House of Commons of Canada - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/House_of_Commons_of_Canada

House of Commons of Canada

The House of Commons of Canada (French:
Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower
House of Commons of Canada
chamber of the bicameral Parliament of Canada, Chambre des communes du Canada
which also comprises the sovereign (represented by 43rd Parliament
the governor general as ex officio viceroy) and the
Senate of Canada.[2] The House of Commons
currently meets in a temporary Commons chamber
in the West Block of the parliament buildings on
Parliament Hill in Ottawa, while the Centre Block,
which houses the traditional Commons chamber,
undergoes a ten-year renovation.

The House of Commons is a democratically elected

body whose members are known as members of
Parliament (MPs). There have been 338 MPs since
the most recent electoral district redistribution for
the 2015 federal election, which saw the addition of Type
30 seats.[2][3][4][5] Members are elected by simple
Type Lower house of the Parliament of
plurality ("first-past-the-post" system) in each of
Canada
the country's electoral districts, which are
colloquially known as ridings.[6] MPs may hold Leadership
office until Parliament is dissolved and serve for Speaker Anthony Rota, Liberal
constitutionally limited terms of up to five years since December 5, 2019
after an election. Historically however, terms have
Prime Justin Trudeau, Liberal
ended before their expiry and the sitting
Minister since November 4, 2015
government has typically dissolved parliament
within four years of an election according to a long- Leader of Erin O'Toole, Conservative
standing convention. In any case, an Act of the since August 24, 2020
Parliament now limits each term to four years. Opposition
Government Pablo Rodríguez, Liberal
Seats in the House of Commons are distributed House since November 20, 2019
roughly in proportion to the population of each Leader
province and territory. However, some ridings are
Opposition Gérard Deltell, Conservative
more populous than others, and the Canadian House since September 2, 2020
constitution contains provisions regarding Leader
provincial representation. As a result, there is some
interprovincial and regional malapportionment Structure
relative to the population. Seats 338

The House of Commons was established in 1867,

when the British North America Act 1867 (now
called the Constitution Act, 1867) created the
Dominion of Canada and was modelled on the
British House of Commons. The lower of the two

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houses making up the parliament, the House of

Commons in practice holds far more power than
the upper house, the Senate. Although the approval
of both Houses is necessary for legislation to
become law, the Senate very rarely rejects bills
passed by the Commons (though the Senate does
occasionally amend bills). Moreover, the Cabinet is
Political Her Majesty's Government
responsible solely to the House of Commons. The groups
prime minister stays in office only so long as they   Liberal (155)
retain the support, or "confidence", of the lower
house. Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition

  Conservative (119)
Contents Parties with official status
Name
History   Bloc Québécois (32)

Members and electoral districts   New Democratic (24)

Elections Parties without official status

Perquisites
Qualifications   Independent (5)

Officers and symbols   Green (2)

Procedure
Vacancies
Committees
Legislative functions   Vacant (1)
Relationship with the Government of Canada Salary CA$182,600.00 (sessional indemnity
Current composition effective April 1, 2020)[1]
Chamber design Elections
Renovations Voting First-past-the-post
See also system

Offices Last October 21, 2019

election
References
Next On or before October 16, 2023
Bibliography election
External links Meeting place

Name
The term derives from the Anglo-Norman word
communes, referring to the geographic and
collective "communities" of their parliamentary
representatives and not the third estate, the
commonality.[7] This distinction is made clear in
the official French name of the body, Chambre des

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communes. Canada and the United Kingdom House of Commons Chamber

remain the only countries to use the name "House West Block - Parliament Hill
of Commons" for a lower house of parliament. The Ottawa, Ontario
body's formal name is: The Honourable the
Canada
Commons of Canada in Parliament
assembled (French: L'honorable les communes Website
du Canada assemblés au Parlement).[8] www.ourcommons.ca (https://www.ourcommons.ca/)
Rules
History Standing Orders of the House of Commons (https://
www.ourcommons.ca/about/standingorders/SOPDF.
The House of Commons came into existence in
pdf) (English, French)
1867, when the British Parliament passed the
British North America Act 1867, uniting the
Province of Canada (which was divided into Quebec and Ontario), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
into a single federation called the Dominion of Canada. The new Parliament of Canada consisted of
the monarch (represented by the governor general, who also represented the Colonial Office), the
Senate and the House of Commons. The Parliament of Canada was based on the Westminster model
(that is, the model of the Parliament of the United Kingdom). Unlike the UK Parliament, the powers
of the Parliament of Canada were limited in that other powers were assigned exclusively to the
provincial legislatures. The Parliament of Canada also remained subordinate to the British
Parliament, the supreme legislative authority for the entire British Empire. Greater autonomy was
granted by the Statute of Westminster 1931,[9] after which new acts of the British Parliament did not
apply to Canada, with some exceptions. These exceptions were removed by the Canada Act 1982.[10]

