BILL NO. 132
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 62nd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
64 Elizabeth II, 2015
Financial Accountability Officer Act
The Honourable Maureen MacDonald
Halifax Needham
First Reading: November 24, 2015
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Establish
a Financial Accountability Officer
for Nova Scotia
1 This Act may be cited as the Financial Accountability Officer Act.
(a) "leader of a recognized party" has the same meaning as in the House of Assembly Act;
(b) "panel" means the panel established by this Act.
3 (1) There is hereby established a panel composed of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and one member of the Assembly appointed by each leader of a recognized party from the leader's caucus.
(2) The Speaker is a non-voting member of the panel and shall chair the panel.
(3) The panel shall recommend to the Governor in Council a person to be appointed as the Financial Accountability Officer for the Province.
4 The Governor in Council shall appoint the person recommended by the panel to be the Financial Accountability Officer for the Province.
5 The Financial Accountability Officer holds office for a term of five years and may be re-appointed for one additional five-year term.
6 Subject to Section 9, the Financial Accountability Officer shall be paid such salary and receive such benefits as is determined from time to time by the Governor in Council.
7 (1) The Financial Accountability Officer shall
(a) provide, on the Financial Accountability Officer's initiative, an independent analysis to the House of Assembly about the state of the Province's finances, including the budget, and trends in the Provincial and national economies; and
(b) respond, at the Financial Accountability Officer's discretion, to requests from members of the Assembly and committees of the Assembly to
(ii) undertake research into the estimates and supplementary estimates submitted to the Assembly,
(iii) undertake research into the financial costs or financial benefits to the Province of any public bill that is before the Assembly, or
(iv) undertake to estimate the financial costs or financial benefits to the Province of any proposal that relates to a matter over which the Legislature has jurisdiction, including any proposal made by the Government of the Province or by any member of the Assembly.
(2) At the request of any standing committee of the House of Assembly, the Financial Accountability Officer, or an assistant of the Financial Accountability Officer designated by the Financial Accountability Officer, shall, at the Financial Accountability Officer's discretion, attend the meetings of the committee and provide assistance to the committee.
8 Subject to Section 9, the Financial Accountability Officer may appoint such assistants as the Financial Accountability Officer considers necessary for the efficient carrying out of the functions under this Act.
9 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2015 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created November 24, 2015. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
