Citizendia

Canadian House of Commons
Chambre des communes du Canada

Type Lower House
Speaker Peter Milliken, Liberal
since January 29, 2001
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Peter Van Loan, Conservative
since January 4, 2007
Opposition House Leader Ralph Goodale, Liberal
since January 23, 2006
Members 308
Political groups Conservative Party
Liberal Party
Bloc Québécois
New Democratic Party
Last elections January 23, 2006
Meeting place House of Commons chamber, Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Web site Parliament of Canada
Canada

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The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. A lower house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Upper house. In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons ( French: Président de la Chambre des communes) is the presiding officer of the Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, MP (born November 12, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and politician The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Leader du gouvernement à la Chambre des communes more commonly known as the Government House Leader, is the Peter Van Loan, PC, MP (born April 18, 1963) (sometimes referred to as PVL is a Canadian politician The Conservative Party of Canada ( Parti conservateur du Canada) colloquially known as the " Tories " is a conservative Ralph Edward Goodale, PC, MP (born October 5, 1949, in Regina Saskatchewan) was Canada 's Minister of Finance The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political The Conservative Party of Canada ( Parti conservateur du Canada) colloquially known as the " Tories " is a conservative The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political The Bloc Québécois ( BQ) is a federal political party in Canada that defines itself as devoted to both the protection of Quebec's interests on a federal Principles policies and electoral achievement The NDP grew from populist, agrarian and democratic socialist roots The Centre Block is the main building of the three on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Ontario. Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, French Colline du Parlement) is a scenic location on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The politics of Canada function within a framework of Constitutional monarchy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Governor General of Canada ( French: Gouverneure générale du Canada, or: Gouverneur général du Canada) is the vice-regal representative Michaëlle Jean, CC CMM COM CD ʒɑ̃ (born September 6, 1957, in Port-au-Prince, The Queen's Privy Council for Canada (QPC (Conseil privé de la Reine pour le Canada (CPR sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or the Privy Council The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Honorific prefixes --> Stephen Joseph Harper PC The Cabinet of Canada (Cabinet du Canada plays an important role in the Government of Canada, in accordance with the Westminster System. The Twenty-Eighth Canadian Ministry is the combined Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Secretaries of State that have governed The following list outlines the Structure of the Canadian federal government. In the Canadian cabinet the President of The Queen's Privy Council for Canada (President du Conseil privé de la Reine pour le Canada is nominally in charge of the Privy In Canada the Privy Council Office (Bureau du Conseil privé is the Secretariat of the federal cabinet and the department of the Prime Minister The Clerk of the Privy Council (Greffier du Conseil privé is the senior Civil servant in the government and the Secretary to the Canadian Cabinet. The Canadian Government, formally Her Majesty's Government in Canada, is the Federal government of Canada. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3 2006 until September 7 2008 The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general The Speaker of the Senate of Canada ( French: Président du Sénat du Canada) is the presiding officer of the Senate of Canada. The Leader of the Government in the Senate (Leader du gouvernement au Sénat is a Canadian cabinet minister who leads the government side in the Canadian Senate In Canada, the Leader of the Official Opposition in the Senate ( French: Leader de l'opposition au Sénat) is the leader of the largest party in the Representation in the Canadian Senate is divided into seats on a provincial basis In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons ( French: Président de la Chambre des communes) is the presiding officer of the The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Leader du gouvernement à la Chambre des communes more commonly known as the Government House Leader, is the In Canada Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition ( French: L'Opposition Loyale de Sa Majesté) commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a Front bench Member of Parliament (MP and an expert The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 39th Canadian parliament is listed below See also Canadian electoral system, Timeline of Canadian elections The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada has two chambers. The Canadian electoral system is based on a Parliamentary system of Government, modelled on that of the United Kingdom. The 2006 Canadian federal election (more formally the 39th General Election) was held on January 23 2006 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian The Supreme Court of Canada consists of the Chief Justice of Canada ( Juge en chef du Canada) and eight Puisne Justices all appointed by Beverley McLachlin PC (born September 7, 1943) is the Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold that position List of final courts of appeal in Canada. For details on the court system see Canadian court system. The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's Constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions The British North America Acts 1867&ndash1975 are the original names of a series of Acts at the core of the Constitution of Canada. In many Commonwealth jurisdictions the phrase "peace order and good government" is an expression used in law to express the legitimate objects of Legislative The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (also known as The Charter of Rights and Freedoms or simply the Charter) is a Bill of rights entrenched in the The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. Canadian federalism is one of the three pillars of the constitutional order along with Responsible government and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Federal and provincial aspects Across the country the Canadian Crown is unitary the headship of state is not a part of either the federal or provincial jurisdictions In Canada, the Lieutenant-Governor (lɛfˈtɛnənt often without a Hyphen) ( French: lieutenant-gouverneur, or: lieutenant-gouverneure Executive Councils in the Provinces and territories of Canada are constitutional organs headed by the Lieutenant-Governor. National regions Provinces and territories are normally grouped into the following Regions (generally from west to east Northern Canada Canadian political culture is in some ways part of a greater North American and European political culture, which emphasizes Constitutional law The foreign relations of Canada are Canada 's relations with other governments and peoples This is a list of leaders and office-holders of Canada. See also Canadian incumbents by year. Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The Governor General of Canada ( French: Gouverneure générale du Canada, or: Gouverneur général du Canada) is the vice-regal representative The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general [1] The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members,[1][2] who are known as Members of Parliament (MPs). Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3 2006 until September 7 2008 [3] Members are elected for limited terms, holding office until Parliament is dissolved, up to five years after the last election, but historically four or fewer years after. Each member is elected by, and represents, one of the country's electoral districts, which are colloquially known as ridings. An electoral district (also known as a Constituency or a riding in the Canadian English political Jargon) is a geographically-based An electoral district (also known as a Constituency or a riding in the Canadian English political Jargon) is a geographically-based [4]

