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Inside Canada's Parliament
Version française

  Welcome
  Preface
  Introduction
  The Foundations
  The Institutions
  The Work
  Continuing Traditions
  For more info.
  Print copy (pdf)

Continuing traditions


The ideals and activities of Canada’s Parliament have deep roots in history and tradition.  This heritage provides an invisible structure that guides the work of parliamentarians and gives them the ability to address issues of substance, to discuss and debate in a vigorous yet orderly fashion, and develop and adapt laws that keep pace with the needs of Canadians.  Many of Canada’s parliamentary traditions are based on the parliamentary precedents inherited from Great Britain.  For example:
  • At the beginning of a new Parliament, the Commons’ Speaker enters the Senate Chamber and requests confirmation of the rights and privileges of the House of Commons on the Members’ behalf.  In Canada, these rights and privileges are confirmed in the Constitution Act, 1867.  This tradition began in England in 1397 and was common practice by the 16th century when opposition by the Commons to the Crown was a potentially dangerous business.
  • The Queen, or her designate, takes her place in the Senate Chamber but refrains from entering the House of Commons — a British tradition rooted in the Commons’ response to an outrage committed by Charles I.
  • As a symbolic protection of the power of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Sergeant-at-Arms leads the Speaker’s Parade carrying the Mace to open the day’s sitting.  The Mace represents the authority given by the King or Queen to the House of Commons to meet and decide on the laws of the country.  The House of Commons cannot hold proceedings without the Mace.  When the House is sitting and the Speaker is in the Chair, the Mace lies in brackets on the Clerk’s Table with the crown pointing to the Government, on the Speaker’s right.  In the Senate, the Mace bearer places the Mace on the Clerk’s Table with the crown facing the Throne.
  • The Usher of the Black Rod knocks on the Chamber’s centre door to command the members of the House of Commons to the Senate for ceremonies such as the Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne and Royal Assent.
  • Tax or supply bills are tied with a green ribbon (symbolizing the House of Commons) to differentiate them from other bills, which are bound with a red ribbon.

Keeping Traditions Up-to-Date

Much of the modernization of Parliament ensures that the system continues to fulfill its role in the face of a changing economic, social, technological and cultural climate.  From modernizing its buildings, to redefining how the Speaker of the House of Commons is chosen — Parliament’s traditions are constantly being adapted to keep the parliamentary system alive, vital and responsive to the evolution of society.  Here are some of Parliament’s “modern traditions”:

  • Simultaneous interpretation services are provided in the Senate and the House of Commons, giving parliamentarians and members of the public immediate access to proceedings in either English or French.
  • Since October 17, 1977, the House of Commons has been televised live, making Canada the first country to broadcast the complete proceedings of its national legislature.  A 1994 agreement with CPAC (Cable Public Affairs Channel) provides for the satellite distribution of all parliamentary proceedings.  Senate committees are now televised regularly on CPAC as well.
  • In 1994, a 20-year project was initiated to renovate the Parliament Buildings.  The comprehensive program is designed to preserve the heritage buildings for future generations, incorporate new technologies, increase public access to Parliament, ensure the health and safety of users and provide quality space to meet requirements for the 21st century.
  • In 1995, the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons officially launched the Parliamentary Internet, an award-winning World Wide Web site offering Canadians and the world information on the institutions of Parliament and their history, debates and committee evidence, and other parliamentary publications.
  • Hansard, the written record of parliamentary debates in the Senate and the House of Commons, is published overnight in both English and French and available on the Internet through the Parliamentary Internet site at http://www.parl.gc.ca.
  • Video teleconferencing of committee meetings has been on the rise since 1994, allowing parliamentarians to receive the testimony of witnesses from across the country or around the world — rapidly and conveniently, saving travel costs.
  • Since the mid-1980s, key reforms have been made to the operations of the House of Commons, including:
    • giving committees an expanded mandate and greater independence
    • expanding the role of private members of the House of Commons
    • electing the Speaker of the House of Commons by secret ballot

Canada's Parliament continues to meet the changing needs of Canadians and parliamentarians. In a democratic system, there is a spirit of openness about how Parliament works, and the tools and information available to parliamentarians will likely become increasingly sophisticated - promoting greater efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness among parliamentarians and the organizations supporting their work.

In the words of the Honourable Eugene Forsey, 1904-1991:

"… government is our creature. We make it, we are ultimately responsible for it, and, taking the broad view, in Canada we have considerable reason to be proud of it. Pride, however, like patriotism, can never be a static thing; there are always new problems posing new challenges. The closer we are to government, and the more we know about it, the more we can do to help meet these challenges." (How Canadians Govern Themselves, 4th Edition, 1997)

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© Library of Parliament - November 2002