From 1867, the Commons met in the chamber previously used by the Legislative Assembly of Canada
until the building was destroyed by fire in 1916. It relocated to the amphitheatre of the Victoria
Memorial Museum—what is today the Canadian Museum of Nature, where it met until 1922. Until the
end of 2018, the Commons sat in the Centre Block chamber. Starting with the final sitting before the
2019 federal election, the Commons sits in a temporary chamber in the West Block until at least 2028,
while renovations are undertaken in the Centre Block of Parliament.

Members and electoral districts

The House of Commons comprises 338 members, each of whom represents a single electoral district
(also called a riding). The constitution specifies a basic minimum of 295 electoral districts, but
additional seats are allocated according to various clauses. Seats are distributed among the provinces
in proportion to population, as determined by each decennial census, subject to the following
exceptions made by the constitution. Firstly, the "senatorial clause" guarantees that each province will
have at least as many MPs as senators.[11] Secondly, the "grandfather clause" guarantees each
province has at least as many Members of Parliament now as it had in 1985.[11]

As a result of these clauses, smaller provinces and territories that have experienced a relative decline
in population have become over-represented in the House. Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta are
under-represented in proportion to their populations, while Quebec's representation is close to the
national average. The other six provinces (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,
Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador) are over-represented. Boundary
commissions, appointed by the federal government for each province, have the task of drawing the
boundaries of the electoral districts in each province. Territorial representation is independent of the

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population; each territory is entitled to only one seat. The electoral quotient was defined by legislation
as 111,166 for the redistribution of seats after the 2011 census and is adjusted following each decennial
census by multiplying it by the average of the percentage of population change of each province since
the previous decennial census.[12] The population of the province is then divided by the electoral
quotient to equal the base provincial-seat allocation.[11][13] The "special clauses" are then applied to
increase the number of seats for certain provinces, bringing the total number of seats (with the three
seats for the territories) to 338.[11]

The last redistribution of seats occurred subsequent to the 2011 census.[11] The Fair Representation
Act (Bill C-20) was passed and given royal assent on December 16, 2011, and effectively allocated
fifteen additional seats to Ontario, six new seats each to Alberta and British Columbia, and three more
to Quebec.[5][12]

The following tables summarize representation in the House of Commons by province and
territory:[14]

Pre-census Electoral
seats Total Quotient
Population
Province (in accordance with Seats (Average
(2016 Census)
the Constitution allocated population per
Act) electoral district)

Ontario 106 13,448,494 121 111,144

Quebec 75 8,164,361 78 104,671
British Columbia 36 4,648,055 42 110,667
Alberta 28 4,067,175 34 119,622
Manitoba 14 1,278,365 14 91,311
Saskatchewan 14 1,098,352 14 78,453
Nova Scotia 11 923,598 11 83,963
New Brunswick 10 747,101 10 74,710
Newfoundland and Labrador 7 519,716 7 74,245
Prince Edward Island 4 142,907 4 35,726
Total for provinces 305 35,038,124 335 104,591
Northwest Territories 1 41,786 1 41,786
Yukon 1 35,874 1 35,874
Nunavut 1 35,944 1 35,944
Total for territories 3 113,604 3 37,868
National total 308 35,151,728 338 103,999

Elections
General elections occur whenever parliament is dissolved by the governor general on the monarch's
behalf. The timing of the dissolution has historically been chosen by the prime minister. The
Constitution Act, 1867, provides that a parliament last no longer than five years. Canadian election
law requires that elections must be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth year after the

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last election, subject to the discretion of the Crown.[15]

Campaigns must be at least 36 days long. Candidates
are usually nominated by political parties. A candidate
can run independently, although it is rare for such a
candidate to win. Most successful independent
candidates have been incumbents who were expelled
from their political parties (for example, John
Nunziata in 1997, André Arthur in 2006 or Jody
Wilson-Raybould in 2019) or who failed to win their
parties' nomination (for example, Chuck Cadman in
2004). Most Canadian candidates are chosen in
meetings called by their party's local association. In
practice, the candidate who signs up the most local The Canadian House of Commons, 1916
party members generally wins the nomination.

