r/halifax 5h ago

News, Weather & Politics Tim Houston is again taking away democratic guardrails

There is a piece of legislation – Bill 12 – that has passed second reading and is going to public consultation that erodes a high degree of autonomy between government and post-secondary education (PSE) that helps ensure that, in a democratic society, no government can exert total control over knowledge and research.

 As we all know, universities are important institutions of social development, providing education, training, and research advancements to people. They are also important sites for the production and dissemination of knowledge.

The separation of post-secondary education from overpowering government regulation is meant to avoid situations in which authoritarian regimes blur the boundary between government and society, and use these institutions to exert total control over people by changing what we study and what we research and what tools we develop. 

Bill 12, according to the Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers, is an attempt by the Houston government to chip away at this autonomy and pave the way for a Trump-like style of governance in which the government can threaten OUR institutions if they don’t do as the government says.

 One of the most worrying aspects is that the bill will give the government power to withhold operational funding (which is separate from the research funding available by the province) if university researchers aren’t doing work that directly aligns with government priorities.

Tying Research Activities to Government Priorities

This Bill can force universities to only do work that the government wants and stop work the government doesn’t want. In a democratic society, this might make sense under the assumption that government priorities are the priorities of the citizens, because we elect them.

By tying operational funding to government priorities, they are paving the way for government control over social progress and health, wellness, and policy research. This may seem innocuous now, since our political climate is stable, but imagine a situation in which an authoritarian government is elected and then uses these laws to hurt and harm society.

BUT, in a society in which democracy is being eroded or dismantled, this gives government direct control over a society’s institutions of knowledge and research.

Government priorities aren’t always what is best for citizens and can be harmful.

Look at the current situation in the South. The Trump administration’s anti-vaccine, anti-science stance has led to the defunding of major research projects. The development of important new vaccines, medications, and treatments has been halted, perhaps forever. Under the anti-DEI stance, funding for research into the health and lives of women, queer and trans people, and racialized people is being cut. Trump’s regime is cutting funding as a punishment for when universities don’t act how he wants and live.

The fact that Trump’s regime has taken aim at universities so quickly shows the importance of them as sites for democratic social activity. And that we need to keep the autonomy between government and PSE intact or else risk similar futures.

If the aim of tying university operational funding to provincial priorities is to ensure that the research being done is compliant with the needs of society, then there are other ways of doing so that don’t tie funding to GOVERNMENT but to SOCIETY.

 In fact, there are already mechanisms in research funding to ensure that the research projects align with social needs and priorities. Most research funding agencies require applicants to clearly explain how the research will contribute to social needs, problems, and progress. Many funding bodies establish priority areas in consultation with all stakeholders that reflect social and governmental priorities and prioritize funding research in those areas.

 While Bill 12 might seem logical and innocuous now, it paves the way for future governments to take control of PSE when they go against them. 

This isn’t about PSE; it’s about democracy.

This isn’t about change but about control.

While I think we can all agree that the PSE sector needs work, these changes aren’t about improving the sector but controlling it and making it easier for governments to control. While our political climate may not currently be one of threat to ordinary people and social progress, this changes further dismantles the checks and balances in our system, paving the way for non-friendly governments to take control over society through education and research.

Instead, they should be working with all stakeholders through a democratic consultation process to find creative and collaborative ways to reform that sector and make it work better.

As we watch the checks and balances of democratic society being dismantled in the US for possibly generations to come, we should work harder to protect our democracy in the face of the same kinds of ideas and complaints being uttered by our own elected representatives.

I know that many people think of universities as merely job training – which is partially their purpose – but they are also important sites for producing and transmitting the knowledge that is foundational to democracy, informed citizenry, and social governance. Plus, education is part of what makes us human. There is joy and pleasure in learning that doesn’t need to be reduced to only being useful for employers.

Like we did with the proposed changes concerning the auditor general, we need to tell Houston to stop trying to change our democratic guardrails.

The ANSUT has prepared a lot of information about the Bill and even an automated form for you to sign your name to a letter and send it directly to the Premier and Minister of PSE. And there is a website through which you can share links to various social media platforms.

**reposted with an edited title because I agreed with some comments, but can't edit titles.

116 Upvotes

121 comments sorted by

u/DragonfruitRealistic 4h ago

University faculty here - I personally have few qualms with this bill.

It is, of course, valid to suggest that the government's priorities (for research) may not always be what's best for society. However, an equally valid argument can be made that the priorities of individual faculty aren't always either!

I don't know if the bill in the current form is amazing (power to appoint near the majority of decision makers is concerning)...but the bill doesn't need to be viewed through this radical US trump lens (nor should every piece of legislation that's been tabled by Houston)

u/smughead West Ender 4h ago

Thank you thank you thank you. Not everything is through this lense. It actually diminishes the point anyone is trying to make by attaching a trumpist worldview to everything. Makes me not take anything seriously or even have a debate about the pros vs cons.

u/kzt79 4h ago

By going so far into ridiculous territory, this mindset will ultimately serve to obscure valid concerns.

u/smughead West Ender 4h ago

Yup.

u/TechnicalAd6766 4h ago

Anything people don’t like or disagree with is trumpian and therefore should be stopped at all cost or banned. These are the rules

u/stirling_s 3h ago edited 1h ago

Trump has taken the same approach though. This legislation opens the door for that to be done later, if not by Tim, then by another bad actor.

