43rd Canadian Parliament
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The 43rd Canadian Parliament was in session from December 5, 2019, to August 15, 2021, with the membership of its Lower House, the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...
, having been determined by the results of the 2019 federal election held on October 21, 2019. Parliament officially resumed on December 5, 2019, with the election of a new
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 ...
,
Anthony Rota Anthony Michael Gerard Rota (born May 15, 1961) is a Canadian politician who is the 37th and current speaker of the House of Commons of Canada since 2019. A member of the Liberal Party, he currently serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for ...
, followed by a
Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
the following day. On August 15, 2021, Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
advised
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 ...
Mary Simon Mary Jeannie May Simon (in Inuktitut syllabics: ᒥᐊᓕ ᓴᐃᒪᓐ, iu, script=Latn, Ningiukudluk; born August 21, 1947) is a Canadian civil servant, diplomat, and former broadcaster who has served as the 30th governor general of Canada ...
to dissolve Parliament and issue the
writ of election A writ of election is a writ issued ordering the holding of an election. In Commonwealth countries writs are the usual mechanism by which general elections are called and are issued by the head of state or their representative. In the United S ...
, leading to a 5-week election campaign period for the 2021 federal election.


Timeline


2019

* October 21, 2019: In the
43rd Canadian federal election The 2019 Canadian federal election was held on October 21, 2019. Members of the House of Commons were elected to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. In keeping with the maximum four-year term under a 2007 amendment to the ''Canada Elections Act'', ...
, the incumbent
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 ...
lost its
majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Webstermost seats 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. ...
. * October 23, 2019: The Liberals ruled out any "formal or informal"
coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
with any other party. * October 29, 2019: Incumbent
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 ...
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
met with
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 ...
Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...
to officially confirm that he intended to form a government. * October 30, 2019:
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
leader
Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
, MP for
Saanich—Gulf Islands Saanich—Gulf Islands is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. It is named for its geographical location across the Gulf Islands and Saanich Peninsula i ...
, announced her interest in running for
Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...
, a position that would necessitate stepping down from her position as party leader. * November 3, 2019: The Liberals announced that Trudeau would meet with opposition leaders during the week of November 11 to see if any common ground existed. * November 4, 2019:
Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
resigned as leader of the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
effective immediately and ruled out a bid for Speaker. May announced that she will remain an MP and named deputy Green Party leader
Jo-Ann Roberts Jo-Ann Roberts (born 1956) is a Canadian politician and former journalist who served as the interim leader of the Green Party of Canada from November 4, 2019 to October 3, 2020, having been appointed upon Elizabeth May stepping down from the ...
as the party's interim leader until her successor is chosen. * November 6, 2019: The
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
caucus voted against using a section of federal law that would have given them the authority to remove
Andrew Scheer Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...
as party leader. * November 18, 2019:
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 to form the PPC. He was the member ...
announced that he will stay on as leader of the People's Party and that he will run again in the 44th Canadian election, or before then, if there is a
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
. * November 20, 2019: The new
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
was sworn in, the first overseen by
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 ...
Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...
. * December 5, 2019: The 43rd Parliament was convened.
Anthony Rota Anthony Michael Gerard Rota (born May 15, 1961) is a Canadian politician who is the 37th and current speaker of the House of Commons of Canada since 2019. A member of the Liberal Party, he currently serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for ...
was elected as the new
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
and the
Throne Speech A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
was read. * December 12, 2019:
Andrew Scheer Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...
announces his intention to resign as leader of the
Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...
but stay on as MP for
Regina—Qu'Appelle Regina–Qu'Appelle (formerly Qu'Appelle) is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1968 and since 1988. Geography The district includes the northeastern qu ...
.


