You may also wish to consult other HillNotes in honour of International Women’s Day (Disponible en français : La Journée internationale des femmes 2019 : une réflexion sur les femmes, l’égalité des sexes et la 42e législature) Women’s participation in Canadian politics and in the Parliament of Canada is longstanding. Over 100 years ago, women…
(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…
(Disponible en français : L’île de demain : un plébiscite sur la réforme électorale à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard) 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.…
(Disponible en français : Le Président : Comment le Canada et les différentes assemblées législatives choisissent-elles leur Président?) 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…
(Disponible en français : Le 50e anniversaire du Service de recherche du Parlement) 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…
(Disponible en français : Bienvenue à la 42 e législature du Canada!) 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.…
(Disponible en français : Le 35e anniversaire de notre hymne national : L’évolution de l’« Ô Canada ») 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…
(Disponible en français : Coup d’œil rétrospectif : Le 10e anniversaire de la décision Canada (Chambre des communes) c. Vaid de la Cour suprême et l’avenir du privilège parlementaire) 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,…
(Disponible en français : Le Parlement et l’avènement du drapeau canadien) 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…
(Disponible en français : Le Parlement et la Première Guerre mondiale – 3. L’embourbement) This is the third in a series of three articles. 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…