Nova Scotia gets a department of labour

Labour, environment now separate

Nova Scotia is breaking up the Department of Environment and Labour into two departments to better address the individual challenges of these two issues.

"The creation of these new departments is another important step in tackling challenges in both the workforce and the environment," said Mark Parent, the minister for the two new departments.

"They will bring an even sharper focus to several of government's priorities: educating to compete, protecting the environment and safe, healthy communities."

The Department of Labour and Workforce Development will have a skills and learning branch. It will emphasize recruitment, retention, repatriation and retraining of workers to meet the changing needs of the province's economy.

The department will also be responsible for occupational health and safety, labour services such as dispute resolution, labour standards, alcohol and gaming, pension regulation, public safety and the workers' advisers program.

The Department of Environment will focus on climate change, protecting the environment and advancing the province's environmental goals as outlined through the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act.

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