The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008.
The membership was set by the
2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections.
The Parliament was dissolved on September 7, 2008, with an
election to determine the membership of the 40th Parliament occurring on October 14, 2008.
There were two
sessions of the 39th Parliament:
Overview
The 39th Parliament was the longest minority government led by any federal government excepting Mackenzie King's Liberal Party government in the
14th Parliament, which fluctuated between majority and minority status. No other Conservative minority had previously lasted a full year, and only Lester B. Pearson's governments had lasted more than two.
The 39th Parliament was controlled by a
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
minority, led by
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...
and the
28th Canadian Ministry, which assumed power on February 6, 2006.
The
Official Opposition was the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
, led first by interim leader
Bill Graham, and then by
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion (born 28 September 1955) is a Canadian diplomat, academic and former politician who has been the Canadian ambassador to France and Monaco since 2022 and special envoy to the European Union since 2017. Dion was Leader of ...
for the remainder of the Parliament's life.
The
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
was Liberal
Peter Milliken
Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken (born November 12, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until his retirement in 2011 and served as Speaker of the House for 10 years beginning in 20 ...
. Milliken was re-elected as the Speaker of the House for the 39th Parliament on April 3, 2006. The Speaker only votes in a tie, and, as Milliken is a Liberal, the Liberal caucus was effectively reduced by one.
This, along with the defection of
Wajid Khan to the Conservatives enabled the Conservatives to pass legislation with the cooperation of any one of the three
opposition parties
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...
:
Liberals,
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , "Québécois people, Quebecer Voting bloc, Bloc") is a list of federal political parties in Canada, federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty movement, Que ...
, or
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
(NDP).
The party standings as of the election and as of dissolution on September 7, 2008, are on the table below. Between these events, five members of the House of Commons
crossed the floor
Crossed may refer to:
* ''Crossed'' (comics), a 2008 comic book series by Garth Ennis
* ''Crossed'' (novel), a 2010 young adult novel by Ally Condie
* "Crossed" (''The Walking Dead''), an episode of the television series ''The Walking Dead''
S ...
, one died, twelve resigned, and nine members were elected in by-elections to fill vacancies, leaving four vacancies at dissolution. In that same period, two senators died, six reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, four resigned, and two were appointed to fill vacancies, leaving fifteen vacancies at dissolution. Step-by-step changes are listed in the
Members
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
section. See
List of Canadian federal electoral districts
This is a list of Canada's 338 federal electoral districts (commonly referred to as '' ridings'' in Canadian English) as defined by the ''2013 Representation Order''.
Canadian federal electoral districts are constituencies that elect member ...
for a list of the ridings in this parliament.
The Parliament was dissolved by Governor General Michaëlle Jean on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on September 7, 2008. The general election for the members of the 40th Parliament of Canada was held on October 14, 2008.
¹Members of the Canadian Senate are appointed by the
governor general
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
on the advice of the
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
and remain as senators until the age of 75, even if the House of Commons has been dissolved or an election has been called.
²
Lillian Dyck
Lillian Eva Quan Dyck, (born August 24, 1945) is a retired Canadian senator from Saskatchewan. A member of the Cree Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, and a first generation Chinese Canadian, she is the first female First Nations senator an ...
was officially designated as affiliated with the
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
, despite the fact that the party would not accept her affiliation (due to the party's position on the Senate). Her official affiliation did not change until October 31, 2006.
³
André Arthur
André Arthur (December 21, 1943 – May 8, 2022) was a Canadian radio host and politician. He was the independent Member of Parliament for the riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier from 2006 to 2011. He is known for his outspoken style and anti-s ...
,
Louise Thibault,
Bill Casey
William D. Casey (born February 19, 1945) is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada. First elected as a Progressive Conservative in 1988, he later sat as Conservative ...
.
4 Blair Wilson as a member of Green Party.
Major events
Floor-crossing
Five members of parliament
crossed the floor
Crossed may refer to:
* ''Crossed'' (comics), a 2008 comic book series by Garth Ennis
* ''Crossed'' (novel), a 2010 young adult novel by Ally Condie
* "Crossed" (''The Walking Dead''), an episode of the television series ''The Walking Dead''
S ...
since the election on January 23, 2006:
On February 6, 2006,
David Emerson
David Lee Emerson, (born September 17, 1945) is a Canadian politician, financial executive, and economist. He was formerly the Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minist ...
, elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for
Vancouver Kingsway
Vancouver Kingsway is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1953 to 1988 and since 1997. It is located in Vancouver.
Demographics
This riding's population is ...
, crossed the floor to join Stephen Harper's cabinet as
Minister of International Trade.
On January 5, 2007,
Wajid Khan, elected as the Liberal MP for
Mississauga—Streetsville
Mississauga—Streetsville is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. This riding is centred on the villages of Streetsville and Meadowvale.
Mississauga—Stre ...
, crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party.
On February 6, 2007,
Garth Turner
John Garth Turner (born March 14, 1949) is a Canadian business journalist, best-selling author, entrepreneur, broadcaster, financial advisor, and politician, twice elected as a Member of the House of Commons, former Minister of National Revenue ...
, elected as a Conservative MP for
Halton, moved to the Liberal caucus. He had been sitting as an Independent since being suspended from the Tory caucus on October 18, 2006.
On June 26, 2007,
Joe Comuzzi
Joseph Robert Comuzzi, (April 5, 1933 – December 31, 2021) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Paul Martin. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1988 to 2008, representing Thund ...
, elected as a Liberal MP for
Thunder Bay—Superior North
Thunder Bay—Superior North (french: Thunder Bay—Supérieur-Nord; formerly known as Thunder Bay—Nipigon) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1976.
It is i ...
, moved to the Conservative caucus. He had been sitting as an Independent since being suspended from the Liberal caucus on March 21, 2007.
On August 30, 2008,
Blair Wilson elected as a Liberal MP for
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country (formerly West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast) is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997.
Geography
The ...
, moved to the Green caucus. He had been sitting as an Independent since he resigned from the Liberal caucus on October 28, 2007.
Liberal leadership
During the election campaign, the Liberal leader was then-
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
The son o ...
. After the election results were announced, Martin announced his intention to resign, but did not indicate when, other than saying he would not lead the party into the next election. On February 1, 2006, the Liberal Party Caucus chose
Bill Graham as
parliamentary leader
A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are the ...
, meaning he served as
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
until the election of
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion (born 28 September 1955) is a Canadian diplomat, academic and former politician who has been the Canadian ambassador to France and Monaco since 2022 and special envoy to the European Union since 2017. Dion was Leader of ...
as Liberal leader at the Liberal Party leadership convention, held December 2–3, 2006.
On March 18, 2006 Martin tendered his resignation as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Five priorities
![Harper,-Stephen-Jan-23-06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Harper%2C-Stephen-Jan-23-06.jpg)
Prime Minister Harper said he would move forward with his top five priorities from the campaign. At least four of these would require legislative action: the passage of a ''
Federal Accountability Act'' in response to the
sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, AdScam or Sponsorgate, was a scandal in Canada that came as a result of a federal government " sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006.
...
; setting longer
mandatory sentences; lowering the
Goods & Services Tax to 6% (and eventually to 5%); giving $1,200 for parents per child under the age of 6; and negotiating with the provinces to shorten wait-times (this priority was replaced, post-election, with combating crime by creating more police officers). The child allowance and first GST were in place by July 1, 2006. On December 6, 2006, another issue many expected to arise in the first session of parliament did, in fact, come to the fore, when the government introduced a motion calling "on the government to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages." The next day, the House defeated the motion by a vote of 175 to 123, with six cabinet ministers voting against it, and Harper declared the issue settled. (See
Members of the 39th Canadian Parliament and same-sex marriage
This article lists the members of the 39th Parliament of Canada and their voting records in regards to the ''Civil Marriage Act''. Bill C-38 amended the ''Marriage Act'' of Canada to recognize same-sex marriage. The 39th Canadian parliament, 39th ...
for more information.) and on January 1, 2008 the second GST reduction came into effect. The Federal Accountability Act received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006
Resignations and by-elections
On September 20, 2006 Liberal MP
Joe Fontana
Joseph Frank Fontana (born January 13, 1950) is an Italian-born Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1987 to 2006, and mayor of London, Ontario from 2010 until his 2014 convictions for fraud and ...
