Politics of Nova Scotia

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Politics of Nova Scotia
Coat of arms of Nova Scotia.svg
Coat of arms of Nova Scotia
Polity type Province within a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Constitution Constitution of Canada
Legislative branch
Name General Assembly
Type Unicameral
Meeting place Province House, Halifax
Presiding officer Speaker of the House of Assembly
Executive branch
Head of state
Currently King Charles III
represented by
Michael Savage,
Lieutenant Governor
Head of government
Currently Premier
Tim Houston
AppointerLieutenant Governor
Cabinet
Name Executive Council
LeaderPremier (as President of the Executive Council)
AppointerLieutenant Governor
HeadquartersHalifax
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal
Chief judgeMichael Wood
SeatLaw Courts, Halifax

The politics of the Canadian province 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. [1] 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. [2]

Contents

Monarchy

The role of the Crown is both legal and practical; it functions in Nova Scotia in the same way it does in all of Canada's other provinces, being the centre of a constitutional construct in which the institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority share the power of the whole. [3] It is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the province. [4] The Canadian monarch—since 8 September 2022, King Charles III—is represented and his duties carried out by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy, with most related powers entrusted for exercise by the elected parliamentarians, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from among them, and the judges and justices of the peace. [5]

Legislative power

The Nova Scotia House of Assembly, [a] or Legislative Assembly, is the sole chamber of the unicameral General Assembly of Nova Scotia. The assembly is the oldest in Canada, having first sat in 1758; [6] 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 of Nova Scotia [7] in the name of the King in Right of Nova Scotia.

When established in 1758, the General Assembly consisted of the Crown represented by the Governor (Lieutenant Governor post-confederation), the appointed Nova Scotia Council holding both executive and legislative duties and the 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, resulting in a unicameral legislature with the House of Assembly as the sole chamber.

There are 55 members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) representing 55 electoral districts. [8] Members nearly always represent one of the three main political parties of the province: the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia, and Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.

Executive power

The Government of Nova Scotia exercises the executive power. The chief body of the Government is the Executive Council, also known as Cabinet. [9] The Premier of Nova Scotia is President of the Executive Council. [9]

Electoral history

1867 to 1916

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia (1867–1916) – seats won by party
GovernmentAnti ConfederationLiberalConLiberal
Party1867187118741878188218861890189718971901190619111916
   Liberal 3624226242829253436322631
   Conservative 214123214109133241212
  Independent412
Total38383838383738373838383843

1920 to 1967

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia (1920–1967) – seats won by party
GovernmentLiberalConLiberalPC
Party1920192519281933193719411945194919531956196019631967
   Liberal 29318222522282722181546
   Conservative 34024855
   Progressive Conservative 81324273940
   United Farmers 6
   Labour 51
   Cooperative Commonwealth Federation 322211
Total43434330303030373743434346

1970 to present

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia (1970–present) – seats won by party
GovernmentLiberalPCLiberalPCNDPLiberalPC
Party1970197419781981198419881993199819992003200620092013201720212024
   Liberal 23311713621401911129113327172
   Progressive Conservative 2112313742289143025231011173143
   New Democratic 234132319111520317769
   Cape Breton Labour 111
  Independent11
Total46465252525252525252525251515555

Of the registered voters in 2017, 53.4% voted. Voter turnout has decreased from 82% turnout in 1960. [10]

Federal elections from 1968 to 2021

Elections to the Parliament of Canada from Nova Scotia (1968–2021) — seats won by party
Party 1968 1972 1974 1979 1980 1984 1988 1993 1997 2000 2004 2006 2008 2011 2015 2019 2021
   Liberal 1122626114665411108
   PC 10108859564
   NDP 11632223
   Reform / Alliance
   Conservative 333413
Total1111111111111111111111111111111111

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ French: Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse; Scottish Gaelic: Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh

References

  1. ↑ "About the Legislature". Nova Scotia Legislature. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  2. ↑ Province of Nova Scotia (2009). "Province House, Halifax, Nova Scotia" (PDF). Nova Scotia Legislature.
  3. ↑ Cox, Noel (September 2002). "Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence". Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law. 9 (3). Perth: Murdoch University: 12. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  4. ↑ Privy Council Office (2008), Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State – 2008, Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada, p. 49, ISBN   978-1-100-11096-7, archived from the original on 18 March 2010, retrieved 17 May 2009
  5. ↑ MacLeod, Kevin S. (2008). A Crown of Maples (PDF) (1 ed.). Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. p. 16. ISBN   978-0-662-46012-1 . Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  6. ↑ How Canadians Govern Themselves
  7. ↑ Constitution Act, 1867, ss. 69 & 88; Nova Scotia House of Assembly
  8. ↑ Chapter 32 of Nova Scotia Acts of 2019
  9. 1 2 admin (2017-06-23). "Cabinet". Nova Scotia Legislature. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  10. ↑ Chief Electoral Officer (30 May 2017). "Statement of Votes and Statistics: Volume 1" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia.

Further reading

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