2020

* June 6, 2020:
Kitchener South—Hespeler Kitchener South—Hespeler (french: Kitchener-Sud—Hespeler) is a federal electoral district in the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since the 2015 election. History Kitchener ...
MP
Marwan Tabbara Marwan Rached Tabbara (born August 23, 1984) is a former Canadian politician who represented the electoral district (Canada), riding of Kitchener South—Hespeler in the House of Commons of Canada from 2015 to 2021. He was first elected in the 2 ...
resigned from the
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
caucus after being charged with assault, break and enter and criminal harassment. * August 17, 2020:
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
Finance Minister A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
Bill Morneau William Francis Morneau Jr. (born October 7, 1962) is a Canadian businessman and former Liberal Party politician who served as minister of finance and member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto Centre from 2015 to 2020. Morneau was executive chai ...
resigned from cabinet and as the MP for
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) ...
, amid controversy relating to the WE scandal. He planned to bid for the Secretary-General of
OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
. * August 18, 2020: Prime Minister Trudeau prorogues Parliament until September 23. * August 23–24, 2020: The
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 ...
held a
leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a l ...
to replace Andrew Scheer. The original date of June 27 had been postponed due to the
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
MP
Erin O'Toole Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official ...
was elected as the new Conservative leader. * September 1, 2020:
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
Michael Levitt Michael Levitt, ( he, מיכאל לויט; born 9 May 1947) is a South African-born biophysicist and a professor of structural biology at Stanford University, a position he has held since 1987. Levitt received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistr ...
resigned as MP for
York Centre York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
to become the President and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, necessitating a
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
in the riding. * September 23, 2020: Parliament came back into session. Speech from the Throne. * October 3, 2020:
Annamie Paul Annamie Paul (born November 3, 1972) is a Canadian activist, lawyer, and former politician who served as the leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2020 to 2021. She was the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of ...
wins the 2020
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a l ...
to replace
Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
. * October 26, 2020: By-elections were held in the ridings of
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) ...
and
York Centre York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
, electing Liberal candidates
Marci Ien Marci Ien (born July 29, 1969) is a Canadian politician serving as the minister for women and gender equality and youth since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Ien represents Toronto Centre in the House of Commons. Previously, s ...
and
Ya'ara Saks Ya'ara Saks (born March 9, 1973) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on October 26, 2020, following the resignation of Michael Levitt. She represents the riding of York Centre as a member ...
, respectively. * November 9, 2020:
Don Valley East Don Valley East (french: Don Valley-Est) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada that covers the northeast section of the North York part of Toronto. The federal riding was created in 1976 from parts of Willowdale, York East, ...
MP
Yasmin Ratansi Yasmin Ratansi (born January 4, 1951) is a Canadian politician who represented the Toronto area riding of Don Valley East in the House of Commons from 2004 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2021. She was elected as a Liberal in the 2004 federal ele ...
resigned from the
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
caucus after a CBC News investigation revealed she had violated parliamentary rules on Nepotism.


