Canada

N.S. auditor general says proposed changes would ‘erode’ watchdog’s independence

N.S. auditor general says proposed changes would ‘erode’ watchdog’s independence…
Adair emphasizes the lack of consultation on these changes and warns that they could prevent the public from accessing critical reports. As the government defends its position, questions arise about the implications for transparency and accountability in government spending. What does this mean for Nova Scotians? Read on to find out more.

Published

11 months ago

February 20, 2025

A.D. Greiner

Nova Scotia’s auditor general Kim Adair says she has “respectfully requested” that proposed changes to the province’s Auditor General Act, which would allow for the auditor to be fired without just cause, be withdrawn.

Adair said the proposed changes would impact the office’s integrity and independence, and would make Nova Scotia an “outlier” since most other provinces require cause to dismiss an auditor general.

“There’s been no consultation with our office on these changes. We didn’t know they were coming and we had no input,” Adair told reporters in a Thursday morning news conference.

The PC government tabled a bill Tuesday that would allow for the dismissal of the auditor — “regardless of cause or incapacity” — as long as two-thirds of the legislature agreed.

Currently, just cause has to be shown for an auditor general to be fired through a two-thirds vote. The Progressive Conservatives hold more than three-quarters of the legislature’s 55 seats.

Premier Tim Houston’s government has also moved to establish a two-week minimum timeline for the auditor to submit a report to the government before releasing it to the public. In addition, the bill would give the government the power to withhold auditor general reports for reasons of public interest, public safety or legal privilege.

“What’s being proposed here in Nova Scotia is a substantial change to the way our office operates. We have serious concerns that the changes tabled in this bill will erode the independence of this office going forward,” Adair said.

“These changes could mean any report the government doesn’t like wouldn’t be made public.”

Adair says she met with “senior government officials” Wednesday to discuss the proposed bill and request it be withdrawn, although she declined to specify who the officials were.

“And I’ve asked for the ability to consult to determine if we can mutually address government’s concerns,” she said.

As of Wednesday, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador all required cause before an auditor general could be fired.

When asked about the auditor general’s comments, the premier said he was “surprised” to hear them and had no plans to withdraw the amendments.

“I was surprised to hear the auditor general say that it could impact her independence,” Houston said during an event with Ontario’s premier in Milton, Ont. Thursday.

“It’s the same as in place in Manitoba, the same some place in Alberta. So we’ll continue. We’ll work with the auditor general’s office.”

In a statement, John Lohr, minister of finance and treasury board, also defended the amendments — saying it “simply aligns Nova Scotia with provinces such as Alberta and Manitoba.”

“Our government respects the independence, integrity, and impact of the work of the Auditor General,” the statement read.

“To suggest these amendments impact the independence and integrity of the Auditor General is false and sheds doubt on the independence and integrity of auditors general working effectively in other jurisdictions.”

He added that government looked “forward to future reports,” including the one the premier requested regarding out-of-province healthcare services.

During question period on Wednesday, Opposition leader Claudia Chender asked Houston what his government “stand to gain” from this decision.

“The auditor general is an independent officer who provides invaluable reports on issues impacting Nova Scotians and oversight of this government,” said Chender, leader of the Nova Scotia NDP.

“But now this government is changing the rules for dismissing her instead of valuing the work of the independent watchdog of government spending and the independent body who evaluates how policies are working.”

In response, Houston said he had “great respect” for the auditor general’s office and the work it does.

“It’s really important to taxpayers. [I] have great respect for that office and look forward to continuing to work with them,” he said.

Adair has been critical of the Nova Scotia government’s spending practices. Last Tuesday, she released a new report reiterating calls for more accountability in government spending that isn’t approved by the legislature.

Her report said expenses outside the official budget process rose to $7 billion over the last decade, with the government spending $1.38 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year that wasn’t first authorized by a majority vote in the legislature.

Other reports, which she highlighted during her Thursday news conference, included those into MLA expenses, an audit of ground ambulance services, violence in Nova Scotia’s public schools and protection of children in the care of the province.

–with files from The Canadian Press

Related Topics:Canada Nova Scotia Politics Trending

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Ottawa Sinks Free Boating: New $24 Fee and 5-Year Renewal Cycle Hits Quinte Waters

TL;DR: Transport Canada has ended the era of free, lifetime pleasure craft licences, introducing a mandatory five-year renewal cycle and a $24 fee effective immediately. The new regulations also force existing lifetime licence holders to transition to the new system by specific deadlines and will expand licensing requirements to wind-powered vessels over six metres by 2027.

