Nova Scotia.

• Author: Boucher, Annette M.
• Position: Legislative Reports - Redistricting and rule on emergency debates

The fall sitting of the Fourth Session of the 61st General Assembly commenced on October 25, 2012. During the first five days of the sitting the NDP Government introduced five bills and the Opposition parties introduced ten Private Members' bills.

New Electoral Districts

Bill 94--An Act to Amend Chapter 1 (1992 Supplement) of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the House of Assembly Act was introduced on opening day. Second reading debate has taken over eight hours to date, with more debate expected before the Bill is referred to the Committee on Law Amendments. Numerous public presentations are anticipated before the Committee. The Bill implements the changes in the electoral boundaries recommended September 24, 2012 by the Electoral Boundaries Commission appointed pursuant to the House of Assembly Act. The major changes include a decrease in the present fifty-two to fifty-one electoral districts and a resetting either by the removal of or the addition of territory to most of the districts.

Pursuant to the House of Assembly Act, an Electoral Boundaries Commission was established on December 31, 2011. Under that Act, the Commission is to prepare, for approval by the House, a report recommending the boundaries and names for the electoral districts comprising the House. The Commission was issued terms of reference by a Select Committee of the House, in accordance with the statute. In re-setting the boundaries, the Commission must ensure that each electoral district is within plus or minus 25% of the average number of electors per electoral district. The final number of recommended districts cannot be more than the current number of fifty-two.

Based on the 2011 census data the average electoral population per electoral district is 13,687. Therefore the range of 25% plus or minus is from 10,265 to 17,109 electors per district. Currently ten districts are below 25% and five districts are above 25% of the average elector population range while thirty-seven districts are within the range.

The Commission's interim report was issued on May 31, 2012. The Commission chose to treat its terms of reference as "guidelines" rather than as binding requirements, and maintained four smaller ridings with their existing boundaries. These ridings had been situated in 1990 to take into consideration several communities of special Interest. Three have significant Acadian populations and one has a significant African-Canadian population. The report did not comply with the...