BILL NO. 194
(as introduced)
1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2026
Private Member's Public Bill
Financial Accountability Office Act
The Honourable Iain Rankin
Timberlea–Prospect
First Reading: February 24, 2026
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Establish a Financial Accountability Office
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Financial Accountability Office Act.
"financial analysis" means analysis of fiscal policy, government finances, economic trends and long-term fiscal sustainability;
"Government entity" means any department, office, agency, Crown corporation, board or other body forming part of the Government Reporting Entity under the Finance Act;
"Office" means the Financial Accountability Office established under this Act, and includes the Financial Accountability Officer, the Deputy Financial Accountability Officer and employees appointed under this Act;
"Officer" means the Financial Accountability Officer appointed under this Act;
3 The Financial Accountability Office is established.
4 (1) Subject to the approval of the House of Assembly by majority vote, the Governor in Council shall appoint a person to be the Financial Accountability Officer.
(2) To be eligible for appointment under subsection (1), the person to be appointed must have demonstrated expertise in public finance, economics or fiscal analysis.
(3) Subject to subsection (4), the Officer holds office for a term not exceeding five years and may be reappointed for one subsequent term not exceeding five years.
(4) The Governor in Council may remove the Officer only for cause or incapacity on the passing of a resolution of the House of Assembly carried by a vote of two thirds of the members voting thereon.
(5) Upon written advice of the President of the Executive Council and the Leader of the Opposition, the Governor in Council may suspend the Officer for cause or incapacity when the House of Assembly is not sitting, but the suspension ceases at the end of the next ensuing sitting.
5 (1) The Officer shall be paid remuneration within, but not less than the mid-point of, the salary range for deputy ministers, adjusted annually in the same manner as deputy minister remuneration.
(2) The salary of the Officer must not be reduced except by resolution of the House of Assembly carried by a two-thirds vote.
(3) The Officer is entitled to all rights, privileges and benefits of a deputy minister, including pension benefits.
6 (1) The Officer shall supervise and be responsible for the work, conduct and administration of the Office.
(2) The Officer may delegate duties and powers to employees of the Office, except the power to report to the House of Assembly.
7 (1) On the advice of the Officer, the Governor in Council may appoint a Deputy Financial Accountability Officer.
(2) The Deputy shall act during any vacancy, illness or absence of the Officer.
(3) The Deputy is entitled to the benefits and privileges of a civil service employee.
8 (1) Employees of the Office are civil service employees for the purposes of the Civil Service Act and the Public Service Superannuation Act.
(2) Notwithstanding any Government procurement rules, the Officer may retain economists, accountants, legal counsel or other experts required to carry out the duties of the Office.
9 (1) The mandate of the Office is to provide independent, non-partisan financial analysis to support the House of Assembly.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Officer shall
(a) analyze the Province's fiscal position and economic outlook;
(b) assess trends in revenues, expenditures, debt and deficits;
(c) estimate the financial impact of any bill, resolution, regulation, program or proposal before or anticipated to come before the House of Assembly that has financial implications for the Province;
(d) analyze the reasonableness of Government forecasts and assumptions;
(e) assess the long-term sustainability of public finances; and
(f) respond to requests from any member or committee of the House of Assembly.
(3) The Officer may refuse a request that is outside the Office’s mandate, not feasible within available resources or lacking necessary information.
(4) Nothing in this Act authorizes the Officer to evaluate the merits of Government policy objectives.
10 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), every Government entity shall provide the Officer with timely access to any financial or economic information required to carry out the Officer's duties.
(2) Cabinet confidences and information subject to solicitor-client privilege, litigation privilege or settlement privilege are excluded.
(3) A disclosure under this Section does not constitute a waiver of privilege.
11 (1) The Officer is an officer of the House of Assembly.
(2) The Officer shall report at least annually to the House of Assembly.
(3) The Officer may issue reports at any time on matters within the Officer’s mandate.
(4) Reports must be submitted to the Speaker, who shall table them in the House of Assembly forthwith or, where the House is not then sitting, within ten days of the next sitting.
(5) All reports of the Officer are public documents.
(6) Reports of the Officer stand permanently referred to the Public Accounts Committee.
(7) At the request of a committee of the House of Assembly, the Officer or a designate shall attend and provide assistance.
12 (1) No action lies against the Officer or any person acting under the authority of the Officer for anything done or omitted in good faith in the performance of duties.
(2) The Office and its records are exempt from the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
13 The Officer shall present annually to a committee designated by the House of Assembly estimates of the funds required to carry out the duties of the Office, which estimates shall be reviewed and recommended for inclusion in the Government's estimates.
14 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) defining words or expressions used but not defined in this Act; and
(b) respecting any matter or thing the Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable to carry out effectively the intent and purpose of this Act.
(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
15 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 © 2026 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created February 24, 2026. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
