NDAs Silencing Victims - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : My question is for the Premier. In the paper this week, the president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union spoke to the troubling trend of workplaces using non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of sexual harassment. In these cases, victims are put in the position of signing away their voices in order to obtain a settlement. The outcome is protection for the perpetrator and silencing for the victim. Does the Premier acknowledge that the abuse of non-disclosure agreements must be confronted?

HON. BRAD JOHNS « » : Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for that comment. P.E.I., being the first province in Canada, just recently passed some legislation to look at NDAs. It is an ongoing issue. We recognize at the department that it is certainly something that’s being abused in the system and the impacts of it. I’ve listened to the CBC interview that went out here a while ago, and it’s something that we’re looking at currently in the department. We anticipate coming back in the Fall with some legislation once we get some more information on this.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : That’s true, P.E.I. did recently bring legislation. Not only that, but it was all-party collaboration - genuine all-party collaboration - and it was an Opposition bill. The campaign Can’t Buy My Silence, which I’ll table, calls on legislators like us to recognize and put an end to NDAs, so aside from the CBC article, we could pass that particular piece along.

I’m really glad to hear that there’s legislation coming forward. We would love to have an advance look at that and be able to discuss that. I’m getting a headshake of a no from the Premier. I guess the days of all-party collaboration are gone, but we will certainly support the legislation if it comes forward in an appropriate fashion.