Nova Scotia.

• Author: Locke, Cara
• Position: Legislative Reports

This legislative report canvasses the Spring 2022 Sitting, the unexpected Summer 2022 Sitting, and highlights recent events outside of the legislative chamber.

Spring 2022 Sitting

The Sixty-Fourth General Assembly met for its first Spring sitting from March 24 to April 22, and sat for 19 meetings. Of those 19 meetings, 11 extended beyond the House's ordinary hours. The latest meeting was April 20, when the House rose at four minutes past midnight. The longest meeting was April 22, when the House adjourned the Spring Sitting at the end of a 13.5-hour day. At 10:30p.m., the Lieutenant Governor assented to 31 bills. Twenty-eight were Government Bills, two were Private and Local Bills, and one was a Private Members' Bill.

First Budget of the Sixty-Fourth General Assembly

True to tradition, the Budget Address pre-empted the Daily Routine on Budget Day, March 29. The Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier (Inverness) introduced his first budget, entitled Solutions for Healthcare, Solutions for Nova Scotia. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the estimates projected a deficit of $506.2 million and a revenue of $12.7 billion.

Across the aisle, the Member for Bedford Basin responded to the Budget as the Official Opposition's Finance Critic, while the Member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island spoke as the New Democratic Party's Finance Critic. During the 40 hours permitted for examination of estimates before the Committee of the Whole House on Supply, the Ministers responsible for the following five departments appeared: 1. Health and Wellness (Antigonish); 2. Seniors and Long-Term Care (Eastern Passage); 3. Municipal Affairs and Housing (Kings North); 4. Community Services (Pictou West); and 5. Public Works (Queens).

Noteworthy Procedure and Legislation

Conversion into Hybrid Proceedings

In the early days of the Spring sitting, positive COVID-19 test results from individuals present in Province House were reported. To stem the proliferation of COVID-19, the House implemented additional health and safety measures on top of the pre-existing masking requirement. Prime among these measures was Resolution No. 192, which the Government House Leader (Queen's) introduced on April 5. Resolution No. 192 proposed to convert the House's proceedings into a hybrid format. With the House's unanimous consent to waive the two-day Notice period, Resolution No. 192 passed that same day, without debate. The series of rule waivers and suspensions entailed by Resolution No. 192 also necessitated a Speaker's Directive to institute the consequential operational changes, and to facilitate virtual access for Members off-site (64th Leg, 1st Sess, 5 April 2022 at 1902 (Kim Masland, PC)). After a brief recess, the House reconvened in hybrid format. Resolution No. 192 remained in effect for the duration of the Spring sitting only.

Unanimous Consent to Pass Bill 105 In A Single Day

In the span of a few minutes, support from all parties and the...