Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Nouvelle-Écosse 51e 4e Discours du Trône 22 Février 1977 Clarence Gosse Lieutenant-gouverneur LIB Nova Scotia: Speech from the Throne, Fourth Session of the 51st General Assembly, February 22th, 1977 I am pleased to welcome you to this, the Fourth Session of the 51st General Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia. I extend my very best wishes to each of you, particularly to Mr. Osborne Fraser, the Member serving for the first time, to the Honourable George Doucet, the new Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and to the new Members of the Executive Council, the Honourable Vincent J. MacLean, the Honourable Guy A.C. Brown and the Honourable Daniel S. Reid, M.D. I would also like to extend to Her Majesty The Queen the warmest of greetings from the Government and the people of Nova Scotia on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee. The outlook for Nova Scotia, and for Canada as a whole, is for a period of difficult economic adjustment. The economic recovery of the Western World has not been as strong as had been anticipated, and it now appears that the next few years will be marked by a significant realignment of world economic forces. For Nova Scotians, as for most Canadians, this implies a time of uncertainty. The Nova Scotia economy is expected to grow at a rate better than the national average, but it is inextricably tied to world economic conditions. When investor and consumer confidence is wavering throughout the industrialized world, the economy of this Province is bound to be adversely affected. Canada has a particular problem in that the ability of its industries to compete in world markets has been brought into question. Rising costs and relatively lower productivity gains have undeniably undermined the possibilities for economic growth in Canada. The Anti-Inflation Program of controls has been very helpful in combatting this problem but it is only a beginning. While all of these factors represent problems or potential problems for Nova Scotia, there are also reasons to be optimistic about the future. The physical, human and locational resources of the province present opportunities which my Government is actively pursuing and which, taken collectively, can provide the basis for a different but nonetheless healthy prosperity. Even the energy cost increases, which have dampened growth throughout North America, have at the same time enhanced the value of our coal and potentially our offshore petroleum resources. An additional factor which has major importance for Nova Scotians, and for all Canadians, is the question of Quebec separation. The uncertainty arising from the proposed referendum on separatism in Quebec is affecting investment in Quebec at the moment, and it will almost certainly dampen investment plans throughout Central and Eastern Canada over the next few years. In addition to economic wealth and potential, Canada has a wonderfully rich and diverse heritage. Canadian governmental and legal institutions and the traditions of freedom and democracy which underpin them are envied throughout the world. While these would not disappear if Quebec were to separate, they would undoubtedly be diminished. The people of Nova Scotia can therefore be assured that my Government will spare no effort in strengthening national unity and will cooperate to the utmost with the other governments of Canada to accomplish this end. In recognition of the changing economic, social and political circumstances, my Government has undertaken a significant review of its priorities, policies and programs. To deal with the problems noted above and to realize the potential opportunities, the resources at the disposal of the Government must be used where they will yield the greatest benefits for all Nova Scotians. High priority is assigned to easing the problems arising from inflation and the cost of living. Great effort must be accorded to those expenditures which will contribute directly to the economic health of the Province. A very significant priority is energy. Every effort must be made to find and implement solutions to our energy problems and over the short term to ease the burden of higher energy costs. Great attention must be accorded efficiency in government. To find the necessary funds to provide needed social and other services without unduly increasing the tax burden will require a major new effort to streamline government programs and operations. In addition to the measures dealing with energy costs, which will be outlined in a few minutes, my Government will make every effort to ease the burden of taxpayers faced with a rising cost-of-living. It has been fully supportive of the Federal-Provincial Anti-Inflation Program which has made an important contribution to combatting this serious problem. To further cushion the impact of rising costs, programs will also be introduced relating to municipal taxation and consumer Protection. The activities of my Government reflect a continuing concern for Nova Scotia's municipal governments and their taxpayers. The program of property tax relief initiated last year, under which the Provincial Government assumed seventy-five per cent of the shareable costs of education, met with gratifying response. This year the formula will be extended to cover one hundred per cent of the shareable costs. Under this specific program the total relief to municipal taxpayers will be almost fifty-five million dollars. The total assistance package for municipal governments will reach more than eighty-five million dollars. This compares with assistance of only eleven million dollars six years ago. Consumer protection efforts have an important impact on the cost-of-living in that they protect consumers from shoddy goods and dishonest or unscrupulous business practices. My Government points with pride to the fact that it has appointed the first full-time Consumer Affairs Minister in the Atlantic region. This has led to a number of initiatives, including a thorough study of