Nova Scotia Government Practice - An Example

Much re-organization has gone on in the government of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada during the early 1990s. Sometimes this has been done in a responsible manner and has resulted in improved services and efficiency. Sometimes the re-organization has proceeded less smoothly. The following hypertext outlines an example of one of the rougher events.

Complaint against the
Nova Scotia Research Foundation Corporation (NSRFC) / Innovacorp

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Alasdair McKay's complaints against NSRFC / Innovacorp ( a branch of the Department of Economic Renewal of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada ) can be briefly stated thus :

1. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation Corp. needs to improve its international relations.

2. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation Corp. has undertaken an untendered $70000.00 contract, during 1994-95, contrary to the declared policy of the N.S. Provincial Government and in competition with consultants in private practice.

3. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation Corp. has dismissed me on the basis of redundancy and obtained from me a release on grounds which have later appeared to have been spurious.

4. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation Corp., or Innovacorp is presumably responsible for providing the Hon. R. Harrison with the response which he gave in October 1995 to an Order of the N.S. House of Assembly, a response which by reason of errors or omissions is misleading to that House.

5. Innovacorp is presumably also responsible for providing the Hon. Richard Mann with the text of a reply which that minister gave on 30th September 1996 to a question put in the House of Assembly on 17th May 1996 ... again a reply which by reason of errors or omissions is misleading to that House.

6. My making available on the Internet, in late 1995, information concerning the shortcomings of the NSRFC / Innovation Corporation produced only a threat of legal action against me in the spring of 1997, by which time the Innovation Corp. had presumably become sufficiently technically literate to read the material of whose existence I had informed them a full year earlier. Their legal threat came by mail at a time when I was away at sea and when my wife was freely hosting in our home two girls from France whom the Innovation Corp. had itself brought into its temporary employ, seemingly without proper provision for their bodily maintenance.

Possibly individually, but certainly when taken together, the items 2 and 3 above would appear to constitute a breach of Article 6.1 of the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Item 1 is a clear breach of Article 15.4 of that covenant.

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General background of the situation.

Correspondence from The Hon. Ross Bragg in late 1994, and a reply to him.

Current situation (June 1995) regarding an Order before the House of Assembly (from Hansard).

Further discussion

Historical antecedents

It is most interesting to note the very different reactions of politicians in power and those not in power. Those not in power come out with direct views, whereas those in power strive only to delay and to obfuscate. In striking contrast to this very clear cut correlation, there is none at all that can be made between a politician's viewpoint and political party.

This hypertext document contains many references in support of the above statements, but is not an exhaustive compendium of all the relevant written correspondence on these matters. Some of the letters have been abridged where seemingly irrelevant material appeared in them. The documents are not guaranteed against errors which may have arisen in transcription or otherwise. Please advise Alasdair McKay of any errors or omissions.

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