(
London North Centre
London North Centre (french: London-Centre-Nord; formerly known as London—Adelaide) is a federal electoral district in the city of London in the province of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 19 ...
) resigned to run in the London mayoralty election. Fontana was replaced in the riding by Liberal
Glen Pearson after a by-election on November 27, 2006.
Liberal MP
Jean Lapierre
Jean-Charles Lapierre (May 7, 1956 – March 29, 2016) was a Canadian politician and television and radio broadcaster.
After retiring from the government in 2007, he served as a political analyst in a variety of venues.
He was Paul Martin's Qu ...
declared on January 11, 2007 that he would resign from the Liberal Party at the end of the month to pursue a career in television. This took place on January 28, leaving the
Outremont
Outremont is an affluent residential borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It consists entirely of the former city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec. The neighbourhood is inhabited largely by fran ...
district vacant. On July 28, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called by-elections for this and two other Quebec ridings, which were held on September 17, 2007. Newcomer NDP candidate
Thomas Mulcair
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
Thomas is a male given name of Aramaic origins. The English spelling "Thomas" is a transliteration; through Latin "Thomas", of the approximate Greek translite ...
won this riding over star Liberal candidate Jocelyn Coulon, only the second-ever time Outremont has not been won by a Liberal candidate. Mulcair was previously a Provincial Liberal Cabinet Minister in Quebec.
On February 21, 2007,
Yvan Loubier
Yvan Loubier (born April 10, 1959 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian politician and one of the founders of the Bloc Québécois. He was a Bloc Québécois member of the House of Commons of Canada representing the district of Saint-Hyacinthe—B ...
(representing
Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot
Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot (formerly known as Saint-Hyacinthe and St. Hyacinthe—Bagot) is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1935. It is located in Quebec, Canada. Its population in 2006 ...
for the
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , "Québécois people, Quebecer Voting bloc, Bloc") is a list of federal political parties in Canada, federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty movement, Que ...
) resigned in order to run in the
2007 Quebec general election
The 2007 Quebec general election was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Premier Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but ...
. Loubier was replaced in a by-election on September 17, 2007, by newcomer Bloc candidate
Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac
Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac (born February 6, 1972) is a former Canadian politician. She served as a member of Parliament for the Bloc Québécois in the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot from 2007 to 2011. She was the first Vietnamese Canadian ev ...
.
One day later, on February 22, veteran Liberal MP and former
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...
interim leader
Bill Graham announced that he would not seek reelection in the
next federal election. On June 19, 2007, Graham announced he would be resigning his
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre (french: Toronto-Centre) is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto (1872–1903) ...
seat effective July 2, 2007, to allow former
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Ontario; abbr. ONDP or NDP) is a social-democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Ontario following th ...
Premier and Liberal Party leadership candidate
Bob Rae to run in the riding. Rae went on to win the Liberal stronghold riding in a March 17, 2008 byelection.
On March 8, 2007, Liberal MP
Jim Peterson
James Scott Peterson (born July 30, 1941) is a retired Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1980 to 1984 and again from 1988 to 2007 who represented the northern Toronto riding of Willowdale. He ...
announced that he would not be a candidate in his
Willowdale riding in the next federal election. On June 20, 2007, Peterson followed Bill Graham's lead and announced his resignation from the House of Commons, effective July 12. Both Bill Graham and Jim Peterson resigned their seats early in the hope that Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...
would be compelled to add those vacant seats to the scheduled September 17, 2007 by-elections in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. On July 23, the Tory government announced that it would delay the Ontario by-elections so as not to overlap with the impending
2007 Ontario general election scheduled for October 10, 2007. When the by-election was eventually held in the riding on March 17, 2008, appointed former Liberal Party leadership candidate
Martha Hall Findlay
Martha Hall Findlay (born August 17, 1959) is a Canadian businesswoman, entrepreneur, lawyer and politician who previously served as the president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation, a Calgary-based think tank, and is now senior vice-preside ...
won handily.