the mobile home industry and of mobile home accommodations. Work is now proceeding on legislation to regulate used car dealers. In addition, legislation will be introduced to control discounters of Income Tax and government cheques. These discounting agencies prey on the disadvantaged and must be made to act responsibly. Unemployment constitutes an intolerable waste of human and physical resources. My Government will do everything in its power to ensure that those who can work, have the opportunity. It is philosophically committed to the view that Nova Scotians would prefer to earn a living through useful work than receive transfer payments. But there is no escaping the fact that what we can do is severely limited by outside circumstances and national problems. In terms of growth in the next year to eighteen months, excellent prospects arise from the natural resources of the Province. My Government has been pursuing these opportunities over the past year and this effort is beginning to lead to new jobs and incomes for Nova Scotians. For example, increased minerals exploration and changing energy economics have combined to create an opportunity to develop new coal mining operations. Proposal calls for these developments have met with an encouraging response which will lead, over a two year period, to the creation of several hundred direct and indirect jobs. My Government expects to announce, over the next few months, the development of other mineral deposits which will also yield significant numbers of new jobs. In addition, the Government intends to push ahead with the conversion of oil burning electricity generating plants to use Nova Scotia coal where it is feasible, and this will create many construction jobs as well as contribute to the long-term solution for Nova Scotia's energy problems. Negotiations have been actively pursued to the final stages with the Government of Canada and the Cape Breton Development Corporation to undertake an offshore drilling program in the Sydney coal fields. Such a program will add substantially to our proven reserves of coal and allow long-term planning for the opening of new mines to provide for metallurgical coal and thermal coal for our future energy needs. Exploration for minerals other than coal is continuing in all parts of the province as a result of policies instituted by my Government. Of particular interest is the search for uranium in Cumberland, Colchester, Hants and Annapolis Counties and the new search for base-metals centred near Yarmouth. Work continues on the Gay's River lead-zinc deposit and we expect that developments in this area could yield a significant number of new jobs. A most exciting possibility arises from the potential for offshore petroleum resources. The recently announced multi-million dollar exploration program of Petro-Canada Exploration Inc. and Mobil Oil Canada, Limited and the continuing drilling efforts by Shell Canada and Petro-Canada are very encouraging. These programs which have been actively encouraged by my Government are of particular importance because they are designed to establish the commercial potential of known deposits of oil and gas. If results from these programs are positive, the development and production will come quickly. The exploration program itself involves roughly one hundred jobs and many more will be created when commercially developable resources are found. An agreement has been reached between the Province and the Federal Government on the jurisdictional and financial questions regarding offshore resources and this should lead to the kind of investor confidence which will encourage further exploration. My Government has taken a leading role in the negotiations on this agreement, which provides for the administration of offshore activities, sharing of costs and services. You will be asked to ratify the Agreement with the Federal Government establishing an Atlantic Offshore Resource Board, as will the legislatures of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, and the Parliament of Canada. This Board will be responsible for issuing offshore mineral rights and receiving the dispersing of mineral revenues. One important additional responsibility of the Board will be to optimize the potential benefits of offshore development in terms of industrial and commercial jobs in the Maritimes. Another reason for optimism based on our resources is the recent proclamation by Canada of the two hundred mile fisheries management zone. We welcome this two hundred mile zone since it will allow a rebuilding of fish stocks, and provide Canada with an increasingly larger proportion of the catch off our coasts. It is expected that during the next decade, fish landings in Atlantic Canada could be two or three times current levels. To take advantage of these opportunities, my Government will implement programs to attract the new investment capital, to develop new technology and methods for harvesting, to provide for increased training of fishermen and shore workers, to upgrade final products, and to develop and diversify our export markets. Meeting this challenge will provide tremendous benefits to the Nova Scotia economy, in terms of increased export sales and economic growth. Development in both the fishing industry and in related industries such as shipbuilding, will lead to more and better paying jobs. My Government places a high importance on agriculture and will introduce legislation to encourage and facilitate the development of our agricultural resources. You will be asked to establish a Provincial Grain Commission. This measure will help Nova Scotia farmers to grow a far greater share of Nova Scotia's total grain requirement. My Government will also introduce amendments to the Natural Products Marketing Act and the Livestock Loans Guarantee Act. You will also be asked to consider a new Cooperative Associations Act to replace the present Act. This new Act, which will simplify procedures and ensure uniformity with the other Maritime Provinces, will encourage the growth, development and