Parliament Malcolmson

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The Three Elements of Parliament
• Section 17, CA 1867
• There shall be One Parliament for Canada
  consisting of the Queen, an Upper House Styled
  the Senate, and the House of Commons.

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The Three Elements of Parliament
• Queen (Crown) Dignified
• Commons (Lower House) Efficient
• Senate (Upper House) Is the role for the
  Senate?

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The House of Commons
• Controls public purse
• Historical source of Commons power
• House grants supply
• Exercises legislative power
• ... at least formally
• Houses the Cabinet
• Offers or withholds confidence

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The House of Commons
• The primary purpose of the modern Parliament
  (i.e., Commons) is to make Cabinet accountable
  for its actions to the public (Malcolmson
  Myers, 2005 122).
• Perhaps, but House also
• Serves as a countrys chief representative arena

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Parliament
• Parliament has two meanings
• House of Commons Senate together
• Meeting of those chambers between elections

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Parliament
• 39 Canadian Parliaments since 1867
• Each session follows a set pattern
• Throne Speech
• Budget
• Prorogation
• Dissolution

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The Parliamentary Timetable
• Time is highly structured
• Every session has a detailed schedule
• Every day has a set order of business
• Order Paper

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Parliament
• Different times set aside to do different things
• Private Members Bills
• Motions or Resolutions
• Government Bills

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The Stages of a Bill
• First Reading Introduction
• Second Reading Principle
• Referral Report Amendments
• Third Reading Final Approval

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The Stages of a Bill
• Senate exactly the same steps, i.e.,
• First reading
• Second reading
• Third reading
• Royal Assent
• Proclamation

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• The Rules of the House
• Time is at a premium
• Question Period
• Opposition Days
• Divisions Closure (Time Allocation)

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Membership Officers of Parliament
• Members of Parliament (MPs)
• Government Members
• Ministry (Whips, Parliamentary Secretaries)
• Cabinet (Cabinet Ministers)
• Opposition Members
• Official (or Loyal) Opposition or Minor Parties
• Shadow Cabinet
• Officers
• Speaker of the House

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Backbenchers Party Discipline
• Are backbenchers trained seals?
• Arenas for representation
• Caucus
• Standing committees
• Private Members Bills

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Constant Calls to Reform the House of Commons
• Cure the democratic deficit
• Expand committee system
• Responsible Government?
• Relax discipline
• One, two, three-line whips
• Discipline or unity a false choice?

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7
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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Senate Reform?
• Should Senate be reformed?
• Provincial equality
• Abolition
• Elected senators
• Term limits

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Senate Reform?
• Abolish Senate, McGuinty suggests
• (Canadian Press 2/03/2006)
• Toronto Canada's Senate should be abolished
  because it doesn't adequately represent Ontario,
  the province's Premier said Thursday.

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Senate Reform?
• An elected Senate
• The question, I think, fairly presents itself
  whether two elective chambers , both representing
  the people and both claiming to have control over
  the public finances would act together with the
  harmony necessary to the right working of
  parliamentary government.

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Senate Reform?
• An elected Senate
• And there is still another objection to
  elective councillors. The expense of election
  is so great as to banish from the house all who
  are not able to pay very large sums of money for
  the possession of a seat. (George Brown)

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Parliament Malcolmson Myers, Ch. 7

• Senate Reform?
• Current Government Proposals
• S-4 An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867
  (Senate tenure)(Constitution Act, 2006 (Senate
  tenure))
• C-43 An Act to provide for consultations with
  electors on their preferences for appointments to
  the Senate