The justice minister introduced a bill today which would provide training standards for private security. In principal this is a good idea and one Liberals support. In fact our own Diana Whalen introduced a bill to do just that a few sessions back.
The problem is this bill is flawed and there seems to be little interest by the NDP to correct it before it passes. This is the same bill the Tories introduced and withdrew because it was flawed, and the NDP introduced and withdrew in the fall due to flaws. Yet here it is again.
During a media scrum today the justice minister said he withdrew the bill in the fall for further consultation but then admitted he didn't make any changes as a result. I have received literally hundreds of pages of commentary on the bill from affected groups yet none of their feedback - also received by the minister - was included.
The commissionaires (there are 1700 across Nova Scotia) today said they support the principle of the bill but need to see changes first. They will be at law amendments seeking changes and if this issue is important to you, you can be there too or send written comments.
Primary among those changes are explaining what rules will go with the bill and what it will cost taxpayers.
The minister also said today the bill makes saves businesses money as workers will pay for their own training and their license will be their own. Yes it saves some businesses some money but just shifts that cost to the individual security guards who will now in many cases have to pay their own training costs.
The justice minister needs to answer some questions before this bill goes to a vote. As the justice department plans to set up a licensing program what will the bill cost taxpayers? What will the regulations be for this bill? Will bouncers be treated differently than armed guards? What regulations will be put in place around use of force?
All of these questions remain unanswered because the NDP wants the legislature to pass a bill without knowing what rules will come with it. Let's make public safety - and the safety of security professionals - the priority. But let's do it right. The bill has been withdrawn twice already for the same problems. Why bring it forward again without corrections and answers?