efficiency of cooperatives. The current spruce budworm infestation in the forests of Cape Breton presents a major challenge to Nova Scotia. It requires a concerted effort by government in cooperation with industry and woodland owners. My Government has established a task force, with representation from government, industry and woodlot owners to combat the problem. The task force will examine wood allocation in the province and find ways to minimize potential fibre losses. It will make recommendations to Government on programs to effect increased salvage operations, and examine the potential for export of surplus wood to other provinces or to international markets, and the possibility of storing wood for longer periods. Subsequent programs may require transportation assistance or other forms of government support. The solution to the problem will involve finding the best means of absorbing or disposing of substantial quantities of salvage wood without unduly disrupting normal supply/demand relationships in the Province. An overriding concern will be to ensure the long-term supplies of wood for the forest industries which provide jobs and incomes to many Nova Scotians. Progress has been made with the Federal Government in negotiating a Subsidiary Agreement on Forestry under the General Development Agreement. The Province anticipates a favourable conclusion to these negotiations at an early date. The proposed Agreement will be instrumental in dealing with the spruce budworm problem in the short and long term, and will have a positive impact on forest management throughout the Province. My Government will continue to negotiate with the Federal Government to have the Tourism industry named as a natural resource, so that benefits under the federal Rural Incentive Development Act will promote expansion of the tourist industry. In addition, negotiations are proceeding regarding a Subsidiary Agreement on Tourism which will bring such needed investment to the industry. Current economic conditions are having a specially severe impact on the international steel industry. The study and planning done by Cansteel in the past fourteen months have confirmed the attractiveness of Cape Breton as a location for a new steel making plant. We have the human skills, an attractive supply of metallurgical coal, and suitable site conditions. Government is confident that a development in Cape Breton is as good a prospect as any new steel project in the world. Negotiations with our prospective partners are proceeding while the international steel industry waits for an improvement in the world market situation. It is recognized that this is a difficult time for such a project. In the meantime the transitional problems of Sydney Steel are very serious. My Government's continuing work on the Cansteel project, therefore, has to be combined with careful planning of new opportunities for Sydney Steel. The recent appointment of Mr. Tom Kent as President of the Corporation brings new skills and initiative to this task, which is vital to a secure base for employment and prosperity in the Province as a whole. My Government has recently announced its decision to proceed with the engineering, design and land building operations for a new container terminal for Halifax-Dartmouth. This investment of roughly six and one half million dollars will ensure the possibility of a timely completion when arrangements with the federal Government have been finalized. We must reinforce the entrepreneurial spirit of our people and take steps to ensure that those with energy and ideas are given every opportunity and all available support. It is for this reason that the Department of Development has recently regionalized its operations. Local offices will now provide ready access to the services and programs available to support small business and local initiative. My Government will introduce legislation and measures to extend the range and scope of services and assistance available to the small businessman. Programs will be announced over the coming weeks to provide small business development seminars, to help identify potential opportunities for businessmen in the various regions of the province. Assistance will be provided to businessmen who have sound ideas but lack the financial capability to make a thorough evaluation of the potentials. The Rural Industries Program will be extended to cover selected service industries instead of just manufacturing. Assistance will also be provided to small Nova Scotia companies which require the skills offered by graduates of our business schools. This program will serve a second purpose in keeping skilled graduates in the province, who might otherwise be forced to leave to find challenging jobs. Another program will provide restructuring loans for recently established small manufacturing businesses faced with slow market conditions over the short term. As a further measure to encourage the development of small enterprise in high unemployment areas, my Government will establish a limited number of industrial malls throughout the province. These malls, or incubator centres, will offer low rental accommodation for infant industries for the first few years of operation, in the expectation that successful operations will move out to larger accommodation thus leaving room for new small industries. The basic concept is to give new, small manufacturing industries a running start, so that they can grow more quickly and create new jobs. These incubator centres will also provide skilled shared services to the new businesses in terms of accounting systems, production, marketing and management. Local skills will be utilized wherever possible. The program will be backed by an intensive effort to promote the industrial malls both within the province and internationally. My Government will do everything in its power to protect the jobs provided by the Province's existing industrial structure. Some industries including steel, heavy metal working and ship building are experiencing serious difficulties because of weak