(Disponible en français : Les jeunes parlementaires dans le monde) Cynics would have you believe that young people are just not interested in parliamentary politics. Despite the conventional wisdom that young people do not want to participate in democracy, statistics say otherwise: around the world, the number of young parliamentarians is on the rise. In…
A plebiscite on electoral reform in Prince Edward Island will be held between 29 October and 7 November 2016. Islanders will vote on five electoral system reform options as set out by the Legislative Assembly’s Special Committee on Democratic Renewal. Anyone aged 16 or older by 7 November 2016 is considered eligible to vote. Voters will…
Michael Dewing Legal and Social Affairs Division Lara Trehearne Reference and Strategic Analysis Division As the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the Speaker is the key to ensuring that the institution operates smoothly. So the first item of business for MPs, at the outset of the first session of each new Parliament, is…
Brittany Collier and Tonina Simeone Legal and Social Affairs Division This year, the Library of Parliament celebrates its 50th year of providing impartial research and analysis to senators and members of Parliament. From modest beginnings in the 1960s, the parliamentary research unit is today a dynamic service relying on the expertise of highly skilled professionals…
Dara Lithwick Legal and Social Affairs Division The 2015 election is in the history books. Soon, 338 members of Parliament – a large number of them elected for the first time – will take their seats in the House of Commons to begin the first session of the new Parliament. And as the dust settles,…
Erin Virgint Legal and Social Affairs Division On Canada Day 2015, the nation celebrates the 35th anniversary of “O Canada” as its official national anthem. Versions of the song have been sung for over a century. But the composition was not proclaimed as the national anthem until 1 July 1980, the day the National Anthem Act came into…
Dara Lithwick Legal and Social Affairs Division Ten years ago, in May 2005, the Supreme Court of Canada released a landmark decision that clarified the scope and application of parliamentary privilege. The decision, in Canada (House of Commons) v. Vaid, was the third parliamentary privilege case heard by the Supreme Court following the advent of…
Michael Dewing and Marion Ménard Legal and Social Affairs Division The raising of the red maple leaf flag for the first time on Parliament Hill 50 years ago, on 15 February 1965, was the culmination of a long, heated parliamentary debate. The debate was notable for a number of reasons: it lasted more than six months…
Jean-Rodrigue Paré Legal and Social Affairs Division No peace in sight By the time Parliament was prorogued on 15 April 1915, about 33,000 Canadian soldiers had crossed the Atlantic. When the following session began on 12 January 1916, 60,000 were in the trenches, 60,000 were in England, and another 120,000 were preparing to make the…
Alex Smith Economics, Resources and International Affairs Division (Aussi disponible en francais : Divulgation et examen des dépenses des parlementaires : perspective internationale) To help parliamentarians fulfill their responsibilities, they receive public funds, which allow them to hire staff, travel to and from their constituencies and pay various costs related to their duties. In Canada, the…