23/12/2025
To my friends and fellow ,
As a vowed religious here in Halifax, my life is rooted in a commitment to truth, justice, and the stewardship of our common home. As an Anglican, I have taken vows specifically to support those facing injustices and protect our environment for those to come. Today, I am speaking out not just as a person of faith, but as a citizen directly involved in the class action lawsuit against Nova Scotia Power.
We are currently enduring a massive failure of corporate and governmental accountability. Thousands of us have had our most sensitive information—Social Insurance Numbers and banking details—exposed in a security breach. We have been hit with "estimated" bills that bear little resemblance to reality, draining our bank accounts during a cost-of-living crisis.
While we are in the trenches fighting for our rights, Premier Tim Houston has released a message attempting to exploit our frustration to push his own industrial agenda. We must see his "natural gas solution" for what it really is: a cynical distraction.
1. Exploiting a Crisis for a Pre-Decided Agenda:
The Premier’s timing is not accidental. Yesterday, he announced a $30-million research project with Dalhousie University to "explore" onshore natural gas. He is using the pain of families who can't afford their power bills to justify an industry that will take a decade to build and may never lower our rates. This is a classic "bait and switch"—using a crisis he hasn't solved to justify an agenda he has wanted since he took office.
2. A Conflict of Interest We Cannot Ignore:
In October 2025, the Premier appointed himself the Minister of Energy. We must ask: Is it true "service" to promote an industry you have personally profited from? Before his holdings were shielded in a blind trust, public records showed the Premier held significant stocks in natural gas giants like Enbridge, TC Energy, and Birchcliff Energy. From his career as an accountant in Bermuda—a global tax haven—he has mastered the art of "bottom-line" thinking. But a province is a community of people, not a balance sheet for energy conglomerates.
3. Subsidizing Billionaires While We Fight for Fairness:
While many of us are part of a class action lawsuit just to get an accurate bill and protect our data, this government is entertaining the use of our tax dollars to help an Indonesian billionaire family (the owners of Paper Excellence) finance a pulp mill. This is Corporate Welfare at its worst: socialising the risk for the taxpayer while privatising the profit for the elite.
4. The "Cell Phone" Deception:
Comparing the risks of gas extraction to "upgrading to a cellphone" is an insult to our intelligence. A cellphone doesn't threaten our groundwater or our geological safety. To dismiss the valid ethical and environmental concerns of Nova Scotians as being "nervous of advancement" is gaslighting, plain and simple.
A Call for True Stewardship:
As a person of faith, I believe that Grace cannot exist without Justice. We do not need $30 million for "research" into how to dig more holes for a dying industry. We need a government that will:
-Hold Nova Scotia Power fully accountable for the data breach and the billing "errors" that have harmed thousands.
-Support the citizens in the class action lawsuit rather than using our pain as a political marketing tool.
-Prioritize a Just Transition to renewables that puts the dignity of the person over the dividends of the shareholder.
Let us not allow our current hardship to be used as a "Yes" for a fossil-fuel agenda that serves the few at the expense of the many. 🌿⚖️
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:
If you are tired of being a "bottom line" for Nova Scotia Power, here are three concrete steps to take today:
JOIN THE CLASS ACTION: If you have been impacted by the data breach or the overbilling crisis, protect your rights. You can sign on with MacGillivray Law here: macgillivraylaw.com/data-security
FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT: Don’t just vent on social media. Before the Energy Board can take up your case, you must complete the dispute process with the Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO).
Contact the DRO: 1-877-428-6202 or [email protected]
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Nova Scotia Energy and Regulatory Boards (NSERBT) to stay informed on hearing notices regarding the billing investigation: nserbt.ca
MacGillivray Injury and Insurance Law is investigating the viability of a class action lawsuit against Nova Scotia Power related to the date breach in early 2025.