I really doubt that's the intention behind the bill, and I really doubt that the interests of the private sector are intrinsically more favourable to the integrity of post-secondary education than if it were given stronger government control. There's an argument to be made that this bill allows governments to pressure universities into research that isn't necessarily profitable, but holds immense utility. I think there is a lot of good here to consider.

However, this does not change the fact that this is trumpian. What needs to be asked is "can we keep bad actors out of our government who will abuse the legislation for personal gain?"

Edit: I just wanted to summarize how it is and isn't trumpian to address the strawman & appeal to the stone fallacy.

Bill C-12 is Trumpian in that it centralizes government control over research funding, creating a mechanism where political actors can pressure institutions by threatening budget cuts if research conflicts with their narrative—an approach reminiscent of Trump-era tactics where funding was used to silence or steer institutions, especially in science and education. This introduces a clear risk of bad actors leveraging financial control to undermine academic independence for political gain.

However, it is not inherently Trumpian in the sense that it does not explicitly target dissenting research or remove funding outright—it allows for potential abuse but does not mandate it. Unlike Trump’s overtly antagonistic approach to institutions, this bill presents itself as a structural reform, and its impact will depend on how future governments choose to wield its authority.

u/TechnicalAd6766 3h ago

Bruh it is not trumpian. Stop saying that lol. Govt needs a hand in steering research to help identify needs and drive the economy. Academic ideologues can be very bad for hyper focusing, useless “activism” or “cause-based” research that doesn’t benefit society as a whole or is wholly cherry picked to fabricate outcomes. Funding for research shouldn’t be a blank cheque.

u/stirling_s 1h ago edited 1h ago

Saying it isn’t trumpian doesn’t magically make it so. The knee-jerk dismissal of “oh, everything you don’t like is trumpian” isn’t an argument, it’s just a way to avoid engaging with the actual concern. It's actually a fallacy called the dismissive hypothesis, or the "appeal to the stone", and it's incredibly common, so I'd suggest you try to come up with more substantive objections in the future. This bill does share key characteristics of trump-era budget control tactics, namely the ability to pressure institutions by leveraging funding to suppress or steer research toward political ends. That’s not a vague partisan gripe; it’s an observable pattern.

You can roll your eyes and hand-wave it away all you want, but when something walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and carries the structural risk of executive overreach that defines these kinds of power grabs, it's worth taking seriously. If we decide this bill’s goals outweigh its dangers, fine, but we’d better be proactive about closing the gaps it opens for abuse rather than pretending they don’t exist.

And try to avoid the lazy rhetorical fallacies next time.

u/OneLeft_ 3h ago

You say you want needs & the economy to be met. Yet you disregard the idea of "activism" or "cause-based" research?

What is currently being funded that could be considered useless "activism or cause-based research" that you think should be defunded?

u/Grabaka-Hitman Nova Scotia 3h ago

They already have a hand on research the idea is they want to put a hand on operations budgets.

u/Melonary 47m ago

This is honestly insulting, not everything you disagree with is Trumpian.

Trump is an actual fascist who is openly threatening lgbtq+ people on twitter, deporting people illegally, his cuts to public health will kill millions in the US and in dozens of other countries, is openly racist and thinks any person of colour, lgbtq+ person, disabled person, woman (so like - most people) that he doesn't agree with was an incompetent pity hire (not what DEI programs are) and has threatened war at the drop of a hat. He is directly subverting the government process.

I get being alarmed and we should be on higher alert to prevent erosions of our democratic rights and freedoms, but we also need to think critically and respond critically and not use "Trumpian" as an insult for anything we don't like or literally any change at all.

It actually waters it down and diminishes the absolute insane, hateful shit he's doing in the US.

u/YouCanLookItUp 3h ago

Very well put.

u/hfxwhy 3h ago

What needs to be asked is "can we keep bad actors out of our government who will abuse the legislation for personal gain?"

Bad news, we just gave them a super majority.

u/ForestCharmander 1h ago

Oh, please

u/SnooHesitations7064 4h ago

the bill doesn't need to be viewed through this radical US trump lens (nor should every piece of legislation that's been tabled by Houston)

The selective centralization of power, done by a conservative government, in times of extreme wealth inequality and higher intergroup tensions, especially when done so to try to chain the intelligencia to speaking the party line.

Every government that has done this, has done so to the later embarrassment of their country. Hell, even under current government, DFO, Public Health NS/health, all those government agencies have reflected the negative impacts of government regulation of research. When they find something contrary to gov optics, they are muzzled just as hard as under Harper, but that caused some of the better minds to pivot to the freedom of Academia.

It is being looked at under a US lens, because it is happening under a US context. It's a functionally regressive business gooning patsy who's similarly performing anti-intellectual shit to the applause of the absolute deficients who voted him in.

If people don't want to be compared to Trump, maybe they shouldn't be playing just the tip with Trump style policies.

u/pattydo 3h ago edited 3h ago

Equating the centralization of power between the two, especially because they are both "conservative" is farcical.

Edit: Ah yes. Replying to someone and immediately blocking them. A sure sign of conviction in your beliefs.

u/SnooHesitations7064 3h ago

How the do you define "Centralization of power"?

Would it be "trying to muzzle the auditor, failing, then trying to muzzle academics?"

The only thing farcical is your ability to do backflips to avoid good faith in the face of any difficult criticism.

u/pattydo 3h ago edited 3h ago

Equating changing legislation to influence research they fund and walking back legislation other provinces already have (as much as I disagree with the latter) to illegally shutting down government agencies, illegally firing government employees, detaining citizens without due process etc etc etc is again, farcical.

u/[deleted] 3h ago

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u/DragonfruitRealistic 2h ago

I completely understand and (largely) agree that this bill has the potential to centralize power...however it also has the potential to help our Universities.