2021

* January 12, 2021:
Mississauga—Malton Mississauga—Malton is a federal electoral district in Ontario. It encompasses a portion of Ontario previously included in the electoral districts of Bramalea—Gore—Malton, Mississauga—Brampton South and Mississauga—Streetsville. Missi ...
MP
Navdeep Bains Navdeep Singh Bains (born June 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the riding of Mississauga—Malton in the House of Com ...
, the
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry The minister of innovation, science, and industry (french: ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et de l'Industrie) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the economic development and corporate ...
, resigned from the cabinet. A larger
cabinet reshuffle A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet, or when the Head of State changes the head of government and a number of ministers. They are more common in parlia ...
took place. * January 20, 2021:
Hastings—Lennox and Addington Hastings—Lennox and Addington is a federal electoral district in Ontario. Hastings—Lennox and Addington was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and was legally defined in the 2013 representation order. It came ...
MP
Derek Sloan Derek Sloan (born November 11, 1984) is a Canadian politician who formerly represented the riding of Hastings—Lennox and Addington. Shortly after being elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election, Sloan r ...
was expelled from the Conservative caucus after accepting donations from white supremacist Paul Fromm. * January 21, 2021:
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 ...
Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...
and her secretary
Assunta Di Lorenzo Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill U ...
resign after an investigation reveals they presided over a toxic workplace. * January 25, 2021:
Brampton Centre Brampton Centre (french: Brampton-Centre) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that is represented in the House of Commons of Canada. This riding was created in 1996 from parts of Brampton riding and in 2013, Elections Canada ...
MP
Ramesh Sangha Rameshwer Singh Sangha (born June 6, 1945) is a former Canadian politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Brampton Centre from 2015 to 2021. He was first elected in the 2015 federal election and was re-elected in 2019 ...
was removed from the Liberal caucus because of his spreading claims against multiple other Liberal MPs that they were harbouring support for the
Khalistan movement The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (' Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The proposed state would consist of land that cur ...
. * May 11, 2021:
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Diane Finley Diane Finley (born October 3, 1957) is a former Canadian politician. From 2006 through 2015, she served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Her ministerial portfolios included Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, M ...
, who represented
Haldimand—Norfolk Haldimand—Norfolk is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1997, and since 2004. The current Member of Parliament (MP) is Conservative Leslyn Lewis. Geogr ...
, resigned as an MP, leaving a vacancy. A
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
was pending. * June 10, 2021:
Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
MP
Jenica Atwin Jenica Atwin (''née'' Powell; born January 10, 1987) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Fredericton in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Atwin was the first Member of Parlia ...
, representing
Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
,
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 ...
to join the Liberals. * June 21, 2021: the Trudeau government caused the
Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
to take House Speaker
Anthony Rota Anthony Michael Gerard Rota (born May 15, 1961) is a Canadian politician who is the 37th and current speaker of the House of Commons of Canada since 2019. A member of the Liberal Party, he currently serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for ...
to the
Federal Court of Canada The Federal Court of Canada, which succeeded the Exchequer Court of Canada in 1971, was a national court of Canada that had limited jurisdiction to hear certain types of disputes arising under the federal government's legislative jurisdiction. ...
over his order that the Commons be provided documents concerning the dismissal by the
PHAC The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC; french: Agence de la santé publique du Canada, ASPC) is an Government agency, agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious ...
of Xiangguo Qiu and her husband. * August 15, 2021:
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 ...
Mary Simon Mary Jeannie May Simon (in Inuktitut syllabics: ᒥᐊᓕ ᓴᐃᒪᓐ, iu, script=Latn, Ningiukudluk; born August 21, 1947) is a Canadian civil servant, diplomat, and former broadcaster who has served as the 30th governor general of Canada ...
(at the request of Prime Minister Trudeau) dissolves the 43rd Parliament & sets the election date for September 20, 2021.


First session

The first session of the 43rd Parliament opened on December 5, 2019, with the
speech from the throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
delivered by Governor General
Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...
