Liberal MLA Ali Duale says he will take his seat this week at Province House following a commitment from Nova Scotia's premier to bring in anti-racism legislation in the spring.

Duale, who represents Halifax Armdale, said PC Premier Tim Houston sent a letter Monday inviting the Liberal caucus to establish an all-party committee that will "produce legislation to address systemic racism in government." The NDP was also invited.

He told reporters at Province House that Houston first floated the idea by him during a conversation on Friday.

"This is how this legislature is supposed to be," said Duale.

"We've been elected across this province as Nova Scotians with the best interest of Nova Scotians. My hope as a rookie politician [is] to see my term, this mindset and this collaboration to continue [on] every subject matter."

New Democrat MLA Suzy Hansen says she's looking forward to a collaborative approach to drafting legislation. (Robert Short/CBC)

New Democrat MLA Suzy Hansen said her party would also participate in the committee to draft legislation. She said she's keeping an open mind on how the work will play out, but she is a fan of the approach.

"I think if we did that for everything that would be amazing, because then all of us could have our say on what we think is important from each of our perspectives," Hansen told reporters.

"I'm all about educating and making sure that we're looking at it from the proper lens and utilizing all of our conversations and being able to talk about it candidly and then coming to, hopefully, a consensus of a conclusion to do the right thing."

'We want to get this right'

Houston told reporters it made sense to bring everyone together on the bill, because "that's the way the system works best."

"We'll expand the group out to community members, as well. We want to get it right. It's important. It's an important time for Nova Scotia and we want to get this right."

The premier said he'd previously asked African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister Pat Dunn to assemble an all-party committee to talk about "a broad range of issues."

Duale announced last week he intended not to sit at the legislature for the duration of the fall sitting as a form of protest, until the government agreed to pass Bill 12, a piece of anti-racism legislation put forward by the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

At the time, Houston said the province's Office of Equity and Anti-Racism was working on similar legislation, but he did not think it would be ready for the fall sitting. He committed to having the office marry it with parts of the Liberal bill.

Staffer fired for racist comments about MLA

Duale's planned protest followed revelations that his Liberal colleague, Preston MLA Angela Simmonds, was the subject of racist comments by a political staffer in a social media message exchange.

Houston, upon learning of the comments, informed Simmonds, Liberal Leader Iain Rankin, and then fired the staffer, who worked with the Justice Department.

Last Friday, Duale said without a clear commitment to legislation aimed at removing racism from government institutions, MLAs of colour could not truly feel safe at work. Province House could not be considered the people's House if the members who sat there could not support such legislation, he said.

In his statement, Duale touched on why the issue is so important.

"As the first Muslim and first refugee to be elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature, this bill speaks to the very reason I chose to enter politics," Duale said in his statement Tuesday.

"I firmly believe this bill sets politics aside and puts the people first — a principle that guides me as I serve as MLA."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

Opposition members stood in solidarity Friday with Liberal MLA Angela Simmonds at Province House after learning she was the subject of racist comments by a political staffer.

The staffer, who worked with the Justice Department, was fired by Premier Tim Houston on Thursday after he learned of the comments. The premier informed Simmonds and Liberal Leader Iain Rankin of what happened shortly after he learned about it.

On Friday, during members' statements at Province House, all Liberal MLAs and some New Democrats dedicated their statements to speaking in support of Simmonds, as well as the other Black MLAs in the House — Ali Duale, Suzy Hansen and Tony Ince.

Simmonds said she was overwhelmed and moved by the support of her colleagues.

"I have fought issues before, but it was the very first time in a long time where it was a family and I could just feel people's emotions forming," she told reporters at Province House.

"It was a complete privilege and honour to be standing there witnessing that."

Suzy Hansen is the New Democrat MLA for Halifax Needham. (Robert Short/CBC)

While racism might not be regularly discussed on the floor of the legislature, Simmonds said current and past Black MLAs have been having these conversations and experiences. The conversations need to keep happening, she said.

"We need to be comfortable in our discomfort," Simmonds said. "Saying, 'We acknowledge it and we care,' is not enough.

