Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Assemblée législative de l'Ontario
43rd Parliament of Ontario
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
FoundedJuly 1, 1867 (1867-07-01)
Preceded byLegislative Assembly of the Province of Canada (pre-confederation)
Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada (pre-union)
Leadership
Edith Dumont
since November 14, 2023
Ted Arnott, PC
since July 11, 2018
Doug Ford, PC
since June 29, 2018
Marit Stiles, NDP
since February 4, 2023
Paul Calandra, PC
since June 20, 2019
John Vanthof, NDP
since February 3, 2021
Structure
Seats124
Political groups
His Majesty's Government

His Majesty's Loyal Opposition

Other parties

Vacant (2)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
June 2, 2022
Next election
2026
Meeting place
Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Website
www.ola.org

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; French: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Ontario to become law. Together, the Legislative Assembly and Lieutenant Governor make up the unicameral Legislature of Ontario or Parliament of Ontario. The assembly meets at the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in the provincial capital of Toronto.

Ontario uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government in which members are elected to the Legislative Assembly through general elections using a "first-past-the-post" system. The premier of Ontario (the province's head of government) holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the Legislative Assembly, typically sitting as an MPP themselves and lead the largest party or a coalition in the Legislative Assembly. The largest party not forming the government is known as the Official Opposition, its leader being recognized as leader of the Opposition.

The Ontario Legislature is sometimes referred to as the "Ontario Provincial Parliament". Members of the assembly refer to themselves as "Members of the Provincial Parliament" MPPs as opposed to "Members of the Legislative Assembly" (MLAs) as in many other provinces. Ontario is the only province to do so, in accordance with a resolution passed in the Assembly on April 7, 1938. However, the Legislative Assembly Act refers only to "members of the Assembly". The Legislative Assembly is the second largest Canadian provincial deliberative assembly by number of members after the National Assembly of Quebec.

The current assembly was elected on June 2, 2022, as part of the 43rd Parliament of Ontario.

Owing to the location of the Legislative Building on the grounds of Queen's Park, the metonym "Queen's Park" is often used to refer to both the provincial government and the Legislative Assembly.

Lawmaking

In accordance with the traditions of the Westminster system, most laws originate in the provincial cabinet (government bills) and are passed by the legislature after multiple rounds of debate and decision-making. Backbench legislators may introduce private legislation (private-member bills) or amend bills presented to the legislature by cabinet, playing an integral role in scrutinizing bills both at the debate as well as committee stages.

The southern facade of the Ontario Legislative Building, the meeting place for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

In the Ontario legislature, this confrontation provides much of the material for Oral Questions and Members' Statements. Legislative scrutiny of the executive is also at the heart of much of the work carried out by the Legislature's Standing Committees, which are made up of ordinary backbenchers.

A member's day will typically be divided among participating in the business of the House, attending caucus and committee meetings, speaking in various debates, or returning to his or her constituency to address the concerns, problems and grievances of constituents. Depending on personal inclination and political circumstances, some Members concentrate most of their attention on House matters while others focus on constituency problems, taking on something of an ombudsman's role in the process.

Finally, it is the task of the legislature to provide the personnel of the executive. As already noted, under responsible government, ministers of the Crown are expected to be Members of the Assembly. When a political party comes to power it will usually place its more experienced parliamentarians into the key cabinet positions, where their parliamentary experience may be the best preparation for the rough and tumble of political life in government.[citation needed]

History

Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario convene in 1871.

The Legislative Assembly was established by the British North America Act, 1867 (later re-titled Constitution Act, 1867), which dissolved the Province of Canada into two new provinces, with the portion then called Canada West becoming Ontario.

As such, the 1st Parliament of Ontario was one of the three legislative bodies succeeding the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada's 8th Parliament.

The first election in 1867 produced a tie between Conservatives led by John Sandfield Macdonald and the Liberals led by Archibald McKellar. Macdonald led a coalition government with the support of moderate Liberals. John Stevenson served as the first speaker for the assembly. Its first session ran from September 3, 1867, until February 25, 1871, just prior to the 1871 general election.

