Changes to Consumer Protection Legislation

Government introduced proposed legislative changes today, Oct. 3, to six consumer protection statutes that will better protect Nova Scotia consumers.

Two of the proposed changes to the Consumer Protection Act will help ensure borrowers in Nova Scotia are better protected. They will require payday lenders to display and provide financial literacy material to borrowers comparing the costs of payday loans to other credit products. The changes will also provide government with more tools to fight illegal lending in the province, including the ability to warn the public about illegal lenders.

The other changes are:

• amending the Mortgage Regulation Act to remove the requirement for mortgage borrowers to obtain independent legal advice before waiving deadlines for disclosure. This will ensure mortgage borrowers will not face extra expenses or burden by having to consult a second lawyer in order to sign a mortgage on the same day they receive disclosure on the mortgage
• amending the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act to authorize the registrar to allow funeral homes to retain an administrative fee for prepaid funeral plans at an additional time in certain instances. Funeral homes will continue to be permitted to only charge the fee once
• amending the Consumer Protection Act, Consumer Reporting Act, and Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act to authorize the registrars under those acts to request additional information from permit applicants. Similar to other provincial legislation, this is valuable in cases where an applicant has other related businesses or if the registrar suspects criminal activity or outstanding judgements
• correcting typographical errors and outdated references in various statutes.

“The safety and security of Nova Scotians is of vital importance to us,” said Service Nova Scotia Minister Geoff MacLellan. “As the office responsible for consumer protection, we are continuously updating various pieces of our legislation to ensure that Nova Scotian consumers are treated fairly and are better protected.”

These changes are part of Service Nova Scotia’s ongoing work to modernize its legislation to better meet the needs of Nova Scotians.