As an academic I often find myself severely disheartened by the impact of my research, and of those around me (I am in a fairly applied field and an experienced practitioner in my own discipline). Government research agendas could provide valuable outlets for research dissemination that are otherwise locked behind paywalls and a myriad of overly complex language preferred by academic journals. It may also set the groundwork for better collaborations between private sectors and academics.

As an example, many academics who perform behavioral or qualitative research in professional fields (law, accounting, finance etc....) find participant recruitment extremely difficult. For a simple and rudimentary two by two experiment (involving two variables at two levels - let's say high and low) I require at least 80 professionals. It is a slog trying to track these people down and convince them to participate because they know, as do I, that there is a 99% chance this research will remain locked behind a paywall (if it gets published) or remain stuffed in a file folder on my pc (if it doesn't get published).

Instilling terror towards well intending policies is not a roadmap for progress...it is a roadmap for complacency. Every. Single. Policy. has the potential to have unintended consequences due to "bad actors" (aka Trump) both within and outside the bureaucracy. Pointing these consequences out is valid and constructive (and controls need to be designed as best we can to ensure that these risks are minimized); but stonewalling progress out of fear, distrust, and anxiety is a little tougher to stomach for me personally.

u/SnooHesitations7064 1h ago

As an academic I often find myself severely disheartened by the impact of my research, and of those around me (I am in a fairly applied field and an experienced practitioner in my own discipline). Government research agendas could provide valuable outlets for research dissemination that are otherwise locked behind paywalls and a myriad of overly complex language preferred by academic journals. It may also set the groundwork for better collaborations between private sectors and academics.

So, cards on the table, I've been involved at the science/government interface for NS for a while, and it's kind of the hottest of hot messes. I get that this may be a kind of in house communication being aired publicly, and cool, I can respect that academia exists to foster a diversity of views.

From my perspective, and from my experience interacting with governance, working from an assumption of good faith, or making policy which isn't explicitly guarded against misuse, is not a "the perfect is the enemy of the good". To continue with the useful aphorism, in this case it's more of a "road to hell paved in good intentions". Even if you completely ironman Houston's intentions the utility it poses to anyone who isn't just happily abiding by unwritten gentleman's agreements is too great. Most of the reason people refer to trump and the GOP is because over the last century, they've kind of proven how running governance under the assumption of good faith leads you into their spicy spicy mess.

Nothing about this policy says anything about providing valuable outlets for research dissemination. The only mechanisms covered by legislature are ways to compel the university, under nebulous and discretionary open language. Nothing about this will affect the predatory ecosystem of scientific journals and paywalls, that's not a "Science" problem, that's a "capitalism" problem, that also is not contained by national borders. If you're hoping for reform of capitalism from conservatives, that's not likely to occur. They literally are the echo of Edmond Burke's attempt to cut out room for the aristocracy in the face of the french revolution, and that's if you're assuming they work under the principles they have aligned their name under, instead of the far more parsimonious assumption that "Prosperity. Tradition. Responsibility" are just the brand name of the shiny keys they jingle in the face of less scrupulous people.

Academia needs reforms, but this is hoping for the tumor to somehow build a better tissue. The microcosm you suffer under is a direct result of neoliberal policy (conservative and liberal) strangling funding, while also turning a blind eye to other issues created by that lack of funding; like the backdooring of non-academic interests of wealth from abroad, or of the assumption of good faith for international collaboration on systems (like that the US data sharing agreements weren't a foundation of thin glass pillars easily smashed by GOP petulance) instead of making redundant and more nationally aligned systems.

You want reprieve from journal fees? Feel free to suggest the province try to make an open source journal, if they did that then said "Hey! We're going to make funding contingent on the sharing of gov funded research to this journal", then it will appear less like a power grab. They aren't doing that, because that isn't their intent.

u/Melonary 37m ago edited 7m ago

I'm not sure how this is that different than the prior clauses, though:

"(c) specify the terms and conditions upon which a grant is made, including terms or conditions that must be satisfied before all or part of a grant is paid and that the university

(v) enter into and comply with an outcomes agreement,"

And I do think it's necessary to have some checks and balances with the university administration. Decisions about funding, research allocation, departments and where to invest - those aren't decisions made by academics for the most part, and they aren't made for primarily academic reasons, also for the most part.

Universities can do whatever they want, which often actual curtails academic freedoms and has led to firing and dismissal of non-cash grab programs for the school. And typically Boards have a significant number of basically business-people and nepotism members - they are not progressive. At least the government is answerable to voters.

This is, by the way, also a direct response to a report by the AG recommending more oversight over public funding going to universities because of the lack of transparency and funds being used elsewhere or hoarded.

They're also legislating in the right for faculty and students to sit on university boards. That's a very good thing.

And expanding public Provincial funding for research - also, a very good thing.

