Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Nova Scotia House of Assembly
62nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia[1]
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Kevin Murphy, Liberal
Since October 24, 2013
House Leader
Michel Samson, Liberal
Since January 31, 2012
Opposition House Leader
Chris d'Entremont, PC
Since September 9, 2010
Structure
Seats 51
(1 vacant)
Political groups

Governing Party

Opposition Parties

Elections
Last election
October 8, 2013
Next election
Next election
Meeting place
Legislative Chamber, Province House, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Website
nslegislature.ca/

The Nova Scotia Legislature, formally, known as the General Assembly, consists of the Crown represented by aLieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly,[2] is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada. The assembly is the oldest in Canada, having first sat in 1758,[3] and in 1848 was the site of the first responsible government in the British Empire.

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 51 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing 51 electoral districts. 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 the original 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.

Party standings

A map showing how Nova Scotia's 52 electoral districts voted in 2009
Affiliation Members
     Liberal 34
     Progressive Conservative 10
     New Democratic 5
     Independents 1
  Vacant 1
Total
51
Government majority
7

Committees

Standing Committees

Committees of the Whole House

Select Committee

recent former Select Committees

(final reports filed)

Special Committee

Seating plan

Younger Harrison Lohr Peterson-Rafuse
Mombourquette MacMaster Houston MacFarlane Orrell Zann Mancini
Wilton Rankin MacLeod Dunn BAILLIE d'Entremont Wilson MacDonald Belliveau
Murphy
Churchill Bernard Regan Samson MCNEIL Whalen Glavine Delorey Casey MacLellan Colwell
Arab Farrell Furey Kousoulis Ince Diab Hines Stroink Wilson Horne
Maguire Miller Jessome Lohnes-Croft Ekying Irving Gough Treen

See also

References

  1. "The Nova Scotia Legislature". General Assembly of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  2. Constitution Act, 1867, ss. 69, 71 & 88; Nova Scotia House of Assembly
  3. How Canadians Govern Themselves

External links

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