HALIFAX, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2024

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Sixty-fifth General Assembly

First Session

3:00 P.M.

SPEAKER

Hon. Danielle Barkhouse

[The First Session of the 65^th General Assembly was opened on a foggy day.]

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Honourable Members, please take your places. Please rise.

HON. TIM HOUSTON (THE PREMIER) » : Members of the House of Assembly, a Commission has been issued by His Honour, the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, which I shall read as follows:

To the Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia

Greetings:

Whereas the present General Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia was summoned to meet on Tuesday, the 10^th day of December 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 on this 6^th day of December, in the year of Our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and in the 3^rd year of Our Reign.

(Signed) Hon. Arthur J. LeBlanc

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Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Please be seated.

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.

We will now open the floor to nominations for the Speakership.

The honourable Premier.

THE PREMIER « » : I nominate the member for Chester-St. Margaret's as Speaker of the House of Assembly.

THE CLERK « » : Are there any other nominations for the Speakership?

The honourable Leader of the New Democratic Party.

CLAUDIA CHENDER: I nominate the member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island for Speakership.

THE CLERK « » : Are there any further nominations?

The honourable Leader of the Liberal party.

HON. DEREK MOMBOURQUETTE » : I nominate the member for Timberlea-Prospect.

THE CLERK « » : Are there any further nominations?

As the nomination is contested, we will proceed to an election of the Speaker. The candidates are the honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's, the honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island, and the honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

I will ask the members to please queue up outside the Chamber. We will assemble the ballot box and we will prepare for the election, which will proceed by secret ballot.

We'll take a very brief recess while we set up.

[3:08 p.m. The House recessed.]

[3:12 p.m. The House reconvened.]

THE CLERK « » : Order. We will now proceed with the election of the Speaker. I would ask the members to come forward one at a time, approach the ballot box with their ballot, cast their vote, and then deposit it in the receptacle. We will now begin.

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[The MLAs marked and provided their ballots to the Chief Clerk.]

THE CLERK « » : The voting is now completed. The Assistant Clerk and I will retire to my office with the House Leaders for the government, the Official Opposition, and the Liberal Party to count the ballots. We'll take a brief recess while the ballots are counted.

[3:36 p.m. The House recessed.]

[3:54 p.m. The House reconvened.]

THE CLERK « » : Order. I am pleased to announce that we have finished counting the ballots, and I declare the honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's elected as Speaker of the House of Assembly. (Applause)

THE SPEAKER « » : Honourable Members of the House of Assembly, I thank the House for the great honour it has 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.

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

The honourable Government House Leader.

RESOLUTION NO. 1

HON. KIM MASLAND: Speaker, congratulations. Great to see you back there.

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Therefore be it resolved that:

(a) the honourable member for Glace Bay-Dominion, the honourable member for Pictou West, and the honourable member for Colchester North be the Chairs of Committees and Deputy Speakers of the House of Assembly;

(b) the honourable member for Glace Bay-Dominion be the Deputy Speaker within the meaning of Subsection 14(3) of the House of Assembly Act and within the meaning of the House of Assembly Management Commission Act; and

(c) the annual salary of the Deputy Speaker, established pursuant to the House of Assembly Act, be divided equally between the three Chairs of Committees and Deputy Speakers.

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I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver of notice.

Is it agreed? I hear several Noes. The notice is tabled.

I will now accept nominations from the floor for the position of Deputy Speaker of the Sixty-fifth General Assembly. The honourable Premier.

THE PREMIER « » : Welcome back. Good to see you there. I hereby nominate the member for Glace Bay-Dominion for the position of Deputy Speaker.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

CLAUDIA CHENDER: I nominate the member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island to serve again as Deputy Speaker.

THE SPEAKER « » : Does the member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island accept the nomination?

LISA LACHANCE » : Yes, I do.

THE SPEAKER « » : Are there any further nominations? We will now have a short recess for an election.

[3:58 p.m. The House recessed.]

[4:01 p.m. The House reconvened.]

THE CLERK « » : Order. We will now proceed with the voting.

[The MLAs marked and provided their ballots to the Chief Clerk.]

THE CLERK « » : Order. That completes the balloting for the Deputy Speaker election. I will now retire to my office with the Assistant Clerk and the House Leaders to count the ballots. We'll take a brief recess before coming back with the result of the election.