The House of Commons was established in 1867, when the British North America Act 1867 created the Dominion of Canada, and was modelled on the British House of Commons. The Constitution Act 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act 1867, and still known informally as the BNA Act) constitutes a major part of Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The "lower" of the two houses making up the parliament, the House of Commons in practice holds far more power than the upper house, the Senate. A lower house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Upper house. An upper house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Lower house. Although the approval of both Houses is necessary for legislation, the Senate very rarely rejects bills passed by the Commons (though the Senate does occasionally amend bills). Moreover, the Government of Canada is responsible solely to the House of Commons through a system of responsible government. Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster The Prime Minister stays in office only as long as he or she retains the support of the Lower House. The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus

It is widely thought that "Commons" is a shortening of the word "commoners". However, the term derives from the Anglo-Norman word communes, referring to the geographic and collective "communities" of their parliamentary representatives and not the third estate, the commonality. The Anglo-Norman language is a term traditionally used to refer to the variety of French used in England and to some extent elsewhere in the British Isles following the This distinction is made clear in the official French name of the body, la Chambre des communes. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Canada remains the only country besides the United Kingdom to use the name "House of Commons" for the Lower House of Parliament. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The House of Commons is the name of the elected Lower house of the Bicameral Parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada.

The Canadian House of Commons chamber is located in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario. The Centre Block is the main building of the three on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Ontario. Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, French Colline du Parlement) is a scenic location on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec

Contents

History

The House of Commons came into existence in 1867, when the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the British North America Act, uniting the Province of Canada (which was separated into Quebec and Ontario), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a single federation called the Dominion of Canada. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories This soft redirect exists because Canada's Constitution Act 1867 is known by its original name in British law. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally The new Parliament of Canada consisted of the Queen (represented by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of Commons. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Parliament of Canada was based on the Westminster model (that is, the model of the Parliament of the United Kingdom). The Westminster system is a democratic Parliamentary system of Government modelled after the British government (the Parliament of the United Unlike the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the powers of the Parliament of Canada were limited in that other powers were assigned exclusively to the provincial legislatures. The Parliament of Canada also remained subordinate to the Governor-general (representing both the Crown and the Foreign Office) and the Westminster Parliament, the supreme legislative authority for the entire British Empire. Greater autonomy was granted by the Statute of Westminster 1931,[5] under which the United Kingdom recognized Canada as sovereign. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo More autonomy was granted by the Canada Act 1982,[6] under which the Parliament of the United Kingdom relinquished all authority to legislate for Canada. The Canada Act 1982 (1982 c 11 is an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament that severed all remaining legislative dependence of Canada

