As trade tensions between Canada and the United States continue to escalate, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it is not Ottawa escalating this trade war.
He says the counter-measures were proportionate, strategic and targeted.
Champagne explains if tariffs are put on Canadian companies who want to sell in the U-S, and nothing is done in response, it gives an unfair advantage to U-S companies wanting to come into Canada.
U-S Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is blaming Canada for Washington’s decision, saying it was a natural consequence of discrimination against American exports and choosing to retaliate.
The provincial government wants to examine whether changing its regulation system would result in better accountability for Nova Scotia Power.
Premier Tim Houston tabled a bill yesterday that would require the Nova Scotia Scotia Energy Board to begin a review of a performance-based regulation for the privately owned utility.
Houston says he wants to examine whether changing how the utility earns its income could improve services and accountability.
The proposal would link a portion of a utility’s revenues, earnings, incentives or penalties to measurable outcomes such as reliability, emissions reduction and customer service.
Nova Scotia’s N-D-P is introducing three housing bills aimed at improving affordability and stability for renters and prospective homeowners. Opposition leader Claudia Chender says the legislation includes Bradley’s Law, the Renters’ Rights Act and the Affordable Homeownership for Nova Scotians Act. The renters’ bill would tie rent increases to inflation and close what the party calls a loophole involving fixed-term leases. Another proposal would create a land trust and shared-equity program that the N-D-P says could reduce the cost of buying a home by up to 25 per cent.
Work crews in Nova Scotia are still repairing roads and bridges damaged on the weekend by flooding in Cape Breton.
The government says that 21 of the 120 damaged roads were still being repaired yesterday.
Meanwhile, four of 12 damaged bridges must be replaced — but the rest have reopened to traffic.
More than 200 millimetres of rain fell in some areas of Cape Breton in less than two days.
