Published by Order of the Legislature by Hansard Reporting Services and printed by the Queen's Printer.
Available on INTERNET at http://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/hansard-debates/
| TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE | ||
| COMMISSION FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, The Premier | 1 | ||
| ELECTION OF MR. CECIL CLARKE AS SPEAKER, The Clerk | 3 | ||
| ELECTION OF MR. WAYNE GAUDET AS DEPUTY SPEAKER, The Clerk | 3 | ||
| GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION: | |||
| Res. 1, Standing Committees: Special Committee - Appointed [Rule 60], | |||
| Hon. M. Baker | 3 | ||
| ADJOURNMENT, House rose to meet again on Thursday, June 29th at 2:00 p.m. | 5 | ||
HALIFAX, THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2006
Sixtieth General Assembly
First Session
11:00 A.M.
SPEAKER
Hon. Cecil Clarke
DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr. Wayne Gaudet
[The First Session of the Sixtieth General Assembly was opened on an overcast day.]
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: All honourable members take their places.
THE CLERK: The honourable Premier.
HON. RODNEY MACDONALD (The Premier): Members of the House of Assembly, a Commission has been issued by Her Honour, the Honourable Myra Freeman, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, which I shall read. It is as follows:
"Hon. Rodney J. MacDonald
Premier of Nova Scotia
Greetings:
Whereas the present General Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia was summoned to meet on Thursday, the 29th day of June next, then to be begun and held at Halifax, from which date the said General Assembly will meet for the dispatch of business;
And inasmuch as I cannot conveniently be present in the said Legislature until the Members who have been elected to serve in the House of Assembly have elected their Speaker;
Now therefore I have thought fit to require and command you, and do hereby require and command you, to convey and declare to the Members of the House of Assembly that I will defer declaring the causes for which I have summoned them to assemble until the House of Assembly has elected a Speaker who shall be presented in the said House for my approbation.
Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms this 22nd day of June, in the year of Our Lord two thousand and six and in the 55th year of Her Majesty's Reign.
(Signed) Myra A. Freeman
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia."
THE CLERK: I have the honour to table the returns of the most recent general election and to report that the members present in the House have taken the Oath and signed the Roll and they therefore claim the right to take their seats in this place. These are the writs.
The House will now proceed with the election of Speaker.
Are there any nominations?
The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.
MR. MICHEL SAMSON: Mr. Chief Clerk, on behalf of the Liberal caucus, it is my pleasure to put forward the name of Mr. Cecil Clarke, member for Cape Breton North, as Speaker of the House of Assembly.
THE CLERK: Does the honourable member accept the nomination?
MR. CECIL CLARKE: I do.
THE CLERK: Are there any further nominations?
Seeing none, I declare the member for Cape Breton North Speaker of the House of Assembly. (Standing Ovation)
[The Premier, Mr. Darrell Dexter and Mr. Michel Samson dragged Mr. Speaker to the Chair.]
MR. SPEAKER: Please be seated. Honourable members of the House of Assembly, I thank the House for the great pleasure and honour that has been bestowed upon me. I will do my best to uphold the prestige and high tradition of the Speaker's Office. I respectfully ask the assistance and co-operation of all honourable members.
We will now proceed with the election of the Deputy Speaker.
The honourable Premier.
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, I put forward the name of Mr. Wayne Gaudet, the member for Clare, for Deputy Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Does the honourable member accept the nomination?
MR. WAYNE GAUDET: I do, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Are there any other nominations?
There being no other nominations, I declare the honourable member for Clare Deputy Speaker. Congratulations. (Standing Ovation)
[GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION]
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. MICHAEL BAKER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move a resolution in the following form:
Therefore be it resolved that:
(a) Pursuant to Rule 60, a Special Committee be appointed whose duty it shall be to prepare and report, with all convenient speed, lists of members to compose the Standing Committees of the House and that:
(i) the lists be deposited in the Office of the Chief Clerk and that the committees be established with full authority from the date the lists are deposited in the Office of the Chief Clerk; and
(ii) the Chair of each committee be the member named as Chair of that committee; and
(b) The Special Committee be composed of the following three members: the Minister of Finance, the member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage and the member for Cape Breton South.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Her Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, is without.
MR. SPEAKER: All rise.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Her Honour, the Lieutenant Governor.
[The Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Myra A. Freeman, preceded by her escort and by Mr. Ken Greenham, Sergeant-at-Arms, bearing the Mace, entered the House of Assembly Chamber. The Lieutenant Governor then took her seat on the Throne.
The Sergeant-at-Arms then departed and re-entered the Chamber followed by the Speaker, the Honourable Cecil Clarke; the Chief Clerk of the House, Roderick MacArthur, Q.C.; and Assistant Clerk, Arthur Fordham, Q.C.
The Speaker, with the Sergeant-at-Arms on his right and the Clerks on either side, took up his position at the foot of the Speaker's Table.]
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: It is the wish of Her Honour that the ladies and gentlemen be seated.
THE PREMIER: May it please Your Honour, the House of Assembly, agreeable to Your Honour's command, has proceeded to the choice of a Speaker and has elected Cecil Clarke, member for the electoral district of Cape Breton North, to that Office and by its direction, I present him for the approbation of Your Honour.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: I approve of the Speaker whom the House of Assembly has chosen.
MR. SPEAKER: Your Honour's ready approval of the choice with which I have been honoured by the House, having constituted me, in due form Speaker of the House of Assembly, it has now become my duty in the name of the representatives of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, the people of this Province, respectfully to demand all their accustomed rights and privileges, and that they shall have freedom of speech in their debates, that they may be free from arrest during their attendance in Parliament and that I, as their Speaker, may have free access to Your Honour's person.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: I most cheerfully grant your request and I declare that this House is now in session.
[The Speaker and the Clerks left the Chamber.
The Lieutenant Governor left the Chamber preceded by her escort and the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Mr. Speaker took the Chair.]
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: His Honour, the Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Please be seated.
The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. MICHAEL BAKER: Mr. Speaker, I move that the House be adjourned until two o'clock this afternoon.
MR. SPEAKER: The House stands adjourned until two o'clock this day.
[The House rose at 11:12 a.m.]