The Legislature has been unicameral since its inception, with the Assembly currently having 124 seats (increased from 107 as of the 42nd Ontario general election) representing electoral districts ("ridings") elected through a first-past-the-post electoral system across the province.

In 1938, the title of Member of the Legislative Assembly was officially changed to Member of Provincial Parliament. Previously, multiple terms were unofficially used in the media and in the Legislature.

Ontario uses the same boundaries as those at the federal level for its Legislative Assembly in Southern Ontario, while seats in Northern Ontario correspond to the federal districts that were in place before the 2004 adjustment. Ontario had separate provincial electoral districts prior to 1999.

Timeline of the 43rd Parliament of Ontario

The following notable events occurred during the 2022–present period:

Summary of seat changes

Changes in seats held (2022–present)
Seat Date Member Reason Previous Party Party After
Hamilton Centre August 15, 2022 Andrea Horwath Resigned from the legislature to run in the 2022 Hamilton municipal election.  New Democratic Vacant
Don Valley North March 10, 2023 Vincent Ke Resigned from caucus after allegations surfaced of involvement with Chinese government election interference.  PC  Independent
Hamilton Centre March 16, 2023 Sarah Jama Won by-election to replace Andrea Horwath. Vacant  New Democratic
Kanata—Carleton March 27, 2023 Merrilee Fullerton Resigned from the legislature for undisclosed reasons.  PC Vacant
Algoma—Manitoulin March 31, 2023 Michael Mantha Removed from caucus due to allegations involving workplace misconduct.  New Democratic  Independent
Scarborough—Guildwood May 10, 2023 Mitzie Hunter Resigned from the legislature to run in the 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election.  Liberal Vacant
Kitchener Centre July 13, 2023 Laura Mae Lindo Resigned from the legislature to take a teaching position at the University of Waterloo.  New Democratic Vacant
Kanata—Carleton July 27, 2023 Karen McCrimmon Won by-election to replace Merrilee Fullerton. Vacant  Liberal
Scarborough—Guildwood July 27, 2023 Andrea Hazell Won by-election to replace Mitzie Hunter. Vacant  Liberal
Mississauga East—Cooksville September 20, 2023 Kaleed Rasheed Resigned from caucus after contradictory claims were made regarding a Las Vegas business trip.  PC  Independent
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex October 6, 2023 Monte McNaughton Resigned from the legislature to pursue a career opportunity in the private sector.  PC Vacant
Hamilton Centre October 23, 2023 Sarah Jama Removed from caucus over controversial statements made regarding the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.  New Democratic  Independent
Kitchener Centre November 30, 2023 Aislinn Clancy Won by-election to replace Laura Mae Lindo. Vacant  Green
Milton January 25, 2024 Parm Gill Resigned from the legislature to run in a future federal election for the Conservative Party of Canada.  PC Vacant

Media

Regular Legislative Assembly proceedings are broadcast to subscribers of the Ontario Parliament Network in Ontario. A late-night rebroadcast of Question Period is also occasionally aired on TVO, the provincial public broadcaster.

Officers

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario, like the federal House of Commons, also includes procedural officers who administer the business of the legislature and impartially assist the Speaker and MPPs with their duties. These officers collectively make up the Office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Office of the Assembly consists of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker as well as the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Sergeant-at-Arms, executive director of Administrative Services, and executive director of Legislative Library, Research and Information Services. The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the chief permanent officer of the Legislative Assembly, with the rank and status of a Deputy Minister, responsible for administering the legislature and advising MPPs on questions of procedure or interpretation of the rules and practices of the House. The Sergeant-at-Arms keeps order during meetings in the legislature, is charged with control of the ceremonial mace in the legislature, and is responsible for security in the House and the Legislative Precinct.

Independent offices protecting certain public interests

Additional officers of the Legislative Assembly were created to protect certain public interests, these officers are appointed by unanimous votes of the legislature and report to the legislature through the Speaker rather than to the provincial government. These officers include the Auditor General, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Integrity Commissioner, Chief Electoral Officer, Ontario Ombudsman, and Poet Laureate of Ontario.

