Lee-Anne Poole

Restricting viewers to this process for the safely of our elected officials? Why? With your feet up and your awesome score of Tetris - the MLAs seemed a little too comfortable to me.

I worry for our collective phone addiction. Most of our MLAs were on their phones most of the time. As I tried to listen to the speakers I was so distracted by the general disrespect of the room I found myself imagining many of our MLAs as children in fancy clothes.

doodling (some giant scribbles of bold checkmarks), chewing gum with their mouth open, putting feet up on an absent colleagues chair. Snapping a finger to signal to have water brought to them (presumably being catered to like that so they can remain engaged and focused on what’s going on).

scrolling social media, putting a comment on someone’s pic of mountains, one MLA played Tetris on the cellphone most of the time I watched, passing heart shaped cookies around, constantly whispering to each other (was it important and necessary work every time?!)

I was shocked to see how most of the MLAs couldn’t even pretend to look engaged in what their colleagues were saying. Most on their phones. With screen bright and visible to me. I know we all use phones now for work. But I sat and saw MLAs texting,

have all our bags scanned by security, I had a multitool on my keychain that they kept at the entrance for me. I walked through a metal detector. Then when I went into the main room I had multiple security make sure I knew the rules and confirm I didn’t have a water bottle in my bag.

Public access to N.S. Legislature limited because 'emotions are high' after budget cuts | CBC News Move comes a day after a group questioned African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister Twila Grosse in Province House about cuts to a scholarship program for Black and African Nova Scotian students.

I went to legislature today to listen. I was surprised by a lot, but never once did I notice members of the public doing anything to make this change make sense… rules were followed and security was present. We had to show ID to get in.

Signs read: Should the cuts pass we the undersigned pledge to BOO TIM HOUSTON and his complicit stooges loudly at every opportunity [signed by hundreds] Culture is critical

Signs read: Ministers please: there's still time to do the right thing. Tim: Maud would be devastated Make it make sense not cents We're the only thing keeping Halifax Hip and interesting

Signs read: Without NS Art we wouldn't have Heated Rivalry Roses are red, violets are blue, defund the arts [f note] you

Signs read: Don't cut NS Culture Reverse the cuts Nova Scotia is nothing without arts culture Doug Ford Simps Art Saves Lives

There are hundreds of signs hung to the fence outside Province House. Here's a sampling.

An Open Letter to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Hants East MLA John A MacDonald - Halifax Examiner Your actions in the form of these budget cuts are mean and hateful and tell African Nova Scotians that we do not matter in the eyes of your government.

An Open Letter to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Hants East MLA John A MacDonald
By Sherri Borden Colley

Here’s the full list of Houston’s cuts Have a look at show your friends. There are pages and pages, everything from R&I for the Brain Repair Centre and Acute and Primary Health Care to Hope Blooms, the Domestic Violence Court, and the NS Apprenticeship Agency Program.

Here's the full list of the Houston government's grant cuts to organizations. Tell us what you think. - Halifax Examiner The Houston government has cut $309 million from grants it gives to community organizations and universities. You can read the entire 13-page list of cuts here. The Halifax Examiner would like to hear...

Here’s the full list of the Houston government’s grant cuts to organizations. Tell us what you think.
By @timbousquet.bsky.social

Nova Scotia austerity budget eliminates publishing fund.

In a press release from the AMPA reacting to the news, Nimbus Publishing manager Terrilee Bulger called the move “drastic and devastating.”

quillandquire.com/omni/nova-sc...

📣 Shoulder to Shoulder Rally - Tuesday March 3, 12 p.m. at the N.S. Legislature! 📣

In Nov, hundreds of people from communities across Mi'kma'ki/NS came out for the Shoulder to Shoulder rally to call on the Houston government to respect Treaty Rights and democratic processes.

Screen cap of a light blue report cover with black text that reads 'Account Closed Without Notice: Debanking adult industry workers in Canada.'

What's behind the debanking of adult industry/SWers in 🇨🇦?
🏦 ❌ 🌽 ❌ ☂️ ❌ 🏦

New report out from @internetmaggie.com and me!
We review banking infrastructure/policies & offer recommendations to support financial inclusion for all:
www.valeriewebber.com/adult-indust...
www.internetmaggie.com/debanking

Warming up for #hourlycomicsday on Feb 8 and moving my #dailyart doodles with @littlefoible.bsky.social from Insta to here.

I’m re-upping this because this cause is so important

It’s that time of year and I am once again selling the grapevine wreaths I've been making! If you like to start decorating early, I'm taking orders now and any orders made before Nov 10th can be delivered on Nov 12th - 16th. $40 each 🎄🎄DM to book

Mayworks Artistic Director with CUPE 3912 president on picket line.

Mayworks Artistic Director with CUPE 3912 member on picket line.

#Solidarity with striking members of @cupe3912.bsky.social ✊🏼

Welcome to Big Tech, corporate-owned chatbots, and the totalitarian fantasy of AI gurus - Halifax Examiner Sam Altman notes that GenAI blurs the border between the authentic and the artificial, and this is the point: democracy cannot function without truth, reality, expertise, and facts, and the AI industr...

AI = fascism

Yesterday, @tjheffernan.bsky.social echoed some of my own thoughts about AI. I have more to say about this.

1/thread

Grateful for @suegoyette.bsky.social

Greta Thunberg in Greece:

I could talk for a very, very long time about our mistreatment and abuses in our imprisonment. Trust me, but that is not the story.

AI is fascism - Halifax Examiner Eventually, fascism runs its course, just as the AI hype machine will. It's just a question of how much damage will be done before it's over.

AI is fascism

Morning File by me

Sex, Money, and Censorship: Battles Over the Deplatforming of Sexual Expression in Games (2025-10-02) In July 2025, following a campaign by the Australian anti-pornography organization Collective Shout and ensuing pressure from payment processors including Mastercard, Visa, PayPal and Stripe, videogam...

Save the date! 🗓️
Oct 2, 12-2pm EST
💳 🎮 🍆 💻 👾 🫦

Panel on payment processors, deplatforming, and sexual censorship in games w/ @jeanketterling.bsky.social @acvalens.net @kenzitronic.bsky.social Ashley Guajardo Caroline Bem & myself - info and registration here:

irdl.info.yorku.ca/event/smc-pa...

Still waiting for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore to say something, *anything*, about their earlier jump to blame Palestinians for this.

"A computer can never be spiteful or horny Therefore a computer must never make art"

Reminder

Final performance of How To Knit at the Halifax Fringe tonight, 8:30pm at The Bus Stop Theatre. www.halifaxfringefestival.ca

In March, long time Halifax actor, writer, organizer and activist Hugo Dann was honoured with a Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt Award - his second. Here's the presentation by Lee-Anne Poole, and a call for friends and colleagues to visit and tell stories.

wayves.ca/hugo-dann-me...