Browse "Parliamentary Institutions"

Displaying 16-30 of 32 results

  • Macleans

    LeBlanc Invested

    Following his investiture last week as Canada’s 25th governor general, Roméo LeBlanc sent the customary short note to the Queen - his boss - to say that he had been sworn in, that everything had gone according to plan and to assure her of his "loyalty and devotion.This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on February 20, 1995

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  • Article

    Library of Parliament

    The Library of Parliament came into being when the legislative libraries of Upper and Lower Canada were amalgamated in 1841 and situated in Montréal. In 1849 only 200 of the 12,000 books were saved when an angry mob protesting the Rebellion Losses Bill set fire to the Parliament Buildings.

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  • Article

    Opposition Party in Canada

    An opposition party is a political party that does not win enough seats in a general election to form a government. The elected members of that party instead serve in the legislature as the opposition. An opposition party criticizes and challenges the governing party, with the goal of improving legislation and forming the government in the next election. The opposition party with the most seats is called the Official Opposition or His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. This title emphasizes that the party remains loyal to the Crown even as they oppose the governing party. The leader of the opposition party with the most seats is called the leader of the Opposition.

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  • Article

    Parliament

    The term Parliament refers to the Crown, the House of Commons and the Senate. Together, these institutions create Canadian laws. Parliament has two branches: the executive (the Crown, prime minister and cabinet) and the legislative (the House of Commons and the Senate). This system is a blend of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. It is based on the Westminster tradition in Britain. Each of the Crown, Senate and Commons must agree with (assent to) a law before it is enacted. The government of the day derives its authority from the people who elected it. It is therefore a representative government, even though it acts in the name of the Crown — a largely symbolic institution. In formal terms, Parliament includes all three bodies. But in common usage, the legislative branch is often equated with Parliament.

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  • Article

    Parliamentary Democracy in Canada

    Parliamentary democracy is a constitutional system of government. It derives from Britain’s Westminster system. It has also developed certain unique characteristics in Canada. Canada is a liberal democracy: a state in which the powers of the executive branch are constrained and individual rights and freedoms are protected. In addition to the Constitution — primarily the Constitution Act, 1867, the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms — parliamentary democracy in Canada relies on constitutional conventions, political parties, the electoral system and the right to vote.

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  • Article

    Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery

    The Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery (CPPG) is a self-governing corporation that consists of accredited journalists who cover Parliament and other Ottawa-based governmental organizations and institutions.

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  • Article

    King's Counsel

    King's Counsel (KC) is a title conferred on lawyers by the Crown. It is called Queen's Counsel (QC) when the monarch is a queen. Originally awarded to those considered worthy to argue cases for the Crown, in many provinces it has lost its distinction, being awarded to most practitioners of generally 10 years or more standing who conform politically to the government in office. The title can be conferred by either the provinces or the federal government. Duties no longer attach to the rank, which entitles holders to seniority within the profession and to wear a silk Barrister gown.

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  • Article

    Question Period

    Each day the House of Commons is in session, 45 minutes is allocated for members of Parliament to ask questions of government ministers and of the prime minister. Question Period — formally called Oral Questions — is an important method of ensuring that the government answers to the people, represented by the opposition parties, and is held accountable for its actions.

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  • Article

    Rep by Pop (Plain-Language Summary)

    Representation by population (or “rep by pop”) is a political system. It is when seats in a legislature are assigned based on population. This upholds a basic idea of democracy that all votes should be counted equally. Rep by pop was a deeply divisive issue in the Province of Canada (1841–67). It became an important factor in Confederation. This article is a plain-language summary of Rep by Pop. If you would like to read about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry: Rep by Pop.

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  • Article

    Senate of Canada

    The Senate is the Upper House of Canada’s Parliament. Its 105 members are appointed and hold their seats until age 75. The Senate’s purpose is to consider and revise legislation; investigate national issues; and most crucially according to the Constitution, give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament. The Senate is a controversial institution. It has long been regarded by many Canadians as a place of unfair patronage and privilege. An unresolved debate continues about whether it should be reformed into an elected body accountable to the voters, or abolished.

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  • Editorial

    Senate: Canada's Best Think Tank

    The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated.

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  • Article

    Status of Women

    The first European expeditions that came to Canada to explore and trade for furs did not include women.

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  • Article

    Supreme Court of Canada

    The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in Canada’s judicial system. It has jurisdiction over federal and provincial laws. Founded in 1875, the Court was at first subject to being overruled by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Great Britain. The Supreme Court has had the final judicial say on legal and social issues in Canada since 1949. The Supreme Court bench is comprised of nine judges including the Chief Justice of Canada, currently Richard Wagner. At least three justices must be from Quebec. All judges are nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the governor-in-council (the governor general and the Cabinet).

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  • Editorial

    Editorial: The Canadian Flag, Distinctively Our Own

    The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated. On 15 February 1965, at hundreds of ceremonies across the country and around the world, the red and white Maple Leaf Flag was raised for the first time. In Ottawa, 10,000 people gathered on a chilly, snow-covered Parliament Hill. At precisely noon, the guns on nearby Nepean Point sounded as the sun broke through the clouds. An RCMP constable, 26-year-old Joseph Secours, hoisted the National Flag of Canada to the top of a specially-erected white staff. A sudden breeze snapped it to attention.

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  • Article

    Editorial: The Stanley Flag and the “Distinctive Canadian Symbol”

    The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated. Prime Minister Lester Pearson and John Matheson, one of his Liberal Members of Parliament, are widely considered the fathers of the Canadian flag. Their names were front and centre in 2015 during the tributes and celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the flag’s creation. But the role played by George Stanley is often lost in the story of how this iconic symbol came to be.

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