Also in March 2007, Bloc Québécois MP and former BQ House Leader
Michel Gauthier
Michel Gauthier (; February 18, 1950 – May 30, 2020) was a Canadian politician, who served as leader of the Bloc Québécois from 1996 to 1997. As the party was the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada, Gauthier was also the ...
announced that he would not run in the next federal election. He resigned his seat of
Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean (formerly known as Roberval) was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1949 until 2015.
The riding was created in 1947 from parts of Lake St-John—Ro ...
on July 29, 2007. Gauthier was replaced in a by-election on September 17, 2007, by newcomer Conservative candidate and former Roberval mayor
Denis Lebel
Denis Lebel (born May 26, 1954) is a Canadian politician and who served as mayor of Roberval, Quebec and deputy leader of the Official Opposition. Lebel was born in Roberval, Quebec.
Political career
Lebel was elected to the House of Commo ...
.
On July 5, 2007, Liberal MP
Stephen Owen announced he would resign his seat of
Vancouver Quadra
Vancouver Quadra is a federal electoral district in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. It has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1949. The constituency bears the name of the Spanish explorer who surveye ...
to accept a position at the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
, his resignation effective July 27, 2007. Owen was replaced in the riding by former BC Provincial Liberal MLA
Joyce Murray
Joyce Murray (born July 11, 1954) is a Canadian politician, businesswoman and environmental advocate. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, she has represented the riding of Vancouver Quadra in the House of Commons since 2008. She was re-e ...
, after a by-election on March 17, 2008.
On July 11, 2007, Liberal MP
Gary Merasty
Gary Merasty (born September 22, 1964 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician and former Liberal Member of Parliament for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan. A former two-time Grand Chief of the Prince Al ...
announced he would resign his
Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River
Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River (french: Desnethé—Missinippi—Rivière Churchill; formerly known as Churchill River) is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canad ...
seat, due to "family considerations", effective August 31, 2007. Merasty was replaced in the riding by Conservative newcomer
Rob Clarke
Robert G. Clarke (born March 2, 1967) is a politician and career Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. He was the Conservative Party of Canada's candidate in Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River for the March 17, 2008 federal by-election ...
, after a by-election on March 17, 2008.
On December 12, 2007, Liberal MP
Lucienne Robillard
Lucienne Robillard (born June 16, 1945) is a Canadian politician and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. She sat in the House of Commons of Canada as the member of Parliament for the riding of Westmount—Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec.
...
announced she would resign her seat of
Westmount-Ville-Marie effective January 25, 2008.
On March 14, 2008 Bloc MP
Maka Kotto
Maka Kotto (born December 7, 1961) is a Cameroonian-born French-Canadian politician. Educated in France, Kotto immigrated to Quebec, Canada, where he was an educator before entering politics. Kotto was a Parti Québécois member of the National A ...
resigned, followed by Liberal MP
Brenda Chamberlain resigned on April 7. Another Liberal MP,
John Godfrey
John Ferguson Godfrey, (born December 19, 1942) is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament.
Background
Godfrey was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey (June 28, 1912 – March 8, 2001), ...
, resigned on August 1.
Major bills and motions
Important business of the 39th Parliament includes the following
bills and
motions
In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and me ...
. Note that not all of these bills become law. Motions (excepting those which pass bills) have no effect in law. A complete list of bills of the 39th Parliament is on the Parliament's website, divided into bills from the 1st and 2nd sessions. On the site, the bills are divided into government bills,
private member's bill
A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
s, and
private bill
Proposed bills are often categorized into public bills and private bills. A public bill is a proposed law which would apply to everyone within its jurisdiction. This is unlike a private bill which is a proposal for a law affecting only a single ...
s for both the House and the Senate.
Noteworthy acts passed by 39th Parliament
Federal Accountability Act
Bill C-2, the ''
Federal Accountability Act'' (officially ''"An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight and accountability"''), received
Royal Assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...
in the Senate on December 12, 2006, and is now becoming law. The Act plans to reduce the opportunity to exert influence with money by banning corporate, union, and large personal political donations; create a five-year lobbying ban on former ministers, their aides, and senior public servants; provide protection for whistleblowers; and enhancing the power for the
Auditor General
An auditor general, also known in some countries as a comptroller general or comptroller and auditor general, is a senior civil servant charged with improving government accountability by auditing and reporting on the government's operations.
