Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Last updated
Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse
65th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
Arms of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.svg
Type
Type
Sovereign The lieutenant governor (representing the King of Canada)
History
Founded1758;267 years ago (1758)
Leadership
Danielle Barkhouse, PC
since September 5, 2024
Tim Houston, PC
since August 31, 2021
Leader of Opposition
Claudia Chender, NDP
since December 10, 2024
Structure
Seats55
Nova Scotia House of Assembly - Seating Chart by Party.svg
Political groups
Government
  •   Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia  (43)

Official Opposition

Other Parties

Elections
Last election
November 26, 2024
Next election
TBD
Meeting place
Nova Scotia House of Assembly Chamber.jpg
Legislative Chamber, Province House, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Website
nslegislature.ca/

The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (French : Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse; Scottish Gaelic : Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature. [1]

Contents

The assembly is the oldest in Canada, having first sat in 1758; [2] in 1848, it was the site of the first responsible government in the British Empire. Bills passed by the House of Assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor [3] in the name of the King of Canada.

Originally (in 1758), the Legislature consisted of the Crown represented by a governor (later a lieutenant governor), the appointed Nova Scotia Council holding both executive and legislative duties and an elected House of Assembly (lower chamber). In 1838, the council was replaced by an executive council with the executive function and a legislative council with the legislative functions based on the House of Lords. In 1928, the Legislative Council was abolished and the members pensioned off.

There are 55 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing 55 electoral districts. [4] Members nearly always represent one of the three main political parties of the province: the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia, and Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.

The assembly meets in Province House. Located in Halifax, Province House is a National Historic Site and Canada's oldest and smallest legislative building. It opened on February 11, 1819. The building was also originally home to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, and the location of the "Freedom of the Press" trial of Joseph Howe. Its main entrance is found on Hollis Street in Halifax.

Officers

A number of officers of the house are appointed in accordance with legislation passed by the house. These officers fulfil numerous functions as prescribed in the relevant legislation. There are two categories of officers:

Officers under the authority of the speaker

The Speaker of the House has authority over the following offices and officers:

Independent officers

These include the Auditor General, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner. [5]

The Chief Electoral Officer of Nova Officer as head of Elections Nova Scotia is also appointed by a majority vote of the house and is considered an officer of the house.

Party standings

AffiliationMembers
  Progressive Conservative 43
  New Democratic 9
  Liberal 2
  Independent 1
Total
55
Government majority
+29

