40th Parliament of Canada
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The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011. It was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its
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 ...
was determined by the results of the 2008 federal election held on October 14, 2008. Its first session was then prorogued 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 ...
on December 4, 2008, at the request of
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 ...
Stephen Harper, who was facing a likely no-confidence motion and a
coalition agreement 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 ...
between 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 ...
and the New Democratic Party with the support of the Bloc Québécois ( 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute). Of the 308 MPs elected at the October 14, 2008 general election, 64 were new to Parliament and three sat in Parliaments previous to the 39th:
John Duncan John Duncan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Duncan (painter) (1866–1945), Scottish painter * John Duncan (artist) (born 1953), American artist and musician * Big John Duncan (born 1958), Scottish punk musician * John Duncan (harpist) ...
,
Jack Harris Jack Harris may refer to: Entertainment * Jack Harris (film editor) (1905–1971), English film editor * Jack H. Harris (1918–2017), American film producer * Jack Harris (broadcaster) (born 1941), American radio personality based in Tampa, Flor ...
and Roger Pomerleau. There were three sessions of the 40th Parliament. On March 25, 2011, the House of Commons passed a Liberal motion of non-confidence by a vote of 156 to 145, finding 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 in ...
Cabinet in contempt of parliament, an unprecedented finding in Canadian and Commonwealth parliamentary history. On March 26, 2011,
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 ...
Stephen Harper subsequently asked Governor General
David Johnston David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commis ...
to dissolve parliament and issue a
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 ...
.


Party standings

The party standings as of the election, and at dissolution, were as follows:


Resignations and by-elections

NDP NDP may stand for: Computing * Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol * Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP * Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language Government * National ...
MP Dawn Black resigned her seat of
New Westminster—Coquitlam New Westminster—Coquitlam was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1988, and from 2004 to 2015. Demographics :''According to the Canada 2006 Census'' Eth ...
effective April 13, 2009, to run (successfully) in the provincial riding of
New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capi ...
in the
2009 British Columbia general election The 2009 British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The British Columbia Liberal Party (BC Liberals) formed the government of the province ...
. The NDP's Fin Donnelly won the seat left vacant by Black in a by-election on November 9, 2009."Conservatives win 2 byelections, 1 at Bloc's expense"
cbc.ca, November 10, 2009.
Independent MP
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 ...
resigned his seat of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley effective April 30, 2009, to accept a job as the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs' senior representative in Ottawa. He was a former Conservative who voted against the 2007 budget, claiming that it broke the
Atlantic Accord The Atlantic Accord is an agreement signed in 1985 between the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to manage offshore oil and gas resources adjacent to Newfoundland and Labrador. The name was also used to describe ...
with his province and
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...
, and was subsequently expelled from the Conservative caucus. Scott Armstrong, the Conservative candidate, won the by-election for this seat on November 9, 2009. Bloc Québécois MP
Paul Crête Paul Crête (born April 8, 1953) is a Canadian politician, who served as a Member of Parliament for the Bloc Québécois in the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 until 2009, when he announced that he was moving to provincial politics. Politi ...
resigned his seat of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup on May 21, 2009, to run in a provincial by-election in
Rivière-du-Loup Rivière-du-Loup (; 2021 population 20,118) is a small city on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. The city is the seat for the Rivière-du-Loup Regional County Municipality and the judicial district of Kamouraska. Its one of ...
. Conservative Bernard Généreux won the November 9, 2009 by-election for this seat. Bloc Québécois MP
Réal Ménard Réal Ménard (born May 13, 1962) is a Canadian politician, who was a Bloc Québécois member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 2009. He was the second Canadian member of Parliament to come out as gay. Ménard is a political scien ...
resigned his seat of Hochelaga on September 16, 2009, to run in Montreal's municipal elections. On November 9, 2009,
Daniel Paillé Daniel Paillé (; born April 1, 1950) is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Prévost in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 1996 as a member of the Parti Québécois, and represented the district of Hochelaga in t ...
won this seat for the Bloc in a by-election. New Democratic Party MP
Judy Wasylycia-Leis Klazina Judith Wasylycia-Leis (; born 1951) is a Canadian politician. She was a Manitoba cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley from 1986 to 1988, and was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from September 22, 1997, to April ...
(Winnipeg North) resigned from the House on April 30, 2010, to run (unsuccessfully) for the mayoralty of
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
. Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Kevin Lamoureux (born January 22, 1962) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. On November 29, 2010, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the constituency of Winnipeg North in a by-election. He was re-elected during the 2011 el ...
won the by-election to replace her on November 29, 2010."Fantino wins Vaughan for Tories; Liberals take Manitoba by-election"
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
, November 30, 2010.
Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua (Vaughan) resigned from the House effective August 25, 2010 to successfully run for mayor in Vaughan. Conservative
Julian Fantino Julian Fantino, , ( it, Giuliano Fantino; born August 13, 1942) is a Canadian retired police official and former politician. He was the Conservative Party of Canada Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a Nov ...
won the November 29, 2010 by-election to replace him. Conservative MP Inky Mark (Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette) resigned from the House effective September 15, 2010 to run for mayor in Dauphin. Robert Sopuck held the seat for the Conservatives in a by-election held on November 29, 2010. Bloc Québécois MP Jean-Yves Roy resigned from the House effective October 22, 2010, followed by Conservative MP
Jay Hill Jay D. Hill (born December 27, 1952) is a Canadian politician who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Prince George—Peace River in British Columbia from 1993 to 2010. He served as Government House Leader ...
effective October 25, 2010. Conservative MP
Jim Prentice Peter Eric James Prentice (July 20, 1956 – October 13, 2016) was a Canadian politician who served as the 16th premier of Alberta from 2014 to 2015. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a candidat ...
resigned from the House effective November 14, 2010 to take a position with
CIBC The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC; french: Banque canadienne impériale de commerce) is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered at CIBC Square in the Financial District of Toronto, Ontario. ...
. By-elections in these three ridings were not scheduled prior to the issue of the
writ In common law, a writ (Anglo-Saxon ''gewrit'', Latin ''breve'') is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, a ...
for the 41st general election.