Freq ...
to follow the money spent by the government.
2006 Canadian federal budget
Bill C-13 is The
2006 Canadian federal budget
The Canadian federal budget for the fiscal year 2006–2007, was presented to the House of Commons of Canada by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on May 2, 2006. Among the most notable elements of the federal budget were its reduction of the Good ...
, which received Royal Assent in the Senate on June 22, 2006.
Extending the Afghan War until 2011
![Canadian soldiers afghanistan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Canadian_soldiers_afghanistan.jpg)
A motion in the House to extend Canada's
mission in Afghanistan by two years was successful. The motion was supported by the Conservatives and 30 Liberal MPs, allowing it to narrowly pass 149–145 on May 17, 2006. Even outside of government bills, the Prime Minister's support of Canada's action has been a recurring topic, gaining him both supporters and critics among the Canadian population. On March 13, 2008, the mission was further extended until July 2011 by a vote of 197–77, with Conservative and Liberal MPs in favour, and Bloc and NDP MPs opposed.
Softwood lumber deal
Bill C-24, the ''"Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006"'' put into effect the deal made between the Canadian and American governments regarding the longstanding softwood lumber debates. The Act received Royal Assent December 14, 2006.
Reaffirming the Kyoto Protocol
A motion passed by the opposition parties (161 for to 115 against) on February 5, 2007 to reaffirm Canada's commitment to the
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part ...
. The motion may not have any legal effect, but it is related to
Bill C-288 – which received Royal Assent on June 22, 2007.
Fixed election dates
Bill C-16, titled ''"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act"'', is a bill to set fixed election dates. Future elections will be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year following polling day for the last general election. Had Parliament not been dissolved on September 7, 2008 the next general election under this act would have been held on October 19, 2009; instead the
next general election took place on October 14, 2008. The provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador have already implemented fixed election dates for their own provincial elections. Bill C-16 passed in the House on November 6, 2006 and the Senate on March 28, 2007. The House began discussing the amendments made in the Senate on April 21, 2007. The House voted against the amendments on April 24, 2007. On May 1, 2007, the Senate chose not to insist on its amendment. The bill received Royal Assent on May 3.
Minimum penalties for offences involving firearms
Bill C-9, titled ''"An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conditional sentence of imprisonment)"'', is a bill to set minimum penalties for offences involving firearms. Under this act, persons convicted of a serious personal injury offence or a terrorism offence with a term of imprisonment of ten years or more would not be eligible for a
conditional sentence
Conditional sentences are natural language sentences that express that one thing is contingent on something else, e.g. "If it rains, the picnic will be cancelled." They are so called because the impact of the main clause of the sentence is ''cond ...
. Bill C-9 passed in the House on November 3, 2006 and was passed by the Senate on May 16, 2007. The bill received
Royal Assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...
on May 31, 2007.
Tackling Violent Crime Act
Bill C-2, titled ''An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Tackling Violent Crime Act)'' was the government's omnibus crime bill which received Royal Assent on February 29, 2008 and amended several pieces of legislation. Among other things, the bill raised the age of consent to 16 from 14, imposed minimum mandatory sentence for crimes involving firearms, instituted a "
three-strikes-and-you're-out" (also known as a "reverse onus sentencing") for habitual offenders, and restricted "house arrest" policies for serious offenders. The bill received
royal assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...
on February 28, 2008 and sections 1 to 17, 28 to 38, 54, 57 and 58
went into force on May 1, 2008 and sections 18 to 27, 39 to 53, 55, 56, 59 and 60 went into force on July 2, 2008.
Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act
Bill C-288, an act of the opposition parties to try to make the government support its global climate change obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. It received Royal Assent on June 22, 2007.