Members and elections

The House of Commons is composed of 308 members,[1] each of whom represents a single electoral district (also called a riding). This is a list of members of the Canadian House of Commons in the 39th Parliament of Canada. An electoral district (also known as a Constituency or a riding in the Canadian English political Jargon) is a geographically-based Law requires that there be a minimum of 282 electoral districts; there are currently 308. Seats are distributed among the provinces in proportion to population, as determined by each decennial census, subject to the following exceptions made by the constitution. The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. Firstly, the "senatorial clause" guarantees that each province will have at least as many Members of Parliament as Senators. The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general Secondly, the "grandfather clause" guarantees each province has at least as many Members of Parliament now as it had in 1986. Finally, no province may lose more than fifteen per cent of its seats after a single decennial census.

As a result of these three clauses, smaller provinces and provinces that have experienced a relative decline in population are over-represented in the House. Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta are represented roughly in proportion to their populations. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 Provincial boundary commissions are responsible for drawing the boundaries of the electoral districts. Territorial representation is independent of population; each territory is entitled to only one seat. The calculation is done by taking the minimum 282 seats and subtracting the three territories to equal 279 seats. The population of Canada is then divided by 279 to equal the electoral quotient. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The population of the province is then divided by the electoral quotient to equal the provincial seat allocation. (Source: Jackson & Jackson, Politics in Canada, Prentice Hall, Toronto, pg 438) Representation in the House of Commons is summarised in the table at the end of this section. [7]

General elections occur whenever Parliament is dissolved by the Governor General on The Queen's behalf. A general election is an Election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election The Governor General of Canada ( French: Gouverneure générale du Canada, or: Gouverneur général du Canada) is the vice-regal representative The timing of the dissolution is normally chosen by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus A parliamentary term may not last for more than five years. Canadian law states that all federal elections must be held on a Monday (except on statutory holidays), and the campaign must be at least 36 days long. Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of Candidates are usually nominated by political parties. This article lists political parties in Canada. Federal parties See also List of federal political parties in Canada Provincial It is possible for a candidate to run independently, although it is rare for such a candidate to win. Most successful independent candidates have been incumbents who were expelled from their political party (for example, John Nunziata in 1997) or who failed to win their party's nomination (for example, Chuck Cadman in 2004). John Nunziata (born January 4, 1955) is a Canadian politician Charles "Chuck" Cadman ( February 21, 1948 &ndash July 9, 2005) was a Canadian politician and Member of The most recent exception to this was the election of André Arthur in a Quebec City district in 2006. André Arthur MP (born December 21, 1943 in Quebec City) is a Canadian Radio host and Politician. Quebec City ( French: Ville de Québec, or simply Québec) (kwɨˈbɛk or /keˈbɛk/ is the Capital of the Canadian province Most Canadian candidates are chosen in meetings called by their party's local association. In practice, the candidate who signs up the most local party members generally wins the nomination.

To run for a seat in the House, candidates must file nomination papers bearing the signatures of at least 50 or 100 constituents (depending on the size of the electoral district). Each electoral district returns one member; the First Past the Post electoral system, under which the candidate with a plurality of votes wins, is used. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member To vote, one must be a citizen of Canada and at least eighteen years of age.

Once elected, a Member of Parliament normally continues to serve until the next dissolution of Parliament. If a member dies, resigns, or ceases to be qualified, his or her seat falls vacant. It is also possible for the House of Commons to expel a member, but this power is only exercised when the member has engaged in serious misconduct or criminal activity. Formerly, MPs appointed to cabinet were expected to resign their seats, though this practice ceased in 1931. In each case, a vacancy may be filled by a by-election in the appropriate electoral district. A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant The first past the post electoral system is used in by-elections, as in general elections.