international markets. These industries require support to secure access to markets in this difficult period, and provide the basis for future modernization and expansion. Efforts in this regard have already shown the effectiveness of industry- government cooperation, and new markets have been found for a number of industries. My Government will again embark on a major highway program to enhance the employment opportunities within the province, as well as upgrade the province's highways to benefit the transportation of goods and people. While the work on the major highways will continue, special efforts will be directed towards upgrading secondary routes and rural roads. To create more jobs and meet an important social need, my Government will extend the housing rehabilitation program to cover all urban centres. The Province will increase its share of the non-federal costs of Neighbourhood Improvement Program projects to encourage more communities to take advantage of the program. In spite of all these efforts at job creation, it is probable that high unemployment will remain a problem for the next year. Only direct job creation by Government will create urgently needed jobs over the next few months. My Government is determined to find useful work for Nova Scotians. A Job Corps will be established to provide employment over the coming summer months. It will be opened to employable men and women who wish to work. The Province will hire and pay the employees. The projects for this Job Corps will fall into three categories: direct employment on projects sponsored by government departments; employment on projects sponsored by municipalities, and employment provided in the agricultural or forestry industry. The criteria must be that the projects make an ongoing contribution to the economic base of Nova Scotia. In addition, a task force will be established to work with federal and municipal agencies to ensure that winter works programs next winter will also yield useful projects. With careful planning now, it will be possible to identify projects which yield lasting benefits. Energy is a major priority of my Government. Our aim is that, in the next few years, the prices paid by Nova Scotians for energy and particularly electrical power will be brought in line with national levels. Decisions have already been made which will reduce our dependence on imported oil for generating electricity. In addition, my Government is pursuing the development of a Maritime Energy Corporation which will seek federal assistance and cooperation to fund major regional power projects and to expand transmission capabilities. My Government recognizes that Nova Scotians, as well as other Canadians, must increase their efforts to conserve energy. This implies changed habits and attitudes and it certainly involves a challenge to industry, government and to people in general. My Government will take a leadership role in meeting this challenge, through information programs encouraging fuel and energy conservation, through these of smaller vehicles in the public service and through energy conservation measures in public buildings. My Government's recently announced energy assistance Agreement with the federal government supports both the objectives of reducing our dependence on imported oil for electrical generation and the promotion of conservation. The Agreement provides for substantial benefits to Nova Scotians including home insulation grants and loans, and loans for those who wish to convert from electrical heat to other forms of heating. Technical assistance will be provided to the business community to help identify ways of reducing energy costs. Energy audits will be carried out on schools and public buildings. An integral part of the overall Agreement is a program in Nova Scotia to assist in reducing dependence on imported oil. This combined federal and provincial oil conservation program will relate to a variety of projects to be undertaken in Nova Scotia. Projects will include wood-burning, conversion of oil-fired units to coal and an examination of hydro potential. Another area for priority attention is efficiency in government operations. The restraint measures of past years have helped to keep expenditures under control. Even with providing increased services for a growing population, there has been an overall net reduction in the civil service. The experience gained over the past few years has led to proposals for important and far-reaching changes. During this session, my Government will present major proposals to streamline government operations, reduce costs and improve management efficiency and effectiveness within the public service. One part of the program will involve the rationalization of government agencies: an early example of the approach we will be taking is the recently announced internal reorganization of the Department of Public Health. The operational functions of the Health Services and Insurance Commission have been integrated into the Department of Public Health, forming a single-line department. The existence of health care policy and planning in one integrated unit will reduce fragmentation and duplication of effort and provide for better coordination of health care delivery services throughout the province. The internal re-organization will in no way affect the autonomy of hospital operation, but will improve the Department's ability to respond to the various external resources to which it should. Amendments to the Public Health Act, the Public Hospitals Act, the Public Service Act and the Health Services and Insurance Act will be introduced to implement these changes. One of the most important challenges facing Nova Scotia and other Canadian governments over the coming year is that of finding a new approach to management-labour relations. Our record in Canada in recent years has been dismal and it is clear that either an entirely new approach, or at the very least, a new spirit of cooperation will be essential if Canada is to retain and improve its competitive position. Moreover, the