Parliament Hill Tour - About Parliament

As the representative of the head of state, the Governor General calls Parliament together after every general election, announces the objectives of the Government through the Speech from the Throne, and approves all bills passed by the Senate and the House of Commons. 

The Senate, also known as the Upper or Red Chamber, has 105 seats.  Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister to represent regions and provinces.  Senators can serve until the age of 75. 

The House of Commons has 301 seats.  Members of the House sit in a chamber decorated in the traditional green of its British counterpart.  Members are elected to represent ridings in a Parliament which lasts for up to five years. 

A Parliament is made up of one or more sessions which begin with a Speech from the Throne and end by prorogation or dissolution.  A session can last a few days or several years.  A sitting usually lasts a day, and the Constitution requires Parliament to sit at least once a year. 

Making Canada’s Laws

The Constitution authorizes Parliament “to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Canada.”  These laws concern matters of national interest and federal services. 

Most legislation, including government bills which are proposed by Cabinet Ministers, is first considered by the House of Commons.  The Senate also initiates legislation, but any bills concerning taxation or the expenditure of public money must originate in the Commons. Both Houses must approve all bills before they can become law. 

Legislative proposals, or bills, are studied, debated and often amended by the House of Commons and the Senate.  Bills come into force on receiving Royal Assent on a date specified in the bill or on a date set by Order in Council. 

The Legislative Process

All bills normally pass through a series of steps that are similar in both the Senate and the House.

Parliament sits about 27 weeks of the year.  Sittings start in September and usually continue until June, with breaks to permit Parliamentarians to work in their regions or ridings.  Each House meets regularly to deal with national issues and debate the bills of the Government.  In addition, the Senate and the House of Commons have committees that are mandated to look at specific issues in detail. 

An agenda determines the daily business from the moment the Mace — representing legislative authority — is positioned on the Table at the start of the day’s sitting until the sitting is adjourned. 

A regular sitting day always includes routine business.  At this time, committee reports are presented, documents are tabled, Ministers make statements, petitions are presented, bills are introduced and other routine business is transacted. 

Most days, the major part of the sitting is spent debating legislation proposed by the Government.  Time is also reserved to debate bills or motions proposed by those who are not in Cabinet, whether Senators or private Members. 

Question Period is often the highlight of the sitting day.  Ministers are held accountable for the activities of their departments and the policies of the Government. 

Order in the Chamber

To ensure the orderly flow of business, the Senate and the House of Commons observe certain parliamentary rules and traditions, both written and unwritten.  It is the Speaker’s duty to interpret these rules impartially, to maintain order, and to defend the rights and privileges of Parliament, Senators and Members, including the right to freedom of speech. 

At the beginning of each Parliament, following a general election, a Speaker is chosen to preside over each House.  The Speaker of the Senate is appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.  In the House of Commons, Members elect one of their number to be their Speaker. 

The Speaker sits on a raised chair at one end of the Chamber with the Government on the right and the Opposition on the left. 

Working for You

Together, Senators and Members of the House of Commons play an active role in the legislative process, contributing their ideas and energy to the creation of our laws.  For more than 130 years, Parliamentarians past and present have participated in the development of our democracy, shaping Canada’s destiny.