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Inside Canada's Parliament
Version française

  Welcome
  Preface
  Introduction
  The Foundations
  The Institutions
  The Work
  Continuing Traditions
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The Foundations


A Tree with Strong Roots
A British Model, a Canadian Constitution
The Building Blocks of Parliament


Discussion is a fundamental part of any democratic system.  As a nation, every day, we hear and present viewpoints, we struggle with issues, we reach agreement on actions, we share ideas and dreams — and we create the laws, policies and programs that are the framework for the national vision.

Parliament is a place of discussion and debate.  You can see it in Question Period, when Ministers are called to account for their actions and policies.  It’s there in caucus meetings when party members hammer out their position on issues that will determine the country’s future.  It’s there in committees, when members of industry or labour or any interest group speak out about the Government’s policies.  Such debate is the basis of democracy.

A Tree with Strong Roots

Like any institution, Parliament has its own distinct history.  When the Dominion of Canada was proclaimed on July 1, 1867, the various regions of the country already had a rich history rooted in representative traditions.  Even before the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences of 1864, when the resolutions that formed the basis for Confederation were framed, the people who had settled in what we now call Canada had been part of the gradual development of a parliamentary democracy.  Between 1758 and 1863, the colonies which would become some of Canada’s provinces — Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and British Columbia — all established elected assemblies, giving the people of each province a representative voice.  From 1848 onwards, the colonies developed “responsible government” — the assemblies had the capacity to make and unmake governments, and the governments were accountable to the whole elected assembly for their actions and decisions.

By 1864, many people in the British North American colonies were discussing the benefits of union.  They could do much together that they could not do separately — pooling their economic resources to overcome the challenges of a vast geography and working together to protect themselves against the economic and military dominance of the United States.  Their solution — Confederation — did much to respect the deep differences in economic interest, language, religion, law and education among the regions that came together in 1867. Confederation established the constitutional agreements and the Parliament we know today.

Canada’s system is a federation.  Legislative and governing powers are divided between the federal Government, responsible for matters of concern to all Canadians, and provincial legislatures, responsible for matters of more local interest.  Ottawa is the home of the country’s federal Parliament and the seat of its national government.

A British Model, a Canadian Constitution

Canada’s Parliament reaches back over 800 years to the foundations of British parlia-mentary tradition.  But Canada’s Constitution — the fundamental rules and values by which we govern ourselves — is distinctly our own.

The Canadian system of government, like the country it serves, has evolved over time. Moreover, Canada’s Constitution is made up of many documents and includes unwritten conventions, many of which have been established through parliamentary tradition.  In fact, 25 separate documents make up the Constitution. But the core of this collection is the Constitution Act, 1867, originally called the British North America Act.  This statute, along with the various amendments added to it, sets out the fundamental rules of the federal system, such as the powers and jurisdiction of Parliament and of the provincial legislatures.  It established Parliament, composed of the Queen, an appointed Senate and an elected House of Commons.  This 1867 statute did not provide for direct amendment in Canada.


Parliament Buildings viewed from the Ottawa River
Tom Littlemore

The Constitution Act, 1982, “brought the Constitution home” — detailing the processes by which future changes could be made to the Canadian Constitution without seeking an Act of the British Parliament.  It specifies that changes to the Constitution can only be made by particular amending processes, involving various combinations of Parliament and some or all of the provincial legislatures.  The Constitution Act, 1982, contains the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and includes a section recognizing the special place of Canada’s Aboriginal people within Confederation.

However, many basic features of Canada’s government have no mention in the written Constitution.  The Cabinet, political parties, the Prime Minister — these are household words in Canada, but they do not appear in any formal documents of the Constitution.  Essential elements of our system of governance are contained in other laws, such as the Parliament of Canada Act, and are reflected in Parliament’s practices and traditions.

The Building Blocks of Parliament

Three themes arise repeatedly in the events of Canada’s constitutional history, written and unwritten.  These are: representativeness, responsibility and accountability.  Respect for these ideas is a feature of any democracy, but the way they are given life in Canada’s Parliament gives us some of our distinguishing character.  They are the “pillars” that ensure thoughtful consideration of the issues that concern Canadians and promote sound decision-making.

Representing Canadians
The two Houses of Parliament — the Senate and the House of Commons — are each, in different ways, representative of Canadians.  All Members of the House of Commons are elected, chosen by the voters of their riding, or community, to represent them in the national legislature.  The appointed Senate provides a forum of representation which complements that of the House of Commons.  In addition to reflecting the principal of equal geographical regions of Canada, the Senate often advocates on behalf of minority interests.  Individual Canadians can also request that Parliament take action on a specific issue by submitting a petition for introduction by a Member of the Senate or House of Commons.

Responsible Government
“Responsible government” means that the executive branch — the Prime Minister and Cabinet — must have the support from the majority in the House of Commons to stay in power.  In the British tradition, the defeat of a bill involving a major policy issue or a tax or supply bill in the House of Commons is usually regarded as a “vote of non-confidence” in the Government.  Given the rigidity of party discipline, which discourages Members from voting against party policy, defeat in the House of Commons is unlikely unless the Government is in a minority position or loses the support of its own backbenchers.

Accountability
As in Great Britian, there are other features of Parliament that ensure the accountability of those in power.  Cabinet Ministers report to Parliament on the activities and programs of their federal departments and must defend their actions to members of the Opposition during Question Period.  In fact, the various activities in the daily life of Parliament and the dynamic inherent in Canada’s system of political parties are designed to ensure that the governing party is accountable for its policies, activities and programs.

Debating the Issues
Parliament serves as a debating chamber, allowing the free exchange and competition of ideas.  Through review and discussion, parliamentarians can ensure that the Government’s policies are continually challenged and tested, a process designed to help Members of Parliament identify the best possible course of action for the country.

Parliament also raises citizen awareness.  As a highly visible forum, it helps bring important issues to the attention of Canadians and equips them for performing their duties as informed electors.

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© Library of Parliament - November 2002