Conversations with former MLAs. Launching Fall 2016. 

For the past eight months, Springtide's Executive Director, Mark Coffin and, Content and Research Lead for the OffScript Project, Louise Cockram, have been tracking down former MLAs to talk about their experience as elected officials in Nova Scotia for Springtide’s latest research project.

Here's why: exit interviews are a common practise in many organizations. Employees who are retiring or moving on tell you the things they wouldn't say if they had to show up to work the next day. Candid feedback can provide valuable insight for making companies and organizations work better.

This doesn’t happen in the provincial legislature, arguably one of the most important workplaces in the province, but we thought it should. That’s why Mark and Louise have spent so much time talking to former politicians this year.

What we've heard

Over the course of our interviews we’ve heard MLAs speak out about a number of issues that are rarely discussed in Nova Scotia:

• sexism and racism in the House of Assembly

• the centralization of power in Premier's and party leader's offices

• the inner-workings of cabinet decision-making

• the gaps in training and preparation for public officials, and much more.

Interested?

We have over 75 hours of recorded interviews to review and analyze, before the findings from this project are published as a documentary podcast and report series.

Do you want to hear about what we’ve found? Become a donor today to help ensure these reports and podcasts can be published. 

The impact of a donation

Here’s how your donation can impact this work:

• If 100 people make a one-time $20 donation, they'll have raised enough money to produce a single episode of the “Off Script” podcast.

• If those same people commit to making monthly donations of the same amount for a year, they'll  have raised enough to produce the entire series.

All donations qualify for a tax receipt and rebate.

How your donation works

Donor support is what will make it possible for us to publish and share this work, which we believe should be made public for all Nova Scotians to see and hear.