On The Record, Off Script - Atlantic Canada | Politics | Democracy

The Pulp and Paper Mill at Abercrombie Point at the tip of Boat Harbour in Pictou County is the subject of a new book by Joan Baxter. The book is called ‘The Mill: Fifty Years of Pulp and Protest’. And it is her book that is at the centre a now-national media story.A signing for her book at a local bookstore was cancelled due to pressure the store was under from what a Chapters/Indigo spokesperson described as concerns that customers' "joyful and safe experience" might be compromised.So today on the Off Script podcast, I’m chatting with Joan Baxter about her new Book ‘The Mill’, the 50 years of community activism protesting the pulp industry’s practise in Pictou County and the politics surrounding it all.-- Share this episode using the shortlink: http://www.springtide.ngo/millFollow along on Twitter: @SpringtideCo | @MarkCoffin | @Joan_BaxterResources mentioned in this episode: Joan's Book: The Mill: 50 Years of Pulp and ProtestJoan's Book: Seven Grains of Paradise: A Culinary Journey in AfricaJohn Demont's C

Govern Yourself Accordingly is the new weekly Springtide podcast for engaged citizens and public leaders who want to shape the future through politics – with their integrity intact. Subscribe now in Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the final episode in our journey through the experiences of former MLAs. In this episode, we share what we heard when we asked former Nova Scotia MLAs to share the advice they would offer to a future political candidate. This episode is just that, the advice they would give to those who aspire to and have recently won elected office in Nova Scotia.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