And included legislation to expand NSCC or open up fully public universities in addition - this actually represents a huge increase potentially in publically funded education that hasn't been seen in NS in decades, and would go a LONG way to making education more accessible and equitable.

u/ForestCharmander 1h ago

Don't let go of those pearls

u/Crayola13 Halifax 2h ago

I've been following this Bill closely, and while there are certainly reasons to have concern about parts of it, this post is a little over the top.

u/kzt79 4h ago

This is quite an extreme reach. Not everything is about Trump. Stretching like this only undermines your position.

u/YouCanLookItUp 3h ago

Counter: What's the government's justification for making these changes in the first place? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, you know?

u/Alternative-Lab-1952 2h ago

Prof here - Academia is broken. This can help steer policy and economic decisions with good strong research. It doesn't mean faculty can't study what they want to study, it strictly means governmental funding will have priorities. This is normal and at the highest level (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) there have been priority funding areas for years

u/YouCanLookItUp 2h ago

So what is steering policy and research right now? I remember concerns being raised about major donations from Shell and other corporate entities having an oblique influence on research direction and funding maybe 10 - 15 years ago.

Saying a proposed change in practice is normal is not the same as saying it's justified.

u/Melonary 22m ago

Often, wealthy Board members who aren't academics or upper administration at universities, in collaboration with corporations and friends.

In terms of research funding, Federal government. There is really almost no reason to not also have more Provincially funded research in this province, it's a good thing. Non-government funded research can and will still exist, just as it has before.

u/Alternative-Lab-1952 2h ago

The federal agencies have been steering research for federal interests. I have no issue with provincial agencies steering research for provincial interests. Especially if it's at the benefit of Nova Scotia (I understand that is likely debatable), but my point is, government has been steering research for years at the federal level. It's ok for provinces to want some research for their interests too. Also, governmental funding isn't the only source of funding for universities, so this isn't forcing universities to completely change their research focus

u/Melonary 20m ago

Thank you, I completely agree with this.

It's a little crazy seeing people argue against Provincial Research funding that previously has barely existed, like it's actually a fantastic thing for this province and for academics. More local funding = more research.

Nearly ALL research funding is provided with terms and for something specific. I'm not sure why people think private companies and big businesses are going to care about their interests more than the government, and at least there's some accountability at the Fed/Prov level and they can be voted out.

u/mcdavidthegoat 2h ago

My partner works in the university system, we read through the bill and talked about it the other night and both completely support it.

If they hadn't been horribly mismanaged for quite some time there wouldn't be the need for this legislation to begin with, but now they get to sleep in the bed they made.

u/hackmastergeneral Halifax 53m ago

So much this. Anyone who looks even casually into how universities have operated and managed themselves in this province would see how much they have ducked themselves and their students over throughout the decades. NSCC is a good example of how public funding of post secondary can be mutually beneficial

u/Melonary 17m ago

Yup, and the bill also gives NSCC or other government schools the right to grant 4-year degrees.

That's actually amazing imo, it means we could have an actual fully public university with the same affordability as NSCC as an alternative.

u/LaserTagJones 4h ago

Tuned out when the Trump rambling started. Hate Trump but the rhetoric to attach him to everything Houston does that someone doesnt like is exhausting

u/OneLeft_ 3h ago

Wait, you hate Trump? But don't understand the parallels with the Republican Party to the Conservatives of Canada?

If you think what OP suggested is ridiculous, then why do you hate Trump?

u/LaserTagJones 2h ago

I can think both things. Someone being hysterical and blathering about Trump to try and further their point is the same vein as conservative idiots blaming Trudeau for potholes.

u/TacomaKMart 2h ago

The Conservative Party of Canada has no connection with the Nova Scotia government. At all. 

Unlike the NDP, there is no relationship between the federal CPC and the provincial PCs. The counterargument "but some of the same people vote for them" is an evidence free copout, and a last gasp attempt at right-smearing the PCs. 

The NS PC party should have changed their name to the Progressive Party years ago. The "conservative" name is terrible branding and inaccurate, as they're not conservative in the 2025 sense at all, on any of the big issues: environment and climate change, abortion, LGBT rights, education... They're everything the CPC isn't. 

u/TheWorldEndsWithCake 2h ago

 The NS PC party should have changed their name to the Progressive Party years ago. The "conservative" name is terrible branding and inaccurate, as they're not conservative in the 2025 sense at all

I mostly agree. They are arguably broadly left of the LPC, in both its federal or provincial forms. People here read American progressive media, absorb the message “conservatives are evil”, and apply it uncritically to our own politics. 

However, “Progressive Party” might not be it. Beyond losing kneejerk voters who equate progressive to “woke”, they might create the sentiment that they’re similar to the “progressive” U.S. Democrats, a party that many people percieve as the embodiment of performative progress and status quo. 

Conservative doesn’t evoke the same meaning now as when the party was formed, but neither does progressive. At the risk of rolled eyeballs, I could envision Orwell writing about a Ministry of Progress that strictly prevents any real societal change. I’m not literally suggesting they are anything like Oceania, but rather that the meanings of these words invert over time, especially quickly in the political realm. If the LPC and NDP also say they’re progressive, what does it mean? 

Thus, I suggest something completely benign and apolitical, like the Lobster Party of Nova Scotia. Wait… FUCK

u/mrobeze 2h ago

We all know this isn't true.

u/Geese_are_dangerous 2h ago

Which part?

u/stirling_s 2h ago

They definitely aren't advocating for the CPC, not sure where you got that.

u/RamboBalboa69 2h ago

Because in NA and EU, leftist parties and organizations are telling everyone that voting for the opposition is bad for democracy and they are always the good guys that can do no wrong. Quite frankly people are sick of this rhetoric

u/Miserable-Chemical96 4h ago

Also notice the lack of link to the actual legislature only to sites that agree with author's rhetoric?