excessive number of work stoppages has cut badly into our incomes and hence into our quality of life and standard of living. This serious problem is, of course, related closely to the federal-provincial Anti-Inflation controls program. My Government does not accept the suggestion that controls be precipitously abandoned, but it is clear that planning must begin now for a phased end to controls and for the policies of the post- controls economy. It is also clear that if Nova Scotia and Canada generally is to emerge from this transition with a healthier, vibrant economy, the full cooperation of labour, business and government will be essential. Accordingly, my Government will carry on intensive consultations between labour, management and government, in an effort to stimulate a genuine dialogue. It is hoped that through this approach and other efforts a new consensus can be developed to the benefit of all citizens leading to better mechanisms and greater industrial harmony. My Government will put forward for consideration major changes in the law concerning psychiatric facilities. The legislation will replace provisions now found in the Municipal Mental Hospitals Act and the Nova Scotia Hospital Act. Since the changes will eliminate the distinction between PhYsical illness and mental illness, the new changes will be placed in the Public Hospitals Act, the title of which will be changed to the Hospitals Act. The-purpose of the changes is to ensure that persons are not arbitrarily committed as patients in psychiatric facilities and to ensure that the rights of these people are protected. Additional legislative changes will be made, providing recognition and guidelines for mental health centres. Certain changes will be made in the Medical Act and the Pharmacy Act which will ensure tighter controls over persons Practising Pursuant to those Acts. Each year there are a number of babies born throughout Nova Scotia with harelip-cleft palate deformities in varying degrees. Specialized care is required to ensure that these individuals function normally in society. A cleft palate clinic with a central registry will be established at the Izaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children. All of the present uninsured services that must be provided to cleft palate patients will be financed by my Government. My Government will be introducing a number of proposals for your consideration dealing with the administration of justice. Amendments to the Judicature Act will be introduced to provide for additional justices for the Trial and Appeal Divisions of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to ensure a speedy and efficient handling of the heavy load of cases before the Supreme Court. A new Change of Name Act will be introduced which will entitle a greater number of people to make applications under the Act and will reduce the cost of effecting a change of name. This Act is based on that proposed by the Nova Scotia Law Reform Advisory Commission. The report of that Commission on this matter will be tabled with this House. The Attorney General will also present, for your consideration, a new Presumption of Death Act. This Act is basically that proposed by the Uniform Law Conference of Canada with the additional provision of making it applicable to life insurance policies. Major changes will be introduced in the administration of the legal aid system and a Legal Aid Commission will be established. This legislation will give general direction to the Commission regarding the delivery of legal aid. A Blind Person's Rights Act will be introduced to ensure that public places and accommodations are not denied to blind persons. My Government will continue to give high priority to improving our educational system. Over the next year we will be undertaking a thorough review of the primary school program. In addition, amendments will be introduced to the Teachers' Collective Bargaining Act. My Government will be introducing an omnibus bill to implement long overdue changes clearly establishing equality of the sexes before the law. The changes to be introduced this session represent only the first round. They result from the first recommendations of the inter-departmental committee established to recommend the implementation of the report of the Task Force on the Status of Women. In addition to this legislation, my Government will ensure that more women are appointed to decision- making positions both within the Government proper and on boards and commissions appointed by Government. My Government is determined to open up the processes of government. An important part of this approach will be the introduction, for your consideration during this session, of a Freedom of Information Act which will ensure all citizens the broadest possible access to government information. In addition, an extensive program of regional Cabinet Meetings is planned for the coming year to give people a chance to ask questions directly and to express their concerns. My Government will introduce a provincial building code. This will ensure consumers adequate province-wide standards in terms of materials and construction for all new housing. It will also allow the building industry to achieve greater efficiency through standardization, creating savings to be passed on to the consumer. Insulation standards will be an important feature of the code and will reinforce the energy conservation measures dealt with earlier. You will be asked to approve terms of reference for an independent electoral boundary commission. My Government will also present to you a policy to support urban transit and amendments to legislation to permit municipalities to involve themselves, will be introduced. The successful and well received derelict automobile cleanup program will be continued on a phased basis over the next few years. To these and all of the matters which may come before you, I ask your most careful attention, praying that sound judgement and Divine Providence may guide you in all your deliberations and decisions.