The federal Liberal government has tabled a sweeping bill meant to fast-track approvals for major projects, cut review times and create zones of “national interest” to pre-approve certain types of projects.  Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says Ottawa cannot control decisions made by other countries, but can control how prepared Canada is.  He says the government will formally designate strategic trade corridors and identify new ways to eliminate bottlenecks and keep goods moving.  The bill also proposes to remove the responsibility for reviewing many big projects, such as pipelines and power transmission lines, from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

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Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem was in Halifax on Monday and said that unpredictable U-S trade policy could slow Canada’s economic recovery by discouraging business investment and hiring.  Macklem says if new U-S tariffs remain in place, economic growth could be cut roughly in half in the fourth quarter.  He also says higher oil and gasoline prices linked to the war in the Middle East could push inflation higher in the coming months.  Macklem says the bank has looked past the direct impact of higher oil prices, but the risk of more persistent inflation has increased.

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Elections Nova Scotia says it’s spent the last fiscal year gearing up for the next provincial election — whenever it may happen.

Chief Electoral Officer Dorothy Rice’s annual report says the agency’s new four-year plan includes a shift away from fixed election dates.

Premier Tim Houston brought in fixed election date legislation in his first term, but the 2024 election was still held eight months early.

The Tories repealed the legislation last year.

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The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and Nova Scotians are mourning the loss of Gerry Post, a tireless advocate whose work helped fundamentally advance accessibility and the rights of people with disabilities in Nova Scotia.  Gerry played a leading role in the community effort that helped shape Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act and, in 2017, became the first Executive Director of the Accessibility Directorate. In that role, he helped build the foundation for the province’s work toward an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030.