Who is Involved?

Whole of government

As a “whole of government” initiative, Better Regulation falls under the responsibility of the Minister of Policy and Priorities. Every department of the Province of Nova Scotia is involved in the Initiative. At this point, it does not include agencies, commissions or boards. Nor does it encompass federal or municipal levels of government, although the province is working with other levels of government on some changes. One example would be the phasing out of the Business Occupancy Assessment Tax (BOAT).

Better Regulation is led by the provincial government, and involves other groups as well. The steering committee (see below) sought input from business groups to better understand the impact of regulation and found they see the importance of regulation too — just not the excess paperwork some regulations create.

Business

Following is a list of some of the business groups that have helped to shape the plan and priorities for the Better Regulation Initiative so far:

Consultation with the business community and interest groups continues under the leadership of various departments on specific topics. These discussions provide business and the public with the chance to be part of the solution - Better Regulation. We can protect Nova Scotians and the environment more effectively while reducing unnecessary impact on business.

Steering Committee

Within government, the Better Regulation Initiative is lead by a strong and dedicated steering committee of assistant / deputy ministers and senior people from the following major regulatory departments:

Office of Policy and Priorities
Environment and Labour
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
Economic Development
Justice
Finance
Communications Nova Scotia

This group has also made use of their contacts in other governments and gained insight on what they are doing to measure the impact and improve regulation.

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