Nova Scotia Introduces Province-Wide Code of Conduct for Municipal Politicians

The new code provides clear guidelines on ethical behavior and must be adopted by all councils and village commissions by December 19.

The code of conduct includes 40 guidelines under 14 categories, addressing issues such as gifts, benefits, and handling confidential information.
Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr emphasized the necessity of the code, noting that it was long overdue.
The initiative originated from requests by municipalities and villages and was developed with input from a working group established in January 2022.
The code applies uniformly across the province and includes procedures for investigating complaints and imposing sanctions.
All municipal councils and village commissions in Nova Scotia are required to adopt the code by December 19.