1st session and prorogation

The first session of the 40th parliament opened on November 18, 2008, after Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the
Conservatives 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 in ...
won a slightly stronger minority government in the 2008 election. With a new government in session,
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", ...
Jim Flaherty James Michael Flaherty (December 30, 1949 – April 10, 2014) was a Canadian politician who served as the federal minister of finance from 2006 to 2014 under Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. First elected to the Legislative Assembly ...
tabled a fiscal update nine days later. Among other things, the update cut government spending, suspended the ability of civil servants to strike, sold off some Crown assets, and eliminated existing political party subsidies. This fiscal update was rejected by the opposition, and became a catalyst for talks of a coalition government.
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 ...
of 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 ...
and
Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...
of the New Democratic Party, signed an accord stating that in the event that the government lost the confidence of the house, they would form a coalition with the support of Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc Québécois, if asked to do so by the
Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...
. However, Stephen Harper delayed the vote of non-confidence scheduled for December 1, and the Governor General prorogued parliament on Harper's advice on December 4, 2008, until January 26, 2009. After prorogation, calls came from within the Liberal Party for Dion to resign immediately. Dion initially scheduled his resignation for the party's leadership convention in May 2009, but on December 8, 2008, he announced that he would step down upon the selection of an interim leader. After the withdrawal of Bob Rae and
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 Lib ...
from the 2009 leadership race,
Michael Ignatieff Michael Grant Ignatieff (; born May 12, 1947) is a Canadian author, academic and former politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011. Known for his work as a histo ...
became the only leadership candidate, and therefore was appointed interim leader of the Liberals and the opposition on December 10, 2008.


