CANADA’S PARLIAMENT (in Ottawa) What happens here? CANADA’S PARLIAMENT (in Ottawa)

Parliamentary Library Located at the back of the Parliament building

Parliament Do Not Copy…YET!!! Our Parliament builds are located in Ottawa. Our first Parliament buildings were built in 1859. Fire destroyed the center block in 1916. It was rebuilt and named the peace tower dedicated to Canadian soldiers who died in WW1 The Parliament consists of two houses (House of Commons and Senate) and the Crown. The H of C (Lower House) is elected and the Senate (Upper House) is appointed. The word Parliament comes from French roots meaning “discussing”. The legislative branch in Canadian Politics debates policy and legislation

FUNCTIONS OF CANADA’S PARLIAMENT Policy making – it passes legislation (very lengthy process) Representative function – interests, opinions and concerns of the electorate are to be discussed. System maintenance – Makes sure Canada’s political system runs smoothly.

Parliamentary Executive Made up of the Prime Minister, the Ministry, and the Cabinet. The PM and Cabinet are accountable to Parliament and may govern only as long as they have the confidence of the majority in the H of C. Parliament is the main machine for representative democracy a place for political leaders to debate major issues of the day.

Operations of Parliament Parliament operates in “sessions”. Here the Governor General will call all Senators and MPs to the Senate where the Speech from the throne will be read. Sessions end when the PM approached the Gov. Gen and asks him/her to end it. This is called “prorogation”. If the session ends with an election call the PM will ask the Gov. Gen to dissolve Parliament.

The Legislative Branch (Federal Gov’t) COPY What is it???

Parliament has three components: 1) Governor General 2) House of Commons 3) Senate

The ultimate source of legislative authority is the Monarch (Queen or King) The Governor General is the representative of the monarch in Canada (always recommended by the Prime Minister) Governor General David Johnston

A government is formed by the political party which wins a federal election by having the greatest number of representatives elected to the H. of C.

Prime Minister Leader of the party which forms the government (known as the gov’t party)

House of Commons

House of Commons The House of Commons is our major law making body. It consists of all 308 representatives elected to the house. Called ‘Members of Parliament’ (MP’s)

Political Parties Political parties are organizations of individuals who share common beliefs about public policy. The political party that wins the largest number of seats in an election forms government. The second largest party becomes the Official Opposition.

Steven Harper’s Cabinet From MP’s of his own party, the PM chooses certain members to form a body known as the CABINET Members of the CABINET, called ministers are responsible for various gov’t departments or ministries (Finance, Fisheries, Environment) Steven Harper’s Cabinet

Layout Speaker. The Member elected by the House to serve as its spokesman and to preside over its proceedings. In particular, he or she is responsible for maintaining order and decorum. As Chairman of the Board of Internal Economy, the Speaker oversees the administration of the House. Please see the Speaker of the House of Commons page for more information. Page. A first year student from one of the national capital region universities employed by the House of Commons to carry messages, and to deliver House documents and other reading material to Members in the Chamber during sittings of the House. Cabinet Minister. A member of the Cabinet appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. Usually chosen from among existing Members and Senators, ministers are responsible to Parliament for their official actions and those of their departments. They are given the title "The Honourable" and membership on the Privy Council for life. Please see the Cabinet page for more information. Opposition Party. A political party which is neither the Government party nor part of the coalition of parties forming the Government. Prime Minister. The Head of Government, who is ordinarily the leader of the party having the greatest number of seats in the House of Commons. Appointed by the Governor General, the Prime Minister selects the other members of the Cabinet and, along with them, is responsible to the House for the administration of public affairs. Please see the Prime Minister page for more information. Leader of the Official Opposition. The leader of the party with the second largest membership in the House of Commons. Please see the Leader of the Official Opposition page for more information. Leader of the second largest party in opposition. Clerk and Table Officers. Clerk of the House. The chief procedural adviser to the Speaker and to Members of the House of Commons and Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy. Appointed by the Governor in Council, the Clerk is responsible for a wide range of administrative and procedural duties relating to the work of the House and its committees. Table Officers. The clerks who provide procedural advice during sittings of the House, take the votes and keep the minutes of proceedings. Mace. A large, heavy and richly-ornamented staff which is the symbol of authority of the House of Commons. When the Speaker takes the Chair, the Mace is placed on the Table by the Sergeant-at-Arms to signify the House is in session. Hansard. Debates. The printed record of the proceedings in the House published after each sitting and based on the edited and corrected text of the "blues". The Debates are often identified as "Hansard" which is the name of the British family once responsible for the transcription of the proceedings of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. Monitors. One monitor (two during Question Period) sits at a desk in the centre of the Chamber and identifies speakers and interjections on a dubbing channel while the debates are recorded electronically. Sergeant-at-Arms. The senior officer of the House responsible for security and the maintenance of the Parliament Buildings. Bar (of the House). A brass barrier inside the south entrance of the Chamber marking off the area where non-Members may be admitted. It is here that witnesses must appear when formally summoned. Interpreters. Interpreters seated in glassed-in booths at the south end of the Chamber provide simultaneous interpretation of the proceedings into English and French for Members and the public. Press Gallery. A gallery in the House of Commons reserved for accredited members of the media. Members of the media accredited to cover the proceedings of Parliament and so granted access to the gallery reserved for them. Galleries. Areas in the House set aside for the public, the press and distinguished visitors who wish to attend a sitting. T.V. Camera. Remote-controlled cameras in the Chamber capture democracy in action.

The Senate

The Senate The Senate is appointed by the Gov Gen on the advice of the Prime Minister Gives second thought to HOC legislation Have a veto (rarely used)

Senators DO NOT COPY Are appointed rather than elected. Before 1965 Senators were appointed for life but now they retire at age 75. One major difference between Senators and MP’s is they can and do vote across party lines

Qualifications of a Senator Must be 30 yrs old. Own $4000 dollars in property Live in the province they represent. Canadian citizen Can a Senator be fired? Yes, if he/she fails to attend two consecutive sessions, if he/she loses Canadian citizenship (sweat allegiance to another country) ceases to meet residence and property qualifications Convicted of a criminal offence.

The PM and Cabinet are not directly responsible to the Senate therefore if a government bill is defeated in the Senate the government could remain in power. The Fathers of Confederation believed the Senate would act as a “sober second thought” on legislation created in the H of C. Although the Senate can refuse to pass bills they rarely ever exercise this authority.