Symbols

Coat of arms

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the first and only legislature in Canada to have a coat of arms separate from the provincial arms. Green and gold are the principal colours, as in the coat of arms of Ontario. A mace is the traditional symbol of the authority of the Speaker. Shown on the left is the current mace, while on the right is the original mace from the time of the first parliament in 1792. The crossed maces are joined by the shield of arms of Ontario.

The coronet on the wreath represents national and provincial loyalties, while its rim is studded with the provincial gemstone, the amethyst. The griffin, an ancient symbol of justice and equity, holds a calumet, which symbolizes the meeting of spirit and discussion that Ontario's First Nations believe accompanies the use of the pipe.

The deer represent the natural riches of the province. The Loyalist coronets at their necks honour the original British settlers in Ontario who brought with them the British parliamentary form of government. The royal crowns (left 1992, right 1792) recognize the parliamentary bicentennial and represent Ontario's heritage as a constitutional monarchy. They were granted as a special honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of the Governor General.

In the base, the maple leaves are for Canada, the trilliums for Ontario and the roses for York (now Toronto), the provincial capital.

Mace

The first mace used by the Upper Canadian Legislature.

The ceremonial mace of the Legislature is the fourth mace to be used in Upper Canada or Ontario. It acts as a symbol, representing the authority of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to oversee the proceedings of the assembly.

The first mace was used by the Chamber of Upper Canada's first Parliament in 1792 at Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) and then moved to York (now Toronto). The primitive wooden mace was painted red and gilt, and surmounted by a crown of thin brass strips. It was stolen by American troops as a Prize of War in 1813 at the Battle of York during the War of 1812. The mace was subsequently stored at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It remained in the United States until 1934, when it was returned to Ontario after President Franklin Roosevelt sent an order to Congress to return the mace. It was initially kept at the Royal Ontario Museum for a time, and it is now located in the Main Lobby of the Ontario Legislative Building.

A second mace was introduced in 1813 and used until 1841.

The third mace was not purchased until 1845. In 1849, it was stolen by a riotous mob in Montreal, apparently intent upon destroying it in a public demonstration. However, it was rescued and returned to the Speaker, Sir Allan Macnab, the next day. Later, in 1854, the mace was twice rescued when the Parliament Buildings in Quebec were ravaged by fire. The mace continued to be used by the Union Parliament in Toronto and Quebec until Confederation in 1867, when it was taken to the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, where it remained in the House of Commons until 1916. When the Parliament Buildings were gutted by fire during that year, the mace could not be saved from Centre Block. All that remained was a tiny ball of silver and gold conglomerate.

The fourth, and current, mace used by the Legislature.

The current mace used in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario was acquired in 1867, after Confederation. It was provided by Charles E. Zollikofer of Ottawa for $200. The four-foot mace is made of copper and richly gilded, a flattened ball at the butt end. Initially, the head of the mace bore the crown of Queen Victoria and in a cup with her royal cypher, V.R. When she was succeeded by Edward VII in 1901, her crown and cup were removed and a new one bearing Edward's cypher on the cup was installed. Eventually, it was replaced with the current cup, which is adorned in gleaming brass leaves.

Through some careful detective work on the part of Legislative Assembly staff, the original cup with Queen Victoria's cypher was recently[when?] found in the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection and returned to the Legislature. It is now on display in the Ontario Legislative Building.

In 2009, two diamonds were installed in the mace. The diamonds were a gift to the people of Ontario from De Beers Canada to mark the opening of the Victor Mine near Attawapiskat in northern Ontario. Three diamonds were selected from the first run of the mine. Two stones, one rough and one polished, were set in platinum in the crown of the mace while the third stone, also polished, was put on exhibit in the lobby of the Legislative Building as part of a display about the history of the mace.

Party standings

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario occurred on June 2, 2022, as a result of which the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, led by Doug Ford, was re-elected as His Majesty's Government of Ontario.