2nd Session and prorogation

The Governor-in-Council recalled parliament on January 26, 2009. Its first business (after the Throne Speech) was to present the federal budget, which included a large deficit. After negotiations with new opposition leader
Michael Ignatieff Michael Grant Ignatieff (; born May 12, 1947) is a Canadian author, academic and former politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011. Known for his work as a histo ...
, the government promised to present regular updates on the stimulus budget, and the Liberals and Conservatives joined to pass the budget and keep the Conservative government in power. The Conservative government made crime a major focus of the session. The Conservatives reintroduced their former mandatory minimums bill, known as Bill C-15. On December 30, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he would advise 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 ...
to
prorogue Prorogation in the Westminster system of government is the action of proroguing, or interrupting, a parliament, or the discontinuance of meetings for a given period of time, without a dissolution of parliament. The term is also used for the period ...
parliament during the
2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...
, until March 3, 2010. He telephoned Governor General
Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...
to ask her permission to end the parliamentary session and Jean signed the proclamation later that day. According to Harper's spokesman, he sought his second prorogation to consult with Canadians about the economy. In an interview with
CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...
,
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
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 ...
member of parliament Wayne Easter accused the Prime Minister of "shutting democracy down". The second prorogation in a year also received some international criticism as being not very democratic. In response to the prorogation,
demonstrations Demonstration may refer to: * Demonstration (acting), part of the Brechtian approach to acting * Demonstration (military), an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought * Demonstration (political), a political rally or prote ...
took place on January 23, 2010, in over 60 Canadian cities, and at least four cities in other countries. The protests attracted thousands of participants, many who had joined a group on
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
.


Senate appointments

The Senate of Canada has seen new members appointed in blocs of 18, 9, and 5; all were appointed to the Conservative caucus. The balance of power shifted for the first time on August 27, 2009, when the Liberal caucus was reduced to holding a plurality of 52 seats. On January 29, 2010, the balance shifted again as five vacancies were filled by appointed Conservatives, giving them a plurality of 51, with the Liberals holding the next-highest number of seats at 49. The Conservatives achieved an absolute majority when
Don Meredith Joseph "Dandy" Don Meredith (April 10, 1938 – December 5, 2010) was an American football quarterback, sports commentator, and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career (1960–1968) with the Dallas Cowboys of the Nat ...
and Larry Smith were appointed on December 20, 2010. After dissolution, Smith and Fabian Manning resigned to run in the 2011 election. That reduced the Conservative caucus to 52, but they retained a majority of sitting senators as there were 50 senators of other parties and 3 vacancies.


Honorary Senators

The Senate of Canada posthumously awarded the title of Honorary Senator during the 40th Parliament to five pioneering women known as
The Famous Five ''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures ...
.


Members


Committees


House

* Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development * Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics * Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food * Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage * Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration *
Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an ''erect'' ("orthostatic") position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the s ...
* Standing Committee on Finance * Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans * Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development * Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates * Standing Committee on Health * Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities * Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology * Standing Committee on International Trade * Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights * Standing Committee on National Defence * Standing Committee on Natural Resources * Standing Committee on Official Languages * Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs * Standing Committee on Public Accounts * Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security * Standing Committee on the Status of Women * Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities * Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs


Senate

* Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples * Special Committee on Aging * Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry * Special Committee on Anti-terrorism * Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce * Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest for Seniors * Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources * Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans * Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade * Standing Committee on Human Rights * Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration * Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs * Standing Committee on National Finance * Standing Committee on National Security and Defence ** Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs * Standing Committee on Official Languages * Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament * Selection Committee * Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology ** Subcommittee on Cities ** Subcommittee on Population Health *
Standing Committee on Transport and Communications The Standing Committee on Transport and Communications ( no, Transport- og kommunikasjonskomiteen) is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for policies relating to transport, postal services, telecommunications, elect ...


