NDP accuses premier of 'sad walk back' over virtual presentations to the House

Premier Tim Houston is backing away from comments he made to reporters earlier this month about continuing to allowpeople to appear virtually before a legislature committee.

On Oct.7, Houston told reporters he wanted the public to continue to have the option of appearing by video to present to the law amendments committee.

"I think in law amendments specifically, we'll keep, kind of, the Zoom-in ability," said Houston during a regularly scheduled media availability after a cabinet meeting.

At the time, Houston suggested the option, first implemented duringthe COVID-19 pandemic,would make it easier for those who lived outside the Halifax region to have their say on proposed legislation.

"It's always been a challenge for people to find their way to Halifax and get to Province House at a certain point in time so we want to keep that stuff accessible," he said less than two weeks ago.

NDP supports virtual presentations

Speaking to reporters Tuesdayoutside the Red Room, where the committee met in-person on Monday for the first time since the pandemic started, Houston was no longer categorical about allowing virtual presentations.

"People had a chance to have their say. If we want to modernize it or change the process going forward, we may," said Houston.

In fact, PC members on the committee used their majority Monday night to defeat an NDP motion for the committee to go back to allowing virtual presentations.

Houston suggested Tuesday he was happy with the pre-pandemic rules now that Province House was relaxing COVID restrictions.

"Part of return to normal in this building is that the law amendments operates such that when you have something to say to legislators, you are entitled to say it. You just have to come here and say it," he said.

NDP Leader Gary Burrill called it "a step backwards" for the premier.

"That's a sad walk back," he told reporters.

"We have learnedduring COVID that there are wonderful new possibilities for democratic participation available through virtual and digital means of doing it in this long, skinny province of Nova Scotia, where we've got a lot of people who live a four- and five-hour drive away from Halifax. We ought to make use of those technologies."

Liberal Leader Iain Rankin urged the PC leader to reconsider his position on virtual presentations.

"We should look at modernizing and that's part of it."

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