"It is not enough because we were elected officials to be here and it is not OK to say that we are going to do better. We need to see that we're doing better."

Hansen, the NDP member for Halifax Needham, said it's one thing for conversations to happen inside the chamber, but she said those conversations also need to happen in smaller groups among MLAs.

"We need to have some heart-to-heart conversations, to be uncomfortable, to feel that, but also to share," she told reporters.

"And we need to do that in a space that's going to be safe for everyone."

Premier Tim Houston said his government is working on an anti-racism piece of legislation. (Robert Short/CBC)

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston fired a political staffer on Thursday after learning they made racist comments about Liberal MLA Angela Simmonds in a social media exchange.

Houston had a meeting with Simmonds and Liberal Leader Iain Rankin to inform them about it shortly after it was brought to his attention by his own staff.

"The premier wanted to let me know that there was some racist, inappropriate, derogatory comments made about me on social media by one of his staffers," Simmonds said in an interview.

The messages were exchanged between the staffer, who worked with the Justice department, and a friend. In Snapchat exchanges the staffer said Simmonds didn't know what she was talking about and was quick to "play the race card."

Simmonds said the premier made clear the staffer's actions weren't acceptable and wouldn't be tolerated within government. She's hopeful something positive can come from it.

"That something is going to be that you cannot treat people this way or say things about people without having consequences for your actions, in particular when we serve the public," she said.

"I can't come into a legislature as a Black woman, doing my job in a space that it doesn't feel safe and every time I raise issues of importance it then becomes about a Black woman who doesn't know what she's talking about or playing a race card or those sort of behaviours."

Simmonds said it was particularly troubling because she'd been in meetings with the staffer in her capacity as the Liberal justice critic.

Zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour: premier

The premier said he was "taken aback" upon learning what happened. He said he wanted Simmonds to hear about it from him and to know he'd be taking action.

"There is zero tolerance for any type of inappropriate behaviour," Houston said in an interview.

The attention of his government is focused on "making sure that people know there's no room for racism in our society," he said. There will always be work to do on the issue and Houston said he's committed to doing it.

"I haven't walked in the shoes. I'm always trying to learn and to listen and to be respectful."

The Liberals have a bill before the House aimed at creating a multi-year strategy and action plan to eliminate racism and hate from government departments, Crown corporations and arm's-length organizations. It includes definitions for what constitutes racism and hate.

Simmonds said passing that legislation would send the message that "we were heard, and we matter."

"Change is about progression and that's what this bill would mean, is that we are moving forward. We're defining things that have never been defined before … And it raises the bar of how we need to treat people."

Nova Scotia Justice Minister Brad Johns says the loophole on street checks will be closed by the end of November.

Johns was asked several times during question period Thursday about his department's plans to do away with a provision that allows police street checks to persist under the guise of investigating suspicious activity.

It's been established already that the practice is illegal and disproportionately targets Black people and other people of colour. The former Liberal government brought in a ban on the practice, however the loophole remained.

Johns told reporters at Province House that he expects to be able to issue a ministerial directive by the end of November. The minister said most of the work required has been completed, but he wants to have a chance first to meet with representatives from Black communities to make sure things are correct.

"That's the most important thing to me," said Johns.

Preston MLA Angela Simmonds is the Nova Scotia Liberal Party's justice critic. (Jean Laroche/CBC)

Liberal justice critic Angela Simmonds, whose district of Preston includes several historical Black communities, noted the government already has recommendations from the Decade for People of African Descent Coalition.

"This isn't anything new," Simmonds told reporters. "What's new is that we represent the voices in the House."

Simmonds said she doesn't think there's been much of a reduction in street checks since they were banned because of how much discretion remains for police. She said clarifying the language would help officers, too.

"This isn't just for communities, but it's actually to protect law enforcement as well because they do have to do their job," she said.

"And so we can appreciate the kind of grey area that this has caused, for sure. But what we do know is it is illegal and it continues to be illegal until the legislation changes and until they address the language."