Politics of Nova Scotia

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.{{cite journal |last=Cox |first=Noel |date=September 2002 |title=Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence |url=http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v9n3/cox93.html |journal=Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law |location=Perth |publisher=Murdoch University |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=12 |access-date=17 May 2009}} It is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the province.{{Citation |last=Privy Council Office |title=Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State – 2008 |page=49 |year=2008 |url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=publications&doc=ag-gr/2008/ag-gr-eng.htm |access-date=17 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318110030/http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=publications&doc=ag-gr%2F2008%2Fag-gr-eng.htm |archive-date=18 March 2010 |url-status=dead |location=Ottawa |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |isbn=978-1-100-11096-7 |author-link=Privy Council Office (Canada)}} 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.{{Cite book |last=MacLeod |first=Kevin S. |url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/fr-rf/crnCdn/crn_mpls-eng.pdf |title=A Crown of Maples |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-662-46012-1 |edition=1 |place=Ottawa |page=16 |author-link=Kevin S. MacLeod |access-date=21 June 2009}}

The Nova Scotia House of Assembly ({{langx|fr|Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse}}; {{langx|gd|Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh}}), 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;[http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/parl_gov_print-e.asp How Canadians Govern Themselves] 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 ScotiaConstitution Act, 1867, ss. 69 & 88; [http://www.nslegislature.ca/ Nova Scotia House of Assembly] 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.Chapter 32 of Nova Scotia Acts of 2019 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.

The Government of Nova Scotia exercises the executive power. The chief body of the Government is the Executive Council, also known as Cabinet.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2017-06-23 |title=Cabinet |url=https://nslegislature.ca/members/cabinet |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Nova Scotia Legislature |language=en}} The Premier of Nova Scotia is President of the Executive Council.

Of the registered voters in 2017, 53.4% voted. Voter turnout has decreased from 82% turnout in 1960.{{Cite web |last=Chief Electoral Officer |date=30 May 2017 |title=Statement of Votes and Statistics: Volume 1 |url=https://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/2017_SOVvolume1.pdf |website=Elections Nova Scotia}}

{{Portal|Canada|Politics}}

• Monarchy in Nova Scotia
• Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
• Premier of Nova Scotia
• General Assembly of Nova Scotia
• Nova Scotia House of Assembly
• List of Nova Scotia general elections
• Government of Nova Scotia
• Executive Council of Nova Scotia
• Council of the Federation
• Politics of Canada
• Political culture of Canada

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.gov.ns.ca Government of Nova Scotia]
• [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-2277/politics_economy/ns_elections/ How The East Was Won: Nova Scotia Elections (1949-2003)]

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