[4:21 p.m. The House recessed.]

[4:31 p.m. The House reconvened.]

THE CHAIR: Order. I declare the honourable member for Glace Bay-Dominion elected as Deputy Speaker. (Applause)

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[GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION]

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

RESOLUTION NO. 2

HON. KIM MASLAND: 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 of the Rules and Forms of Procedure, 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 Standing Committees be constituted for the life of this Assembly and, for the purpose of Subsection 36(1) of the House of Assembly Act, that they be declared to be not dissolved by prorogation and empowered to continue their inquiries after the House is prorogued;

(ii) the lists be deposited in the Office of the Chief Clerk and that the Standing Committees be established with full authority from the date the lists are deposited in the Office of the Chief Clerk;

(iii) the Chair and Vice-Chair of each Standing Committee be the members named as Chair and Vice-Chair of that committee;

(iv) the Standing Committees be severally empowered to examine and inquire into all matters and things as may be referred to them by this House;

(v) the Standing Committees be severally empowered to, from time to time, report to this House their observations and opinions; and

(vi) for greater certainty, the Standing Committees be severally empowered to sit at all times during the life of this Assembly, whether the House be sitting, adjourned, or prorogued; and

(b) that the Special Committee be composed of the following five members: the honourable member for Queens as Chair of that Special Committee, the honourable member for Halifax Atlantic, the honourable member for Eastern Passage, the honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island, and the honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

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Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : Is it agreed that notice is waived? It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Government House Leader.

KIM MASLAND: Speaker, I ask that you please recognize the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Finance and Treasury Board.

RESOLUTION NO. 3

HON. TIMOTHY HALMAN « » : Speaker, congratulations on your election as Speaker. Nova Scotia is very lucky to have you serve as the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the government wants to make life easier for Nova Scotians with a permanent reduction in the Harmonized Sales Tax; and

Whereas the Government of Nova Scotia has already provided more than 120 days' written notice to the Government of Canada and announced this measure publicly on October 23, 2024; and

Whereas the Government of Canada will need to make regulatory changes to effect this tax reduction, as Nova Scotia is a Harmonized Sales Tax province;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly approves the reduction of the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax from 10 per cent to 9 per cent with an amendment date of April 1, 2025.

Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

THE SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

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Is it agreed? It is agreed.

All those in favour? Contrary minded? Thank you.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Cape Breton East.

HON. BRIAN COMER: Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction.

THE SPEAKER « » : Please do.

BRIAN COMER: I draw members' attention to the Speaker's Gallery. Two good friends of mine and mentors: the former MLA for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg and the former MLA for Victoria-The Lakes, former Speakers of the House of Assembly, and, more importantly, Shirley and Chrissy are here today. (Applause)

THE SPEAKER « » : Welcome to the House. It's very nice to see you all here. I would be remiss to not say to my son, Sebastian - my little Sebby - hi to him. Welcome, Sebby. I hope you all have fun here.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: The Lieutenant Governor is without.

THE SPEAKER « » : Let his honour the Lieutenant Governor be admitted.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: His Honour the Lieutenant Governor. Please rise.

[The Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, preceded by his escorts and the Sergeant-at-Arms, bearing the Mace, entered the House of Assembly Chamber. The Lieutenant Governor then took his seat on the Throne.

The Sergeant-at-Arms then departed and re-entered the Chamber, followed by the Speaker, Danielle Barkhouse, the Chief Clerk of the House, James Charlton; and the Assistant Clerks.

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 His Honour the Lieutenant Governor that everyone present 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 Danielle Barkhouse, member for the electoral district of Chester-St. Margaret's, to that Office and by its direction, I present her for the approbation of Your Honour.

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: I approve this Speaker whom the House of Assembly has chosen.

THE 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 His 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.]

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Please rise.

[The Lieutenant Governor and his escorts left the Chamber preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms.]

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Her Honour the Speaker.

[The Speaker took the Chair.]

THE SPEAKER « » : You may be seated - some of you.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. KIM MASLAND: I move that the House do now rise to meet again at the call of the Speaker.

THE SPEAKER « » : Is it agreed? It is agreed.

The House now stands adjourned.

[The House rose at 4:43 p.m.]