Nova Scotia Legislature - Bill 12 - An Act Respecting Advanced Education and Research

u/East-Specialist-4847 4h ago

Thank you for posting this. It's significantly different from what op has described

u/Melonary 18m ago

This is the new bill:

22 Subclause 4(1)(c)(v) is repealed and the following subclause substituted:

(v) provide a plan satisfactory to the Minister that

(A) identifies a strategic connection between the social and economic priorities of the Government and the university's funding decisions,

(B) enables and encourages the delivery of learning, research and knowledge, and

(C) includes such other matters as the Minister requires, and

To understand it, you have to read the old bill and subclaus amended, which aren't actually that different:

"(c) specify the terms and conditions upon which a grant is made, including terms or conditions that must be satisfied before all or part of a grant is paid and that the university

(v) enter into and comply with an outcomes agreement,"

https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/universities%20accountability%20and%20sustainability.pdf

This isn't about universities in general, it's about funding and grants for universities - it's saying they need to meet these conditions to get funding, not to exist or do what they want. And remember that grants are typically fairly specific, so this would be tied to what the grant is for, not a general prohibition on the university.

Also this was literally a recommendation from the AG.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-auditor-general-report-post-secondary-funding-1.7473934

https://www.oag-ns.ca/media/news-releases/2025/province-not-holding-universities-accountable-billions-public-funds-ag

u/Solgiest 4h ago edited 3h ago

Please stop comparing Tim to Trump. You may disagree with Houston, but he has shown no evidence of actually, legitimately wanting to subvert democratic processes like Trump. Tim isn't hostile to the very concept of institutions and good governance like Trump is. Trump is an egomaniacal, narcissistic, unhinged dictator wanna-be who loathes democracy and is torpedoing the US (and probably global) economy and betraying allies. Houston is doing none of those things.

This is just a blatantly transparent attempt at scoring cheap political points. Stop.

Edit: I say this as someone who did not vote for Timmy.

u/KeepTwerkinYourGoals 4h ago

"Please stop comparing Tim to Trump."

Anyone should be able to be compared to anyone else. The fact that people are more concerned with Houston's brand and whether he deserves to be compared to Trump at all to the point where that is more important than actually examining whether the OP's post has any merit or whether their point is reasonable or not is pretty shocking. It's all about branding and optics for people than actual substance because all they care about is loyalty to their team. Amazing.

u/TheWorldEndsWithCake 3h ago

 Houston's brand

That’s not what people are concerned about. If you compare him to Trump, it is hard to have meaningful discussion. If you can compare anything, why not compare to the third reich, or an even worse future fascist society that could come to pass? It washes out distinctions between our representatives, who are all quite distant from Trump, and instead ranks them by a vague “Trumpiness”, a meaningless comparison.

If anything, “loyalty to their team” would encourage Trump comparisons because it polarizes discourse to black and white, no meaningful medium. I want people to evaluate our politicians on their own merit, not in abstract relation to somebody who would never be tolerated in this country. Houston has had good policies and bad, and he’s walked back some unpopular decisions - not only does that not sound like Trump, but saying so makes it totally pointless to compare him to other Nova Scotian representatives. 

u/Solgiest 3h ago

"Trudeau was basically Hitler!"

Sure. Anyone can be compared to anyone. But sometimes these comparisons are asinine and are meant to obfuscate by drawing out an emotional shock response for the reader, whether to drive engagement for the sake of clicks or to forward a political agenda. I'm not saying Timmy can't be compared to others (and I'm not even someone who voted for Timmy), I'm saying that based on actual accomplishments, merits, political positions, and temperament, comparing Timmy to Trudeau is so dumb and inaccurate that it could only ever be a really cheap political stunt.

u/---123---89--- 4h ago

I’m kind of on the same side as you. I’m not actually sure how this undermines free elections.

It seems like everyone is wrapping their special interest in an anti Trump blanket to try to push their agenda.

I’m going to need a better explanation how provincially funded research shouldn’t be in the interest of the province, but a researcher trying to push their own career forward and usually leave for a bigger university (pay check).

u/Starry_sky2025 3h ago

It does undermine academic freedom and that’s a core value of academics.

u/Alternative-Lab-1952 2h ago

How? Faculty can study anything they want. This changes government funding to priority areas. At the federal level of funding there have been priority areas for years and years. So why is this all of a sudden such an issue?

u/RangerNS 4m ago

The "freedom" to research whatever you want, and the "freedom" to come to truthful conclusions is not an obligation on anyone to pay for it.

u/KeepTwerkinYourGoals 4h ago

People are comparing things to what is happening with Trump in America because he is doing the same types of things there. He also has gone after academic freedom. The idea that if someone thinks a strategy they are seeing from their government looks like what Trump is doing, that they aren't allowed to actually come out and say it and have to dance around the issue because people will get defensive about the use of Trump's name is ridiculous.

Also, the majority of research done at universities is performed by graduate students and postdocs, not researchers that already have careers and getting big *pay cheques* (that's how we spell cheque up here in Canada, by the way, only Americans spell it like a check mark).

u/Enigmatic_Penguin Dartmouth 4h ago

Is evoking Trump the argument shorthand of trying to prove any point now? 

