Editing Nova Scotia (section)

==Government and politics==
{{See also|Government of Nova Scotia|Politics of Nova Scotia}}
[[File:Province House, Halifax (3609681508).jpg|thumb|right|[[Province House (Nova Scotia)|Province House]], the seat of the [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly]]]]

Nova Scotia has a [[parliamentary system]] within the construct of a [[constitutional monarchy]]; the [[monarchy in Nova Scotia]] is the foundation of the [[Government of Nova Scotia|executive]], [[Legislature|legislative]], and [[Judiciary|judicial]] branches.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Canadian Heritage |title=Canadian Heritage Portfolio |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |date=February 2009 |edition=2nd |url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/publctn/gp-pg/ppc-chp/ppc-chp-eng.pdf |pages=3–4 |isbn=978-1-100-11529-0 |access-date=23 May 2011 |ref=CITEREF_Department_of_Canadian_Heritage_2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611162155/http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/publctn/gp-pg/ppc-chp/ppc-chp-eng.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2011 }}</ref> The sovereign [[King Charles III]] since 8 September 2022, is King in Right of Nova Scotia who also serves as head of state of [[Commonwealth realm|14 other Commonwealth countries]], each of Canada's nine other provinces, and the Canadian federal realm, but resides in the United Kingdom. As such, the King's representative, the [[Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia]] ([[Arthur Joseph LeBlanc]] was the 33rd Lieutenant Governor from 2017 to 2024{{Update after|2025|2|13}}), carries out most of the royal duties in Nova Scotia.

The direct participation of the royal and viceroyal figures in any of these areas of governance is limited, though; in practice, their use of the executive powers is directed by [[Executive Council of Nova Scotia|the Executive Council]], a committee of [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]] responsible to the unicameral, elected [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly|House of Assembly]] and chosen and headed by the [[Premier of Nova Scotia]] ([[Tim Houston]] since 2021), the [[head of government]]. To ensure the stability of government, the Lieutenant Governor will usually appoint as premier the person who is the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a [[plurality (voting)|plurality]] in the House of Assembly. The leader of the party with the second-most seats usually becomes the [[Leader of the Opposition (Nova Scotia)|Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition]] ([[Zach Churchill]] from 2022–24{{update after|2025|2|13}}) and is part of an adversarial parliamentary system intended to keep the government in check.<ref>{{cite web |last=Library of Parliament |title=The Opposition in a Parliamentary System |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/researchpublications/bp47-e.htm |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |access-date=23 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125122354/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/bp47-e.htm |archive-date=25 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:TimHouston.png|thumb|left|180px|[[Tim Houston]], the 30th [[Premier of Nova Scotia]] serving from 2021]]

Each of the 51 [[Member of the Legislative Assembly|Members of the Legislative Assembly]] in the House of Assembly is elected by single member plurality in an [[electoral district (Canada)|electoral district]] or riding. General elections must be called by the lieutenant governor on the advice of the premier, or may be triggered by the government losing a [[confidence vote]] in the House.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dawson |first=R. MacGregor |author2=Dawson, WF |title=Democratic Government in Canada |url=https://archive.org/details/democraticgovern0000daws |url-access=registration |editor=Ward, Norman |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=1989 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/democraticgovern0000daws/page/16 16]–17, 59–60, 66 |isbn=978-0-8020-6703-6}}</ref> There are three dominant political parties in Nova Scotia: the [[Nova Scotia Liberal Party|Liberal Party]], the [[Nova Scotia New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]], and the [[Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia|Progressive Conservative Party]]. The other two registered parties are the [[Green Party of Nova Scotia]] and the [[Atlantica Party]], neither of which has a seat in the [[House of Assembly]].

The province's revenue comes mainly from the taxation of personal and corporate income, although taxes on tobacco and alcohol, its stake in the [[Atlantic Lottery Corporation]], and oil and gas royalties are also significant. In 2006–07, the province passed a budget of $6.9&nbsp;billion, with a projected $72&nbsp;million surplus. Federal equalization payments account for $1.385&nbsp;billion, or 20.07% of the provincial revenue. The province participates in the Harmonised Sales Tax ([[Harmonized Sales Tax|HST]]), a blended sales tax collected by the federal government using the Goods and Services Tax ([[Goods and Services Tax (Canada)|GST]]) tax system.

