By Timothy Halman, Minister of Service Efficiency
This Red Tape Awareness Week is a reminder that outdated rules don’t just create frustration – they slow down the construction of homes and hospitals, delay access to care and discourage investment in industries like resource development that are essential to building a future-ready province.
That’s why we’ve focused on cutting through the status quo, making government work faster and better for Nova Scotians, and meeting this moment in history with the urgency it demands.
We’ve reduced permitting times for mining by more than half, attracting projects that will create good jobs and position Nova Scotia to compete globally.
We’ve improved half of the Province’s 300 permits so decisions get made faster – meaning small businesses get answers instead of being stuck in limbo. And we’re not stopping there.
By removing barriers to housing development, 14,667 new units are underway, with conditions now in place for more than 54,000 additional homes.
We’re also modernizing healthcare. We’ve expanded the scope of primary care services offered by pharmacists and nurse practitioners, making it easier for Nova Scotians to access care. And the launch of the One Person, One Record system at the IWK is a major step toward a provincewide platform that will eliminate duplicative processes and build on the previous work of the Province to reduce the administrative burden for doctors by hundreds of thousands of hours.
Cutting red tape doesn’t mean cutting corners. It means removing what’s unnecessary so we can stay focused on what’s essential – building homes families can afford, supporting good jobs and the industries that drive them, and improving access to care.
Now more than ever, Nova Scotians expect a government that gets things done and meets the unprecedented challenges we face head on and with our heads up.
By reducing red tape responsibly, we’re delivering results and building a stronger, more resilient province for everyone.
Timothy Halman is Nova Scotia’s Minister of Service Efficiency.