To run for a seat in the house, candidates must file

nomination papers bearing the signatures of at least 50 or 100 constituents (depending on the size of
the electoral district). Each electoral district returns one member using the first-past-the-post
electoral system, under which the candidate with a plurality of votes wins. To vote, one must be a
citizen of Canada and at least eighteen years of age. Declining the ballot, which is possible in several
provinces, is not an option under current federal regulations.[16]

Once elected, a member of Parliament normally continues to serve until the next dissolution of
parliament. If a member dies, resigns, or ceases to be qualified, his or her seat falls vacant. It is also
possible for the House of Commons to expel a member, but this power is only exercised when the
member has engaged in serious misconduct or criminal activity. Formerly, MPs appointed to the
cabinet were expected to resign their seats, though this practice ceased in 1931. In each case, a
vacancy may be filled by a by-election in the appropriate electoral district. The first-past-the-post
system is used in by-elections, as in general elections.[17]

Perquisites
The term member of Parliament is usually used only to refer to members of the House of Commons,
even though the Senate is also a part of Parliament. Members of the House of Commons may use the
post-nominal letters "MP". The annual salary of each MP, as of April   2021, was $185,800;[18]
members may receive additional salaries in right of other offices they hold (for instance, the
speakership). MPs rank immediately below senators in the order of precedence.

Qualifications
Under the Constitution Act, 1867, Parliament is empowered to determine the qualifications of
members of the House of Commons. The present qualifications are outlined in the Canada Elections
Act, which was passed in 2000. Under the Act, an individual must be an eligible voter, as of the day
on which he or she is nominated, to stand as a candidate. Thus, minors and individuals who are not
citizens of Canada are not allowed to become candidates. The Canada Elections Act also bars
prisoners from standing for election (although they may vote). Moreover, individuals found guilty of
election-related crimes are prohibited from becoming members for five years (in some cases, seven
years) after conviction.

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The Act also prohibits certain officials from standing for the
House of Commons. These officers include members of provincial
and territorial legislatures (although this was not always the
case), sheriffs, crown attorneys, most judges, and election
officers. The chief electoral officer and assistant chief electoral
officer (the heads of Elections Canada, the federal agency
responsible for conducting elections) are prohibited not only from
standing as candidates but also from voting. Finally, under the
Constitution Act, 1867, a member of the Senate may not also
become a member of the House of Commons and MPs must give
up their seats when appointed to the Senate or the bench.

Officers and symbols

The House of Commons elects a presiding officer, known as the
speaker,[2] at the beginning of each new parliamentary term, and The main doorway into the chamber
also whenever a vacancy arises. Formerly, the prime minister of the House of Commons
determined who would serve as speaker. Although the House
voted on the matter, the voting constituted a mere formality.
Since 1986, however, the House has elected speakers by secret
ballot. The speaker is assisted by a deputy speaker, who also holds
the title of chair of Committees of the Whole. Two other
deputies—the deputy chair of Committees of the Whole and the
assistant deputy chair of Committees of the Whole—also preside.
The duties of presiding over the House are divided between the
four officers aforementioned; however, the speaker usually
presides over Question Period and over the most important
debates.
The chamber of the House of
The speaker controls debates by calling on members to speak. If a Commons; the speaker's chair is at
member believes that a rule (or standing order) has been the rear and centre in the room.
breached, they may raise a "point of order", on which the speaker
makes a ruling that is not subject to any debate or appeal. The
speaker may also discipline members who fail to observe the rules of the House. When presiding, the
speaker must remain impartial. The speaker also oversees the administration of the House and is
chair of the Board of Internal Economy, the governing body for the House of Commons. The current
speaker of the House of Commons is Anthony Rota.

The member of the Government responsible for steering legislation through the House is leader of the
Government in the House of Commons. The government house leader (as he or she is more
commonly known) is a member of Parliament selected by the prime minister and holds cabinet rank.
The leader manages the schedule of the House of Commons and attempts to secure the Opposition's
support for the Government's legislative agenda.

