Nova Scotia House of Assembly Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse | |
|---|---|
| 65th General Assembly of Nova Scotia | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | Lower house (1758–1928) thenunicameral house of theGeneral Assembly of Nova Scotia |
| Sovereign | Thelieutenant governor (representing theKing of Canada) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1758; 267 years ago (1758) |
| Leadership | |
Leader of Opposition | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 55 |
 | |
Political groups | Government Official Opposition Other Parties
|
| Elections | |
Last election | November 26, 2024 |
Next election | TBD |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Legislative Chamber,Province House, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| Website | |
| nslegislature.ca/ | |
TheNova Scotia House of Assembly (French:Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse;Scottish Gaelic:Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh), or Legislative Assembly, is thedeliberative assembly of theGeneral Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with thelieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature.[1]
The assembly is the oldest in Canada, having first sat in 1758;[2] in 1848, it was the site of the firstresponsible government in theBritish Empire. Bills passed by the House of Assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor[3] in the name of theKing of Canada.
Originally (in 1758), the Legislature consisted of the Crown represented by a governor (later a lieutenant governor), the appointedNova Scotia Council holding both executive and legislative duties and an elected House of Assembly (lower chamber). In 1838, the council was replaced by anexecutive council with the executive function and alegislative 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 55Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing 55electoral districts.[4] Members nearly always represent one of the three main political parties of the province: theNova Scotia Liberal Party,Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia, andNova Scotia New Democratic Party.
The assembly meets inProvince House. Located inHalifax, 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.
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:
TheSpeaker of the House has authority over the following offices and officers:
These include theAuditor General, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner.[5]
The Chief Electoral Officer of Nova Scotia as head ofElections Nova Scotia is also appointed by a majority vote of the house and is considered an officer of the house.
| Affiliation | Members | |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Conservative | 42 | |
| New Democratic | 9 | |
| Liberal | 2 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Total | 55 | |
| Government majority | +28 | |
(final reports filed)
Current as of February 2025[6]
| The Crown |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor | ||
| Premier | ||
| Opposition leader | ||
| House of Assembly | ||
| Speaker of the Assembly | ||
| Political parties | ||
| Elections | ||
| Other provinces and territories | ||
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