. Although several bills were introduced, the agenda was overtaken by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Before Parliament implemented a five-week closure on March 13, 2020, the '' Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement Implementation Act'' was given all three Senate readings and royal assent in one day, the only non-
appropriation bill An appropriation, also known as supply bill or spending bill, is a proposed law that authorizes the expenditure of government funds. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending. In some democracies, approval of the legislature is ne ...
adopted before the closure. However, Parliament reconvened for one day, on March 24, 2020, to introduce and adopt the '' COVID-19 Emergency Response Act'' (Bill C-13) with unanimous consent. Among other provisions, the bill doubled the GST/HST credit for the 2019 tax year, added $300 to the May 2020 Canada Child Benefit, paused (for 6 months) repayments of Canada Student Loans, immediately transferred $500 million to the provinces, amended the ''Patent Act'' to allow government to use a patented invention without the permission until September 30 to respond to a public health emergency, and enacted the ''Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act'' and the ''Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act''. They again reconvened for one day, on April 11, for the ''COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2'' (Bill C-14) which replaced the previous bill's temporary wage subsidies with the expanded
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy The Government of Canada introduced multiple temporary social security and financial aid programs in response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The initial CA$82-billion aid package was announced on March 18, 2020 by Jus ...
program and extended it to September 30. Similarly, the House of Commons reconvened on April 29 and the Senate on May 1 for the ''Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act'' (Bill C-15) to create the
Canada Emergency Student Benefit The Government of Canada introduced multiple temporary social security and financial aid programs in response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The initial CA$82-billion aid package was announced on March 18, 2020 by Jus ...
and the Canada Student Service Grant. After a failed attempt in June, Parliament met again between July 20-22 for ''An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures'' (Bill C-20) which further extended and amended the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, provided a one-time $600 payment to persons with disabilities, and enacted the ''Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19)''. During that time, in spring and summer 2020, the Liberal Party had three Members of Parliament resign and the Conservative Party elected a new leader. Initiated after
Andrew Scheer Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...
's December 2019 announcement of his impending resignation as leader, the Conservative Party leadership election resulted in
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
MP
Erin O'Toole Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Official ...
becoming the new party leader as of August 24.
Marwan Tabbara Marwan Rached Tabbara (born August 23, 1984) is a former Canadian politician who represented the electoral district (Canada), riding of Kitchener South—Hespeler in the House of Commons of Canada from 2015 to 2021. He was first elected in the 2 ...
of Kitchener South-Hespeler changed his affiliation to Independent in June upon the news release that the Guelph Police Service had charged him with counts of
assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
,
criminal harassment Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...
,
breaking and entering Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...
and committing an indictable offence relating to an incident that occurred in April. Effective September 1,
York Centre York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
MP
Michael Levitt Michael Levitt, ( he, מיכאל לויט; born 9 May 1947) is a South African-born biophysicist and a professor of structural biology at Stanford University, a position he has held since 1987. Levitt received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistr ...
resigned to become President and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies. Effective August 17,
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) ...
MP
Bill Morneau William Francis Morneau Jr. (born October 7, 1962) is a Canadian businessman and former Liberal Party politician who served as minister of finance and member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto Centre from 2015 to 2020. Morneau was executive chai ...
resigned from his position as Canadian Finance Minister and his seat in Parliament reportedly due to his role in the
WE Charity controversy The WE Charity scandal was a Canadian political scandal regarding the awarding of a federal contract to WE Charity to administer the $912 million Canada Student Summer Grant program (CSSG) in 2020. The controversy arose when it was revealed th ...
and disagreements with
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 20 ...
over spending federal funds on managing COVID-19's economic impact. The next day, upon naming
Chrystia Freeland Christina Alexandra Freeland (born August 2, 1968) is a Canadian politician serving as the tenth and current deputy prime minister of Canada since 2019 and the Minister of Finance (Canada), minister of finance since 2020. A member of the Libe ...
to replace Morneau as Finance Minister, the Prime Minister
prorogued A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections ...
Parliament, ending the first session.