Officers of the House who are not members include the clerk of the House of Commons, the deputy
clerk, the law clerk and parliamentary counsel, and several other clerks. These officers advise the
speaker and members on the rules and procedure of the House in addition to exercising senior
management functions within the House administration. Another important officer is the sergeant-at-
arms, whose duties include the maintenance of order and security on the House's premises and inside

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the buildings of the parliamentary precinct. (The Royal Canadian

Mounted Police patrol Parliament Hill but are not allowed into
the buildings unless asked by the speaker). The sergeant-at-arms
also carries the ceremonial mace, a symbol of the authority of the
Crown and the House of Commons, into the House each sitting.
The House is also staffed by parliamentary pages, who carry
messages to the members in the chamber and otherwise provide
assistance to the House.

The Commons' mace has the shape of a medieval mace which was
used as a weapon, but in brass and ornate in detail and
symbolism. At its bulbous head is a replica of the Imperial State
Crown; the choice of this crown for the Commons' mace
differentiates it from the Senate's mace, which has St. Edward's
Crown at its apex. The Commons mace is placed upon the table in The Centre Block in Ottawa, where
front of the speaker for the duration of the sitting with the crown the House of Commons met until 13
pointing towards the prime minister and the other cabinet December 2018.
ministers, who advise the monarch and governor general and are
accountable to this chamber (in the Senate chamber, the mace
points towards the throne, where the queen has the right to sit herself).

Carved above the speaker's chair is the royal arms of the United Kingdom. This chair was a gift from
the United Kingdom Branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association in 1921, to replace the chair that
was destroyed by the fire of 1916, and was a replica of the chair in the British House of Commons at
the time. These arms at its apex were considered the royal arms for general purposes throughout the
British Empire at the time. Since 1931, however, Canada has been an independent country and the
Canadian coat of arms are now understood to be the royal arms of the monarch. Escutcheons of the
same original royal arms can be found on each side of the speaker's chair held by a lion and a unicorn.

In response to a campaign by Bruce Hicks for the Canadianization of symbols of royal authority and
to advance the identity of parliamentary institutions,[19] a proposal that was supported by speakers of
the House of Commons John Fraser and Gilbert Parent, a Commons committee was eventually struck
following a motion by MP Derek Lee, before which Hicks and Robert Watt, the first chief herald of
Canada, was called as the only two expert witnesses, though Senator Serge Joyal joined the committee
on behalf of the Senate. Commons' speaker Peter Milliken then asked the governor general to
authorize such a symbol. In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords use
the royal badge of the portcullis, in green and red respectively, to represent those institutions and to
distinguish them from the government, the courts and the monarch. The Canadian Heraldic Authority
on April 15, 2008, granted the House of Commons, as an institution, a badge consisting of the
chamber's mace (as described above) behind the escutcheon of the shield of the royal arms of Canada
(representing the monarch, in whose name the House of Commons deliberates).[20]

Procedure
Like the Senate, the House of Commons meets on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The Commons Chamber
is modestly decorated in green, in contrast with the more lavishly furnished red Senate Chamber. The
arrangement is similar to the design of the Chamber of the British House of Commons.[21] The seats
are evenly divided between both sides of the Chamber, three sword-lengths apart (about three
metres).[22] The speaker's chair (which can be adjusted for height) is at the north end of the Chamber.

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In front of it is the Table of the House, on which rests the

ceremonial mace. Various "table officers"—clerks and other
officials—sit at the table, ready to advise the speaker on procedure
when necessary. Members of the Government sit on the benches
on the speaker's right, while members of the Opposition occupy
the benches on the speaker's left. Government ministers sit
around the prime minister, who is traditionally assigned the 11th
seat in the front row on the speaker's right-hand side. The leader
of the Official Opposition sits directly across from the prime The governing party sits to the
minister and is surrounded by a Shadow Cabinet or critics for the Speaker's right in the House of
government portfolios. The remaining party leaders sit in the Commons.
front rows. Other members of Parliament who do not hold any
kind of special responsibilities are known as "backbenchers".

The House usually sits Monday to Friday from late January to mid-June and from mid-September to
mid-December according to an established calendar, though it can modify the calendar if additional
or fewer sittings are required.[2] During these periods, the House generally rises for one week per
month to allow members to work in their constituencies. Sittings of the House are open to the public.
Proceedings are broadcast over cable and satellite television and over live streaming video on the
Internet by CPAC owned by a consortium of Canadian cable companies. They are also recorded in text
form in print and online in Hansard, the official report of parliamentary debates.

