Parliament

This reference book is primarily a procedural work which examines the many forms, customs, and practices which have been developed and established for the House of Commons since Confederation in 1867. It provides a distinctive Canadian perspective in describing procedure in the House up to the end of the first session of the 36th Parliament in Sept. 1999. The material is presented with full commentary on the historical circumstances which have shaped the current approach to parliamentary business. Key Speaker's rulings and statements are also documented and the considerable body of practice, interpretation, and precedents unique to the Canadian House of Commons is amply illustrated. Chapters of the book cover the following: parliamentary institutions; parliaments and ministries; privileges and immunities; the House and its Members; parliamentary procedure; the physical & administrative setting; the Speaker & other presiding officers; the parliamentary cycle; sittings of the House; the daily program; oral & written questions; the process of debate; rules of order & decorum; the curtailment of debate; special debates; the legislative process; delegated legislation; financial procedures; committees of the whole House; committees; private Members' business; public petitions; private bills practice; and the parliamentary record. Includes index.

Written by expert insiders, How Parliament Works is a straightforward and readable analysis of one of the country's most complex – and often misunderstood – institutions. Covering every aspect of the work, membership and structures of both Houses, this key text provides a unique insight into the work and daily life of Parliament. It explains not only what happens but also why, and analyses the institution’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities for Parliament to be more effective. The seventh edition has been substantially revised to take account of recent changes in both Houses and to cover all the key issues affecting Parliament and politics, such as: • the Fixed Term Parliaments Act; • the implications of coalition politics; • recent developments in Lords reform; • the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's role in pay and expenses; • advances in scrutiny techniques; • changes in parliamentary cycles of business and finance; • member conduct and interests; • reform and modernisation. It also covers the latest developments in the legislative process, party discipline and rebellion, the procedure of both Houses, select committee work, and the relationship between Parliament and the European Union. All statistics and examples have been fully updated. How Parliament Works is essential reading for anyone who has anything to do with the Westminster Parliament: journalists, civil servants, lawyers, lobbyists, business and trade associations, diplomats, overseas parliaments and international bodies – and, indeed, members of both Houses.

Canada's machinery of government is out of joint. In Breaking the Bargain, Donald J. Savoie reveals how the traditional deal struck between politicians and career officials that underpins the workings of our national political and administrative process is today being challenged. He argues that the role of bureaucracy within the Canadian political machine has never been properly defined, that the relationship between elected and permanent government officials is increasingly problematic, and that the public service cannot function if it is expected to be both independent of, and subordinate to, elected officials. While the public service attempts to define its own political sphere, the House of Commons is also in flux: the prime minister and his close advisors wield ever more power, and cabinet no longer occupies the policy ground to which it is entitled. Ministers, who have traditionally been able to develop their own roles, have increasingly lost their autonomy. Federal departmental structures are crumbling, giving way to a new model that eschews boundaries in favour of sharing policy and program space with outsiders. The implications of this functional shift are profound, having a deep impact on how public policies are struck, how government operates, and, ultimately, the capacity for accountability.

Bridging Canadian party politics and legislative studies, Lost on Division is the most authoritative study available on the development of parliamentary institutions in Canada.

Global challenges such as war, climate change, poverty and inequality are overwhelming nation-states and today's international institutions. Achieving a world community that is peaceful, just and sustainable requires a democratic world parliament. This book describes the history, relevance and practical steps to implement this monumental project.

A Canadian architectural and cultural marvel, Canada's Parliament Building, or Centre Block, has been the focal point of Canadian parliamentary democracy for much of the past century. As the Parliament Building, with its iconic gothic revival Peace Tower, approaches its 100th anniversary, it will be closed for a decade or more for much-needed renovations. Although an entire generation will miss the opportunity to see this building's wonders, A Portrait of Canada's Parliament provides a permanent written and illustrated record of it at this watershed moment. With spectacular photographs by William McElligott and inspiring thematic articles by established professional subject specialists, this volume collectively paints a portrait of one of Canada's greatest symbols from its origins into the present and on to the plans for its future. The Parliament Building, which contains both the Senate and the House of Commons, is unveiled from various angles: the astonishing history, the visionary architects, the lofty aspirations, the democratic functions housed within, the urban features, the picturesque landscape, the powerful architecture, the engineering ingenuity, the decorations' symbolic meanings, the harsher memories, the evolution echoing a growing nation, and the challenges, opportunities, and technological innovations for the most ambitious architectural renovation in Canada's history - a revitalized Parliament Building fit for the twenty-first century and beyond. This portrait provides, for the first time, an intimate analysis of the character and spirit of Canada's Parliament, and how the building's design, contents, and setting have performed their role so successfully for successive generations of Canadians.