Current members

RidingMemberPartyNotes
  Annapolis David Bowlby Progressive Conservative
  Antigonish Michelle Thompson Progressive Conservative
  Argyle Colton LeBlanc Progressive Conservative
  Bedford Basin Tim Outhit Progressive Conservative
  Bedford South Damian Stoilov Progressive Conservative
  Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier Kendra Coombes NDP
  Cape Breton East Brian Comer Progressive Conservative
  Chester-St. Margaret's Danielle Barkhouse Progressive Conservative
  Clare Ryan Robicheau Progressive Conservative
  Clayton Park West Adegoke Fadare Progressive Conservative
  Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley Scott Armstrong Progressive Conservative
  Colchester North Tom Taggart Progressive Conservative
  Cole Harbour-Dartmouth Brad McGowan Progressive Conservative
  Cole Harbour Leah Martin Progressive Conservative
  Cumberland North Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin Independent
  Cumberland South Tory Rushton Progressive Conservative
  Dartmouth East Tim Halman Progressive Conservative
  Dartmouth North Susan Leblanc NDP
  Dartmouth South Claudia Chender NDPLeader of the Opposition
  Digby-Annapolis Jill Balser Progressive Conservative
  Eastern Passage Barbara Adams Progressive Conservative
  Eastern Shore Kent Smith Progressive Conservative
  Fairview-Clayton Park Lina Hamid NDP
  Glace Bay-Dominion John White Progressive Conservative
  Guysborough-Tracadie Greg Morrow Progressive Conservative
  Halifax Armdale Rod Wilson NDP
  Halifax Atlantic Brendan Maguire Progressive Conservative
  Halifax Chebucto Krista Gallagher NDP
  Halifax Citadel-Sable Island Lisa Lachance NDP
  Halifax Needham Suzy Hansen NDP
  Hammonds Plains-Lucasville Rick Burns Progressive Conservative
  Hants East John A. MacDonald Progressive Conservative
  Hants West Melissa Sheehy-Richard Progressive Conservative
  Inverness Kyle MacQuarrie Progressive Conservative
  Kings North John Lohr Progressive Conservative
  Kings South Julie Vanexan Progressive Conservative
  Kings West Chris Palmer Progressive Conservative
  Lunenburg Susan Corkum-Greek Progressive Conservative
  Lunenburg West Becky Druhan Progressive Conservative
  Northside-Westmount Fred Tilley Progressive Conservative
  Pictou Centre Danny MacGillivray Progressive Conservative
  Pictou East Tim Houston Progressive ConservativePremier of Nova Scotia
  Pictou West Marco MacLeod Progressive Conservative
  Preston Twila Grosse Progressive Conservative
  Queens Kim Masland Progressive Conservative
  Richmond Trevor Boudreau Progressive Conservative
  Sackville-Cobequid Paul Wozney NDP
  Sackville-Uniacke Brad Johns Progressive Conservative
  Shelburne Nolan Young Progressive Conservative
  Sydney-Membertou Derek Mombourquette LiberalInterim Leader of the Liberal Party
  Timberlea-Prospect Iain Rankin Liberal
  Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River Dave Ritcey Progressive Conservative
  Victoria-The Lakes Dianne Timmins Progressive Conservative
  Waverley-Fall River-Beaverbank Brian Wong Progressive Conservative
  Yarmouth Nick Hilton Progressive Conservative

Committees

Standing Committees

Committees of the Whole House

Select Committee

Recent Former Select Committees

(final reports filed)

Special Committee

Seating Plan

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of Canada</span> Bicameral federal legislature of Canada

The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the House of Commons is dominant, with the Senate rarely opposing its will. The Senate reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint and may initiate certain bills. The monarch or his representative, normally the governor general, provides royal assent to make bills into law. According to Section 16 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the official languages of the parliament are English and French.

In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. Though the word is merely a synonym for prime minister, it is employed for provincial prime ministers to differentiate them from the prime minister of Canada. There are ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers. In most provinces and all territories, these persons are styled the Honourable only while in office, unless they are admitted to the King's Privy Council for Canada, in which case they retain the title even after leaving the premiership. In Nova Scotia and Alberta, former premiers are honorary members of the provincial Executive Council and thereby retain the style the Honourable for life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Prevost</span> British soldier and colonial administrator (1767–1816)

Sir George Prevost, 1st Baronet was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who is most well known as the "Defender of Canada" during the War of 1812. Born in New Jersey, the eldest son of Genevan Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prevost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, and was commander of St. Vincent from 1794 to 1796. He became Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Lucia from 1798 to 1802 and Governor of Dominica from 1802 to 1805. He is best known to history for serving as both the civilian Governor General and the military Commander in Chief in British North America during the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States.

<i>Constitution Act, 1867</i> Primary constitutional document of Canada

The Constitution Act, 1867, originally enacted as the British North America Act, 1867, is a major part of the Constitution of Canada. The act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system. In 1982, with the patriation of the Constitution, the British North America Acts which were originally enacted by the British Parliament, including this Act, were renamed. However, the acts are still known by their original names in records of the United Kingdom. Amendments were also made at this time: section 92A was added, giving provinces greater control over non-renewable natural resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Assembly of Nova Scotia</span>

The General Assembly of Nova Scotia is the legislature of the province of Nova Scotia. It consists of one or more sessions and comes to an end upon dissolution and an ensuing general election. Today, the unicameral legislature is made up of two elements: the lieutenant governor and a legislative assembly called the House of Assembly. The legislature was first established in 1758.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province House (Nova Scotia)</span> Nova Scotian legislative assembly building, Canada

Province House in Halifax is where the Nova Scotia legislative assembly, known officially as the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, has met every year since 1819, making it the longest serving legislative building in Canada. The building is Canada's oldest house of government. Standing three storeys tall, the structure is considered one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in North America.

