General Assembly of Nova Scotia
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 (or constitutionally by the effluxion of time — approximately five years) and an ensuing general election. Today, the unicameral legislature is made up of two elements: the lieutenant governor (representing the King of Canada )[ 1] and a legislative assembly called the House of Assembly . The legislature was first established in 1758.
Like at the Canadian federal level, Nova Scotia uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government , in which members are elected to the House of Assembly in general elections and the leader of the party with the confidence of the Assembly (normally the party with the most seats) becomes the premier of Nova Scotia and chooses the Executive Council from amongst the party's members of the Assembly. Government is carried out in the name of the king, represented by the lieutenant governor, acting on the advice of the Executive Council (the Governor in Council).
The legislature was originally bicameral. From 1758 to 1838, it had an upper house called the Council , which also held executive functions. In 1838, the Council's executive functions were given to an Executive Council , and the upper house was renamed the Legislative Council . That house was abolished in 1928.
List of Assemblies
Data before 1984 summarized from: Elliott, Shirley B. (1984). "Appendix A: Assembly Lists". The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, 1758-1983: a biographical directory (PDF) . Halifax: Province of Nova Scotia. ISBN 0-88871-050-X .
Post-Confederation
Assembly
Election
Convened
Dissolution
Sessions
Members
65th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
November 26, 2024
December 10, 2024
55
64th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 17, 2021
September 24, 2021
October 27, 2024
1
55[ 2]
63rd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 30, 2017
June 16, 2017
July 17, 2021
3
51
62nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 8, 2013
October 24, 2013
April 30, 2017
3
51[ 3]
61st General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 9, 2009
June 25, 2009
September 7, 2013
2
52[ 4]
60th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 13, 2006
June 29, 2006
May 5, 2009
2
52
59th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 5, 2003
September 4, 2003
May 13, 2006
2
52
58th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
July 27, 1999
August 2, 1999
July 5, 2003
3
52
57th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
March 24, 1998
May 21, 1998
June 18, 1999
1
52
56th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 25, 1993
June 28, 1993
February 12, 1998
6
52
55th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
September 6, 1988
February 23, 1989
April 16, 1993
3
52
54th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
November 6, 1984
February 28, 1985
July 30, 1988
4
52
53rd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 6, 1981
February 18, 1982
September 28, 1984
3
52[ 5]
52nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
September 19, 1978
December 7, 1978
August 28, 1981
3
52[ 6]
51st General Assembly of Nova Scotia
April 2, 1974
May 23, 1974
August 12, 1978
5
46
50th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 13, 1970
December 10, 1970
February 23, 1974
4
46
49th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 30, 1967
December 1, 1967
September 5, 1970
3
46[ 7]
48th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 8, 1963
February 6, 1964
April 20, 1967
5[ 8]
43
47th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 7, 1960
February 8, 1961
August 29, 1963
3
43
46th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 30, 1956
February 27, 1957
April 16, 1960
4
43[ 9]
45th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 26, 1953
February 24, 1954
September 10, 1956
3
37
44th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 9, 1949
March 21, 1950
April 14, 1953
4
37[ 10]
43rd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 23, 1945
March 14, 1946
April 27, 1949
4
30
42nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 28, 1941
February 19, 1942
September 12, 1945
4
30
41st General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 29, 1937
March 1, 1938
September 19, 1941
4
30
40th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 22, 1933
March 1, 1934
May 20, 1937
4
30[ 11]
39th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 1, 1928
February 27, 1929
July 13, 1933
5
43
38th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 25, 1925
February 9, 1926
September 5, 1928
3
43[ 12]
37th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
July 27, 1920
March 9, 1921
June 2, 1925
5
43
36th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 20, 1916
February 22, 1917
June 28, 1920
4
43
35th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 14, 1911
February 22, 1912
May 22, 1916
5
38
34th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 20, 1906
February 14, 1907
May 15, 1911
5
38
33rd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 2, 1901
February 13, 1902
May 22, 1906
5
32nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
April 20, 1897
January 27, 1898
September 3, 1901
4
31st General Assembly of Nova Scotia
March 15, 1894
January 31, 1895
March 20, 1897
3
38
30th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 21, 1890
April 2, 1891
February 14, 1894
4
38
29th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 15, 1886
March 10, 1887
April 21, 1890
4
28th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
June 20, 1882
February 8, 1883
May 20, 1886
4
27th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
September 17, 1878
March 6, 1879
May 23, 1882
4
26th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
December 17, 1874
March 11, 1875
August 21, 1878
4
25th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 16, 1871
February 22, 1872
November 23, 1874
3
24th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
September 18, 1867
January 30, 1868
April 17, 1871
4
38
Pre-Confederation
Assembly
Election
Convened
Dissolution
Sessions
Members
23rd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 28, 1863
February 4, 1864
June 10, 1867
4[ 13]
22nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 12, 1859
January 26, 1860
May 1, 1863
4
55[ 14]
21st General Assembly of Nova Scotia
By error, the 21st General Assembly was called the "22nd."