Affiliation Party
leader
Status Seats
2022 election Current
Progressive Conservative Doug Ford Government 83 78
New Democratic Marit Stiles Official Opposition 31 28
Liberal Bonnie Crombie No party status 8 9
Green Mike Schreiner No party status 1 2
Independent N/A No party status 1 5
Total 124
Government Majority 42 38

Seating plan

The seating chamber for the Legislative Assembly features individual chairs and desks for its members.

The seating chamber is similar in layout to that of the British House of Commons and the original St. Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster. The Parliament of Ontario, however, may be easily distinguished from this model by its use of individual chairs and tables for members, absent in the British Commons' design.

The legislature's former host building and site, home to the Upper Canada and Union Houses, once boasted of a similar layout.

Last update: February 20, 2024

Vauge­ois Pasma Rako­cevic Wong-Tam Glover Bour­gouin West McCrim­mon Shamji Hsu Rasheed
Harden Stevens Gates Gretzky Andrew Kar­poche Bell Burch Vacant Vacant McMahon Hazell Mantha Ke
Shaw Taylor French Gélinas Kerna­ghan Fife Tabuns Arm­strong Sabawy Ghamari Wai L. Smith Bowman Collard Clancy Brady
Sattler Vanthof Stiles Begum Mamakwa Dave Smith Bouma Murphy Babikian Fraser Blais Schrei­ner Jama
Arnott
Dunlop Lecce Mul­roney Calandra Fedeli D. Ford S. Jones Bethlen­falvy Sar­karia Downey T. Smith Surma Rick­ford Kerzner G. Smith
T. Jones Leardi Romano McCar­thy R. Cho Khanjin Lumsden S. Cho Will­iams Parsa Tangri Thani­gasa­lam Piccini Thompson Pirie Flack M. Ford Tibollo
Pierre Hogarth Harris Scott Bailey Barnes Rae Trianta­filo­poulos Coe Martin Craw­ford Yaka­buski Kusen­dova-Bashta Saunder­son Dixon Clark MacLeod Harde­man
Sandhu Cuz­zetto Skelly Anand Byers Ooster­hoff Jordan Grewal Holland Pang Quinn Bresee Kana­pathi David Smith Riddell Sarra­zin Dowie McGregor

Note: Bold text designates the party leader.

Membership changes

Number of members
per party by date
2022 2023 2024
June 2 August 15 March 10 March 16 March 24 March 31 May 10 July 13 July 27 September 20 October 6 October 23 November 30 January 25
Progressive Conservative 83 82 81 80 79 78
New Democratic 31 30 31 30 29 28
Liberal 8 7 9
Green 1 2
Independent 1 2 3 4 5
Total members 124
Vacant 0 1 0 1 2 3 1 2 1 2

