N.S. government bill would give sweeping power over transportation to public works minister

Legislation introduced by the Progressive Conservative government on Thursday would give Nova Scotia's public works minister sweeping powers over transit and transportation infrastructure throughout the province.

Public Works Minister Fred Tilley told reporters during a bill briefing that the changes to the Joint Regional Transportation Agency Act are intended to address traffic congestion and improve transportation options.

"Growing communities need transportation options and improved connectivity. We need a system that is dependable, efficient and safe for all road users," he said.

In order to do that, the changes Tilley introduced would change the name of the Joint Regional Transportation Agency to Link Nova Scotia. Its scope would be broadened to include the entire province, an expansion from the previous focus on Halifax Regional Municipality and areas within an hour of the capital city.

A preference for collaboration

The amendments would also give Tilley the power to order municipalities to build, change, reconfigure or remove transportation infrastructure within a municipality and make other changes the minister deems to be in the interest of "the safe, efficient and co-ordinated movement of people and goods."

Link Nova Scotia would also have the power to take on operations and assets, such as transit, rail or roads that would help with transportation throughout the province.

"So we would become an asset owner and maybe an asset operator as well," said Peter Hackett, the deputy minister of the Joint Regional Transportation Agency.

Despite the new powers he would get through the legislation, Tilley said his government is not intending to take over responsibility for transit in the province. He said his government has a good relationship with Nova Scotia's municipalities.

"We work with collaboration, we work together on projects all the time. At the same time, it's important that projects that are important for Nova Scotians and to grow our economy and unlock our potential — it's important that those projects get done."

The minister could not provide any examples of what projects he was referring to.

Future of Windsor Street exchange

Tilley declined to say if he would use his new powers to force Halifax Regional Municipality to go ahead with the Windsor Street exchange project after council recently voted to abandon the plan because of mushrooming costs and the lack of dedicated bus lanes.

The minister said he's looking forward to HRM council's next vote on the project when councillors could reconsider whether to move ahead.

"I don't want to speculate on what may or may not happen. We're looking forward to working in collaboration with HRM on Windsor Street exchange and many other projects as we go forward."

The minister also said he's not considering ordering the removal of bike lanes.

Hackett told reporters that Link Nova Scotia's board would transition to an advisory capacity for the benefit of the minister. The new entity would better prepare the province to tap into the federal government's 10-year, $30-billion transit funding program, he said.

Opposition expressed concern

Opposition leaders said Tilley's bill seems less about supporting transit in the province and more about the government trying to consolidate power.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the PCs want "absolute control over everything." What the public wants, she said, is transit systems that work.

"There has been a bus rapid transit plan on the books in HRM for years, and what it needs is funding and support," she told reporters. "We haven't seen that from this government."

Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette called the bill an insult to municipalities.

"They know what's best for their communities," he told reporters. "The best thing this government can be doing is providing resources so that they can operate their transit systems effectively."

Increased government powers

Tilley's is the latest in a sweeping series of bills the Progressive Conservatives have introduced this session that increase the power of the provincial government.

Premier Tim Houston introduced omnibus legislation on Tuesday that includes changes that would give the government the ability to fire the auditor general without cause and make portions of or complete reports from the office private.

Bill 1 also would give the government the ability to fire non-unionized bureaucrats without cause and empower deputy ministers and the heads of other public entities to reject freedom-of-information requests if they decide the application is frivolous, vexatious or without enough specifics.

The government has also introduced legislation that would give it greater power over the operations of universities in the province and do away with the requirement for an annual accountability report on emergency department closures in Nova Scotia.