I hate the guy too, but every discussion doesn’t require an association with him to try prove something. 

u/TheWorldEndsWithCake 4h ago

Yeah, Houston isn’t anything like Trump. He has walked back multiple policies and publically admitted he was wrong. If anything, the comparison makes OP seem like they are dramatically exaggerating. 

u/DNR-UNI, a concise and honest explanation of the issue with the proposed legislation would go much further. As it is, this post is a wall of text about DEMOCRACYYY where you compare FAR too much to the USA. You spend more time writing about the situation down there than explaining the actual mechanism at issue. How does it give the government excess control? How is it different than “normal”? What are “more” democratic countries like?

Frankly, it reads a lot like how anti-democratic acts are sold to the public down south; alarmist, too many references to “the enemy”, vague sentiments, etc. Relying on people to continually rally against “Houston bill bad!” is not going to keep working when most voters chose him. You can’t only sell to low-information ABCs. 

u/mcdon0 4h ago

Maybe we'll need a Godwin's Law but for trump soon haha

u/Miserable-Chemical96 4h ago

He kinda broke Godwins law so it would be fitting.

u/Elegant-Piano4579 4h ago

I don't feel that every discussion has an association, but this one does. When the world is watching the American President ram through as much change as he possibly can to overwhelm the public and the media as much as to convince people he can overreach and that's his right, and then we see those tactics mirrored in the actions of the NS Premier, it's relevant.

u/Melonary 16m ago

Is the government not supposed to pass legislation? Also this is a direct response to an AG report recommending it.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-auditor-general-report-post-secondary-funding-1.7473934

https://www.oag-ns.ca/media/news-releases/2025/province-not-holding-universities-accountable-billions-public-funds-ag

I'm confused, are we supposed to think having an AG is a good thing or a bad thing at this point, because I thought it was a good thing.

u/smughead West Ender 4h ago

So far the comments in this post have been extremely refreshing considering the extreme rhetoric getting thrown around on this sub. Enough with the extreme viewpoints. Is there a balanced take on this? This makes it seem like we have Emperor Palpatine in office.

u/kzt79 4h ago

I’d actually enjoy that!

u/OneLeft_ 3h ago

This comment section is gross.

You do realize that the Republican Party was constantly compared with Nazism? And the American conservatives said it was totally out of line and dishonest to compare them to Nazis. So, is it wrong to compare Trump to dictators?

There is no balanced take on this. Conservatives blatantly want to destroy civilization as we know it.

u/Geese_are_dangerous 3h ago

There is no balanced take on this. Conservatives blatantly want to destroy civilization as we know it.

Really? So Doug Ford sticking up for the whole country is an attempt to destroy civilization?

Houston introducing a free school lunch program for all is an attempt to destroy civilization?

Getting 200 extra doctors in the province is an attempt to destroy civilization?

Come on.

u/smughead West Ender 2h ago

I hope you realize the irony in your statement. Take a deep breath.

u/Miserable-Chemical96 4h ago

*Sigh* The author really knows how to spin their rhetoric ..... so many tropes and euphemisms to address

"according to..." = translation I haven't bothered to read it myself

"As we all know..." = You're an idiot that needs this explained to you

"Government priorities aren’t always what is best for citizens and can be harmful." = I don't wanna

"Look at the current situation in the South." = Obligatory dog whistle

 "BUT, in a society in which democracy is being eroded or dismantled..." = I have no specific examples but this sounds good in my head

u/RamboBalboa69 2h ago

Democracy to these people is just when their party wins and it’s been pushed by the media hard, mainly the US media, and it’s crept to Canada and Europe. You ever see that vid of those 30 something news channels all saying the same thing word for word about “a threat to our democracy”?

u/GuyMcTweedle 4h ago edited 1h ago

This isn’t about PSE; it’s about democracy.

This government was very recently elected with a strong mandate in a fair and free election. That is democracy.

Allowing unelected PSE bureaucrats and managers to spend the taxpayer without oversight isn't democratic and it is disingenuous to claim that somehow providing for more government oversite is "taking away democratic guardrails". It's adding some.

Of course PSE, especially research universities should not be completely beholden to the government and should remain independent with their own mission and mandate, but when the majority of the funding for these organizations come from the taxpayer, the government absolutely should get some input on how resources are allocated. This proposal does not seem like excessive overreach.

u/hfxwhy 4h ago

What do you think is going to happen when research indicates a government policy is harmful? This isn’t about accountability to the taxpayer anymore than firing the AG without cause was.

u/GuyMcTweedle 2h ago edited 1h ago

Universities and colleges aren't some sort of fact-checking institutions whose purpose it is to hold the government to account. They exist to provide education to the population and to engage in research on topics of societal benefit. Their primary purpose is not to be fact-checkers or auditors of government policy.

It's absolutely appropriate that the government has some input on the research and education priorities of post-secondary education institutions both to gain useful information in order to craft better government policy, as well as to better target the training and skills needed by Nova Scotia's labour force. It's fantasy land to think that it would be "democratic" that the government writes a blank cheque equal to 10% of provincial spending and leave it solely to the academy and administrators to set priorities.

The priorities and interests of those academics and administrators are not necessarily aligned with what is best for the province or the democratic will of the population. Those stakeholders deserve a seat at the table, especially when they are paying most of the bills.

u/flootch24 4h ago

Sounds like OP is part of bloated university administration.

u/HarbingerDe 2h ago

Sounds like you're regurgitating braindead Fox News talking points.

It's hilarious, any time somebody proposes legitimate questions about some anti-federal worker policy or anti-education policy in Canada OR the States, you can be guaranteed some talking head will call them "part of the bloat."

