Province House belongs to the people.

Thirty-six people are receiving letters stating they are banned from Province House. Some are banned for three months. Others are banned for six months or even a year. These bans are supposed to take effect right before the fall session of the Legislature.

That should concern every person in Nova Scotia. Province House is not a private club for politicians, staff, and people who agree with the government. It is the people’s House. It is where decisions are made that affect all of us and the public services we get.

I know protests can be loud. I know they can make people uncomfortable. That is often the point. When people feel ignored, they show up. They speak out. They make sure the people in power hear them. No one jumped to the 1st floor from the galley; they were singing, imagine, singing.

The protest this spring came after the government announced major cuts that hurt communities, public services, culture, and workers. People were angry, and they had every right to be. Yes, the protest interrupted a vote. Yes, there need to be rules to keep everyone safe. But banning people from the Legislature for months is not a fair answer. I have participated in protests at Province House in the past. I have seen much bigger demonstrations than this one. I have seen protests that were louder and more disruptive. At times, hundreds of people filled the building or grounds because they believed the government was making the wrong choices. That is what democracy looks like sometimes. It is not always quiet and polite.

Those past governments did not respond by sending letters months later and banning dozens of people from their own Legislature. This feels different. It feels like a warning to anyone thinking about speaking out: stay quiet, or you may be shut out. That is not the kind of Nova Scotia we should accept.

The fall sitting should not be about keeping people away from Province House. It should be about helping people who are struggling. Families are dealing with high grocery bills, power rates, rents, and the cost of almost everything rising. Workers should not have to go to work sick because they cannot afford to lose a day’s pay. Nova Scotia’s employment standards provide unpaid sick leave, but workers need permanent paid sick days. The government should also move quickly toward a living wage. A person working full time should be able to pay their bills and put food on the table.

It should stop cutting public services and start improving them. People need better access to mental health care, not longer waits and fewer supports. We need to stop privatizing public services and start protecting them. Cutting corporate taxes is not the answer either. And we need real action to stop workplace harassment and violence, especially in public services. Workers deserve safe workplaces, not just in the Legislature but in every workplace.

The government needs to stop punishing people for speaking up and start dealing with the reasons they are angry in the first place. Stop banning citizens from their Legislature. Stop protecting wealthy and corporate interests while ordinary Nova Scotians struggle. Listen to the people, protect public services, and start acting like democracy matters more than election day and the campaign. As I often say, people before profits; we need governments that work for the people, not fight them.

These are my opinions written to get you thinking about what actually matters in this province. Fairness. Accountability. Who gets helped and who gets left out? Agree with me or don’t. But let’s have a respectful conversation.