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OUR DIRECTION
CLEAR PRINCIPLES. PRACTICAL RESULTS.
An organization seeking to influence government and public policy should be guided by clear principles, not a collection of disconnected positions.
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The following ten principles establish the direction of Reform Nova Scotia. They provide a consistent basis for evaluating problems, setting priorities and developing practical proposals.
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They are not a detailed policy program or a closed list. They provide the foundation for the practical proposals and priorities that follow.
Government belongs to the people.
Political authority comes from the people and must be exercised on their behalf.
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Government has no money of its own. Every dollar it spends comes from taxpayers or is borrowed against the future.Public money must be managed responsibly, decisions must be transparent and elected representatives must remain accountable to the people they serve.
Nova Scotia’s history, culture and heritage should be respected, protected and passed on to future generations.
Nova Scotia has a distinct history, culture and identity that generations of people have worked to build.
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A confident province respects its past, preserves what is worth protecting and ensures that future generations understand the inheritance entrusted to them.
Public services should be judged by results, not spending announcements.
More spending does not automatically produce better healthcare, education, infrastructure or public services.
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Government should define what each program is expected to accomplish, measure whether it works and be prepared to change or end programs that consistently fail to deliver results.
Citizens should be free, equal before the law and responsible for their choices.
Every citizen should have the same fundamental rights, responsibilities and treatment under the law.Â
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Freedom must include freedom of speech, conscience and belief. It must also be accompanied by personal responsibility and accountability for the consequences of one’s choices.
Families are the foundation of a healthy society.
Strong families provide care, stability, belonging and the foundation upon which healthy communities are built.
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Government should respect the family, recognize the primary responsibility of parents in raising their children and avoid policies that make family formation unnecessarily difficult.
Prosperity comes from work, enterprise and the opportunity to build and own something.
Prosperity is created by people who work, take risks, build businesses, practise trades, invest and produce things of value.
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Government should create the conditions in which effort is rewarded, work pays and ordinary people have a fair opportunity to own a home, build a business and get ahead.
Safe and orderly communities are a basic responsibility of government.
People should be able to live, work, raise their families and use public spaces without fear, intimidation or persistent disorder.
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Laws should be enforced consistently, victims should be taken seriously and public safety should remain one of government’s most basic responsibilities.
Public institutions should serve their purpose.
Schools should educate. Healthcare systems should care for patients. The civil service should administer government competently and impartially.
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Public institutions should not be used to advance political ideology. Employment, advancement and public decisions should be based on merit, competence, fairness and the proper purpose of the institution.
Nova Scotia should remain a place where people can build a future.
A successful province must provide more than government programs. It must provide opportunity.
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Nova Scotians should be able to find productive work, afford a home, build a business, raise children and see a future for themselves and their families here.
Each generation owes a duty to the next.
The decisions made today will shape the opportunities, institutions, finances and communities inherited by the next generation.
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Good government must look beyond the next announcement or election and consider the long-term consequences of every major decision.
FROM PRINCIPLES TO POLICY
These principles establish the direction of Reform Nova Scotia. Detailed policy proposals will be developed through evidence, practical experience, informed discussion and careful consideration of their costs and consequences.
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Every proposal should clearly identify the problem it is intended to solve, explain the proper role of government, disclose what it will cost and establish how results will be measured.
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Reform Nova Scotia will judge ideas by whether they are practical, affordable and likely to leave the province stronger.