Bills C-1 and S-1 are
''pro forma'' bills introduced 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. T ...
and
Senate respectively at the opening of each session of the
Parliament of Canada. The bills are given a
first reading
A reading of a bill is a stage of debate on the bill held by a general body of a legislature.
In the Westminster system, developed in the United Kingdom, there are generally three readings of a bill as it passes through the stages of becoming, ...
and are then never proceeded with further. Being ''pro forma'' pieces of legislation, introducing them is mostly a formal tradition. They are introduced each session in the Commons and Senate for the purpose of reasserting the right of Members to depart from the reasons for summoning Parliament contained in the
Speech from the Throne and to proceed with such business before considering the Speech, therefore signifying Parliament's freedom from the direction of the
Crown of Canada.
History
The introduction of a ''pro forma'' bill is a practice that has existed since before
Confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
. It originated in the
English House of Commons
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of ...
in 1558. As in the current Canadian practice, the bill in the English (later British) House was meant to show that the House could choose in which order to conduct its business regardless of what was in the throne speech. Originally, a normal bill was used for this purpose, but in 1727 the House began to use a pro forma bill called the
Outlawries Bill
A Bill for the more effectual preventing clandestine Outlawries, usually referred to as the Outlawries Bill, is customarily the first bill on the agenda of the United Kingdom's House of Commons at the start of each session of Parliament. It is us ...
for this specific purpose.
In the House, Bill C-1 is normally introduced 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 i ...
and is titled ''An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office'' (french: Loi concernant la prestation de serments d'office). In the Senate, Bill S-1 is titled ''An Act relating to Railways'' (french: Loi concernant les chemins de fer). The two differ only in title, and their text does not concern
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s or
oaths of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...
.
Bill C-1 was ordered printed on January 26, 2009, in the second session of the 40th Parliament, possibly for the first time. In previous sessions of Parliament it seems the bill was not ordered printed. As a result, the text of Bill C-1 is available on the Parliament of Canada website, although it is not available for any previous session. Bill S-1 is also available.
2009 text
Where bills C-1 and S-1 differ in wording, this is indicated with angle brackets as follows: .
{{quote, sign=, source=, Whereas the introduction of a pro forma bill in the {{angbr, House of Commons / Senate before the consideration of the Speech from the Throne demonstrates the right of the {{angbr, elected representatives of the people / Senate to act without the leave of the Crown;
Whereas that custom, which can be traced to {{angbr, 1558 / before 1867 in the Parliament at Westminster, is practised in a number of jurisdictions having a parliamentary form of government;
And whereas it is desirable to explain and record the constitutional relationship represented by that custom;
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1 This bill asserts the right of the {{angbr, House of Commons / Senate to give precedence to matters not addressed in the Speech from the Throne.
[{{Cite web, url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Docid=3630092&file=4, title = Government Bill (Senate) S-1 (40-2) - First Reading - an Act relating to railways - Parliament of Canada]
See also
*
Outlawries Bill
A Bill for the more effectual preventing clandestine Outlawries, usually referred to as the Outlawries Bill, is customarily the first bill on the agenda of the United Kingdom's House of Commons at the start of each session of Parliament. It is us ...
, traditional first bill in the British House of Commons
*
Select Vestries Bill
A bill for the better regulating of Select Vestries, usually referred to as the Select Vestries Bill, is customarily the first bill introduced and debated in the United Kingdom's House of Lords at the start of each session of Parliament. The equiva ...
, traditional first bill in the British House of Lords
References
External links
Bill C-1Bill S-1
Canadian federal legislation
Canadian traditions