40th Canadian Parliament: Difference between revisions
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* Opposition Whip in the Senate: [[Jim Munson]] |
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* Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate: [[Elizabeth Hubley]] |
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* Whips hurt real bad. |
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'''House of Commons''' |
'''House of Commons''' |
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Revision as of 21:14, 15 November 2010
| 40th Legislature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| minority parliament | |||
| 18 November 2008 – present | |||
| Parliament leaders | |||
| First Minister | Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper Feb 6, 2006 – present | ||
| Cabinet | 28th | ||
| Leader of the Opposition | Hon. Stéphane Dion Dec 2, 2006 – Dec 10, 2008 | ||
| Hon. Michael Ignatieff Dec 10, 2008 – present | |||
| Party caucuses | |||
| Government | Conservative Party of Canada | ||
| Opposition | Liberal Party of Canada | ||
| Recognized | Bloc Québécois | ||
| New Democratic Party | |||
| Lower House | |||
 Seating arrangements of the Lower House | |||
| Speaker of the Lower House | Hon. Peter Milliken January 29, 2001–present | ||
| Government House Leader | Hon. Jay Hill Oct 3, 2008 – Aug 6, 2010 | ||
| Hon. John Baird Aug 6, 2010 – present | |||
| Opposition House Leader | Hon. Ralph Goodale Feb 10, 2006 – Sep 10, 2010 | ||
| David McGuinty Sep 10, 2010 – present | |||
| Members | 303 of 308 seats | ||
| Senate | |||
 Seating arrangements of the Senate | |||
| Speaker of the Senate | Hon. Noël A. Kinsella Feb 8, 2006 – present | ||
| Government Senate Leader | Hon. Marjory LeBreton Feb 6, 2006 – present | ||
| Opposition Senate Leader | Hon. Jim Cowan Nov 3, 2008 – present | ||
| Counsellors | 105 of 105 counsellor seats | ||
| Sessions | |||
| 1st session November 18, 2008 – December 4, 2008 | |||
| 2nd session January 26, 2009 – December 30, 2009 | |||
| 3rd session March 3, 2010 – present | |||
| |||
The 40th Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons determined by the results of the 2008 federal election held on October 14, 2008, and it opened on November 18, 2008. It was then prorogued by the Governor General on December 4, 2008, on the request of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the face of a likely non-confidence motion and a coalition agreement between the NDP and the Liberal Party of Canada with the support of the Bloc Québécois (see 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute). Of the 308 MPs elected at the October 14, 2008, general election, 64 are new to Parliament and three of those sat in previous Parliaments other than the 39th: John Duncan, Jack Harris and Roger Pomerleau. And as of July 5, 2010, the 40th Parliament represents the longest running series of minority governments in Canadian History.
There have been three sessions of the 40th Parliament so far.
Party standings
Template:40th Canadian Parliament standings
Resignations and by-elections
NDP MP Dawn Black resigned her seat of New Westminster—Coquitlam effective April 13, 2009, to run (successfully) in the provincial riding of New Westminster in the 2009 British Columbia general election.[1] The NDP's Fin Donnelly won the seat left vacant by Black in a by-election on November 9, 2009.[2]
Independent MP Bill Casey resigned his seat of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley effective April 30, 2009, to accept a job as the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs' senior representative in Ottawa. He was a former Conservative who voted against the 2007 budget, claiming that it broke the Atlantic Accord with his province and Newfoundland and Labrador, and was subsequently expelled from the Conservative caucus.[3] Scott Armstrong, the Conservative candidate, won the by-election for this seat on November 9, 2009.[2]
Bloc Québécois MP Paul Crête resigned his seat of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup on May 21, 2009, to run in a provincial by-election in Rivière-du-Loup. Conservative Bernard Généreux won the November 9, 2009 by-election for this seat.[2]
Bloc Québécois MP Réal Ménard resigned his seat of Hochelaga on September 16, 2009, to run in Montreal's municipal elections.[4] On November 9, 2009, Daniel Paillé won this seat for the Bloc in a by-election.[2]
New Democratic Party MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis resigned from the House effective April 30, 2010.[5] The by-election to replace her has been scheduled for November 29, 2010.
Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua resigned from the House effective August 25, 2010. A by-election has been scheduled for November 29, 2010.[6]
Conservative MP Inky Mark resigned from the House effective September 15, 2010. A by-election has been scheduled for November 29, 2010. [7]
Bloc Quebecois MP Jean-Yves Roy resigned from the House effective October 22, 2010. A by-election has not been scheduled. [8]
Conservative MP Jay Hill resigned from the House effective October 25, 2010. A by-election has not been scheduled. [9]
1st session and prorogation
The first session of the 40th parliament opened on November 18, 2008, after Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives won a slightly stronger minority government in the 2008 election. With a new government in session, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled a fiscal update nine days later. Among other things, the update cut government spending, suspended the ability of civil servants to strike, sold off some Crown assets, and eliminated existing political party subsidies. This fiscal update was rejected by the opposition, and became a catalyst for talks of a coalition government. Stéphane Dion of the Liberal Party and Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party, signed an accord stating that in the event that the government lost the confidence of the house, they would form a coalition with the support of Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc Québécois, if asked to do so by the Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean. However, Stephen Harper delayed the vote of non-confidence scheduled for December 1, and the Governor General prorogued parliament on Harper's advice on December 4, 2008, until January 26, 2009.
Aftermath
After prorogation, calls came from within the Liberal Party for Dion to resign immediately. Dion initially scheduled his resignation for the party's leadership convention in May 2009, but on December 8, 2008, he announced that he would step down upon the selection of his successor. After the withdrawal of Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc from the leadership race, Michael Ignatieff became the only leadership candidate, and therefore was appointed interim leader of the Liberals and the opposition on December 10, 2008.
2nd Session
The Harper government recalled Parliament on January 26, 2009. Its first business in the new session (after the Throne Speech) was to present the federal budget, which included a large deficit. After negotiations with new Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff, the government promised to present regular updates on the stimulus budget, and the Liberals and Conservatives joined to pass the budget and keep the Conservative government in power.
The Conservative government made crime a major focus of the session. The Conservatives reintroduced their former mandatory minimums bill, known as Bill C-15.[10]
Second prorogation
Media related to Protests against the prorogation of the 40th Parliament at Wikimedia Commons
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On December 30, 2009, Prime Minister Harper announced that he will be proroguing parliament during the 2010 Winter Olympics until March 3, 2010. He telephoned Governor General Michaëlle Jean to, once again, ask her permission to end the parliamentary session. Jean signed the proclamation later that day, granting his request, thus choosing to prorogue Parliament for the second time in her role as Governor General.[11][12] According to Prime Minister Harper's spokesman, he sought his second prorogation to consult with Canadians about the economy.[11] "The move triggered immediate condemnation from opposition MPs who labelled the Conservative government's move an 'almost despotic' attempt to muzzle parliamentarians amid controversy over the Afghan detainees affair."[11] In an interview with CBC News, Prince Edward Island Liberal member of parliament Wayne Easter accused the Prime Minister of "shutting democracy down".[13][14] The second prorogation in a year also received some international criticism as being not very democratic.[15]
Protests
Demonstrations took place on January 23, 2010, in over 60 Canadian cities, and at least four cities in other countries. The protests attracted thousands of participants, many who had joined a group on Facebook.[16][17]
Senate appointments
The Senate of Canada has seen new members appointed in blocs of 18, 9, and 5; all were appointed to the Conservative caucus. The balance of power shifted for the first time on August 27, 2009, when the Liberal caucus was reduced to holding a plurality of 52 seat. On January 29, 2010, the balance shifted again as five vacancies were filled by appointed Conservatives, giving them a plurality of 51, with the Liberals holding the next-highest number of seats at 49.
