Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Last updated December 01, 2024

The Speaker for the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia is the presiding Officer of the House of Assembly. Danielle Barkhouse is the current Speaker of the 64th General Assembly of Nova Scotia.

The Speaker presides over the proceedings of the Assembly, maintains order, regulates debate in accordance with the rules and practices of the House, and ensures that all viewpoints have the opportunity of a hearing.

The Speaker does not take part in the debates of the Assembly and only takes part in a vote to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie. He is the guardian of the privileges of the Assembly and protects the rights of its Members.

The Speaker is the only representative of the House of Assembly. The Speaker has jurisdiction and day to day control over all matters concerning Province House, including operations, maintenance and restoration, and administration of the adjacent office complexes at One Government Place, the George Building, and the Provincial Building. The Speaker is the Chair of the Legislature Internal Economy Board, the body responsible for regulating services to Members.

In the House, Speaker decides questions of order and rules on questions of privilege after allowing appropriate debate. Decisions of the Speaker are not debatable or subject to appeal except by a substantive motion after proper notice has been given.

Speakers of the House of Assembly

No.	Name Electoral district (Birth–Death)	Term of office		General Assembly
1	Robert Sanderson MLA (1696–after 1761)	1758–1759	Independent	1st
2	William Nesbitt MLA for Halifax County (1707–1784)	1759–1783	Independent	2nd
				3rd
				4th
				5th
3	Thomas Cochran MLA for Liverpool Township (1733–1801)	1784–1785	Independent	5th
4	Sampson Salter Blowers MLA for Halifax County (1742–1842)	1785–1789	Independent	6th
5	Richard John Uniacke MLA for Halifax County (1753–1830)	1789–1793	Independent	6th
6	Thomas Henry Barclay MLA for Halifax County (1753–1830)	1793–1799	Independent	7th
(5)	Richard John Uniacke MLA for Queens County (1753–1830)	1799–1805	Independent	7th
(5)	Richard John Uniacke MLA for Queens County (1753–1830)	1799–1805	Independent	8th
7	William Cottnam Tonge MLA for Newport Township (1764–1832)	1805–1806	Independent	8th
8	Lewis Morris Wilkins MLA for Lunenburg County (1768–1848)	1806–1817	Conservative	9th
8		1806–1817	Conservative	10th
9	Simon Bradstreet Robie MLA for Halifax County (1770–1858)	1817–1824	Conservative	10th
				11th
				12th
10	Samuel George William Archibald MLA for Halifax County (until 1836) MLA for Colchester County (from 1836) (1777–1846)	1824–1840	Reformer	12th
				13th
				14th
				15th
11	Joseph Howe MLA for Halifax County (1804–1873)	1840–1843	Reformer	16th
12	William Young MLA for Inverness County (1799–1887)	1843–1855	Reformer	17th
				18th
				19th
13	Stewart Campbell MLA for Guysborough County (1812–1885)	1855–1863	Liberal	20th
13	Stewart Campbell MLA for Guysborough County (1812–1885)	1855–1863	Liberal	22nd
14	John Chipman Wade MLA for Digby County (1817–1892)	1863–1867	Conservative	23rd
15	John Joseph Marshall MLA for Guysborough (1807–1870)	1867–1870	Anti-Confederation	24th
16	Jared C. Troop MLA for Annapolis (1837–1876)	1870–1874	Anti-Confederation	24th
16	Jared C. Troop MLA for Annapolis (1837–1876)	1870–1874	Liberal	25th
17	John Barnhill Dickie MLA for Colchester (1829–1886)	1874–1875	Liberal	26th
18	Mather Byles DesBrisay MLA for Lunenburg (1828–1900)	1875–1876	Liberal
19	Isaac N. Mack MLA for Queens (1838–1925)	1877–1878	Liberal
20	Ebenezer Tilton Moseley MLA for Cape Breton (1844–1898)	1878–1882	Liberal-Conservative	27th
21	Angus McGillivray MLA for Antigonish (1842–1917)	1882–1886	Liberal	28th
22	Michael Joseph Power MLA for Halifax (1834–1895)	1886–1894	Liberal	29th
22	Michael Joseph Power MLA for Halifax (1834–1895)	1886–1894	Liberal	30th
23	Frederick Andrew Laurence MLA for Colchester (1843–1912)	1894–1901	Liberal	31st
23		1894–1901	Liberal	32nd
24	Thomas Robertson MLA for Shelburne (1852–1902)	1902	Liberal	33rd
(23)	Frederick Andrew Laurence MLA for Colchester (1843–1912)	1903–1904	Liberal
