CANADIAN LEGISLATURE

 

Section 17 of the 1867 Constitution Act states that "[t]here shall be One parliament for Canada, consisting of the Queens, an Upper Houses styled the Senate, and the House of Commons."

 

Click here for the: Distribution of Seats in the House of Commons by Province/Territory  (compliments of Dr. Pat Ryan, CFR and Political Science)

 

Features of the Canadian National Legislature

· Westminister model

o Responsible Government

o Representative Government

· Population and Territorial Representation

· Representation of Non-Territorial Groups

 

 

Structures: Bicameral-fused-oppositional

· Divides into Parties

· Loyal Opposition

o Adversarial Style

· Speaker

· Senate

o Sober Second Thought

o Intrastate Federalism

o Powers

· Caucus

o Party Discipline

· Committees

o Membership

o Role

o Types

· Members

 

Challenges

· Senate Reform

· Reform of the House of Commons

o Party Discipline

o Direct Democracy

 

Legislative Process