On 21 July 2022, Nova Scotia became the second province in Canada to regulate online gambling by launching its own online casino through the Atlantic Lottery Corporation ([[Atlantic Lottery Corporation|ALC]]).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Haynes |first1=Matthew |title=Online Gambling Regulation Approved for Nova Scotia |url=https://www.casinoreviews.net/news/online-gambling-regulation-approved-for-nova-scotia/ |website=casinoreviews.net |date=25 July 2022 |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725171823/https://www.casinoreviews.net/news/online-gambling-regulation-approved-for-nova-scotia/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The site will bring benefits to the economy and provide residents with a safe and secure place to gamble online.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gorman |first1=Michael |title=Nova Scotia rolls the dice on online casino |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/atlantic-lottery-corporation-online-gambling-casino-1.6527727 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=27 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727061533/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/atlantic-lottery-corporation-online-gambling-casino-1.6527727 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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===Administrative divisions===
{{See also|Administrative divisions of Nova Scotia|List of counties of Nova Scotia}}
[[File:Nova Scotia counties 2015.png|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=Map showing locations of Nova Scotia's historical counties|Map of Nova Scotia's 18 historical counties by their current [[List of municipalities in Nova Scotia|organization or municipal status]].]]

Municipal-level governance is provided by 50 municipalities, of which there are three types: regional municipalities, towns, and county or district municipalities.<ref>{{cite book |title=Municipal Statistics Annual Report |publisher=Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing |url=https://beta.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/1-2476/municipal-statistics-annual-report-2019-en.pdf |access-date=19 July 2021 |ref=report |archive-date=11 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211023058/https://beta.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/1-2476/municipal-statistics-annual-report-2019-en.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Villages can exist within county or district municipalities, with a limited authority and an elected council.

Nova Scotia is divided into [[List of counties of Nova Scotia|18 counties]]. 9 of the original 18 counties retain a county-level government while the rest are either governed by [[List of municipalities in Nova Scotia|regional or district municipalities]]. Regional municipalities are coextensive with the borders with a historic county, while historic counties governed by district municipalities are split into two district municipalities each. Despite this, [[Statistics Canada]] uses all counties of Nova Scotia for the purposes of administering the census and presenting its data, and they remain used in common parlance as geographic identifiers by Nova Scotians.

There are three regional municipalities. They may incorporate under the ''Municipal Government Act'' (''MGA'') of 1998, which came into force on 1 April 1999,<ref name=history>{{cite web |url=https://novascotia.ca/dma/government/history.asp |title=Municipal History Highlights |publisher=Province of Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs |date=8 October 2015 |access-date=8 December 2016 |archive-date=29 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529085028/http://novascotia.ca/dma/government/history.asp |url-status=live}}</ref> while towns, county municipalities and district municipalities are continued as municipalities under the ''MGA''.<ref name=MGA>{{cite web |url=http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/municipal%20government.pdf |title=Municipal Government Act |publisher=Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly |date=19 June 2012 |access-date=5 December 2016 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201191744/http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/municipal%20government.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The ''MGA'' gives municipal councils the power to make bylaws for "health, well being, safety and protection of persons" and "safety and protection of property" in addition to a few expressed powers.<ref name=FCM>{{cite web |url=http://www.community.gov.yk.ca/pdf/ma_pt.pdf |title=Assessment of the Municipal Acts of the Provinces and Territories |publisher=[[Federation of Canadian Municipalities]] |page=30 |date=April 2004 |access-date=5 December 2016 |archive-date=11 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211020726/https://yukon.ca/en/department-community-services |url-status=live}}</ref><!--Municipal governments are led by elected councils and are responsible for the delivery of services such as civic administration, land use planning, emergency measures, policing, road, and garbage collection.<ref name=MuniTypes /> --> The regional municipality of [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]] is the capital and largest municipality of Nova Scotia by population with 403,131 residents representing {{percentage|403131|923598|0}} of the total population of the province and land area at {{cvt|5490.35|km2|mi2}}.<ref name=2016StatCanNS>{{cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=302&SR=1&S=86&O=A&RPP=9999&PR=12 |title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Nova Scotia) |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] |date=8 February 2017 |access-date=11 February 2017 |archive-date=12 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212091116/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=302&SR=1&S=86&O=A&RPP=9999&PR=12 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Pictou]] was the first municipality to incorporate on {{dts|4 May 1874}}, and the newest municipalities are Halifax and [[Region of Queens Municipality, Nova Scotia|Region of Queens Municipality]] both amalgamating into their present regional municipality form of government on {{dts|1 April 1996}}.<ref name=incorporations>{{cite web |url=https://novascotia.ca/dma/government/incorporation.asp |title=Municipal Incorporation Timeline |publisher=Province of Nova Scotia |access-date=6 December 2016 |archive-date=31 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031071102/https://www.novascotia.ca/dma/government/incorporation.asp |url-status=live}}</ref>

There are 26 towns, nine county municipalities and 12 district municipalities.<ref name=2015MuniStats>{{cite web |url=https://novascotia.ca/dma/pdf/mun-2015-annual-report-of-municipal-statistics.pdf |title=Nova Scotia Annual Report of Municipal Statistics for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015 |publisher=Department of Municipal Affairs |pages=12 |year=2015 |access-date=5 December 2016 |archive-date=19 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619223604/https://beta.novascotia.ca/documents/municipal-statistics-annual-report-2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>