The Constitution Act, 1867 establishes a quorum of twenty members (including the member
presiding) for the House of Commons. Any member may request a count of the members to ascertain
the presence of a quorum; if however, the speaker feels that at least twenty members are clearly in the
Chamber, he or she may deny the request. If a count does occur, and reveals that fewer than twenty
members are present, the speaker orders bells to be rung, so that other members on the
parliamentary precincts may come to the Chamber. If, after a second count, a quorum is still not
present, the speaker must adjourn the House until the next sitting day.

During debates, members may only speak if called upon by the speaker (or, as is most often the case,
the deputy presiding). The speaker is responsible for ensuring that members of all parties have an
opportunity to be heard. The speaker also determines who is to speak if two or more members rise
simultaneously, but his or her decision may be altered by the House. Motions must be moved by one
member and seconded by another before debate may begin. Some motions, however, are non-
debatable.

Speeches[2] may be made in either of Canada's official languages (English and French), and it is
customary for bilingual members of parliament to respond to these in the same language they were
made in. It is common for bilingual MPs to switch between languages during speeches. Members
must address their speeches to the presiding officer, not the House, using the words "Mr. Speaker"
(French: Monsieur le Président) or "Madam Speaker" (French: Madame la Présidente). Other
members must be referred to in the third person. Traditionally, members do not refer to each other by
name, but by constituency or cabinet post, using forms such as "the honourable member for [electoral
district]" or "the minister of..." Members' names are routinely used only during roll call votes, in
which members stand and are named to have their vote recorded; at that point they are referred to by
title (Ms. or mister for Anglophones and madame, mademoiselle, or monsieur for Francophones) and
last name, except where members have the same or similar last names, at which point they would be
listed by their name and riding ("M. Massé, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia; Mr. Masse,
Windsor West....)

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No member may speak more than once on the same question (except that the mover of a motion is
entitled to make one speech at the beginning of the debate and another at the end). Moreover,
tediously repetitive or irrelevant remarks are prohibited, as are written remarks read into the record
(although this behaviour is creeping into the modern debate). The speaker may order a member
making such remarks to cease speaking. The Standing Orders of the House of Commons prescribe
time limits for speeches. The limits depend on the nature of the motion but are most commonly
between ten and twenty minutes. However, under certain circumstances, the prime minister, the
Opposition leader, and others are entitled to make longer speeches. The debate may be further
restricted by the passage of "time allocation" motions. Alternatively, the House may end debate more
quickly by passing a motion for "closure".

When the debate concludes, the motion in question is put to a vote. The House first votes by voice
vote; the presiding officer puts the question, and members respond either "yea" (in favour of the
motion) or "nay" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the result of the voice
vote, but five or more members may challenge his or her assessment, thereby forcing a recorded vote
(known as a division, although, in fact, the House does not divide for votes the way the British House
of Commons does). First, members in favour of the motion rise, so that the clerks may record their
names and votes. Then, the same procedure is repeated for members who oppose the motion. There
are no formal means for recording an abstention, though a member may informally abstain by
remaining seated during the division. If there is an equality of votes, the speaker has a casting vote.

The outcome of most votes is largely known beforehand since political parties normally instruct
members on how to vote. A party normally entrusts some members of Parliament, known as whips,
with the task of ensuring that all party members vote as desired. Members of Parliament do not tend
to vote against such instructions since those who do so are unlikely to reach higher political ranks in
their parties. Errant members may be deselected as official party candidates during future elections,
and, in serious cases, may be expelled from their parties outright. Thus, the independence of
members of Parliament tends to be extremely low, and "backbench rebellions" by members
discontent with their party's policies are rare. In some circumstances, however, parties announce
"free votes", allowing members to vote as they please. This may be done on moral issues and is
routine on private members' bills.

Committees
The Parliament of Canada uses committees for a variety of purposes. Committees consider bills in
detail and may make amendments. Other committees scrutinize various Government agencies and
ministries.

Potentially, the largest of the Commons committees are the Committees of the Whole, which, as the
name suggests, consist of all the members of the House. A Committee of the Whole meets in the
Chamber of the House but proceeds under slightly modified rules of debate. (For example, a member
may make more than one speech on a motion in a Committee of the Whole, but not during a normal
session of the House.) Instead of the speaker, the chair, deputy chair, or assistant deputy chair
presides. The House resolves itself into a Committee of the Whole to discuss appropriation bills, and
sometimes for other legislation.