The term "Member of Parliament" is usually used only to refer to members of the House of Commons, even though the Senate is also a part of Parliament. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Members of the House of Commons may use the post-nominal letters "MP". This is a list of members of the Canadian House of Commons in the 39th Parliament of Canada. The annual salary of each Member of Parliament, as of 2006, is $147,700; members may receive additional salaries in right of other offices they hold (for instance, the Speakership). In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons ( French: Président de la Chambre des communes) is the presiding officer of the MPs rank immediately below senators in the order of precedence. The Canadian order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the Government of Canada

Province or Territory Minimum number of seats in accordance with the Constitution Act, 1867 Calculations Electoral Quotient (Average population per electoral district)
Population 2006 National Quotient Rounded result Special clauses Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 7 505 469 107 220 5 2 7 72 209
Prince Edward Island 4 135 851 107 220 1 3 4 33 962
Nova Scotia 11 913 462 107 220 8 3 11 83 042
New Brunswick 10 729 997 107 220 7 3 10 72 999
Quebec 75 7 546 131 107 220 70 5 75 100 615
Ontario 95 12 160 282 107 220 106 0 106 114 719
Manitoba 14 1 148 401 107 220 10 4 14 82 028
Saskatchewan 14 968 157 107 220 9 5 14 69 154
Alberta 21 3 290 350 107 220 28 0 28 117 512
British Columbia 28 4 113 487 107 220 36 0 36 114 263
Nunavut 1 29 474 – – – 1 29 474
Northwest Territories 1 41 464 – – – 1 41 464
Yukon Territory 1 30 372 – – – 1 30 372
TOTAL 282 31 612 897 308 102 639

Qualifications

Under the Constitution Act, 1867, Parliament is empowered to determine the qualifications of members of the House of Commons. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Prince Edward Island (ˌprɪns ˌɛdwɚd ˈaɪlɨnd ( PEI or P Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116  sq mi of North America Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276 Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Nunavut (ˈnuːnəvʊt ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ is the largest and newest territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the The Northwest Territories (ˌnɔrθˌwɛstˈtɛrɨtɔriz ( NWT or NT; French, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is a territory Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. The present qualifications are outlined in the Canada Elections Act, which was passed in 2000. Canada Elections Act (2000 c 9 is an Act of the Parliament of Canada respecting the Election of members of parliament to the Canadian Under the act, an individual must be an eligible voter, as of the day on which he or she is nominated, in order to stand as a candidate. Thus, minors and individuals who are not citizens of Canada are not allowed to become candidates. The Canada Elections Act also bars prisoners from standing for election (although they may vote). Moreover, individuals found guilty of election-related crimes are prohibited from becoming members for five years (in some cases, seven years) after conviction.

The act also prohibits certain officials from standing for the House of Commons. These officers include members of provincial and territorial legislatures (although this was not always the case), sheriffs, crown attorneys, most judges, and election officers. Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel (or in Alberta, Crown Prosecutors) are the Public prosecutors in the legal system of Canada The Chief Electoral Officer and Assistant Chief Electoral Officer (the heads of Elections Canada, the federal agency responsible for conducting elections) are prohibited not only from standing as candidates, but also from voting. The Chief Electoral Officer was created in 1920 by the Dominion Elections Act. Elections Canada is an independent non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Finally, under the Constitution Act, 1867, a member of the Senate may not also become a member of the House of Commons and MPs must give up their seats when appointed to the Senate or the bench.

Officers

The House of Commons elects a presiding officer, known as the Speaker,[1] at the beginning of each new parliamentary term, and also whenever a vacancy arises. In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons ( French: Président de la Chambre des communes) is the presiding officer of the Formerly, the Prime Minister determined who would serve as Speaker. Although the House voted on the matter, the voting constituted a mere formality. Since 1986, however, the House has elected Speakers by secret ballot. The Speaker is assisted by a Deputy Speaker, who also holds the title of Chair of Committees of the Whole. Two other deputies—the Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole and the Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole—also preside. The duties of presiding over the House are divided between the four officers aforementioned; however, the Speaker usually presides over Question Period and over the most important debates. Question Period, known officially as Oral Questions (questions orales occurs each sitting day in the Parliament of Canada.

The Speaker controls debates by calling on members to speak. If a member believes that a rule (or Standing Order) has been breached, he or she may raise a "point of order", on which the Speaker makes a ruling that is not subject to any debate or appeal. For the 1964 documentary film see Point of Order (film. For other uses see Point A point of order is a matter raised during consideration The Speaker may also discipline members who fail to observe the rules of the House. When presiding, the Speaker must remain impartial. The Speaker also oversees the administration of the House and is Chair of the Board of Internal Economy, the governing body for the House of Commons. The current Speaker of the House of Commons is the Honourable Peter Milliken, MP. Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, MP (born November 12, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and politician

The member of the Government responsible for steering legislation through the House is Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Leader du gouvernement à la Chambre des communes more commonly known as the Government House Leader, is the The Government House Leader (as he or she is more commonly known) is a Member of Parliament selected by the Prime Minister and holds cabinet rank. The Leader manages the schedule of the House of Commons, and attempts to secure the Opposition's support for the Government's legislative agenda.