Published

7 days ago

January 8, 2026

A.D. Greiner

Ottawa Sinks Free Boating: New $24 Fee and 5-Year Renewal Cycle Hits Quinte Waters

Just when we thought we could look forward to a worry-free summer on the Bay of Quinte, Ottawa has decided to drop a new anchor on our wallets.

As of December 31, 2025, Transport Canada has quietly overhauled the Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) program, effectively ending the era of the “lifetime” boat licence. If you own a vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or more, the days of a one-and-done registration are over.

For the first time, Canadian boaters are being hit with a $24 fee to issue, renew, transfer, or replace a pleasure craft licence.

While twenty-four bucks might not break the bank for everyone, it is the principle that stings. For decades, licensing your boat was a free, administrative formality—a “thank you” for registering your vessel for safety purposes. Now, it looks suspiciously like another revenue stream flowing directly from our docks to the federal coffers.

The “Lifetime” Licence Myth

Perhaps the most frustrating part of this rollout is the retroactive nature of the changes. If you are sitting on a “lifetime” licence issued years ago, believing you were grandfathered in, think again.

Transport Canada has set a strict schedule to phase out these older licences. For example, if your licence was issued before 1985, it expires in 2026. This forces responsible boat owners, who followed the rules years ago, to jump back through the bureaucratic hoops and pay the new toll.

Sailors, You Are Next

The net is being cast wider, too. Our sailing community on the Trent-Severn and out in the open Bay isn’t safe from the regulator’s reach. Starting December 31, 2027, wind-powered pleasure craft over six metres in length will also require a licence.

This is a massive shift for sailing purists who have traditionally operated outside of these specific motor-vessel regulations.

Red Tape on the Rideau

To add insult to injury, the government has tightened the leash on reporting. You now have a mere 30 days to update your information if you move or change your name, slashed from the previous 90-day window.

They claim this is about “safety,” “accountability,” and managing abandoned vessels. But let’s be honest: does charging a fee and forcing paperwork every five years actually make the water safer? Or does it just create a larger pile of paper in Ottawa and a lighter wallet in Belleville?

For a region that thrives on waterborne tourism and recreation, adding friction to boat ownership is a wet blanket we didn’t ask for. We should be encouraging people to explore the waterways, not nickeling-and-diming them for the privilege.

Is this truly about cleaning up our waterways, or is it just another tax on the Canadian summer?

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Business

How Belleville Could Help Build Canada’s New Auto Industry

TL;DR: Canada can launch a profitable domestic car brand by adopting the “Edison Motors” model of using off-the-shelf parts and decentralized manufacturing. Instead of building massive new factories, a startup could leverage existing suppliers and manufacturers in places like Belleville, Ontario to build a rugged and repairable national vehicle.

Published

7 days ago

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A.D. Greiner

How Belleville Could Help Save Canada's Auto IndustryHow Belleville Could Help Save Canada's Auto Industry

Image created with Nano Banana

Could a startup domestic auto brand spawn outside of boardroom presentations and government committees? The future of the Canadian car industry likely isn’t happening in a glossy office tower in Toronto. A muddy lot in British Columbia where a guy named Chace Barber decided he was tired of waiting for Elon Musk might give a promising hint at the hidden potential future for Canadian automobile manufacture.

Chace Barber youtube screen capture — Chace Barber – Youtube screen capture

Barber is the founder of Edison Motors. He is a trucker who got sick of broken promises from big tech companies so he went to his parents’ backyard in Merritt and built his own electric logging truck. He didn’t ask for permission. He didn’t wait for a billion-dollar federal grant. He just started welding.

Now, Edison is breaking ground on a new manufacturing facility in Golden, BC. They aren’t trying to build 100,000 units in year one to please Wall Street. They are aiming for a realistic, profitable run of 100 trucks in 2026. They are building them for loggers and oil patch workers who can’t afford a battery that dies in -30°C weather.

