed to determination guardant successful immoderate of the initiatives that we person for this province."

Contradictory comments

Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette called the minister's comments contradictory.

"The curate is saying there's going to be compensation packages and they're going to beryllium fair. And past successful the adjacent enactment of questioning, she's saying, well, there's nary organizational reappraisal and there's nary layoffs," said Mombourquette.

"So my question continues to beryllium wherefore does the authorities privation this? Why bash they privation this quality to occurrence nationalist servants without origin if nothing's going to change?"

Stoking fear, causing unrest

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said she besides heard contradictory messages.

"Today successful the legislature we heard 'we request occupation solvers' and we heard 'we're going to dainty them fairly, don't worry.' And those 2 things are fundamentally contradictory," said Chender.

She suggested the connection being sent to civilian servants was "open dissent volition not beryllium tolerated."

Chender and Mombourquette brushed speech Houston's proposition that speech of layoffs and firings is stoking fearfulness and unrest among authorities workers.

"If asking questions is fearmongering, I conjecture Nova Scotians tin gully their ain conclusions," Chender said.

Stephen Moore, Houston's manager of communications, issued a connection precocious Wednesday day that said the authorities has nary plans for layoffs oregon a large-scale reorganization.