The House of Commons also has several standing committees, each of which has responsibility for a
particular area of government (for example, finance or transport). These committees oversee the
relevant government departments, may hold hearings and collect evidence on governmental
operations and review departmental spending plans. Standing committees may also consider and

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amend bills. Standing committees consist of between sixteen and eighteen members each, and elect
their chairs.

Some bills are considered by legislative committees, each of which consists of up to fifteen members.
The membership of each legislative committee roughly reflects the strength of the parties in the whole
House. A legislative committee is appointed on an ad hoc basis to study and amend a specific bill.
Also, the chair of a legislative committee is not elected by the members of the committee but is instead
appointed by the speaker, normally from among his deputies. Most bills, however, are referred to as
standing committees rather than legislative committees.

The House may also create ad hoc committees to study matters other than bills. Such committees are
known as special committees. Each such body, like a legislative committee, may consist of no more
than fifteen members. Other committees include joint committees, which include both members of
the House of Commons and senators; such committees may hold hearings and oversee government,
but do not revise legislation.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canadian Heritage
Citizenship and Immigration
Electoral Reform
Environment and Sustainable Development
Finance
Fisheries and Oceans
Foreign Affairs and International Development
Government Operations and Estimates
Health
Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
Industry, Science and Technology
International Trade
Justice and Human Rights
Liaison Committee
National Defence
Natural Resources
Official Languages
Procedure and House Affairs
Public Accounts
Public Safety and National Security
Status of Women
Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Veterans Affairs

Legislative functions
Although legislation may be introduced in either chamber, most bills originate in the House of
Commons.

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In conformity with the British model, the Lower House alone is authorized to originate bills imposing
taxes or appropriating public funds. This restriction on the power of the Senate is not merely a matter
of convention, but is explicitly stated in the Constitution Act, 1867. Otherwise, the power of the two
Houses of Parliament is theoretically equal; the approval of each is necessary for a bill's passage.

In practice, however, the House of Commons is the dominant chamber of Parliament, with the Senate
very rarely exercising its powers in a way that opposes the will of the democratically elected chamber.
The last major bill defeated in the Senate came in 2010, when a bill passed by the Commons
concerning climate change was rejected in the Senate.[23]

A clause in the Constitution Act, 1867 permits the governor general (with the approval of the
monarch) to appoint up to eight extra senators to resolve a deadlock between the two houses. The
clause was invoked only once, in 1990, when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney advised the appointment
of an additional eight senators to secure the Senate's approval for the Goods and Services Tax.

Relationship with the Government of Canada

As a Westminster democracy, the Government of Canada, or more specifically the Queen-in-Council,
exercising the executive power on behalf of the prime minister and Cabinet, enjoys a complementary
relationship with the House of Commons—similar to the UK model, and in contrast to the US model
of separation of powers. Though it does not formally elect the prime minister, the House of Commons
indirectly controls who becomes prime minister. By convention, the prime minister is answerable to
and must maintain the support of, the House of Commons. Thus, whenever the office of prime
minister falls vacant, the governor general has the duty of appointing the person most likely to
command the support of the House—normally the leader of the largest party in the lower house,
although the system allows a coalition of two or more parties. This has not happened in the Canadian
federal parliament but has occurred in Canadian provinces. The leader of the second-largest party (or
in the case of a coalition, the largest party out of government) usually becomes the leader of the
Official Opposition. Moreover, the prime minister is, by unwritten convention, a member of the
House of Commons, rather than of the Senate. Only two prime ministers governed from the Senate:
Sir John Abbott (1891–1892) and Sir Mackenzie Bowell (1894–1896). Both men got the job following
the death of a prime minister and did not contest elections.

The prime minister may only stay in office as long as he or she retains the confidence of the House of
Commons. The lower house may indicate its lack of support for the government by rejecting a motion
of confidence, or by passing a motion of no confidence. Important bills that form a part of the
government's agenda are generally considered matters of confidence, as is any taxation or spending
bill and the annual budget. When a government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the
prime minister is obliged to either resign or request the governor general to dissolve parliament,
thereby precipitating a general election. The governor general may theoretically refuse to dissolve
parliament, thereby forcing the prime minister to resign. The last instance of a governor general
refusing to grant a dissolution was in 1926.