The politics of Nova Scotia take place within the framework of a Westminster-style parliamentary constitutional monarchy. As Canada's head of state and monarch, Charles III is the sovereign of the province in his capacity as King in Right of Nova Scotia; his duties in Nova Scotia are carried out by the Lieutenant Governor, Michael Savage. The General Assembly is the legislature, consisting of the Lieutenant Governor and fifty-five members representing their electoral districts in the House of Assembly. The Government is headed by the Premier, Tim Houston, who took office on August 31, 2021. The capital city is Halifax, home to the Lieutenant Governor, the House of Assembly, and the Government. The House of Assembly has met in Halifax at Province House since 1819.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Manitoba</span> Political system of Manitoba

The Province of Manitoba, similar to other Canadian provinces and territories, is governed through a Westminster-based parliamentary system. The Manitoba government's authority to conduct provincial affairs is derived from the Constitution of Canada, which divides legislative powers among the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures. Manitoba operates through three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive branch—the Government of Manitoba—consists of the Executive Council and the Premier, who is the head of government and the President of the Executive Council. The legislative branch—the Manitoba Legislature—is composed of the Lieutenant Governor and the Legislative Assembly, which is composed of the 57 members (MLAs) elected to represent the people of Manitoba, as well as the Speaker, the Clerk, the Officers of the Legislative Assembly, and the employees of the legislative service.

The General Assembly of Nova Scotia was established by a proclamation of the Governor in Council on May 20, 1758. A writ for the election of the 1st General Assembly of Nova Scotia was issued by May 22, returnable at the convening of the assembly on October 2, 1758. The assembly held two sessions, and was dissolved on August 13, 1759.

The Government of Nova Scotia is the government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The powers and structure of the province are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. In modern Canadian use, the term "government" refers broadly to the cabinet of the day chosen from the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and the non-political staff within each provincial department or agency – that is, the civil service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Brunswick Legislature</span> Legislative Assembly and Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Legislature is the legislature of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Today, the legislature is made of two elements: the lieutenant governor and the unicameral assembly called the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. The legislature has existed de jure since New Brunswick separated from Nova Scotia in 1784, but was not first convened until 1786.

Richard A. McHeffey was a political figure in Nova Scotia and a member of the Liberal Party. He was born in Windsor Township, Nova Scotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislative Council of Nova Scotia</span> Former upper house of the Nova Scotia Legislature

The Legislative Council of Nova Scotia was the upper house of the legislature of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It existed from 1838 to May 31, 1928. From the establishment of responsible government in 1848, members were appointed by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia on the advice of the premier.

Donald MacKeen Smith was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral districts of Halifax Centre and Halifax Citadel in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1960 to 1970 as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.

Leonard Lawson Pace, was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Halifax St. Margarets in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1970 to 1978. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

Malcolm A. MacKay is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Sackville in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1978 to 1984. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party.

George Stuart Riley was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Halifax Cobequid in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1970 to 1974. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

Ronald Manning Fielding was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral districts of Halifax West and Halifax Northwest in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1941 to 1960. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

Geoffrey W. Stevens was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral districts of Halifax East and Halifax County Dartmouth in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1933 to 1960. He was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

References

  1. Government of Nova Scotia (2016-09-06). "About the Legislature". Nova Scotia Legislature. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  2. How Canadians Govern Themselves
  3. Constitution Act, 1867, ss. 69 & 88; Nova Scotia House of Assembly
  4. Chapter 32 of Nova Scotia Acts of 2019
  5. "Supporting Offices". Nova Scotia Legislature. Nova Scotia House of Assembly. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2020.