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 | 1 | |||
| ELECTION OF MR. CHARLES PARKER AS SPEAKER, The Clerk | 2 | |||
| INTRODUCTION OF BILLS: | ||||
| An Act Respecting Oaths of Office, Hon. R. Landry | 3 | |||
| GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION: | ||||
| Res. 1, Rules of the House: Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker | ||||
| [Rule 11] - Suspension, Hon. F. Corbett | 3 | |||
| Vote - Affirmative | 4 | |||
| Res. 2, Standing Committees: Special Committee - Appointed [Rule 60], | ||||
| Hon. F. Corbett | 4 | |||
| Vote - Affirmative | 5 | |||
| ADJOURNMENT, House rose to meet again at the call of the Speaker | 6 | |||
HALIFAX, THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009
Sixty-First General Assembly
First Session
12:00 NOON
SPEAKER
Hon. Charles Parker
DEPUTY SPEAKERS
Mr. Gordon Gosse, Hon. Wayne Gaudet, Mr. Alfie MacLeod
[The First Session of the 61st General Assembly was opened on a sunny day.]
ACTING SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Honourable members, please take your places.
THE CLERK: All rise. The honourable Premier.
HON. DARRELL DEXTER (The Premier): Members of the House of Assembly, a Commission has been issued by Her Honour, the Honourable Mayann Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, which I shall read. It is as follows:
"Hon. Darrell Dexter
Premier of Nova Scotia
Greetings:
Whereas the present General Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia was summoned to meet on Thursday, the 25th 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 19th day of June, in the year of Our Lord two thousand and nine and in the 58th year of Her Majesty's Reign.
(Signed) Mayann E. Francis
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia."
THE CLERK: Please be seated. 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.
We will now proceed with the election of Speaker for the 61st General Assembly.
The floor now accepts nominations for the position of Speaker of the 61st General Assembly.
The honourable Premier.
THE PREMIER: Thank you. I nominate for the position of Speaker of the House, the member for Pictou West, Mr. Charles Parker.
THE CLERK: Does the honourable member accept the nomination?
MR. CHARLES PARKER: Yes, I accept.
THE CLERK: Are there any other nominations?
The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.
HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Thank you. On behalf of our caucus I would like to second the nomination of the member for Pictou West, Mr. Charles Parker.
THE CLERK: The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
HON. KAREN CASEY: Thank you. On behalf of our caucus I would like to support the nomination and the second of the motion.
THE CLERK: There being no further nominations, Mr. Charles Parker, the honourable member for Pictou West is elected Speaker of the House of Assembly. (Standing Ovation)
[The Premier, the Honourable Stephen McNeil and the Honourable Karen Casey 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 honour that has been bestowed upon me and I will do my best to uphold the prestige and high tradition of the Speaker's Office. I respectfully ask the co-operation and assistance of all honourable members.
[INTRODUCTION OF BILLS]
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Minister of Justice.
HON. ROSS LANDRY: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to introduce a bill entitled An Act Respecting Oaths of Office.
MR. SPEAKER: Ordered that this bill be read a second time on a future day.
[GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION]
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Therefore be it resolved that:
(a) One Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker be appointed from each of the three caucuses;
(b) The honourable member for Cape Breton Nova, the honourable member for Clare and the honourable member for Cape Breton West be the Chairmen of Committees and Deputy Speakers;
(c) The Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker from the Government Caucus be the Deputy Speaker within the meaning of the House of Assembly Act;
(d) The annual salary of the Deputy Speaker, established pursuant to the House of Assembly Act, be divided equally among the three Chairmen of Committees and Deputy Speakers.
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. (Applause)
The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: 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 said Standing Committees be constituted for the life of this Assembly;
(ii) 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;
(iii) the Chair of each committee be the member named as Chair of that committee;
(iv) the said committees be severally empowered to examine and inquire into all matters and things as may be referred to them by this House; and
(v) the said committees be severally empowered to, from time to time, report to this House their observations and opinions;
(b) The Special Committee be composed of the following five members: the member for Cape Breton Centre, the member for Cape Breton North, the member for Cape Breton South, the member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage and the member for Queens;
Further, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Rule 33, I ask that the normal notice for this motion be dispensed with and that this resolution be now adopted.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver of notice.
Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
ACTING SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Her Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, is without.
MR. SPEAKER: Let Her Honour be admitted.
ACTING SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Her Honour, the Lieutenant Governor.
[The Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Mayann E. Francis, preceded by her escort and by Mr. Peter Theriault, Acting Sergeant-at-Arms, bearing the Mace, entered the House of Assembly Chamber. The Lieutenant Governor then took her seat on the Throne.
The Acting Sergeant-at-Arms then departed and re-entered the Chamber, followed by the Speaker, the Honourable Charles Parker; the Chief Clerk of the House, Roderick MacArthur, Q.C.; and Assistant Clerk Neil Ferguson.
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.]
ACTING SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: It is the wish of Her Honour that the ladies and gentlemen be seated.
THE PREMIER: May it please Your Honour that the House of Assembly, agreeable to Your Honour's command, has proceeded to the choice of a Speaker and has elected Mr. Charles Parker, member for the electoral district of Pictou West, 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 this 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.
[12:15 p.m.]
[The Speaker and the Clerks left the Chamber.
The Lieutenant Governor left the Chamber preceded by her escort and the Acting Sergeant-at-Arms.]
ACTING SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: His Honour, the Speaker.
[Mr. Speaker took the Chair.]
MR. SPEAKER: You may be seated.
Honourable members, I just want to say a brief word. I again want to thank you very much for your support and it is certainly an honour to be the Speaker of this Legislative Assembly. I am very much looking forward to working with all of you in the months and years to come. I know we are near the end of our session here today and I just want to wish one and all a good summer.
The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that the House do now rise to meet again at the call of the Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The motion is for adjournment.
Is it agreed?
[It is agreed.
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.]
[The House rose at 12:18 p.m.]
