Reading Time: 4 minutesDisponible en français. In today’s complex world, the blurred lines between domestic and foreign policy regularly draw Canadian parliamentarians onto the world stage. Increasingly, they speak directly with their international counterparts on issues of global and national importance. In Canada,… Read More ›
Reading Time: 3 minutesDisponible en français. One of Parliament’s fundamental roles is to review and approve the government’s taxation and spending plans. To fulfill this role, parliamentarians follow the parliamentary financial cycle, which consists of a continuous loop of activities that take place… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Officers of Parliament support both houses in their accountability and scrutiny functions by carrying out independent oversight responsibilities assigned to them by statute. These officers are responsible directly to Parliament rather than to the government or a federal… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. Canada’s founding document, the Constitution Act, 1867, established the country as a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Executive authority resides with the Sovereign or that person’s representative (i.e., the Governor General of Canada). The Constitution assigns the Governor… Read More ›
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the history of Black communities in Canada, and to honour the contributions of Black Canadians. The first Black person to arrive in what is now Canada is… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Section 33(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter) permits Parliament or the legislature of a province to adopt legislation to override certain rights and freedoms for a limited period, subject to renewal. Such a use… Read More ›
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. On 1 March 1973, the Standing Joint Committee on Regulations and other Statutory Instruments met for the first time. Its members had been appointed in January 1973, following the presentation, in 1969, of the final report of… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. After each decennial census – the federally run count of Canada’s total population that occurs every 10 years – the number of members of the House of Commons and the representation of each province are adjusted according… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. For about 150 years, the term “omnibus bill” went without a firm definition in the procedural rules of either the Senate or the House of Commons. Often when omnibus bills were introduced, questions arose about their nature,… Read More ›
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. Following Royal Assent, a federal bill becomes an Act of Parliament and is printed as a chapter in the Statutes of Canada. However, the provisions in that Act do not produce legal effects until they have come… Read More ›