BILL NO. 147
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
68 Elizabeth II, 2019
Private Member's Bill
Proportional Representation
and Democratic Renewal Act
Gary Burrill
Halifax Chebucto
First Reading: April 11, 2019
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting
Proportional Representation
and Democratic Renewal
1 This Act may be cited as the Proportional Representation and Democratic Renewal Act.
2 In this Act, "commission" means the democratic renewal commission appointed pursuant to Section 3.
3 Subject to Section 7, no later than May 1, 2019, and every 10 years thereafter, a democratic renewal commission that is broadly representative of the population of the Province must be appointed and issued terms of reference by a select committee of the Assembly constituted to appoint the members of the commission.
4 (1) The commission shall prepare, for approval by the Assembly, a report respecting means of promoting democratic renewal.
(2) The first report prepared under subsection (1) must be prepared no later than March 1, 2020.
5 (1) The terms of reference of the commission must provide that the commission
(a) consider means of promoting democratic renewal, which must include consideration of mixed-member proportional representation;
(b) consider appropriate consequential changes to elections legislation to implement a mixed-member proportional representation system;
(c) prepare a preliminary report and hold public hearings prior to preparing the preliminary report;
(d) following the preparation of the preliminary report, hold further public hearings prior to completing its report; and
(e) subject to subsection 4(2), complete its report within one year of its appointment.
(2) Public hearings required under subsection (1) must include consideration of the following topics:
(a) how to implement a mixed-member proportional representation system;
(b) how to implement fixed dates for general elections;
(c) whether general election dates, including municipal general election dates, should be public holidays;
(d) whether the right to vote should be extended to permanent residents;
(e) whether public transit systems should be free of charge on general election dates; and
(f) how voting registration could be made easier.6 (1) Where the Assembly is sitting when the report respecting means of promoting democratic renewal is completed, the Premier, or the Premier's designate, shall table the report in the Assembly.
(2) Where the Assembly is not sitting when the report is completed, the report must be filed with the Clerk of the Assembly and the Premier, or the Premier's designate, shall table the report in the Assembly within 10 days after the Assembly next sits.
(3) Within 10 sitting days after the report is tabled in the Assembly pursuant to subsection (1) or (2), the Government of the Province shall introduce legislation to implement the recommendations contained in the report.
7 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 © 2019 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created April 11, 2019. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