Officers of the House who are not members include the Clerk of the House of Commons, the Deputy Clerk, the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, and several other clerks. These officers advise the Speaker and members on the rules and procedure of the House in addition to exercising senior management functions within the House administration. Another important officer is the Sergeant-at-Arms, whose duties include the maintenance of order and security on the House's premises and inside the buildings of the Parliamentary precinct. A Serjeant at Arms (also spelled Sergeant at Arms, and sometimes Serjeant-at-Arms) is an officer appointed by a Deliberative (The RCMP patrol Parliament Hill but are not allowed into the buildings unless asked by the Speaker). The Sergeant-at-Arms also carries the ceremonial mace, a symbol of the authority of the Crown and of the House of Commons, into the House each sitting. The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal and wood carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a Mace-bearer, intended The mace is subsequently laid upon the Table of the House of Commons for the duration of the sitting. The House is also staffed by parliamentary pages, who carry messages to the members in the Chamber and otherwise provide assistance to the House. A Page is a non-partisan employee of the Canadian House of Commons.

Related links

Procedure

Like the Senate, the House of Commons meets on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. This is a list of Clerks of the Canadian House of Commons. The Clerk of the House of Commons advises the Speaker and MPs This is a list of Deputy Clerks of the Canadian House of Commons. This is a list of Law Clerks and Parliamentary Counsel of the Canadian House of Commons. This is a list of Clerks Assistant of the Canadian House of Commons. List of Sergeants-at-Arms of the Canadian House of Commons who are senior officials of the House appointed by Governor in Council, the Sergeant-at Arms assists the Clerk as head The Commons Chamber is modestly decorated in green, in contrast with the more lavishly furnished red Senate Chamber. The arrangement is similar to the design of the Chamber of the British House of Commons. The seats are evenly divided between both sides of the Chamber, three sword-lengths apart (about three metres). [8] The Speaker's chair (which can be adjusted for height) is at the north end of the Chamber. In front of it is the Table of the House, on which rests the ceremonial mace. The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal and wood carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a Mace-bearer, intended Various "Table Officers"—clerks and other officials—sit at the Table, ready to advise the Speaker on procedure when necessary. Members of the Government sit on the benches on the Speaker's right, while members of the Opposition occupy the benches on the Speaker's left. Government ministers sit around the Prime Minister, who is traditionally assigned the 11th seat in the front row on the Speaker's right-hand side. The leader of the Official Opposition sits directly across from the prime minister and is surrounded by a shadow cabinet, or critics for the government portfolios. The remaining party leaders sit in the front rows. Other Members of Parliament who do not hold any kind of special responsibilities are known as "backbenchers".

The House usually sits Monday to Friday from late January to mid-June and from mid-September to mid-December according to an established calendar, though it can modify the calendar if additional or fewer sittings are required. [1] During these periods, the House generally rises for one week per month to allow members to work in their constituencies. Sittings of the House are open to the public. Proceedings are broadcast over cable and satellite television and over live streaming video on the Internet by CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel, owned by a consortium of Canadian cable companies. Streaming multimedia is Multimedia that is constantly received by and normally presented to an end-user while it is being delivered by a streaming provider (the CPAC ( English: Cable Public Affairs Channel and French: La Chaîne d'affaires publiques par câble) is a Canadian Cable television They are also recorded in text form in print and online in Hansard, the official report of parliamentary debates. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of Government.

The Constitution Act, 1867 establishes a quorum of twenty members (including the member presiding) for the House of Commons. In Law, a quorum is the minimum number of members of a Deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group Any member may request a count of the members to ascertain the presence of a quorum; if, however, the Speaker feels that at least twenty members are clearly in the Chamber, he or she may deny the request. If a count does occur, and reveals that fewer than twenty members are present, the Speaker orders bells to be rung, so that other members on the parliamentary precincts may come to the Chamber. If, after a second count, a quorum is still not present, the Speaker must adjourn the House until the next sitting day.

