Dear Premier Houston…

Dear Premier Tim Houston and Conservative Leaders in Nova Scotia,

I am writing with both care and urgency as the legislature prepares to reconvene. I ask that you reconsider your position and take time to critically reflect on the abusive use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in our province.

Since April 2022, I have been working alongside survivors and opposition leader Claudia Chender on Bill 144, and more recently on the Non-Disclosure Agreements Act (Bill 13). During this time, I have listened to many Conservative Leaders describe the refusal to restrict NDAs as a “trauma-informed” approach. I urge you to pause and consider how these words are experienced by survivors—survivors who are silenced by NDAs that cover up sexual violence, racism, harassment, and other forms of gender-based violence rooted in misogyny.

Abusive NDAs are not neutral tools. They are rooted in colonial, patriarchal, and coercive practices that silence survivors, protect those in power, and prevent accountability. They strip survivors of choice and autonomy, reproducing harm rather than fostering safety, dignity, and justice.

True embodied trauma-informed practice centers consent, choice, transparency, and empowerment—not coercion or secrecy. Nova Scotians should be able to go to work each day with the freedom to speak about harm and violence without fear of being legally bound to silence. Yet NDAs are too often used to cover up workplace violence and crimes, which directly conflicts with our Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation and regulations.

I acknowledge the important new OHS regulations your government introduced in September 2025, which focus on workplace harassment and psychological health. This is meaningful progress. At the same time, these changes do not address the abusive use of NDAs across workplaces and institutions. For many survivors, NDAs cause significant psychological injury, forcing them to carry the heavy burden of silence while preventing them from warning others of potential harm.

I invite you to examine the harms of abusive NDAs through an intersectional, gender-based violence and trauma lens. Survivors across Nova Scotia continue to live with deteriorating mental health and ongoing trauma when NDAs are imposed in cases of sexual violence, discrimination, racism, and other human rights violations.

Too many survivors are pressured by coercion from employers or unions, face retaliation and threats of termination, and are often unable to afford independent legal advice. Many are told their complaints or grievances will be dropped unless they sign an NDA. Under such conditions, signing is about survival—not choice.

I understand that you and your colleagues have expressed concern about protecting survivors’ confidentiality. This is an important consideration. However, one-sided confidentiality agreements could achieve this protection without silencing survivors—allowing them to decide if, how, and when they share their stories.

The abusive use of NDAs allows violence to continue unchecked, enabling serial perpetrators to harm others. This is why legislative change is necessary. Through an equity lens, it becomes clear that NDAs disproportionately silence women, gender-diverse people, people of color and individuals living with disabilities.

Power and privilege too often enable individuals to perpetrate violence with little or no accountability, sometimes over decades.

As a province, we know too well the devastating impacts of violence that is ignored, normalized, or excused. The abusive use of NDAs compounds this harm by creating system-induced trauma, institutional betrayal, and a culture that perpetuates gender-based violence.

The epidemic of gender-based violence in Nova Scotia requires urgent leadership. I urge you and your colleagues to approach this issue with openness, curiosity, and care as you prepare for the decisions ahead. Your words and actions matter deeply. Together, we can move toward building a safer, more accountable Nova Scotia for all.

With respect,

Kristina Fifield (she/her)

MSW, RSW, CCTP, EMDR Certified Therapist, and GBV Activist

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This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2025.