By the end of this episode, you’ll hear one very solid recommendation that was echoed by a number of MLAs from various parties. While this recommendation was by no means a consensus amongst former MLAs, nobody told us that it wasn’t worth trying. And in politics, an idea like that is rare. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we unpack how a meeting of the Nova Scotia Cabinet works. We explore the tension between Cabinet and the Premier's Office, and how the Premier's offices has grown to wield more and more power from the days of John Savage and John Hamm to those of Darrell Dexter and Stephen McNeil.Share this episode using the shortlink: http://springtide.ngo/os17Go to HelloFresh.ca/OnTheRecord and get 50% off your meal-kit box from this episode's sponsor, Hello Fresh. Or use promo-code RECORD50 at checkout. Support the podcast with a contribution of as little as $3/month. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we’ll unpack how a minister’s office works, and dig into:- how people who held that office who we spoke to approached making decisions, and the kind of decisions they had to make.- how they did (or did not) involve caucus in their decision making, and- how the rest of Cabinet and the Premier’s office would be involved in decisions.Share this episode using the shortlink: http://springtide.ngo/os16Go to HelloFresh.ca/OnTheRecord and get 50% off your meal-kit box from this episode's sponsor, Hello Fresh. Or use promo-code RECORD50 at checkout.Support the podcast with a contribution of as little as $3/month. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just how exactly does an MLA get anything done at Province House? In this, and the next few episodes of the Off Script podcast, we’re going to explore the nitty gritty of who has what kind of power to make things happen within the governmental structures at, and around, province house in Nova Scotia. We begin by exploring how an MLA on either side of the house can get something done. Share this episode using the shortlink: http://springtide.ngo/os15Go to HelloFresh.ca/OnTheRecord and get 50% off your meal-kit box from this episode's sponsor, Hello Fresh.Support the podcast with a contribution of as little as $3/month. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode, we’re sharing talks from two members of the Canadian Senate: Senators Grant Mitchell (Alberta) and Wanda Thomas-Bernard (Nova Scotia). Both talks are an excerpt from a larger event called “Independent or Partisan? The Future of the Canadian Senate” held by the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance at Dalhousie, as a part of their Policy Matters speaker series. Watch the full event on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/2kXVbuNLearn more about the Policy Matters speaker series: http://bit.ly/2yaEQsiShare the podcast with this shortlink: http://springtide.ngo/se30 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this specioal episode of the Off Script podcast, we’re sharing two diverse perspectives on the Ivany report, drawn from a discussion held by the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy at Dalhousie. The discussion was called “All for One Nova Scotia? Perspectives on the Ivany Report”.The first speaker is Karen Foster. Karen is a professor in the department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University, and the author of Productivity and Prosperity: An Historical Sociology of Productivist Thought.The second speaker you’ll hear is Danny Graham, who regular listeners to this podcast will know from his time as an MLA and former Liberal Party leader, and now CEO at Engage Nova Scotia.Watch the full discussion on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2yaEtxUMore on the Policy Matters Speaker Series: http://bit.ly/2yaEQsi See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week: we explore the dynamics of the Nova Scotia LegislaturePeople always seem to draw comparisons between politicians and school children when they visit the House of Assembly. We have a couple of stories that relate to that:the story of an MLA who refused to give school children tours of the House of Assembly while his colleagues were present;a story from a former school teacher who tried her classroom management strategies on her colleagues;We'll also hear from:two people who held down the Speaker's chair; anda story form a Cabinet Minister who admired fellow ministers who dodged questions, but tried his best to answer the ones that came his way.Share this episode using the shortlink: http://springtide.ngo/os14Support the podcast: https://offscript-springtide.nationbuilder.com/donateRate and review the podcast in iTunes: http://apple.co/2yHtWr6 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Andrew Younger is the only former MLA we’ve interviewed who sat as an independent. In our interview Andrew describes some of the unsung, unknown advantages of being an independent in Nova Scotia politics. He also tells us what he’s up to now, and talks about how he organized his constituency office to allow him to focus on policy-making.Share this episode using the link: http://springtide.ngo/se28Support the podcast: https://offscript-springtide.nationbuilder.com/donateRate and review the podcast in iTunes: http://apple.co/2yHtWr6 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We spoke with members of the press gallery at province house to hear what they had to say, about what MLAs had to say about them. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We never set out to ask MLAs about their relationship with the media, but it was a topic that came up regularly when we asked them one question in particular. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Next week the legislature returns, and next month we'll have a new podcast series.Sign up for an update when the new podcast launches: http://www.springtide.ngo/newpod See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Howard Epstein was elected seven consecutive times to serve his constituents on the Halifax peninsula. Twice as a municipal councillor and five times as an MLA. Howard, an NDP member, was not afraid to speak out when he felt the party was not living up to it's principles. We talk about the realities of speaking out against one's own party and his life and career in Nova Scotia politics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the near future, Springtide will be launching a new podcast: a brand new series completely separate from Off Script.The trouble is, we're evenly split on what to call the podcast, and the people we've asked for feedback are equally split. We have two options, and we'd like you to listen to each to let us know what you think. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we share our interview with Michelle Raymond, who is a former NDP MLA for the riding of Halifax Atlantic. She served from 2003 to 2012. Michelle held a relatively low profile during her career as an MLA - she served on the backbenches of the NDP government - but she had plenty of strongly stated, and eloquently delivered thoughts on the state of politics, and the life of an MLA. Some of the things I chatted about in my interview with her included: - what it means to be an unmanageable candidate and why she wished she’d been one. - the wealth of information and access available to MLAs, should they choose to use it. - the false flag of ‘privacy concerns’ that she says is more often used to protect the privacy of failing government agencies than the individuals they’re supposed to be serving.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

George Archibald was the seventh generation of the Archibald family to serve in the Nova Scotia legislature. His time in the legislature spanned two decades (the 80s and 90s). In this interview with Louise Cockram from the Off Script team, he describes some of the dramatic changes he observed over the length of his career at the legislature, some of the lighter moments of being an MLA, and the importance he saw in working with the other side. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Francene has worn many political hats in her day: first Mayor of Bedford, PC Party Candidate, Liberal Party Executive Director, Liberal MLA and Minister of Community Services just to name a few of them. Here's our extended interview with Francene where she talks about winning a hotly contested nomination meeting, the sometimes tense challenges of sitting in the speaker's chair, and maintaining her own independence when she was uncomfortable with the direction of her party. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Graham Steele was the Finance Minister in Darrell Dexter's NDP Government. In this podcast he talks about his personal path in and out of politics, and why (if he could do it over again) he'd run for city council instead of the provincial legislature. Since leaving politics he's written a book on his time in public life, worked as a political analyst for the CBC, joined the faculty of Management at Dalhousie University, and is getting ready to release his second book 'The Effective Citizen' in the Fall of 2017. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.