List of members

Name Party Electoral district First elected
  Patrice Barnes Progressive Conservative Ajax 2022
  Michael Mantha Independent Algoma—Manitoulin 2011
  Michael Parsa Progressive Conservative Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill 2018
  Andrea Khanjin Progressive Conservative Barrie—Innisfil 2018
  Doug Downey Progressive Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte 2018
  Todd Smith Progressive Conservative Bay of Quinte 2011
  Mary-Margaret McMahon Liberal Beaches—East York 2022
  Charmaine Williams Progressive Conservative Brampton Centre 2022
  Hardeep Grewal Progressive Conservative Brampton East 2022
  Graham McGregor Progressive Conservative Brampton North 2022
  Prabmeet Sarkaria Progressive Conservative Brampton South 2018
  Amarjot Sandhu Progressive Conservative Brampton West 2018
  Will Bouma Progressive Conservative Brantford—Brant 2018
  Rick Byers Progressive Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound 2022
  Natalie Pierre Progressive Conservative Burlington 2022
  Brian Riddell Progressive Conservative Cambridge 2022
  Goldie Ghamari Progressive Conservative Carleton 2018
  Trevor Jones Progressive Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington 2022
  Marit Stiles New Democratic Davenport 2018
  Adil Shamji Liberal Don Valley East 2022
  Vincent Ke Independent Don Valley North 2018
  Stephanie Bowman Liberal Don Valley West 2022
  Sylvia Jones Progressive Conservative Dufferin—Caledon 2007
  Todd McCarthy Progressive Conservative Durham 2022
  Robin Martin Progressive Conservative Eglinton—Lawrence 2018
  Rob Flack Progressive Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London 2022
  Anthony Leardi Progressive Conservative Essex 2022
  Kinga Surma Progressive Conservative Etobicoke Centre 2018
  Christine Hogarth Progressive Conservative Etobicoke—Lakeshore 2018
  Doug Ford Progressive Conservative Etobicoke North 2018
  Donna Skelly Progressive Conservative Flamborough—Glanbrook 2018
  Stéphane Sarrazin Progressive Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell 2022
  Mike Schreiner Green Guelph 2018
  Bobbi Ann Brady Independent Haldimand—Norfolk 2022
  Laurie Scott Progressive Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock 2003
  Andrea Horwath (until August 15, 2022) New Democratic Hamilton Centre 2004
  Sarah Jama (from March 16, 2023) Independent 2023
  Neil Lumsden Progressive Conservative Hamilton East—Stoney Creek 2022
  Monique Taylor New Democratic Hamilton Mountain 2011
  Sandy Shaw New Democratic Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas 2018
  Ric Bresee Progressive Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington 2022
  Tom Rakocevic New Democratic Humber River—Black Creek 2018
  Lisa Thompson Progressive Conservative Huron—Bruce 2011
  Merrilee Fullerton (until March 27, 2023) Progressive Conservative Kanata—Carleton 2018
  Karen McCrimmon (from July 27, 2023) Liberal 2023
  Greg Rickford Progressive Conservative Kenora—Rainy River 2018
  Sol Mamakwa New Democratic Kiiwetinoong 2018
  Stephen Lecce Progressive Conservative King—Vaughan 2018
  Ted Hsu Liberal Kingston and the Islands 2022
  Laura Mae Lindo (until July 13, 2023) New Democratic Kitchener Centre 2018
  Aislinn Clancy (from November 30, 2023) Green 2023
  Mike Harris Jr. Progressive Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga 2018
  Jess Dixon Progressive Conservative Kitchener South—Hespeler 2022
  Monte McNaughton (until October 6, 2023) Progressive Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex 2011
  John Jordan Progressive Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston 2022
  Steve Clark Progressive Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes 2010
  Teresa Armstrong New Democratic London—Fanshawe 2011
  Terence Kernaghan New Democratic London North Centre 2018
  Peggy Sattler New Democratic London West 2013
  Paul Calandra Progressive Conservative Markham—Stouffville 2018
  Logan Kanapathi Progressive Conservative Markham—Thornhill 2018
  Billy Pang Progressive Conservative Markham—Unionville 2018
  Parm Gill (until January 25, 2024) Progressive Conservative Milton 2018
  Natalia Kusendova-Bashta Progressive Conservative Mississauga Centre 2018
  Kaleed Rasheed Independent Mississauga East—Cooksville 2018
  Sheref Sabawy Progressive Conservative Mississauga—Erin Mills 2018
  Rudy Cuzzetto Progressive Conservative Mississauga—Lakeshore 2018
  Deepak Anand Progressive Conservative Mississauga—Malton 2018
  Nina Tangri Progressive Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville 2018
  Guy Bourgouin New Democratic Mushkegowuk—James Bay 2018
  Lisa MacLeod Progressive Conservative Nepean 2006
  Dawn Gallagher Murphy Progressive Conservative Newmarket—Aurora 2022
  Jeff Burch New Democratic Niagara Centre 2018
  Wayne Gates New Democratic Niagara Falls 2014
  Sam Oosterhoff Progressive Conservative Niagara West 2016
