Municipal councillors to be guaranteed up to 1 year parental leave

Municipalcouncillorsin Nova Scotia who want parental leave will no longer have to ask their councilsfor permission first, once a bill introduced Friday by the provincial government becomes law.

The changes proposed to the Municipal Government Act and the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter will guarantee municipal councillors up to a year off when they becomeparents.

Kings County deputy mayor Emily Lutz, who pushed for the changes, is happy to see them finally move ahead.

"It's a good step forward for municipal politicians both male and female," she said from her home inRockland, near Berwick,where she is looking after her nine-day-old daughter,Azie, and her two-year-old son, Everett.

"I think it's good for reducing the barriers for people who may be interested in running for public office."

Lutz and fellow councillor MeganHodgesfirst called for changes to the law last fall.

Just weeks before giving birth,Hodges'srequest for parental leave was debated publicly by council. Her colleagues agreed to give her a year, which is what municipalemployees are entitled to.

Lutz is glad that requirement is being eliminated in the bill brought forward by Municipal Affairs Minister Derek Mombourquette.

"I think it's good that we recognize it's not something you should have to ask for permission for but it should simply be a right enshrined in the process," said Lutz.

The bill also eliminates a provision that states a councillor who missesthree council meetings without an explanation could lose their seat.

"Thatwas one of the biggest barriers for this is that if a councillor missed those three meetings they were in jeopardy oflosing their seat," said Mombourquette.

Last fall,NDP MLA Claudia Chenderintroduced a bill similar to the one proposed by the governing Liberals.

"They could have passed the bill earlier if they had passed ours, but this bill looks good and we're very happy to see it," she said.

Also on Friday, MLAs approved a change to House of Assembly rules so that any member taking parental leave or time off for illness only needs to give notice of their intentions of the Speaker of the House. Previously, MLAs had to request permission of the Speaker before taking the leave.

The change was unanimously supported.