QP - Why is this government focusing on increasing their own power?

CLAUDIA CHENDER : Speaker, the Premier wants to talk about leadership, administration, and management. Let's do that. This government appoints political insiders and friends to jobs that used to be and should be independent. They have used their majority to give themselves more power to handpick the head of Crown corporations, the independent Public Prosecution Service, and post-secondary presidents. Last week, the co-chair of the last PC campaign was made a provincial court judge after this government changed the process to give themselves more power.

This is not what Nova Scotians voted for and judging by my inbox, it is not what they want. Why is this government focused on increasing their own power instead of helping Nova Scotians?

THE SPEAKER  : The honourable Minister of Justice.

HON. SCOTT ARMSTRONG : The selection process is an independent, nonpartisan process. There is an independent judicial advisory council that produces a list of qualified candidates and the government picks off that list. Judicial appointments in Nova Scotia are nonpartisan and this is an independent process.

CLAUDIA CHENDER : Prior to this government, the government did not have a majority on that committee. They changed the rules so that they do. Yesterday, the Attorney General could not confirm whether or not that process had been followed. Yesterday, when asked about the political appointment of the head of the independent Public Prosecution Service, the Attorney General talked about what a good Nova Scotian the appointee is but could not confirm that the hiring process had been followed.

Appointing political insiders to independent positions in our justice system puts our rights, our protections, and the administration of justice at risk and we must treat that seriously. Can the Premier confirm that he understands and respects the independence of our justice system?

SCOTT ARMSTRONG : Well, Speaker, the Public Prosecution Service is independent. They have done a tremendous job supporting the criminal justice system here in Nova Scotia. Over the last several years, they have actually increased the number of public prosecutors by 30. That speeds up the court system - helps us to avoid Jordan delays. We are very satisfied of independence and hard work of the Public Prosecution Service.