N.S. legislature wraps after 8 days; bill limiting protests on logging roads adopted

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative government pushed through its remaining pieces of legislation on Friday, wrapping up an eight-day sitting that opposition parties say was purposefully kept short to stifle dissent.

The sitting was dominated by a controversial bill, introduced on the first day, that prohibits protesters from blocking access to logging roads on Crown land, and imposes a $50,000 fine and/or six months in jail for those who ignore removal orders.

Despite the short length of proceedings, Premier Tim Houston rejected the opposition’s accusation the government rushed its agenda through the session. Since the Tories took office in 2021, only an emergency summer session in 2022 was shorter, called to rescind a pay increase for politicians.

“There was no rush,” Houston said of the past eight days. “We made it very efficient and productive and lots of good things happened during this session.”

However, Opposition NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the brevity cut short a full debate on issues and is an indication the government doesn’t want to answer questions, especially on the cost of living and rising power rates.

“I don’t think you would find anyone in the province who believes that we adequately canvassed the issues that people are dying for us to deal with,” Chender said. “This was not only a rushed session, but it was a session that really makes a mockery of this House.”

Interim Liberal leader Derek Mombourquette said the government’s decision to bundle various amendments into single pieces of legislation — known as omnibus bills — is also an attempt to limit full debate and confuse the public.

Last week, both opposition parties noted that during the spring session the government also brought forward an expansive bill that dealt with a range of issues including the powers of the auditor general and access to information.

“It’s a view of what’s to come, I believe, when it comes to this government and how they want to operate in (the legislature),” Mombourquette said Friday.

The government adopted 13 pieces of legislation over the past eight days, including the omnibus bill that bans protests on logging roads; it was passed late Thursday without changes. The bill includes one new piece of legislation and amends seven other acts dealing with issues as diverse as allowing domestic violence victims to amend leases; criminal records checks for bar bouncers; and limits to who can access social insurance numbers.

The NDP walked out of the legislature during the vote and Chender said Friday that her party couldn’t accept a bill that protects renters but also criminalizes dissent. “We can’t vote against the good proposals, most of which came from us, and we can’t vote for the poison pills that were put in this legislation,” she said.

Several witnesses told a legislature committee earlier this week that the law limiting protests on logging roads was a heavy-handed attempt to ignore Mi’kmaw rights. The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs has also been critical of the legislation, saying it was adopted without prior notice or discussion.

During the committee hearing, the government was told the law shouldn’t be aimed at demonstrations such as one that is ongoing at Hunters Mountain in Cape Breton, where a group of Mi’kmaq have been stopping traffic at the site, located at the entrance to the Cape Breton Highlands.

Houston said the new law is broad in its intent and isn’t aimed at any group in particular.

“The only people who need to worry about (the law) are those who are intent on doing illegal activities,” he said. “It affects the whole province, every single Nova Scotian and even people that visit here.”

Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton was pressed on whether the law would be used to remove Hunters Mountain protesters, who are against logging in the area.

Rushton said he didn’t want to presuppose what might happen anywhere on Crown land, but he also made it clear that any move to block a road would be seen as a test of the law.

“There is concern because it would be blocking economic activity,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2025.

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press