First prorogation

On 18 August 2020, Trudeau asked Governor-General
Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...
to prorogue Parliament; she acceded to his request. On September 18, 2020 Minister of Health
Patty Hajdu Patricia A. Hajdu (; born November 3, 1966) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of Indigenous services since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, she also serves as the member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Super ...
accepted the resignation of Tina Namiesniowski, who was up until then president of the PHAC. Namiesniowski resigned 17 months into her five-year tenure, which had begun on May 6, 2019. Her resignation followed the resignation of Sally Thornton, Vice-president of the Health Security Infrastructure Branch who had been in charge of the pandemic early warning system and emergency stockpile, and who had resigned earlier in the week. Namiesniowski, who had been appointed as a "senior official" in the Privy Council Office, was replaced three days later by Iain Stewart, who was formerly at the NRC.


Second session

On September 23, 2020, Parliament resumed with a new
throne speech A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
read by Governor General Payette. During this second session, Payette would resign following a workplace review of
Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...
. The throne speech was followed by a separate televised address (at 6:30 p.m. EDT) from Prime Minister Trudeau. At the time of the speech, both the Leader of the Opposition O'Toole and
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
Yves-François Blanchet Yves-François Blanchet (; born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) since 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election. Before federal ...
were in quarantine after being infected with COVID earlier in the month. The first two bills adopted (Bills C-4 and C-9), as well as Bill C-14 and C-24, provided further federal aid related to COVID-19. With the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ending, the bills created the Canada Recovery Benefit as an income support for those not eligible for
employment insurance Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by authorized bodies to unemployed people. In the United States, benefits are funded by a compu ...
, in addition to the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, and the bills extended the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to June 2021. Bill C-14 directly transferred funds for Covid-related measures. Bill C-30 implemented the legislative items from the 2021 budget, including additional COVID-19 aid in the form of creating the Canada Recovery Hiring Program, extending both the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy to the end of September, extending the Canada Recovery Benefit at a reduced rate, transferring $1 billion to provinces to help implement their immunization plans, and pausing the applicability of interest on federal student and apprentice loans to March 2023;
Old Age Security The Old Age Security (OAS) (SV; french: Sécurité de la vieillesse) program is a universal retirement pension available to most residents and citizens of Canada who have reached 65 years old. This pension is supplemented by the Guaranteed Income ...
was increased by 10% with a one-time payment of $500; the federal minimum wage was increased to $15.00 per hour; face masks and shields were added to the list of products exempted from
GST GST may refer to: Taxes * General sales tax * Goods and Services Tax, the name for the value-added tax in several jurisdictions: ** Goods and services tax (Australia) ** Goods and Services Tax (Canada) ** Goods and Services Tax (Hong Kong) **G ...
/ HST; GST/HST was made applicable to payments to foreign digital products or services such as streaming subscriptions or short-term accommodations; the
Canada Health Transfer The Canada Health Transfer (CHT) (french: Transfert canadien en matière de santé) is the Canadian government's transfer payment program in support of the health systems of the provinces and territories of Canada. The program was originally com ...
was increased by $4 billion. In addition, the same bill provided $2.2 billion in additional payments for infrastructure projects funded through the Gas Tax Fund while renaming it the Canada Community-Building Fund, provided $3 billion to the Hibernia project, increased the number of judges on federal courts, and reduced the number of hours (or the amount of earnings from self-employment) required to qualify for unemployment benefits. It also enacted the new ''Retail Payment Activities Act'' to regulate
payment service providers A payment is the voluntary tender of money or its equivalent or of things of value by one party (such as a person or company) to another in exchange for goods, or services provided by them, or to fulfill a legal obligation. The party making the p ...
. Addressing the federal government's relationship with Indigenous peoples, Bill C-15 adopted the ''United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act'', while Bills C-5 and C-8 enacted call to actions 80 and 94 of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...