During debates, members may only speak if called upon by the Speaker (or, as is most often the case, the deputy presiding). The Speaker is responsible for ensuring that members of all parties have an opportunity to be heard. The Speaker also determines who is to speak if two or more members rise simultaneously, but his or her decision may be altered by the House. Motions must be moved by one member and seconded by another before debate may begin. Some motions, however, are non-debatable.

Speeches[1] may be made in either of Canada's official languages (English and French). Members must address their speeches to the presiding officer, not the House, using the words "Mr. Speaker" ("Monsieur le Président") or "Madam Speaker" ("Madame la Présidente"). Other members must be referred to in the third person. Traditionally, Members do not refer to each other by name, but by constituency or cabinet post, using forms such as "the honourable member for [electoral district]" or "the Minister of. . . "

House of Commons in session, March 10, 1938
House of Commons in session, March 10, 1938

No member may speak more than once on the same question (except that the mover of a motion is entitled to make one speech at the beginning of the debate and another at the end). Moreover, tediously repetitive or irrelevant remarks are prohibited, as are written remarks read into the record (although this behaviour is creeping into modern debate). The presiding officer may order a member making such remarks to cease speaking. The Standing Orders of the House of Commons prescribe time limits for speeches. The limits depend on the nature of the motion, but are most commonly between ten and twenty minutes. However, under certain circumstances, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Official Opposition, and others are entitled to make longer speeches. Debate may be further restricted by the passage of "time allocation" motions. Alternatively, the House may end debate more quickly by passing a motion for "closure". In Parliamentary procedure, cloture (ˈkloʊtʃɝ KLO-cher (also called closure, and sometimes a guillotine) is a motion or process aimed at

When the debate concludes, the motion in question is put to a vote. The House first votes by voice vote; the presiding officer puts the question, and members respond either "yea" (in favour of the motion) or "nay" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the result of the voice vote, but five or more members may challenge his or her assessment, thereby forcing a recorded vote (known as a division, although, in fact, the House does not divide for votes the way the British House of Commons does). Division of the house is a parliamentary mechanism which calls for a rising vote wherein the members of the house literally divide into groups indicating a vote in favour of or in opposition First, members in favour of the motion rise, so that the clerks may record their names and votes. Then, the same procedure is repeated for members who oppose the motion. There is no formal means for recording an abstention, though a member may informally abstain by remaining seated during the division. If there is an equality of votes, the Speaker has a casting vote.

The outcome of most votes is largely known beforehand, since political parties normally instruct members on how to vote. A party normally entrusts some Members of Parliament, known as whips, with the task of ensuring that all party members vote as desired. Whip is a role in party-based politics whose primary purpose is to ensure control of the formal decision-making process in a parliamentary legislature Members of Parliament do not tend to vote against such instructions, since those who do so are unlikely to reach higher political ranks in their parties. Errant members may be deselected as official party candidates during future elections, and, in serious cases, may be expelled from their parties outright. Thus, the independence of Members of Parliament tends to be extremely low, and "backbench rebellions" by members discontent with their party's policies are rare. In some circumstances, however, parties announce "free votes", allowing Members to vote as they please. This may be done on moral issues.

Committees

Main article: Standing committee (Canada)

The Parliament of Canada uses committees for a variety of purposes. In Canada, a standing committee is a permanent Committee established by Standing Orders of the House of Commons. Committees consider bills in detail, and may make amendments. Other committees scrutinize various Government agencies and ministries.

Potentially, the largest of the Commons committees are the Committees of the Whole, which, as the name suggests, consist of all the members of the House. A Committee of the Whole meets in the Chamber of the House, but proceeds under slightly modified rules of debate. (For example, a member may make more than one speech on a motion in a Committee of the Whole, but not during a normal session of the House. ) Instead of the Speaker, the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, or Assistant Deputy Chairman presides. The House resolves itself into a Committee of the Whole to discuss appropriation bills, and sometimes for other legislation.

The House of Commons also has several standing committees, each of which has responsibility for a particular area of government (for example, finance or transport). These committees oversee the relevant government departments, may hold hearings and collect evidence on governmental operations and review departmental spending plans. Standing committees may also consider and amend bills. Standing committees consist of between sixteen and eighteen members each, and elect their own chairmen.

