Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

The Speaker for the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia is the presiding Officer of the House of Assembly. Danielle Barkhouse is the current Speaker of the 64th General Assembly of Nova Scotia.

The Speaker presides over the proceedings of the Assembly, maintains order, regulates debate in accordance with the rules and practices of the House, and ensures that all viewpoints have the opportunity of a hearing.

The Speaker does not take part in the debates of the Assembly and only takes part in a vote to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie. He is the guardian of the privileges of the Assembly and protects the rights of its Members.

The Speaker is the only representative of the House of Assembly. The Speaker has jurisdiction and day to day control over all matters concerning Province House, including operations, maintenance and restoration, and administration of the adjacent office complexes at One Government Place, the George Building, and the Provincial Building. The Speaker is the Chair of the Legislature Internal Economy Board, the body responsible for regulating services to Members.

In the House, Speaker decides questions of order and rules on questions of privilege after allowing appropriate debate. Decisions of the Speaker are not debatable or subject to appeal except by a substantive motion after proper notice has been given.

Speakers of the House of Assembly

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No. Portrait Name
Electoral district
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party General Assembly
1 Robert Sanderson
MLA
(1696–after 1761)
1758–1759 Independent 1st
2 William Nesbitt
MLA for Halifax County
(1707–1784)
1759–1783 Independent 2nd
3rd
4th
5th
3   Thomas Cochran
MLA for Liverpool Township
(1733–1801)
1784–1785 Independent
4   Sampson Salter Blowers
MLA for Halifax County
(1742–1842)
1785–1789 Independent 6th
5   Richard John Uniacke
MLA for Halifax County
(1753–1830)
1789–1793 Independent
6 Thomas Henry Barclay
MLA for Halifax County
(1753–1830)
1793–1799 Independent 7th
(5)   Richard John Uniacke
MLA for Queens County
(1753–1830)
1799–1805 Independent
8th
7 William Cottnam Tonge
MLA for Newport Township
(1764–1832)
1805–1806 Independent
8 Lewis Morris Wilkins
MLA for Lunenburg County
(1768–1848)
1806–1817 Conservative 9th
10th
9 Simon Bradstreet Robie
MLA for Halifax County
(1770–1858)
1817–1824 Conservative
11th
12th
10   Samuel George William Archibald
MLA for Halifax County (until 1836)
MLA for Colchester County (from 1836)