making September 30 a
public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...
titled National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and amended the Oath of Citizenship to state "...I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen." Other legislation adopted during the second session included Bills C-7 and C-12, both adopted with NDP and Bloc support, to address court findings on the previous parliament's legalization of medical assistance in dying and to fulfil Canada's commitment to
Nationally Determined Contributions A nationally determined contribution (NDC) or intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) is a non-binding national plan highlighting climate change mitigation, including climate-related targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions. These ...
under the
Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Bills C-18 and C-29, both adopted with Conservative support, addressed the
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
's impact on
CETA The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a free-trade agreement between Canada and the European Union and its member states. It has been provisionally applied, thus removing 98% of the preexisting tariffs between the two parts. ...
and ended the Port of Montreal strike. Six private member bills and one senate public bill received royal assent: *
Larry Maguire Larry Maguire (born June 1, 1949) is a politician and activist farmer in Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Progressive Conservative MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on No ...
's ''An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (transfer of small business or family farm or fishing corporation)'' (Bill C-208) applies the
capital gains tax A capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax on profits realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, Bond (finance), bonds, precious metals, real estate, and property. Not all count ...
instead of the
dividend tax A dividend tax is a tax imposed by a jurisdiction on dividends paid by a corporation to its shareholders (stockholders). The primary tax liability is that of the shareholder, though a tax obligation may also be imposed on the corporation in the ...
to inter-generational transfers, *
Len Webber Leonard Warren Webber (born November 10, 1960) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary Confederation since 2015 as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. During the 43rd Canadian Par ...
's ''An Act to amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act (organ and tissue donors) '' (Bill C-210) allows Canadians to indicate their intent to sign up as a donor through their annual income tax return, * Kevin Waugh's ''An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sports betting)'' (Bill C-218) allows a province's lottery corporation to offer betting on single sport events, athletic contests, races and fights, *
Matt Jeneroux Matthew James Arthur Jeneroux is a Canadian politician who has been elected to the House of Commons of Canada since the 2015 federal election. He is the Founder of Hi Dad Foundation, a mental health foundation focused on raising awareness about ...
's ''An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (bereavement leave)'' (Bill C-220) extends bereavement leave from 5 to 10 days and entitles employees already on compassionate care leave to also claim bereavement leave, * Richard Bragdon's ''An Act to establish a framework to reduce recidivism'' (Bill C-228) requires the
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness The minister of public safety (french: ministre de la sécurité publique) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for overseeing Public Safety Canada, the internal security department of the Government of Canada. The p ...
, within one year, to develop a federal framework to reduce
recidivism Recidivism (; from ''recidive'' and ''ism'', from Latin ''recidīvus'' "recurring", from ''re-'' "back" and ''cadō'' "I fall") is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of th ...
, *
Sonia Sidhu Satinderpal "Sonia" Sidhu is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral district of Brampton South during the 2015 Canadian federal election. Early life ...
's ''An Act to establish a national framework for diabetes'' (Bill C-237) requires the
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
, within one year, to develop a framework to improve access to information on
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
prevention and treatment, *
Jim Munson Jim Munson (born July 14, 1946) is a former Canadian Senator and retired journalist. Early life and education Jim Munson was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick, although spent most of his childhood in Campbellton. His father was a minister in the ...
's ''An Act respecting Kindness Week '' (Bill S-223) designates the third week of February in each and every year as "Kindness Week".


