Newly-elected N.S. MLAs sworn-in, speaker of the house chosen

N.S. legislature elects house speaker The 65th General Assembly of Nova Scotia elected a new speaker of the house on Tuesday.

New and familiar faces attended a swearing-in ceremony and the election of the speaker of the house at the Nova Scotia Province House on Tuesday.

Members of the 65th General Assembly of Nova Scotia were sworn-in at noon ahead of a session for the election of the speaker of the house and the appointment of a deputy speaker.

Danielle Barkhouse, PC MLA for Chester-St. Margaret's, was elected as speaker of the house. She previously elected to the role last September prior to the November election.

John White, PC MLA for Glace Bay-Dominion, was chosen as the deputy speaker of the house.

The Progressive Conservatives, led by Premier Tim Houston, entered the swearing-in ceremony with a supermajority, scoring 43 of the 55 total legislative seats in the provincial election last month.

The NDP, led by Claudia Chender, are entering the legislature with nine MLAs. They will serve as the official Opposition.

The Liberal Party, which only has two seats, currently has an interim leader in Derek Mombourquette as Zach Churchill, who failed to win his seat in Yarmouth by 16 votes following a recount on Monday, officially stepped down from the position earlier Tuesday.

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, representing the Cumberland North riding, is the sole independent MLA in the legislature.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.