Nova Scotia bill would repeal fixed election date, increase politicians pay – Halifax [Video]

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.