Canadian Ministry

The
29th Canadian Ministry The Twenty-Ninth Canadian Ministry is the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that began governing Canada shortly before the opening of the 42nd Parliament. The original members were sworn in during a ceremony held at Rideau Ha ...
had continued from the 42nd Parliament. On November 20, 2019, a month after the election, the Prime Minister re-organized his cabinet to align with government priorities and replace members who had retired or been defeated.
Chrystia Freeland Christina Alexandra Freeland (born August 2, 1968) is a Canadian politician serving as the tenth and current deputy prime minister of Canada since 2019 and the Minister of Finance (Canada), minister of finance since 2020. A member of the Libe ...
was named
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs The minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities (french: Ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales) is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the federal government's relations wi ...
. Of those continuing on in their existing roles,
Bill Morneau William Francis Morneau Jr. (born October 7, 1962) is a Canadian businessman and former Liberal Party politician who served as minister of finance and member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto Centre from 2015 to 2020. Morneau was executive chai ...
continued as
Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
,
David Lametti David T. Lametti (born August 10, 1962) is a Canadian politician who has been the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada since 2019. A member of the Liberal Party, Lametti sits as a member of Parliament (MP) and has represented L ...
as
Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
,
Harjit Sajjan Harjit Singh Sajjan (, ; born September 6, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of international development since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Sajjan represents the British Columbia (BC) riding ...
as Minister of National Defence, and
Navdeep Bains Navdeep Singh Bains (born June 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the riding of Mississauga—Malton in the House of Com ...
as
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry The minister of innovation, science, and industry (french: ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et de l'Industrie) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the economic development and corporate ...
. In shuffling existing cabinet ministers,
Patty Hajdu Patricia A. Hajdu (; born November 3, 1966) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of Indigenous services since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, she also serves as the member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Super ...
became the new
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
, François-Philippe Champagne the new
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
,
Jonathan Wilkinson Jonathan Wilkinson (born June 11, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of natural resources since 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Wilkinson was elected as the member of Parliament (MP) for North Vancouver in 2015 ...
the new
Minister of Environment and Climate Change The minister of environment and climate change (french: ministre de l'environnement et du changement climatique) is a minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada. The portfolio is responsible for the Environment and Climate Change Canada, a ...
,
Bernadette Jordan Bernadette Jordan (born April 7, 1963) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, she was elected to represent the Electoral dist ...
the new
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans The minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for supervising the fishing industry, administrating all navigable waterways in the country, and overseeing the o ...
,
Seamus O'Regan Seamus Thomas Harris O'Regan (born January 18, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the Minister of Natural Resources from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, O'Regan has represented St. John's South—Mount Pearl in the Hou ...
the new
Minister of Natural Resources The minister of natural resources () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). In addition to NRCan, the minister oversees the federal government's natural resources portfolio ...
, and Bill Blair the new
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness The minister of public safety (french: ministre de la sécurité publique) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for overseeing Public Safety Canada, the internal security department of the Government of Canada. The p ...
. There were seven newcomers to cabinet including
Dan Vandal Daniel Vandal (born April 18, 1960) is a Métis Canadian politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented St. Boniface on the Winnipeg City Council from 1995 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2014, and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Winnipeg in ...
becoming
Minister of Northern Affairs The minister of northern affairs (french: ministre des Affaires du Nord) is a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet. The position has been held by Dan Vandal since 20 November 2019. In 1953, the role of Minister of Northern Affairs and N ...
, Marc Miller the
Minister of Indigenous Services The minister of Indigenous services (french: ministre des services aux autochtones) is a minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, Canadian Cabinet. The minister is Responsible government, responsible for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), ...
, and Steven Guilbeault the
Minister of Canadian Heritage The minister of Canadian heritage (french: ministre du patrimoine canadien) is the minister of the Crown who heads Canadian Heritage, the department of the Government of Canada responsible for culture, media, sports, and the arts. History The ...
. With Morneau's resignation in August 2020, Freeland was moved over to become Minister of Finance, with the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs being returned to
Dominic LeBlanc Dominic A. LeBlanc (born December 14, 1967) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has served as the minister of intergovernmental affairs since 2020 and also became the minister of infrastructure and communities in 2021. A member of the Liber ...
's portfolio. With
Navdeep Bains Navdeep Singh Bains (born June 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the riding of Mississauga—Malton in the House of Com ...
' January 2021 announcement that he would not be seeking reelection, he was replaced as Innovation Minister by François-Philippe Champagne, with
Marc Garneau Joseph Jean-Pierre Marc Garneau (born February 23, 1949) is a Canadian politician, retired Royal Canadian Navy officer and former astronaut who served as a Cabinet minister from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Garneau was the mini ...
taking over Champagne's Minister of Foreign Affairs role,
Omar Alghabra Omar Alghabra ( ar, عمر الغبرا, ʿUmar al-Ḡabrā; born October 24, 1969) is a Saudi-born Syrian-Canadian politician who has served as Canada's Minister of Transport since January 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he has represented ...
being promoted to cabinet to become the new
Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government agen ...
, and
Jim Carr James Gordon Carr (October 11, 1951 – December 12, 2022) was a Canadian politician, cabinet minister, journalist, and professional oboist. A member of the Liberal Party, he served as the member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre from 20 ...
returning to cabinet (as a
Minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
) after a 1 year absence to receive medical treatments.