Except when compelled to request a dissolution by an adverse vote on a confidence issue, the prime
minister is allowed to choose the timing of dissolutions, and consequently the timing of general
elections. The time chosen reflects political considerations, and is generally most opportune for the
prime minister's party. However, no parliamentary term can last for more than five years from the
first sitting of Parliament; a dissolution is automatic upon the expiry of this period. Normally,
Parliaments do not last for full five-year terms; prime ministers typically ask for dissolutions after

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about three or four years. In 2006, the Harper government introduced a bill to set fixed election dates
every four years, although snap elections are still permitted. The bill was approved by Parliament and
has now become law.

Whatever the reason—the expiry of parliament's five-year term, the choice of the prime minister, or a
government defeat in the House of Commons—a dissolution is followed by general elections. If the
prime minister's party retains its majority in the House of Commons, then the prime minister may
remain in power. On the other hand, if his or her party has lost its majority, the prime minister may
resign or may attempt to stay in power by winning support from members of other parties. A prime
minister may resign even if he or she is not defeated at the polls (for example, for personal health
reasons); in such a case, the new leader of the outgoing prime minister's party becomes prime
minister.

The House of Commons scrutinizes the ministers of the Crown through Question Period, a daily forty-
five-minute period during which members have the opportunity to ask questions of the prime
minister and other Cabinet ministers. Questions must relate to the responding minister's official
government activities, not to his or her activities as a party leader or as a private Member of
Parliament. Members may also question committee chairmen on the work of their respective
committees. Members of each party are entitled to the number of questions proportional to the party
caucus' strength in the house. In addition to questions asked orally during Question Period, Members
of Parliament may also make inquiries in writing.

In times where there is a majority government, the House of Commons' scrutiny of the government is
weak. Since elections use the first-past-the-post electoral system, the governing party tends to enjoy a
large majority in the Commons; there is often limited need to compromise with other parties.
(Minority governments, however, are not uncommon.) Modern Canadian political parties are so
tightly organized that they leave relatively little room for free action by their MPs. In many cases, MPs
may be expelled from their parties for voting against the instructions of party leaders. As well, the
major parties require candidates' nominations to be signed by party leaders, thus giving the leaders
the power to, effectively, end a politician's career. Thus, defeats of majority governments on issues of
confidence are very rare. Paul Martin's Liberal minority government lost a vote of no confidence in
2005; the last time this had occurred was in 1979, when Joe Clark's Progressive Conservative minority
government was defeated after a term of just six months.

Current composition
Party[24] Seats %

  Liberal 155 45.6

  Conservative 119 35.8
Bloc Québécois 32 9.5
     New Democratic 24 7.1
  Independent 5 1.4
  Green 2 0.9
  Vacant 1
 Total 338 100%

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Notes

Chamber design
The current and original Canadian House of Commons chamber was influenced by the British House
of Commons rectangular layout and that of the original St. Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of
Westminster.[25] The difference from the British layout is with the use of individual chairs and tables
for members, absent in the British Commons' design.

With the exception of the legislatures in Nunavut (circular seating), the Northwest Territories
(circular seating), and Manitoba (U-shaped seating), all other Canadian provincial legislatures share
the common design of the Canadian House of Commons.

Public Works and Government Services Canada undertook work

during the 41st Parliament to determine how the seating
arrangement could be modified to accommodate the additional
30 seats added in the 2015 election. Ultimately, new "theatre"
seats were designed, with five seats in a row at one desk, the seats
pulling down for use. Such seat sets now comprise almost the
entire length of the last two rows on each side of the chamber.[26]

Renovations
House of Commons Chamber after
desks were removed for
The current chamber is currently undergoing an estimated
renovations, December 2018.
decade-long restoration and renovation, which began in
December 2018.[27] Parliamentarians have relocated to the
courtyard of the 159-year-old West Block which also underwent
seven years of renovations and repairs to get ready for the move.[27][28] Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau marked the closing of the Centre Block on December 12, 2018.[29] The final sittings of both
the House of Commons and the Senate in Centre Block took place on December 13, 2018.

