Nova Scotia’s Supermajority

By Lori Turnbull, Senior Advisor at the IOG.

Nova Scotia’s recent provincial election resulted in a supermajority for Premier Tim Houston and the Progressive Conservatives. They won 43 of the legislature’s 55 seats (78%). The Progressive Conservatives now have a lot more control over how the legislature operates, which could have a significant impact on the role of the opposition and its capacity to hold the government to account. This is a critical aspect of parliamentary governance.

Changes to the procedural rules of the House of Assembly require the support of two-thirds of elected members. With their big win, Houston’s Progressive Conservatives now meet this threshold without the need for support from any other party. This means that the governing party could unilaterally change the way the House functions and limit the tools at the opposition’s disposal to make themselves heard and scrutinize the government. The rules of procedure include matters such as: the committee structure; the procedure for the election of the Speaker; the maximum length of members’ speeches during debate; quorum for meetings of the House of Assembly; and, the rules around opposition days which are currently always held on Wednesdays.

Now, just because they could make changes to the rules of procedure does not mean they will. But it is a possibility that invites us to reflect on the importance of legislative scrutiny. To state the obvious, governments in parliamentary systems hold the balance of power –especially when they are in a majority position. They set the agenda and make decisions. The House of Assembly is the place where the opposition parties are granted specific tools and resources, including time, to ensure that the government is answering questions about its decisions. If the opposition’s role is curtailed, there is a cost to the public with respect to government accountability and transparency.