25	Edward Matthew Farrell MLA for Queens (1854–1931)	1905–1910	Liberal
25	Edward Matthew Farrell MLA for Queens (1854–1931)	1905–1910	Liberal	34th
26	George Everett Faulkner MLA for Halifax (1855–1931)	1910–1911	Liberal	34th
27	James F. Ellis MLA for Guysborough (1869–1937)	1912–1916	Liberal	35th
27	James F. Ellis MLA for Guysborough (1869–1937)	1912–1916	Liberal	36th
28	Robert Irwin MLA for Shelburne (1865–1941)	1917–1925	Liberal	36th
28	Robert Irwin MLA for Shelburne (1865–1941)	1917–1925	Liberal	37th
29	Albert Parsons MLA for Hants (1869–1948)	1926–1928	Liberal-Conservative	38th
30	Daniel George McKenzie MLA for Hants (1860–1940)	1929–1933	Liberal-Conservative	39th
31	Lindsay C. Gardner MLA for Yarmouth (1875–1938)	1934–1938	Liberal	40th
31	Lindsay C. Gardner MLA for Yarmouth (1875–1938)	1934–1938	Liberal	41st
32	Moses Elijah McGarry MLA for Inverness (1878–1949)	1939–1940	Liberal
33	Gordon E. Romkey MLA for Lunenburg (1885–1977)	1940–1953	Liberal
				42nd
				43rd
				44th
34	John Smith MacIvor MLA for Cape Breton South (1913–1957)	1954–1956	Liberal	45th
35	W. S. Kennedy Jones MLA for Queens (1919–1978)	1957–1960	Progressive Conservative	46th
36	Harvey Veniot MLA for Pictou West (1915–2009)	1961–1968	Progressive Conservative	47th
				48th
				49th
37	Gordon H. Fitzgerald MLA for Halifax Cobequid (1927–2014)	1969–1970	Progressive Conservative	49th
38	George M. Mitchell MLA for Halifax Cornwallis (born 1932)	1970–1973	Liberal	50th
39	James L. Connolly MLA for Halifax Chebucto (1927–2014)	1973–1974	Liberal	50th
40	Vince MacLean MLA for Cape Breton South (born 1944)	1974–1976	Liberal	51st
41	George Doucet MLA for Halifax Cobequid (1939–2024)	1977–1978	Liberal	51st
42	Ron Russell MLA for Hants West (1926–2019)	1978–1981	Progressive Conservative	52nd
43	Art Donahoe MLA for Halifax Citadel (born 1940)	1981–1991	Progressive Conservative	52nd
				53rd
				54th
				55th
(42)	Ron Russell MLA for Hants West (1926–2019)	1991–1993	Progressive Conservative	55th
44	Paul MacEwan MLA for Cape Breton Nova (1943–2017)	1993–1996	Liberal	56th
45	Wayne Gaudet MLA for Clare (born 1955)	1996–1997	Liberal
46	Gerry Fogarty MLA for Halifax Bedford Basin	1997–1998	Liberal
(42)	Ron Russell MLA for Hants West (1926–2019)	1998–1999	Progressive Conservative	57th
47	Murray Scott MLA for Cumberland South (born 1953)	1999–2006	Progressive Conservative	58th
47	Murray Scott MLA for Cumberland South (born 1953)	1999–2006	Progressive Conservative	59th
48	Cecil Clarke MLA for Cape Breton North (born 1968)	2006–2007	Progressive Conservative	60th
49	Alfie MacLeod MLA for Cape Breton West (born 1956)	2007–2009	Progressive Conservative	60th
50	Charlie Parker MLA for Pictou West (born 1951)	2009–2011	New Democratic	61st
51	Gordie Gosse MLA for Cape Breton Nova (1955–2019)	2011–2013	New Democratic	61st
52	Kevin Murphy MLA for Eastern Shore (born 1970)	2013–2021	Liberal	62nd
52	Kevin Murphy MLA for Eastern Shore (born 1970)	2013–2021	Liberal	63rd
53	Keith Bain MLA for Victoria-The Lakes (born 1952)	2021–2023	Progressive Conservative	64th
54	Karla MacFarlane MLA for Pictou West (born 1969)	2023–2024	Progressive Conservative
55	Danielle Barkhouse MLA for Chester-St. Margaret's (born 1976)	2024–present	Progressive Conservative

External links

House of Assembly Official Site

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v t e Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia (by province or territory)
Provinces	Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan
Territories	Northwest Territories Nunavut Yukon
Category Canadaportal

v t e Politics of Nova Scotia
The Crown	Sovereign King Charles III
Lieutenant-Governor	Arthur LeBlanc Former lieutenant-governors
Premier	Tim Houston Former premiers Executive Council (Cabinet)
Opposition leader	Vacant Former opposition leaders
House of Assembly	Current members Past General Assemblies
Speaker of the Assembly	Danielle Barkhouse Former Speakers
Political parties	Progressive Conservative New Democratic Liberal Green Nova Scotians United
Elections	2024 general election Past elections
Other provinces and territories	BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PEI NL YU NT NU