See also
Parties and elections  Canada portal
 Politics portal
Elections Canada
List of Canadian federal electoral districts
List of Canadian federal general elections
List of political parties in Canada

Parliaments and members

List of Canadian federal parliaments

List of House members of the 43rd Parliament of Canada
List of House members of the 42nd Parliament of Canada
List of House members of the 41st Parliament of Canada
List of House members of the 40th Parliament of Canada

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List of House members of the 39th Parliament of Canada

List of House members of the 38th Parliament of Canada
List of members of the Canadian House of Commons with military service
Women in the 43rd Canadian Parliament
Women in the 42nd Canadian Parliament
Women in the 41st Canadian Parliament
Women in the 40th Canadian Parliament
Procedural officers and senior officials of the parliament of Canada
Senate of Canada
Centre Block
Joint Address

Offices
Off Parliament Hill MPs have some offices at Justice Building or Confederation Building down
Wellington Street near the Supreme Court of Canada.

References
1. "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances" (https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Sal
aries). Parlinfo. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
2. Guide to the Canadian House of Commons (http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/GuideToHoC/
pdf/guide_canadian_house_of_commons-e.pdf) (PDF). Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing
in Publication. House of Commons of Canada. 2009. ISBN 978-0-662-68678-1. Retrieved
September 29, 2007.
3. "Members of the House of Commons – Current List – By Name" (https://web.archive.org/web/200
70925144425/http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/mpscur.asp?Language=E).
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nformation/about/people/house/mpscur.asp?Language=E) on September 25, 2007. Retrieved
September 25, 2007.
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April 24, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2007.
5. Thandi Fletcher (December 16, 2011). "Crowded House: Parliament gets cozier as 30 seats
added" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130314142128/http://www2.canada.com/topics/news/natio
nal/story.html?id=5871770). Canada.com. Postmedia News. Archived from the original (http://ww
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arch/article.asp?id=72&lang=e&frmPageSize=&textonly=false) on March 8, 2008. Retrieved
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8. Gemmill, John Alexander (1883). The Canadian Parliamentary Companion (https://books.google.c

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westminster&doc=westminster_e.htm). Privy Council Office. Government of Canada. September
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The Solon Law Archive. W.F.M. Retrieved September 25, 2007.
11. Department of Justice (Canada) (November 2, 2009). "Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982" (http://law
s.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const//page-3.html). Retrieved November 9, 2009.
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94714&Mode=1&Language=E). Parliament of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved
December 19, 2011.
13. Jackson, Robert J.; Jackson, Doreen (2008). Politics in Canada: Culture, Institutions, Behaviour
and Public Policy. Toronto: Prentice Hall. p. 438. ISBN 9780132069380.
14. Elections Canada (2012). "House of Commons Seat Allocation by Province" (http://www.elections.
ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/red/allo&document=index&lang=e). Retrieved November 2,
2015.
15. Canada Elections Act, Section 56.1(2) (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/sc-2000-c-9/latest/sc-
2000-c-9.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20090924020100/http://www.canlii.org/en/ca
/laws/stat/sc-2000-c-9/latest/sc-2000-c-9.html) September 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
16. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/unhappy-voter-loses-bid-to-officially-vote-none-of-the-
above-in-federal-election
17. "The Electoral System of Canada : The Political System" (http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?di
r=ces&document=part1&lang=e&section=res). Elections Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
18. "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances" (https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Sal
aries). Library of Parliament. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
19. Hicks, Bruce. A 'Call to Arms' for the Canadian Parliament" (Canadian Parliamentary Review
23:4).
20. Canadian Heraldic Authority. "Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada > House of
Commons of Canada" (http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=12
46&ProjectElementID=4484). Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
21. "House of Commons Green" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090611201853/http://www.parliamen
t.uk/documents/upload/G10.pdf) (PDF). parliament.uk. March 2009. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/G10.pdf) (PDF) on June 11, 2009.
22. "Tuesday, June 20, 1995 (222)" (http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId
=2332479&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=35&Ses=1#14290). House of Commons Hansard.
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eb/20110503164126/http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/panther-lounge/2010/11/senate-vote-to-kill-
climate-act-disrespects-canadians-and-democracy/). davidsuzuki.org. October 19, 2010. Archived
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mate-act-disrespects-canadians-and-democracy/) on May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
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ng-heritage/building/palace/estatehistory/reformation-1834/shaping-the-commons-/).
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ouch/news/story/1.2689859). CBC.ca. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
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wa/west-block-parliament-renovations-photos-1.4897864). cbc.ca. November 9, 2018.
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Bibliography
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ps://books.google.com/books?id=zELUZRd7PXcC&pg=PP1). University of Toronto Press.
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External links
Media related to House of Commons of Canada at Wikimedia Commons
House of Commons of Canada at Wikinews

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