(1777–1846)
1824–1840 Reformer
13th
14th
15th
11   Joseph Howe
MLA for Halifax County
(1804–1873)
1840–1843 Reformer 16th
12   William Young
MLA for Inverness County
(1799–1887)
1843–1855 Reformer 17th
18th
19th
13 Stewart Campbell
MLA for Guysborough County
(1812–1885)
1855–1863 Liberal 20th
22nd
14   John Chipman Wade
MLA for Digby County
(1817–1892)
1863–1867 Conservative 23rd
15 John Joseph Marshall
MLA for Guysborough
(1807–1870)
1867–1870 Anti-Confederation 24th
16 Jared C. Troop
MLA for Annapolis
(1837–1876)
1870–1874 Anti-Confederation
Liberal 25th
17 John Barnhill Dickie
MLA for Colchester
(1829–1886)
1874–1875 Liberal 26th
18 Mather Byles DesBrisay
MLA for Lunenburg
(1828–1900)
1875–1876 Liberal
19 Isaac N. Mack
MLA for Queens
(1838–1925)
1877–1878 Liberal
20   Ebenezer Tilton Moseley
MLA for Cape Breton
(1844–1898)
1878–1882 Liberal-Conservative 27th
21 Angus McGillivray
MLA for Antigonish
(1842–1917)
1882–1886 Liberal 28th
22 Michael Joseph Power
MLA for Halifax
(1834–1895)
1886–1894 Liberal 29th
30th
23   Frederick Andrew Laurence
MLA for Colchester
(1843–1912)
1894–1901 Liberal 31st
32nd
24   Thomas Robertson
MLA for Shelburne
(1852–1902)
1902 Liberal 33rd
(23)   Frederick Andrew Laurence
MLA for Colchester
(1843–1912)
1903–1904 Liberal
25 Edward Matthew Farrell
MLA for Queens
(1854–1931)
1905–1910 Liberal
34th
26   George Everett Faulkner
MLA for Halifax
(1855–1931)
1910–1911 Liberal
27 James F. Ellis
MLA for Guysborough
(1869–1937)
1912–1916 Liberal 35th
36th
28 Robert Irwin
MLA for Shelburne
(1865–1941)
1917–1925 Liberal
37th
29 Albert Parsons
MLA for Hants
(1869–1948)
1926–1928 Liberal-Conservative 38th
30 Daniel George McKenzie
MLA for Hants
(1860–1940)
1929–1933 Liberal-Conservative 39th
31   Lindsay C. Gardner
MLA for Yarmouth
(1875–1938)
1934–1938 Liberal 40th
41st
32 Moses Elijah McGarry
MLA for Inverness
(1878–1949)
1939–1940 Liberal
33 Gordon E. Romkey
MLA for Lunenburg
(1885–1977)
1940–1953 Liberal
42nd
43rd
44th
34 John Smith MacIvor
MLA for Cape Breton South
(1913–1957)
1954–1956 Liberal 45th
35 W. S. Kennedy Jones
MLA for Queens
(1919–1978)
1957–1960 Progressive Conservative 46th
36 Harvey Veniot
MLA for Pictou West
(1915–2009)
1961–1968 Progressive Conservative 47th
48th
49th
37 Gordon H. Fitzgerald
MLA for Halifax Cobequid
(1927–2014)
1969–1970 Progressive Conservative
38 George M. Mitchell
MLA for Halifax Cornwallis
(born 1932)
1970–1973 Liberal 50th
39 James L. Connolly
MLA for Halifax Chebucto
(1927–2014)
1973–1974 Liberal
40 Vince MacLean
MLA for Cape Breton South
(born 1944)
1974–1976 Liberal 51st
41 George Doucet
MLA for Halifax Cobequid
(born 1939)
1977–1978 Liberal
42 Ron Russell
MLA for Hants West
(1926–2019)
1978–1981 Progressive Conservative 52nd
43 Art Donahoe
MLA for Halifax Citadel
(born 1940)
1981–1991 Progressive Conservative
53rd
54th
55th
(42) Ron Russell
MLA for Hants West
(1926–2019)
1991–1993 Progressive Conservative
44 Paul MacEwan
MLA for Cape Breton Nova
(1943–2017)
1993–1996 Liberal 56th
45 Wayne Gaudet
MLA for Clare
(born 1955)
1996–1997 Liberal
46 Gerry Fogarty
MLA for Halifax Bedford Basin
1997–1998 Liberal
(42) Ron Russell
MLA for Hants West
(1926–2019)
1998–1999 Progressive Conservative 57th
47 Murray Scott
MLA for Cumberland South
(born 1953)
1999–2006 Progressive Conservative 58th
59th
48 Cecil Clarke
MLA for Cape Breton North
(born 1968)
2006–2007 Progressive Conservative 60th
49   Alfie MacLeod
MLA for Cape Breton West
(born 1956)
2007–2009 Progressive Conservative
50 Charlie Parker
MLA for Pictou West
(born 1951)
2009–2011 New Democratic 61st
51 Gordie Gosse
MLA for Cape Breton Nova
(1955–2019)
2011–2013 New Democratic
52 Kevin Murphy
MLA for Eastern Shore
(born 1970)
2013–2021 Liberal 62nd
63rd
53 Keith Bain
MLA for Victoria-The Lakes
(born 1952)
2021–2023 Progressive Conservative 64th
54   Karla MacFarlane
MLA for Pictou West
(born 1969)
2023–2024 Progressive Conservative
55 Danielle Barkhouse
MLA for Chester-St. Margaret's
(born 1976)
2024- Progressive Conservative
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