MLA’s will take their break for the holidays after an intense fall session of the legislature wrapped up.

The cost of living, housing and homelessness dominated debate for the last three weeks at Province House in Halifax.

The government passed 12 pieces of legislation including a law allowing the province to join a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that produce opioids.

The most controversial new bill gives the province overriding power to sped up housing projects in Halifax.

It allows Minister John Lohr to effectively approve projects regardless of the views of city council, but it’s been called undemocratic

Legislation was also passed to increase the tax for new AirBnB operators ranging from $240 in rural communities up to $3,600 in Halifax.

This session also saw two historic firsts with Karla MacFarlane elected as the first female Speaker of the House of Assembly and Twila Grosse taking her seat as the first female African Nova Scotian cabinet minister.

Other legislation passed this fall includes:

• The Conseil scolaire acadien provincial Act to support publicly funded French first-language education programs and services to ensure the well-being and success of Nova Scotia’s Acadian and francophone students
• Amendments to the Financial Measures Act that will rebate the HST from the construction of new rental units, expand the Capital Investment Tax Credit to include emerging sectors like aerospace and manufacturing, allow private sector employers to join the Public Service Superannuation Plan and extend a 20-year-old tax agreement between municipalities and Eastward Energy by five years
• Amendments to the Electricity Act to help add more renewable energy to the grid and clear a path for energy storage solutions
• Amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act to allow gradual onset stress to be considered an injury eligible for compensation
• Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act to remove red tape for construction and traffic control companies to use automatic flagging devices

Liberals feel pressure forced release of housing report 

Meantime, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill felt it was pressure from their party that led to the province releasing its housing strategy, needs and assessment report.

The report revealed the province would need to speed up development to avoid being 40,000 units short of its housing needs in five years.

“I’m really proud of the work of our MLA’s this session, including the vast range of legislation in the 37 bills we tabled,” said Churchill. “Our opposition strategy resulted in a commitment from the government to study expanding job-protected leave for Nova Scotians facing serious illness, like cancer, from three days to up to 26 weeks. This change would impact thousands of Nova Scotians and their families.”

NDP critical of progress in health and housing

The NDP feel most vulnerable people are not any better off.

“Over the last month, we’ve brought the attention of the legislature to the serious challenges facing too many Nova Scotians. Unfortunately, Tim Houston hasn’t done what’s needed to help everyday families better afford housing, food, or other necessities,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “In fact, one of the first things we heard this sitting was that fewer people would be able to access the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) when the cost of everything has only gotten worse in the last year, not better.”

The NDP tabled 22 bills this sitting including bills to cut the tax on all grocery food, and allow a vacant land tax to encourage housing development.

“As the weather gets colder, the housing crisis becomes even more urgent,” said Chender. “This session we forced the Houston government to reveal their housing strategy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t ensure truly affordable housing will be built or explain how they plan to build the 70,000 homes we need. This is not a small issue and Nova Scotians deserve a government that’s ready to stand with them and take action to make real change.”