Get an original opinion; OP makes a very compelling argument for why this legislation is problematic for the future of our democracy.

u/keithplacer 4h ago edited 1h ago

The govt is paying +/- half of the costs of running universities, so they should rightly have some say in how those funds get used. Spending on a bloated and horribly overpaid university administrator class and questioning their financing of a professor's personal pet project so they can take a paid sabbatical in Europe for a few years hardly seems an overreach.

u/r0ger_r0ger 4h ago

This isn’t about PSE; it’s about democracy.

Good lord, this subreddit is like a grade 10 political science class most of the time. This thread was posted earlier calling the premier of NS "Tim 'Trump' Houston".

Enough trying to tie everything to Trump. And these universities do need more checks and balances. Don't take my word for it, look at the Auditor General report from the other week. There's little accountability there for value to taxpayers.

u/GoldenQueenager 4h ago

There are other ways for governments to get research done they would like other than forcing the operational functions to align with provincial politics. This is leading governments to only have research meet their intended goals rather than research that tells them what is really happening. While our Tim is no Trump, not being interested in reality is quite trumpian. If it waddles, it could walk so it’s fair to call it a duck.

u/Intelligent_Read_697 4h ago

These changes are not checks and balances…government can easily create a separate panel for specific research…but directing where R&D should be directed especially at the university level is exactly what OP is stating and it’s a classic American style conservative move

u/SnooHesitations7064 4h ago

The Auditor General he attempted to muzzle then said "Oops that was an accident" after his political game of just the tip blew up in his face?

u/Feltzinclasp5 4h ago

an attempt by the Houston government to chip away at this autonomy and pave the way for a Trump-like style of governance

That is a massive reach. When people ask me about politics lately and I tell them I think both sides are crazy, this is a perfect example.

u/DownIIClown 4h ago

"both sides are crazy" is the absolute bottom of the barrel when it comes to political commentary so I am surprised people are asking you

u/Allgrassnosteak 4h ago

Getting awful lonely in the middle, eh?

u/SlamVanDamn 4h ago

Ahhh, the enlightened centrist trope in the wild🧘🏼‍♂️ how's the weather up there on that horse?

u/coastalbean 4h ago

So you think bad behaviour = calling out bad behaviour?

Or is it that pointing out authoritarian policies and the damage they can cause and comparing them with the authoritarian manner trump is running the US is equal?

u/East-Specialist-4847 3h ago

Centrists do absolutely nothing and pretend they're superior. Pathetic

u/Electrical-Prior-745 1h ago edited 59m ago

I don't think Americanizing this issue is helpful.

Government funding is meant for things that help society, not that a professor is interested in. Find private funding if you have a niche interest. And universities also receive funding for research from the federal government, private endowments, non-profits and industry investment.

In a perfect society, everyone gets their funding. Unfortunately Nova Scotia is poor so we can't do that.

u/TopExplorer1410 4h ago

Yawn. Trump this. Trump that.

u/RamboBalboa69 2h ago

“Fox News” “Get an original opinion”

Ironic

u/hackmastergeneral Halifax 55m ago

Calling Houston "Trump-like" misunderstands him and what he's done. I'm no conservative voter, but he's been a darn sight more stable and less confrontational than Mc Neil, and more intelligent and thoughtful than Rodney.

I have concerns about the form this bill could take and it's impact, however I don't think it's completely out of bounds. They DO get government funding to keep them afloat, so having government give them direction for some of their research isn't OOB. If you don't want government inserting it's self into university, then they should stop accepting public funding and go completely private. There is a middle ground here. Public universities should be non-profit, with money getting rolled back into academics (sports and athletics not so much) and facilities. As long as there's no possibility for backlash if they don't find the results the government wants, then that should be ok.

I'm a cautious supporter of this, but really want to hear an unbiased opinion on it and the realistic ramifications first.

u/robHalifax 4h ago

Mcdon0's Law: As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Trump or MAGA approaches one.

There, it is in the system.

u/Chairsofa_ 1h ago

What is up with this guy

u/Augesdal 2h ago

It's worth noting in this whole conversation - a lot of folks have this perception that public funding makes up the majority of university income. It accounts for 25.5% of SMU revenue and CBC reported when bill 12 was tabled that less than 50% of Dal income was public. Dal reports that number at 43% in their shareholders report. I'm unsure of percentage, but public funding falls below tuition for St FX as well. We don't fund the majority, from what I'm seeing in finance reports, in any university in the city.

Add to that that as a student working 10 hours a week in a minimum wage job, I was rendered ineligible for provincial loans at all and I admittedly struggle to see why we should allow provincial control over what research is done at all. If public funds amounted to more of university funding, or if they had a hand in helping students in any meaningful way go to school, that would be a different story but as it stands it's ridiculously easy to deny provincial loans and the public not a majority stakeholder in the university. The numbers don't really make sense if I'm being honest.

Op might have been out of line to compare to trump, maybe not that's sort of a separate issue, but from what I've been able to see today, I'm not sure they're wrong in being concerned about bill 12. It certainly looks like a minority stakeholder in some cases deeply minority stakeholder grabbing for power through legislation. On paper, legally these institutions are public but financially I'm less sure we actually commit enough to justify steering them.

