Nova Scotia bill would repeal fixed election date, increase politicians' pay

Pictured is an overall view of the Nova Scotia legislature in Halifax on March 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)

HALIFAX — The Nova Scotia government has introduced legislation to repeal the province’s fixed election date, give it the power to fire the auditor general, and increase politicians’ pay.

Proposed changes to the Elections Act come less than four years after the Progressive Conservative government adopted a bill that set elections on the third Tuesday of July every four years.

On another front, amendments to the House of Assembly Act would raise the baseline pay for members of the legislature, following recommendations recently set by an independent review panel.

While members would be able to opt out of the increases, the panel recommended that the annual base salary of members rise to $115,000 from $89,234.

The government has also moved to amend the Auditor General Act to establish a two-week minimum timeline for the auditor to submit a report to the government before releasing it to the public.

Proposed changes would also clarify that the government can dismiss the auditor general with the agreement of two-thirds of the House of Assembly, regardless of cause or incapacity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb.18, 2025.