But the real game-changer is the “Edison Pickup Kit.” Barber knows that not everyone needs a semi-truck, but everyone wants to stop burning cash at the pump. They are finalizing a “drop-in” diesel-electric conversion kit that can turn your existing heavy-duty Ford or Dodge pickup into a hybrid powerhouse. It’s the ultimate recycling program: keep your old truck’s body, gut the tired engine, and install a modern electric drivetrain that generates its own power. It is brilliant, it is anti-obsolescence, and it is exactly the kind of innovation that carries the day.

This is the energy we need to bottle.

Building a car company doesn’t have to require the GDP of a small nation. We don’t need massive factories and years of red tape. Edison Motors proves that. Barber’s philosophy is “Right to Repair.” He uses off-the-shelf parts that any mechanic can fix. He sources axles and generators that already exist and integrates them into a better machine.

The “Edison Model” is the blueprint for a mass-market Canadian car.

We have the supply chain ready to go. The brains are in Waterloo and the manufacturing muscle is already humming in places like Belleville, Ontario.

Belleville could play a large part in this story. It is home to Magna Lighting (operating as Autosystems) on Jamieson Bone Road where they are building world-class lighting components for global brands. It has precision shops like Stegg Limited that can machine complex parts to aerospace and automotive standards. The industrial parks along the 401 in Belleville are packed with fabricators who know how to build things that last.

We don’t need to build a new Gigafactory when we can just connect the dots. Imagine a rugged Canadian SUV conceived in Canada and assembled with parts, components and stamped metal from the Quinte region.

It creates a vehicle that is simple and tough. It uses a standard chassis. It uses reliable suspension. It doesn’t have a proprietary charging port that requires a master’s degree to fix. It is built by us for us.

The government attempt to solve our economic problems with committees and studies. They want try to lure foreign giants with tax breaks. But the real solution is staring us in the face. It looks like a guy in a flannel shirt building a truck because nobody else would do it right.

We don’t need another branch plant. We need a a few more Chace Barbers backed by our own talent and resources.

Are you tired of cars that you can’t fix yourself? Would you buy a car conceived and built in Canada with off the shelf parts?

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Business

This Billionaire Will Pay You $1,000 To Spy on the Government

TL;DR: Canadian billionaire Barry Zekelman is offering a $1,000 cash reward to any citizen who reports government infrastructure projects using foreign steel. It’s a bold “economic nationalist” move designed to highlight the hypocrisy of politicians who claim to support Canadian jobs while using tax dollars to buy materials from overseas competitors like South Korea.

Published

2 months ago

November 5, 2025

A.D. Greiner

This Billionaire Will Pay You $1,000 To Spy on the Government

Tired of seeing Canadian tax dollars build our nation with foreign materials? One Canadian billionaire is putting his money where his mouth is and he wants your help.

In a move that is pure entrepreneurial genius, Canadian steel magnate Barry Zekelman is offering a $1,000 reward to any Canadian who blows the whistle on government-funded projects using foreign-sourced steel.

It has been widely reported by news organizations such as the Financial Post and CTV News that Zekelman is frustrated. He sees public infrastructure projects snubbing Canadian producers and he has had enough. His new initiative encourages citizens to snap a photo and report any government job site they see using imported beams or pipes.

Economic Nationalism is Common Sense This is a brilliant private-sector solution to a public-sector problem. For years we have watched our governments spend billions on infrastructure. They talk about “rebuilding” Canada but then ship that money overseas to support jobs in South Korea or Luxembourg.

Zekelman has been a loud voice for economic nationalism for a long time. He argues that Canada has been too lax and allowed our market to be flooded by cheap foreign materials. He wants to protect North American manufacturing from unfair competition. It is simple common sense that taxpayer money should be used to support taxpayers.

Highlighting the Hypocrisy The most frustrating part of this saga is the blatant hypocrisy from our leaders. They love to talk about supporting Canadian workers when the cameras are rolling. But when it comes time to sign the purchase orders they often look elsewhere.

Take the recent controversy over the Banwell Road overpass in Windsor. Reports indicate that despite being a government-funded project it utilized steel sourced from South Korea. Officials claimed it was about avoiding delays but that excuse rings hollow to the workers in domestic mills who could have done the job.

Zekelman is taking the fight directly to the people. He is empowering everyday citizens to hold politicians and contractors accountable. It ensures that our money is reinvested in our own communities.

Should all government projects be legally required to use 100% Canadian materials?

Is this bounty a brilliant move for accountability or just a PR stunt?

Would you report a construction site to claim the $1,000 reward?

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