2007 federal budget
Bill C-52 is the
2007 Canadian federal budget.
2008 federal budget
Bill C-50 is the
2008 Canadian federal budget.
Noteworthy Motions Passed by 39th Parliament
Québécois nationhood
A successful motion in the House to recognise the
Québécois as a
nation within a united Canada. The motion was put forward by the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
in reaction to an announced motion by
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , "Québécois people, Quebecer Voting bloc, Bloc") is a list of federal political parties in Canada, federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty movement, Que ...
leader
Gilles Duceppe that would recognise Quebec as a nation, but did not contain the words "in Canada". The motion easily passed 266 to 16, with all party leaders voting in favour, including Duceppe
Conscientious Objectors to a War Not Sanctioned by UN
On June 3, 2008, the
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...
passed a motion (137 to 110) which recommended that the government immediately implement a program which would "allow
conscientious objectors
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...
…to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations…to…remain in Canada…" The motion gained international attention from ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Britain's
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and the New Zealand press.
Private Member's Motion 296 which stated "That, in the opinion of the House, the government should immediately adopt a child first principle, based on Jordan's Principle, to resolve jurisdictional disputes involving the care of First Nations children." was passed unanimously in the House of Commons on December 12, 2007.
debate failed. The
, led by the Liberals, had legalized same-sex marriage a year earlier. Several provinces had legalized same-sex marriage before that. During his campaign, Harper promised a parliamentary vote on reopening the issue. The motion failed 175–123 leaving the same-sex marriage legal in Canada and the legal debate about it closed.
A failed government motion (159 opposed to 124 in favour) to renew certain sunsetted provisions of the
Bill C-19 (previously Bill S-4) titled ''An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate tenure)'' was a bill to limit new
tenure to eight-year terms. Currently, senators can stay in office until they reach the age of 75. The bill was first introduced by the government in the Senate on May 30, 2006. After consideration in committee and making amendments to the bill, the Senate recommended that the bill not be proceeded with until such time as the Supreme Court of Canada had ruled with respect to its constitutionality, which had not occurred prior to dissolution. The bill was reintroduced in the second session as a Commons bill on November 13, 2007, but did not become law before the session ended.
Bill C-20 (previously Bill C-43), titled ''"An Act to provide for consultations with electors on their preferences for appointments to the Senate"'', was a bill to hold
s on Senate appointments, introduced December 13, 2006. The bill did not pass by the end of the 1st session of parliament, and was reintroduced in the 2nd session on November 13, 2007. The bill was sent to a legislative committee before second reading on February 13, 2008, but it did not become law before the end of the session.
Bill C-22 (previously Bill C-56), titled ''"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)"'' was a bill which would add 22 seats to the House of Commons. This would increase the number to 330 seats, although these seats probably will not be in use until at least 2014. Under the proposed plan,
would receive another five seats. The bill did not pass by the end of the 1st session of parliament, and was reintroduced in the 2nd session. The bill was delayed by an amendment by the Bloc and did not become law by the end of the session.
Bill C-10 (previously Bill C-33), among a long list of minor changes to tax law contained a controversial clause that would give the government power to deny taxation benefits for films made in Canada if the government deems the content to be objectionable.
argued it is equivalent to censorship because most Canadian films cannot afford to be produced without government assistance.
The Bill was passed in the House October 29, 2007, but opposition parties later said that they did not notice the controversial part and several Senators have said that they intend to send the Bill back to the House.
Bill C-61, titled ''An Act to amend the Copyright Act'', automatically died before second reading when the 39th Parliament was dissolved prematurely and an election was called by the
's request on September 7, 2008. The controversial bill was tabled in 2008 during the second session of the 39th Canadian Parliament by Minister of Industry
.
* Hon.
) was re-elected Speaker of the House of Commons on April 3, 2006. He defeated
) on the first ballot, becoming only the third Speaker from an opposition party in history.
* Hon.
).
House of Commons
* Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole – Hon.
). An
since 1979, he is the longest-serving current Member of the House.
* Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole —
). He is the first member of Parliament to hold this position without previous parliamentary experience.
* Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole —
). As one of Canada's youngest
— Hon.
).
: Rt. Hon.
(Liberal):
*# Hon.
(interim)
*# Hon.
leader: Hon.
: Hon.
: Hon.
: Hon.
: Hon.
: Hon.
* Official Opposition Whip: Hon.
", Chaired by the Hon.
tabled in House of Commons by the Hon.