Nova Scotia’s auditor general is calling for legislative oversight on spending outside the province’s budget process for the second year in a row.

Kim Adair’s report says extra government spending has hit a 10-year-high, with almost 1.7-billion dollars spent on top of the 14.7-billion in expenses that was originally budgeted for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

She’s also recommending, once again, an amendment to Nova Scotia’s Finance Act so that elected representatives are required to debate government expenses not included in annual budgets.

 

 

The leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Opposition says if he wins power, he would enact the auditor general’s recommendation calling for added spending outside the budget to go before the legislature.

Zach Churchill says he realizes in the past that Liberal governments didn’t make the change, but he says the amounts of money are so large now that the reform is needed.

 

 

The flags at Glasgow Square will be at half-mast today to commemorate The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.  The Town says it’s a day about remembering those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who we have lost to it. It is also a time to take action as achieving a Canada free from gender-based violence requires all Canadians to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.

 

 

RCMP have charged a second person in the death of a Cape Breton woman whose remains were found last month in Big Bras d’Or.

The Mounties say 28-year-old Kevin Forrest Junior of Big Bras d’Or was arrested on Friday.

He’s charged with being an accessory to the murder of 48-year-old Natacha Leroy and causing indignity to her remains.

Leroy’s remains were found on November 24th by a police dog, two days after the Mounties were told she’d disappeared.

 

 

Nova Scotia R-C-M-P say officers responded to 89 vehicle collisions after a snowstorm descended on the province on Monday.

As a result, the Mounties are reminding drivers to be cautious when the weather turns foul.

The police force issued a list of winter driving tips yesterday, saying that driving in snow and ice demands attention and preparedness.

At the top of the list are slowing down, keeping a safe distance from other vehicles and removing all snow and ice from your vehicle _ including the roof, windows, lights and mirrors.