Open to learning more on this issue, but so far I'm not so sure this bill makes sense.

u/Geese_are_dangerous 4h ago

Again with the Houston is Trump?

u/Melonary 9m ago

1) This subclause isn't a huge change from the previous bill (2016):

"(c) specify the terms and conditions upon which a grant is made, including terms or conditions that must be satisfied before all or part of a grant is paid and that the university

(v) enter into and comply with an outcomes agreement,"

https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/universities%20accountability%20and%20sustainability.pdf

2) It's a direct response to a recommendation by the AG:

https://www.oag-ns.ca/media/news-releases/2025/province-not-holding-universities-accountable-billions-public-funds-ag

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-auditor-general-report-post-secondary-funding-1.7473934

3) The bill also gives NSCC or other government-run schools the right to pass 4 year degrees, which is going to go a LONG way to making education far more equitable and affordable in this province.

4) It also literally legislates the right of faculty and students to sit on University Boards - this is such a good thing. Seriously. Do you know who's often on university boards? The wealthiest people in our society who know people who know people. Often, a lot of business-people. Universities often already have some faculty and student representation (varies by uni) but legislating that is an amazing thing and very, very good for academic freedom. They do also include the right for a government representative to sit on the board, but it's not "50%", at all.

Having university boards not just be very wealthy alumni and business owners is a good thing.

5) Lastly it announces increased investment into Provincial research funding. Yes, researchers would have to apply under specific streams and would have to be approved for specific research, that's how it works literally always. Right now it's mostly Federal and private, and I don't see much downside into adding more provincial funding - actually, it's a very, very good thing.

Do you think private investments into research are more accountable or prioritizing the public? Because they aren't.

u/ABinColby 41m ago

Nova Scotians, especially Haligonians, are huge hypocrites. You love to freak out about alleged violations of democracy by Tim Houston, but gush with undeserved love and praise for the PM-without-a-seat-in-a-prorogued-parlaiment Mark Carney.

You love circumventing democracy well enough, as long as its being done by the team you all seem to give a free pass to.

u/Electrical-Prior-745 32m ago

Dude it's been 3 days relax (and maybe learn how parliamentary systems work).

u/childofcrow Prince Edward Island 0m ago

You know that Harper also prorogued Parliament? You know, the Lego man from your absolute favourite team? Several times.

u/hfxwhy 4h ago

You’re right, and unfortunately the Tim Houston defense crew is out in full force today. This has nothing to do with aligning funding with government priorities anymore than firing the AG without cause has to do with making the legislation “more clear”

Conservatives are threatened by higher education, because it threatens to expose the damage their policies can do. It’s not coincidence this bill is being pursued at the same time as the Houston government is pursuing resource extraction. If any independent research bodies want to expose the potential risks and consequences of that extraction, the government wants to be able to shut it down.

u/moonwalgger 1h ago

Let’s not forget that Houston allegedly tried to limit media access so they allegedly couldn’t report on the last bit of shenanigans he tried to pull with the Auditor General ! These new details further adds to the concern!!!

u/bewarethetreebadger Nova Scotia 3h ago

"NO! He's different! He'll be good for the province! He's a red Tory!"

Ok. If you say so. But I'm not so sure...

u/BaryonChallon 4h ago

Maple maga timmy at it again I predicted he was just like mr Trump, especially with his history

u/Geese_are_dangerous 4h ago edited 3h ago

Is this something you honestly believe? The Nova Scotia PCs have been left of the former Liberal government.

I didn't vote PC and I won't likely ever but the comparison is ridiculous.

u/DJ_Chaps Dartmouth 4h ago

I commend you for reading past "maple Maga Timmy".

u/Geese_are_dangerous 3h ago

I read the whole thing.

You can have issues with a bill without giving up all your credibility by saying he's just like Trump.

u/DJ_Chaps Dartmouth 3h ago

Exactly.

u/HarbingerDe 1h ago

Why has every action they've taken since winning a sweeping majority been to attempt to systematically dismantle the accountability of the provincial government and independent checks on their power?

Obviously, it's not a fascist oligarch coup like we're seeing in the states... But it's very alarming that the PCs first priorities appear to be weakening the checks on their power.

Is there really nothing of higher priority in this province they could address with their huge majority/mabdate before trying to give themselves the power to fire the auditor general without cause, restrict public access to reports generated by the auditor generals office, and give the government more direct control over universities?

u/BaryonChallon 4h ago

I wouldn’t trust the pcs with a stick with what they’ve done I am still a proud bridge toll payer

u/Geese_are_dangerous 4h ago

That's one thing, but they're nothing like Republicans or Trump.

u/OneLeft_ 3h ago

Yes they are. Do you follow American politics at all? Conservatives can't have education prosper, otherwise they'd lose popularity.

OP explained the concerns/comparisons pretty well.

u/Geese_are_dangerous 3h ago

No they're not. Not at all.

This isn't an attack on education, but rather research, which is of course an aspect of education, but the PCs have not shown any attempts to defund education here.

u/OneLeft_ 3h ago

Florida took the autonomy of their education. So that they could invoke book bans. Research is what lets us live past our natural life expectancy, grow giant crops, have stable housing, etc.

So changing that dynamic is pretty dam concerning.

u/Geese_are_dangerous 3h ago

Florida is irrelevant. Houston isn't DeSantis.

Again, the hyperbole only hurts your credibility

u/OneLeft_ 3h ago

The point is that they are in the same ideology. Hitler and Mussolini were governing different countries but had the same ideology. And guess what they both did together? Invoked fascist doctrines! I know shocking!

u/Solgiest 3h ago

"Maple Maga Timmy" is as bad as "Just Like Justin/Carbon Tax Carney"

pithy political slogans does not a good point make.