Senate

In the month before the 43rd Parliament convened, two new groups organized under the Rules of the Senate. The
Independent Senators Group The Independent Senators Group (ISG; french: Groupe des sénateurs indépendants) is a parliamentary group in the Senate of Canada. Established on March 10, 2016, the Independent Senators Group (ISG) is committed to a non-partisan Senate and the ...
(ISG), whose members did not maintain membership with any other political party, continued from the previous parliament as the largest organized group. However, 7 of its members, along with 3 Conservative Party senators and one unaffiliated senator, had split-off to form the
Canadian Senators Group The Canadian Senators Group (french: Groupe des sénateurs canadiens) is a parliamentary group of senators in the Senate of Canada founded on November 4, 2019, by eight senators from the Independent Senators Group, two from the Conservative Pa ...
which allowed its members to also be members of political parties but not be subject to a
party whip A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology ...
. Then on November 14, the
Senate Liberal Caucus The Senate Liberal Caucus (french: Caucus libéral du Sénat), also known as the Senate Liberals (french: libéraux au Sénat), was, from 2014 to 2019, a parliamentary grouping in the Senate of Canada made up of independent senators who were ind ...
disbanded to form the
Progressive Senate Group The Progressive Senate Group (french: Groupe progressiste du sénat) is a parliamentary group in the Senate of Canada. It was formed on November 14, 2019, out of the now-defunct Senate Liberal Caucus, which had been expected to lose official pa ...
. When 43rd Parliament convened on December 5, the senate consisted of 100 members, 51 belonging to the ISG, 24 caucusing with the Conservative Party, 13 with the Canadian Senators Group, 8 with the Progressive Senate Group, and 4 remaining non-affiliated. Senator
Marc Gold Marc Gold (born June 30, 1950) is Canadian law professor and politician who has served as Representative of the Government in the Senate The representative of the Government in the Senate (french: représentant du gouvernement au Sénat) is ...
left the ISG on January 24, 2020, to become the
Representative of the Government in the Senate The representative of the Government in the Senate (french: représentant du gouvernement au Sénat) is the member of the Senate of Canada who is responsible for introducing, promoting, and defending the government's bills in the Senate after th ...
. Of those who left the Senate during the 43rd Parliament, 10 had reached the mandatory retirement age, including the last remaining senator appointed by
Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...
, 3 voluntarily resigned and two senators (
Elaine McCoy Elaine Jean McCoy (March 7, 1946December 29, 2020) was a Canadian politician from Alberta. She was a member of the Senate of Canada. In 2005, McCoy was appointed to the Senate. She designated herself a member of the Progressive Conservative ...
and
Judith Keating Marie Georgine Judith Keating ( Vallee; May 19, 1957 – July 15, 2021) was a Canadian senator, provincial civil servant, and lawyer from the province of New Brunswick, who also had a career in the public service. On January 30, 2020, Keating ...
) died while in office. The Prime-Minister appointment two new senators on January 31, 2020: Judith Keating and legal ethicist Brent Cotter. The next three appointments were made on June 22, 2021: lawyer
Bernadette Clement Bernadette Clement (born May 17, 1965) is a Canadian politician, who was appointed to the Canadian Senate as an independent Senator on June 22, 2021. She was previously mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, having been elected in the 2018 Ontario municipal ...
,
trade unionist A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and Employee ben ...
Hassan Yussuff Hassan Yussuff (born December 15, 1957) is a Guyanese-Canadian labour leader and politician. From 2014 to 2021, Yussuff served as president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the first non-white person to hold the role. In 2021, Yussuff was ...
and executive of the Saint John Port Authority
Jim Quinn Jim Quinn (born February 26, 1943) is an American conservative radio talk show host based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, currently hosting ''Quinn in the Morning'' on WYSL in Avon, New York, and WAVL in Apollo, Pennsylvania. Until its cancella ...
. Another 5 were appointed a month later, on July 29, 2021:
Clément Gignac Clément Gignac (born May 7, 1955) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeoys in the National Assembly of Quebec from 2009 to 2012. A member of the Quebec Liberal Party, he was elected in a by-election on June ...
, Amina Gerba and
Michèle Audette Michèle Taïna Audette (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian politician and activist. She has served as president of '' Femmes autochtones du Québec'' (Quebec Native Women) from 1998 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2012. She was also the president of Na ...
of Quebec, Mayor of Banff Karen Sorensen, and lawyer David Arnot.


Party standings


Representation by Province/Territory


House of Commons

For background on the current representation, see: # The representation acts in the
List of Canadian constitutional documents The Constitution of Canada is a large number of documents that have been entrenched in the constitution by various means. Regardless of how documents became entrenched, together those documents form the supreme law of Canada; no non-constitution ...
# Elections Canada's history on the representation formula (including the 1985 Representation Act, but any subsequent acts such as the 1999 Constitution Act or the 2011 Fair Representation Act). # Canadian Parliamentary Review's proposal for fairer representation for small provinces (around the time of the 2011 representation formula revision).


Senate

: ''For historical and current representation in the Senate, see Senate of Canada's
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
and current representation.''


Officeholders

The officers of Parliament for the 43rd Parliament are set out below.


Party leaders

*
Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...
: Rt. Hon.
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
(Liberal) *
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 ...
: Hon.
Andrew Scheer Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...
(Conservative) (27 May 2017 – 24 August 2020) * Leader of the Opposition: Hon. Erin O’Toole (Conservative) (24 August 2020 – present) * Leader of 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 ...
:
Yves-François Blanchet Yves-François Blanchet (; born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) since 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election. Before federal ...
(Third Party) * Leader of 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 ...
:
Jagmeet Singh Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal ( ; born January 2, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017. Singh has sat as the member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby South since 2019.Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
:
Annamie Paul Annamie Paul (born November 3, 1972) is a Canadian activist, lawyer, and former politician who served as the leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2020 to 2021. She was the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of ...
(from outside of the House; since October 3, 2020) ** Parliamentary leader of the Green Party:
Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
(since November 4, 2019, previously party leader)


Changes to party standings


House of Commons


Membership changes

The party standings in the House of Commons have changed as follows:


Senate


Membership changes


References

{{Canadian federal election, 2021A 2019 establishments in Canada 2021 disestablishments in Canada Justin Trudeau Minority governments