Keywords Parliamentary Institutions

The House of Commons has become the more important chamber, not least because the government of the day stands or falls on its support. The practical consequence of invoking the supremacy of Parliament is the legislature's capacity to act as the great debating, if not educational, forum for the nation. This capacity, joined with the historic right to have grievances settled by the Crown before approving money in support of the Crown's activities ("control of the purse"), vests in the legislature not only the formal responsibility for approving statutes but also a continuing critical overseeing of executive actions. To this end, according to constitutional requirement, Parliament (as well as each provincial legislature) shall meet at least once a year and no more than 5 years should elapse between elections for a new legislature - only a war, invasion or insurrection can interfere with this guarantee.

A normal parliamentary session (following rule changes in 1983) is now divided into semesters with provision for vacation adjournments. The proroguing of Parliament brings an end to a particular session and when reconvened the new session begins with a SPEECH FROM THE THRONE announcing the government's legislative program for the session. Dissolution, which marks the end of a Parliament, can occur any time within the 5-year period and is invoked by the governor general on the advice of the PRIME MINISTER. Dissolution involves an election and the formation of a new Parliament.

Protections also exist to ensure that Parliament shall not only be unconstrained in what it can debate but that the individual legislators shall enjoy complete freedom of speech. The rules of Parliament (self-prescribed) guarantee the rights of opposition parties to criticize without fear of retribution by the governing party.

Much of the day-to-day work of both Senate and House of Commons takes place in standing or special committees. While the formal proceedings of Parliament receive full media attention, the valuable work in committees tends to go unreported, thereby fostering the public's perception of a parliament in decline. That perception is reinforced by the political party basis for organizing and conducting the business of the legislature. Elections are fought and successful candidates find their seats in the legislature on a party basis, and it is through parties that the House and its committees conduct business.

The capacity of CABINET to exert leverage on party supporters guarantees that the government's business will be piloted through the reefs of opposition. Indeed, it is the Cabinet's power, through its control of the party, that is criticized for undermining the traditional capacity of Parliament to hold government responsible through the threat of a non-confidence vote. Party discipline enables the Cabinet to counter with the threat of dissolution to force members to toe the line or place their seats at risk in an ensuing election. This shift in the balance of power puts in doubt Parliament's capacity to fulfil its traditional task of holding the executive to account. While parliamentary prerogatives are considerable, as an institution it is usually perceived as functionally inferior to the Cabinet and senior public service.

See PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION: TABLE.

Parliament Buildings, Ottawa
The new structure, built to replace the old structure destroyed by fire in 1917, was designed in the Modern Gothic Revival style (photo by James H. Marsh).

Ottawa from the Air
With the Parliament Buildings in the foreground (Corel Professional Photos).

Ottawa from the Air
Panorama by Denis Tremblay, Labtex Inc.

Author J.E. HODGETTS

Suggested Reading
C.E.S. Franks, The Parliament of Canada (1987).

Links to Other Sites
Parliament of Canada
The official source for current news and information about the Parliament of Canada. Also features online webcasts, Hansard, history notes and much more. Check out the useful "How Canadians Govern Themselves" paper from the Information and Documentation Branch.

The Parliamentary Poet Laureate
The website for the Parliamentary Poet Laureate. This site is quite good, you'll see, because it celebrates great Canadian poetry. Features profiles of Canada's Poet Laureates, information about the nomination process, and "Poems of the Week." Check out the site to find even more to explore.

Agnes Macphail
This Library and Archives Canada website highlights the remarkable political career of Agnes Macphail. Part of the "Celebrating Women's Achievements" series.

First Women in Provincial and Territorial Legislatures
This Library and Archives Canada website is dedicated to pioneering women politicians in Canada. Produced in recognition of Women's History Month.

The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University
CSD is a non-profit, non-partisan organization affiliated with the School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University. CSD works jointly with individuals or institutions abroad on research projects of mutual interest that contribute to democratic governance.

Martha Munger Black
A biography of Martha Munger Black, second woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons. From Library and Archives Canada.

Speaker of the House of Commons
This collection of Speakers’ biographies since Confederation provides an insight into the duties and experiences of my predecessors. From the Library of Parliament.

Overview of the Legislative Process
An excellent guide to Canada’s legislative process at the federal level. Includes a comparison with US and UK systems. From the Bora Laskin Law Library, University of Toronto.

The Hill Times
The website for the Canadian newsweekly "The Hill Times." Features news and opinion about Canadian federal politics.

Youth Zone
Check out this virtual time capsule full of pictures, games and stories about the history of Parliament Hill. A great resource for students and their teachers.

How Canadians Govern Themselves
An in-depth discussion about Canada's parliamentary system past and present. Learn about daily operations in the Senate and House of Commons, Canada's constitution and the judicial system. Also includes notes about provincial and municipal powers.

Canadian Parliamentary Review
The heart of the Review consists of original feature articles by legislators, former legislators, staff members, professors, journalists or interested observers.

Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
The website for the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (Parliament of Canada.)

CPAC
CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel, provides a window on Parliament, politics, and public affairs in Canada. Click on "Telling Times" to view a series of short historical documentaries that showcase pivotal Canadian events.

House of Commons Heritage Collection
The House of Commons Heritage Collection features objects ranging from sculpture and furniture to official portraits, historical paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, murals, and frescoes.

The Canadian State: Documents & Dialogue
The Canadian State Web exhibition enables students to explore the various aspects of Canadian governance and to use a set of unique "real life" activities to create their own political party. The activities cover a wide variety of Social Science disciplines: History, Civics, Law, Language Arts, World Issues, Communications, and Canada in a North American Perspective. From Library and Archives Canada.

Federal Publications Inc.
This site provides an online catalogue for many different titles from the Canadian government, Statistics Canada, and various commercial publishers.

Glossary: Parliamentary Procedure
Glossary of terminology related to parliamentary procedure. From the Parliament of Canada.

MPs miss chance to embrace YouTube generation
A news story about restrictions on the use of video recordings of Parliamentary committee proceedings. From thestar.com website.