  France Gélinas New Democratic Nickel Belt 2007
  Vic Fedeli Progressive Conservative Nipissing 2011
  David Piccini Progressive Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South 2018
  Stephen Crawford Progressive Conservative Oakville 2018
  Effie Triantafilopoulos Progressive Conservative Oakville North—Burlington 2018
  Stephen Blais Liberal Orléans 2020
  Jennifer French New Democratic Oshawa 2014
  Joel Harden New Democratic Ottawa Centre 2018
  John Fraser Liberal Ottawa South 2013
  Lucille Collard Liberal Ottawa—Vanier 2020
  Chandra Pasma New Democratic Ottawa West—Nepean 2022
  Ernie Hardeman Progressive Conservative Oxford 1995
  Bhutila Karpoche New Democratic Parkdale—High Park 2018
  Graydon Smith Progressive Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka 2022
  Matthew Rae Progressive Conservative Perth—Wellington 2022
  Dave Smith Progressive Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha 2018
  Peter Bethlenfalvy Progressive Conservative Pickering—Uxbridge 2018
  John Yakabuski Progressive Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke 2003
  Daisy Wai Progressive Conservative Richmond Hill 2018
  Jennie Stevens New Democratic St. Catharines 2018
  Bob Bailey Progressive Conservative Sarnia—Lambton 2007
  Ross Romano Progressive Conservative Sault Ste. Marie 2017
  Aris Babikian Progressive Conservative Scarborough—Agincourt 2018
  David Smith Progressive Conservative Scarborough Centre 2022
  Mitzie Hunter (until May 10, 2023) Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood 2013
  Andrea Hazell (from July 27, 2023) Liberal 2023
  Raymond Cho Progressive Conservative Scarborough North 2016
  Vijay Thanigasalam Progressive Conservative Scarborough—Rouge Park 2018
  Doly Begum New Democratic Scarborough Southwest 2018
  Brian Saunderson Progressive Conservative Simcoe—Grey 2022
  Jill Dunlop Progressive Conservative Simcoe North 2018
  Chris Glover New Democratic Spadina—Fort York 2018
  Nolan Quinn Progressive Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry 2022
  Jamie West New Democratic Sudbury 2018
  Laura Smith Progressive Conservative Thornhill 2022
  Kevin Holland Progressive Conservative Thunder Bay—Atikokan 2022
  Lise Vaugeois New Democratic Thunder Bay—Superior North 2022
  John Vanthof New Democratic Timiskaming—Cochrane 2011
  George Pirie Progressive Conservative Timmins 2022
  Kristyn Wong-Tam New Democratic Toronto Centre 2022
  Peter Tabuns New Democratic Toronto—Danforth 2006
  Jill Andrew New Democratic Toronto—St. Paul's 2018
  Jessica Bell New Democratic University—Rosedale 2018
  Michael Tibollo Progressive Conservative Vaughan—Woodbridge 2018
  Catherine Fife New Democratic Waterloo 2012
  Ted Arnott Progressive Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills 1990
  Lorne Coe Progressive Conservative Whitby 2016
  Stan Cho Progressive Conservative Willowdale 2018
  Andrew Dowie Progressive Conservative Windsor—Tecumseh 2022
  Lisa Gretzky New Democratic Windsor West 2014
  Michael Kerzner Progressive Conservative York Centre 2022
  Caroline Mulroney Progressive Conservative York—Simcoe 2018
  Michael Ford Progressive Conservative York South—Weston 2022

Officeholders

Speaker

Leaders

Floor leaders

Whips

Front benches

Committees

There are two forms that committees can take. The first, standing committees, are struck for the duration of the Parliament pursuant to Standing Orders. The second, select committees, are struck usually by a Motion or an Order of the House to consider a specific bill or issue which would otherwise monopolize the time of the standing committees.

Standing committees

A committee which exists for the duration of a parliamentary session. This committee examines and reports on the general conduct of activities by government departments and agencies and reports on matters referred to it by the house, including proposed legislation.

Standing Committees in the current Parliament

Select committees

Select committees are set up specifically to study certain bills or issues and according to the Standing Orders, consists of not more than 11 members from all parties with representation reflecting the current standing in the house. In some cases, the committee must examine material by a specific date and then report its conclusion to the legislature. After its final report, the committee is dissolved.

Select Committees in the 39th Parliament

  • The Select Committee on Elections completed its work on June 30, 2009.
  • The Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions completed its work on August 26, 2010.
  • The Select Committee on the proposed transaction of the TMX Group and the London Stock Exchange Group completed its work on April 19, 2011.

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-07 05:56 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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