Some bills are considered by legislative committees, each of which consists of up to fifteen members. The membership of each legislative committee roughly reflects the strength of the parties in the whole House. A legislative committee is appointed on an ad hoc basis to study and amend a specific bill. In addition, the Chairman of a legislative committee is not elected by the members of the committee, but is instead appointed by the Speaker, normally from among his deputies. Most bills, however, are referred to standing committees rather than legislative committees.

The House may also create ad hoc committees to study matters other than bills. Such committees are known as special committees. Each such body, like a legislative committee, may consist of no more than fifteen members. Other committees include joint committees, which include both members of the House of Commons and senators; such committees may hold hearings and oversee government, but do not revise legislation.

Legislative functions

Although legislation may be introduced in either House, most bills originate in the House of Commons.

Further information: Act of Parliament

In conformity with the British model, the Lower House alone is authorised to originate bills imposing taxes or appropriating public funds. An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. This restriction on the power of the Senate is not merely a matter of convention, but is explicitly stated in the Constitution Act, 1867. Otherwise, the power of the two Houses of Parliament is theoretically equal; the approval of each is necessary for a bill's passage.

In practice, however, the House of Commons is the dominant chamber of Parliament, with the Senate very rarely exercising its powers in a way that opposes the will of the democratically elected chamber. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The last major bill defeated in the Senate came in 1991, when a bill passed by the Commons restricting abortion was rejected in the Upper House by a tied vote. An

A clause in the Constitution Act, 1867 permits the Governor General (with the approval of the Queen) to appoint up to eight extra senators to resolve a deadlock between the two houses. The clause was invoked only once, in 1990, when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney advised the appointment of an additional eight senators in order to secure the Upper House's approval for the Goods and Services Tax. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ (predominantly known as Brian Mulroney) (born March 20, 1939) was the eighteenth The Canadian Goods and Services Tax ( GST) ( French:) is a multi-level Value-added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991

Relationship with the Government

Though it does not elect the Prime Minister, the House of Commons indirectly controls the premiership. By convention, the Prime Minister is answerable to, and must maintain the support of, the House of Commons. Thus, whenever the office of Prime Minister falls vacant, the Governor General is supposed to appoint the person most likely to command the support of the House—normally, the leader of the largest party in the Lower House, although the system allows a coalition of two or more parties. This has not happened in the Canadian federal parliament, but has occurred in Canadian provinces. The leader of the second-largest party usually becomes the Leader of the Official Opposition. Moreover, the Prime Minister is, by unwritten convention, a member of the House of Commons, rather than of the Senate. The only two Prime Ministers who governed from the Senate were Sir John Abbott (1891–1892) and Sir Mackenzie Bowell (1894–1896). Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, PC, KCMG, QC ( March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was the third Prime Minister WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Honorific prefixes --> Sir Mackenzie Bowell, PC, KCMG Both men got the job following the death of a Prime Minister, and did not contest elections.

The Prime Minister may only stay in office as long as he or she retains the confidence of the House of Commons. The Lower House may indicate its lack of support for the Government by rejecting a motion of confidence, or by passing a motion of no confidence. A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a Parliament or other assembly of elected representatives to give members of parliament (or A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion Important bills that form a part of the Government's agenda are generally considered matters of confidence, as is any taxation or spending bill and the annual budget. When a Government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the Prime Minister is obliged to either resign, or request the Governor General to dissolve Parliament, thereby precipitating a general election. The Governor General may theoretically refuse to dissolve Parliament, thereby forcing the Prime Minister to resign. The last instance of a Governor General refusing to grant a dissolution was in 1926.

Further information: King-Byng Affair

Except when compelled to request a dissolution by an adverse vote on a confidence issue, the Prime Minister is allowed to choose the timing of dissolutions, and consequently the timing of general elections. The King-Byng Affair was a Canadian Constitutional crisis that occurred in 1926 when the Governor General of Canada, Lord Byng of Vimy, refused The time chosen reflects political considerations, and is generally most opportune for the Prime Minister's party. However, no parliamentary term can last for more than five years from the first sitting of Parliament; a dissolution is automatic upon the expiry of this period. Normally, Parliaments do not last for full five-year terms; Prime Ministers typically ask for dissolutions after about three or four years. The 2006 Conservative government introduced a bill to set fixed election dates every four years. This bill was approved by Parliament and has now become law.

