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2mo ago

Nova Scotia Shuts Legislature to Public After Singing Protest Halts Budget Vote

The visitor lockdown underscores rising strain over the government's austerity plan.

Protesters outside Nova Scotia's Province House on March 10, 2026.
MLAs were able to complete second reading of the Appropriations Act Tuesday night, but a protest cancelled the final vote.
Demonstrators protest government grant cuts to arts and culture announced in Nova Scotia's provincial budget, in Halifax on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
House Speaker Danielle Barkhouse tabled a report Tuesday authorizing pay raises for MLAs and cabinet ministers. Ryan Taplin - The Chronicle Herald

Overview

  • The final vote on the Appropriations Act, which authorizes the province’s spending, was adjourned after sustained singing in the public gallery stopped proceedings.
  • Speaker Danielle Barkhouse ended the late-night sitting as protesters kept interrupting, and security cleared the gallery as police monitored outside.
  • The province closed Province House and a nearby committee room to visitors for the rest of the week, with access limited to MLAs, staff, media, and scheduled presenters, and a review set for Monday.
  • Government House Leader Brendan Maguire said the budget bill will return for a final vote this week and the plan will proceed despite the disruption and weeks of rallies.
  • The 2026–27 budget targets a roughly $1.2 billion deficit with about $300 million in cuts this year and up to $2.5 billion by 2030, after $53.6 million in cuts was reversed earlier this month following public outcry.