N.S. premier says politicians need ‘tools to do their job'
Houston said people with responsibilities – be they a mayor, premier or other person in the province – need to have the ability to do their work.
The debate around possible strong mayor powers in Nova Scotia flared up last week when Halifax council directed Mayor Andy Fillmore to contact the province and request collaboration on any discussions on the implementation of those powers.
'Strong mayor powers would be a major institutional change for us,' said Coun. Sam Austin, who brought forth the motion. 'It would bound future mayors and councils. Strong mayor powers was not part of anyone's election campaigns. There are major implications.'
Houston told CTV News Atlantic's Todd Battis the province is engaging in ongoing discussions about potential strong mayor powers. He noted there has been recent friction between Fillmore and the Halifax council around certain issues such as bike lanes.
'Politics is about people,' Houston said. 'We can't let agendas and personal conflicts have a negative impact on people.'
On Wednesday Houston issued a letter to council asking it to reverse its decision to turn Morris Street into a one-way for vehicles in favour of a bike lane project. Council has until Aug. 6 to respond.
'The mayor of the municipality is the only person everyone votes on,' Houston said. 'They expect the mayor has a plan, an agenda, a platform they can execute on. There's obviously a lot of issues with the mayor executing on a platform people expect. Traffic is just the most glaring example where council is going in the opposite way that the mayor is going.'
Certain Ontario municipalities have strong mayor powers. The province's website lists some of the powers as the ability to appoint a chief administrative officer and hire municipal division heads.
Pulp mill
Earlier this week, Northern Pulp announced it would be selling off its assets five years after its Pictou County kraft mill shut down due to failure to meet environmental requirements.
Houston said he would still like to see a pulp mill in the province, noting that Nova Scotia also has 'incredible opportunities' in forestry and mining.
'We have to overcome some history because for 20 years we've said no to everything and we have to get past that,' he said. 'We need to develop some of these projects, we can't just stay where we're at.'
Trade war
Houston, who is attending a meeting with other premiers next week, said the ongoing trade war with the United States is still a major focus. He said he's confident Prime Minister Mark Carney has 'the best shot of getting a deal' with U.S. President Donald Trump.
'They're dealing with someone who's difficult to deal with, who changes his mind a lot,' Houston said. 'I have great confidence in (the prime minister's) abilities. The actions of the president are forcing us to look inside our country. We still want a relationship with the U.S.'
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston
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