20th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 22, 1855
January 31, 1856
April 15, 1859
4
53
19th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 28, 1851
November 4, 1851
April 25, 1855
5
53
18th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 5, 1847
January 22, 1848
July 26, 1851
4
51
Assembly
Writ issued[ 15]
Convened
Dissolution
Sessions
Members
17th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 30, 1843
February 8, 1844
June 23, 1847
5
51
16th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 21, 1840
February 3, 1841
October 26, 1843
3
51
15th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
November 2, 1836
January 31, 1837
October 21, 1840
5
49
14th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 25, 1830
November 8, 1830
November 2, 1836
6
41/44[ 16]
13th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
April 17, 1826
February 1, 1827
August 18, 1830[ 17]
4
12th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
April 28, 1820
December 12, 1820
April 11, 1826
6
11th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 18, 1818
February 11, 1819
April 20, 1820
2
39
10th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 17, 1811
February 6, 1812
May 11, 1818
8
9th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 29, 1806
November 18, 1806
August 14, 1811
7
8th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 21, 1799
February 20, 1800
May 28, 1806
6
7th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
January 22, 1793
March 20, 1793
October 11, 1799
7
6th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
October 21, 1785
December 5, 1785
January 22, 1793
7
5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
April 18, 1770
June 6, 1770
October 20, 1785
17
4th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
February 2, 1765
May 28, 1765
April 2, 1770
8
27/33[ 18]
3rd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
February 28, 1761
July 1, 1761
January 30, 1765
6
24/28[ 19]
2nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia
August 23, 1759
December 4, 1759
October 25, 1760[ 20]
2
22
1st General Assembly of Nova Scotia
May 20, 1758
October 2, 1758
August 13, 1759
2
22
See also
Notes
^ An Act Abolishing the Legislative Council and Amending the Constitution of the Province , SNS 1928, c. 1, s. 2
.
^ Province to restore four protected ridings for Acadians, African Nova Scotians CTV News
^ Seats reduced in redistricting. Contentious electoral map becomes law in N.S. CBC News. Membership varied during the assembly due to resignations and by-elections.
^ Membership varied during the assembly due to resignations and by-elections.
^ Change in districting of Inverness and Yarmouth Counties without change of number of members.
^ Changed by 27 Elizabeth II, Ch. 198
^ Changed by the House of Assembly Act (RSNS 1967, Ch. 128)
^ 4 regular sessions and 1 special session, September 9–10, 1966
^ Changed by 4 Eliz. II, Ch. 27
^ Changed by 12 Geo. VI, Ch. 47
^ Changed by section 4 of 21 Geo. V, Ch. 19
^ Changes in districting of Cape Breton and Richmond Counties without change of number of members.
^ In the Journal of the House of Assembly, the first session is called the "First Session of the Twenty-second Assembly", in an effort to correct the mistake of 1860. However the second session was called the "Second Session of the Twenty-third Assembly", resuming the error. The erroneous numbering has been continued to the present.
^ Additional representation by Township ended, representation was by County only. The number of former Township seats were generally added to the number of County seats.
^ Prior to 1847, there was no single fixed election day. A writ of election was issued, with a fixed date when it was "returnable," usually at or a few days to a few months before the first session was to convene.
^ Membership increased for the 1833 session.
^ Elliott states the assembly was dissolved "on the death of King George IV ," however that was on 26 June 1830, and there is no corresponding note for the 11th General Assembly being dissolved on the death of King George III . It is unclear when the tradition of dissolving the assembly on the death of the monarch ceased.
^ Membership increased during the assembly.
^ Membership increased for the second session.
^ Dissolved by the death of King George II
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