Honorary Senators
The Senate of Canada posthumously awarded the title of Honorary Senator during the 40th Parliament to five pioneering women known as The Famous Five.[18]
| Emily Murphy |
| Henrietta Muir Edwards |
| Nellie McClung |
| Irene Parlby |
| Louise McKinney |
Members
- For full lists of members of the 40th Parliament of Canada, see List of House members of the 40th Parliament of Canada and List of senators in the 40th Parliament of Canada.
Officeholders
Speakers
- Speaker of the Canadian Senate: Noël Kinsella, Conservative Senator for New Brunswick.
- Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons: Peter Milliken, the Liberal member for Kingston and the Islands.
Other Chair occupants
Senate
- Speaker pro tempore of the Canadian Senate: Donald H. Oliver, Conservative Senator for Nova Scotia
- Deputy Speaker: Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Liberal Senator from New Brunswick
House of Commons
- House of Commons Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole: Andrew Scheer, Conservative member for Regina—Qu'Appelle
- Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole: Denise Savoie, NDP member for Victoria
- Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole: Barry Devolin, Conservative member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
Floor leaders
Senate
- Leader of the Government in the Senate: Hon. Marjory LeBreton
- Leader of the Opposition in the Senate: Jim Cowan
House of Commons
- Government House Leader:
- Hon. Jay Hill (until Aug 6, 2010)
- Hon. John Baird (from Aug 6, 2010)
- Opposition House Leader:
- Hon. Ralph Goodale (until Sept 9, 2010)
- David McGuinty (from Sept 8, 2010)
- Bloc Québécois House Leader: Pierre Paquette
- New Democratic Party House Leader: Libby Davies
Whips
Senate
- Government Whip in the Senate: Consiglio Di Nino
- Deputy Government Whip in the Senate: Stephen Greene
- Opposition Whip in the Senate: Jim Munson
- Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate: Elizabeth Hubley
- Whips hurt real bad.
House of Commons
- Chief Government Whip: Hon. Gordon O'Connor
- Deputy Government Whip: Harold Albrecht
- Official Opposition Whip:
- Rodger Cuzner (until Sept 10, 2010)
- Marcel Proulx (from Sept 10, 2010)
- Bloc Québécois Whip:
- Michel Guimond (until June 22, 2010)
- Claude DeBellefeuille (from June 23, 2010)
- New Democratic Party Whip: Yvon Godin
Shadow cabinets
- Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Parliament of Canada
- Bloc Québécois Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Parliament of Canada
- New Democratic Party Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Parliament of Canada
References
- ^ "NDP MP to seek provincial seat in B.C.". cbc.ca, March 7, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Conservatives win 2 byelections, 1 at Bloc's expense". cbc.ca, November 10, 2009.
- ^ Tory MP ejected from caucus after budget vote, CBC.ca, June 5, 2007.
- ^ "Bloc MP runs for municipal politics". CTV News, June 25, 2009.
- ^ "NDP’s Judy Wasylycia-Leis calls it quits". The Globe and Mail, April 27, 2010.
- ^ Maurizio Bevilacqua moves closer to Vaughan mayor’s seat. The National Post, August 25, 2010.
- ^ "Inky hopes to make a Mark as mayor again". "Winnipeg Free Press", August 17, 2010.
- ^ "Jean-Yves Roy quitte la politique". "Radio-Canada", October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Hill set to resign on Oct. 25: CP". "Prince George Citizen", October 4, 2010.
- ^ http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Docid=3703962&file=4
- ^ a b c CBC News (December 31, 2009). "PM shuts down Parliament until March". CBC. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Richard J. Brennan (January 2, 2010). "Critics say anger is growing over PM's 'imperial' style". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- ^ POV, CBC News (December 30, 2009). "Parliament prorogued: Necessary move or undemocratic?". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 1, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ News, CBC (December 31, 2009). "PM 'shutting democracy down', says Easter". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ The Economist, January 7, 2010
- ^ News, CBC (January 23, 2010). "Thousands protest Parliament's suspension". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Delacourt, Susan (January 5, 2010). "Grassroots fury greets shuttered Parliament". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "'Famous 5' named honorary senators". CBC News. October 10, 2009.