Whatever the reason—the expiry of Parliament's five year term, the choice of the Prime Minister, or a Government defeat in the House of Commons—a dissolution is followed by general elections. If the Prime Minister's party retains its majority in the House of Commons, then the Prime Minister may remain in power. On the other hand, if his or her party has lost its majority, the prime minister may resign, or may attempt to stay in power by winning support from members of other parties. A Prime Minister may resign even if he or she is not defeated at the polls (for example, for personal health reasons); in such a case, the premiership goes to the new leader of the outgoing Prime Minister's party.

The House of Commons scrutinizes the Government through "Question Period", a daily forty-five minute period during which members have the opportunity to ask questions of the Prime Minister and of other Cabinet ministers. Questions must relate to the responding minister's official Government activities, not to his or her activities as a party leader or as a private Member of Parliament. Members may also question Committee Chairmen on the work of their respective committees. Members of each party are entitled to a number of questions proportional to the party caucus' strength in the House. In addition to questions asked orally during Question Period, Members of Parliament may also make inquiries in writing.

In times where there is a majority government, the House of Commons' scrutiny of the government is weak. Since the first-past-the-post electoral system is employed in elections, the governing party tends to enjoy a large majority in the Commons; there is often limited need to compromise with other parties. (Minority governments, however, are not uncommon. A minority government or a minority cabinet is a Cabinet of a Parliamentary system formed when the governing Political party or ) Modern Canadian political parties are so tightly organised that they leave relatively little room for free action by their MPs. In many cases, MPs may be expelled from their parties for voting against the instructions of party leaders. As well, the major parties require candidates' nominations to be signed by party leaders, thus giving the leaders the power to, effectively, end a politician's career. Thus, defeats of majority governments on issues of confidence are very rare. Paul Martin's Liberal minority government lost a vote of no confidence in 2005; the last time this had occurred was in 1979, when Joe Clark's Tory minority government was defeated after a term of just six months. Paul Edgar Philippe Martin. PC, MP (also known as Paul Martin Jr The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark PC CC AOE (born June 5 1939 is a Canadian Journalist, Politician, Statesman The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ( PC) ( Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) ( 1867 – 2003) was a Canadian

Current composition

See also: Current members of the Canadian House of Commons, Party Standings in the Canadian House of Commons, and List of federal by-elections in Canada

The current composition of the House is:

Affiliation Members
     Conservative Party 127
     Liberal Party 96
     Bloc Québécois 48
     New Democratic Party 30
     Independent
 4
     Vacant
 3
 Total
 308

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Guide to the Canadian House of Commons. This is a list of members of the Canadian House of Commons in the 39th Parliament of Canada. In the Party standings in the Canadian House of Commons, Members of Parliament are generally seated as a group with members of the Caucus of their political party This is a list of By-elections in Canada since Confederation. The Conservative Party of Canada ( Parti conservateur du Canada) colloquially known as the " Tories " is a conservative The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political The Bloc Québécois ( BQ) is a federal political party in Canada that defines itself as devoted to both the protection of Quebec's interests on a federal Principles policies and electoral achievement The NDP grew from populist, agrarian and democratic socialist roots In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. Elections Canada is an independent non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Canadian Parliaments are the legislative bodies of the federal Government of Canada. This is a list of members of the Canadian House of Commons in the 39th Parliament of Canada. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3 2006 until September 7 2008 This article lists political parties in Canada. Federal parties See also List of federal political parties in Canada Provincial In the Party standings in the Canadian House of Commons, Members of Parliament are generally seated as a group with members of the Caucus of their political party The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication. canada. Parliament. House of Commons. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire.
  2. ^ Members of the House of Commons - Current List - By Name. Parliament of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved on 2007-09-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France
  3. ^ Members of Parliament. Parliament of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved on 2007-09-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France
  4. ^ Elections Canada On-Line. Electoral Insight (2006-11-21). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire.
  5. ^ The Statute of Westminster, 1931 - History - Intergovernmental Affairs. Privy Council Office. Government of Canada (2007-09-13). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Retrieved on 2007-09-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France
  6. ^ The Constitution Act, 1982. The Solon Law Archive. W. F. M. . Retrieved on 2007-09-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France
  7. ^ Elections Canada (2004). Federal Representation. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire.
  8. ^ Tuesday, June 20, 1995 (222). ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire.

References

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