Joint Committees

* Standing Joint Committee on Library of Parliament * Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations


Officeholders


Speakers

* Senate:
Noël Kinsella Noël Augustus Kinsella, (born November 28, 1939) is a Canadian politician and was Speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2006 to 2014. Education Kinsella was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Univ ...
, Conservative Senator for New Brunswick. *
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 ...
:
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 ...
, 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 ...
member for
Kingston and the Islands Kingston and the Islands (french: Kingston et les Îles) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. It covers part of the city of Kingston, Ontario and the sparse ...
.


Other Chair occupants

Senate *
Speaker pro tempore of the Canadian Senate The Speaker Pro Tempore is an officer and second-highest ranking member of the Senate of Canada. The Speaker Pro Tempore ("acting Speaker") is a member of the Senate who is first nominated by a selection committee. The nomination is then confirmed ...
: **
Rose-Marie Losier-Cool Rose-Marie Losier-Cool (born June 18, 1937) is a retired Canadian Senator for New Brunswick. A member of New Brunswick's Acadian community, Losier-Cool worked as a teacher for thirty-three years, two decades of which were spent at ''École seco ...
, Liberal Senator from New Brunswick (until March 2, 2010) ** Donald H. Oliver, Conservative Senator for Nova Scotia (from March 4, 2010) House of Commons * House of Commons Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole:
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 member 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 ...
* Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole: Denise Savoie, NDP member for
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
* Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole:
Barry Devolin Barry Devolin, (born March 10, 1963) is a former Member of Parliament (Canada), Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada and an academic. Early life and education Devolin was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Peterborough and grew u ...
, Conservative member for
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (formerly Haliburton—Victoria—Brock and Victoria—Haliburton) is a federal electoral district in central Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography ...


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 of a majority the elected House of Commons; as su ...
: Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper (Conservative) * Leader of the Opposition (Liberal): *# Hon.
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 ...
(until December 9, 2008) *# Hon.
Michael Ignatieff Michael Grant Ignatieff (; born May 12, 1947) is a Canadian author, academic and former politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011. Known for his work as a histo ...
(acting from December 10, 2008, permanent from May 2, 2009) * Bloc Québécois leader: Gilles Duceppe * New Democratic Party leader: Hon.
Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...


Floor leaders

Senate * Leader of the Government in the Senate: Hon.
Marjory LeBreton Marjory LeBreton (born July 4, 1940) is a Canadian former leader of the Government in the Senate of Canada, a cabinet-rank position; and past national chair of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Canada. She worked with four leaders of the Progres ...
* Leader of the Opposition in the Senate:
Jim Cowan James S. Cowan (born January 22, 1942) is a Canadian lawyer, a senator from Nova Scotia from 2005 to 2017, and was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 2008 to 2015 and leader of the Independent Liberal caucus until June 15, 2016. A ...
House of Commons *
Government House Leader The leader of the government in the House of Commons (), more commonly known as the government house leader, is the Cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the House of Commons of Canada. De ...
: *# Hon.
Jay Hill Jay D. Hill (born December 27, 1952) is a Canadian politician who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Prince George—Peace River in British Columbia from 1993 to 2010. He served as Government House Leader ...
(until Aug 6, 2010) *# Hon. John Baird (from Aug 6, 2010) *
Opposition House Leader The Opposition House Leader (french: Leader à la Chambre de l'opposition, link=no), officially known as Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons of Canada, is a member of the Official Opposition, not to be confused with the ...
: *# Hon.
Ralph Goodale Ralph Edward Goodale (born October 5, 1949) is a Canadian diplomat and retired politician who has served as the Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom since April 19, 2021. Goodale was first elected in 1974 as the member of Parliamen ...
(until Sept 9, 2010) *# David McGuinty (from Sept 8, 2010) * Bloc Québécois House Leader: Pierre Paquette * New Democratic Party House Leader:
Libby Davies Libby Davies (born February 27, 1953) is a Canadian politician from British Columbia. She was the member of Parliament for Vancouver East from 1997 to 2015, House Leader for the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011, and Deputy Leade ...


Whips

Senate * Government Whip in the Senate: ** Terry Stratton (until Dec 31, 2009) **
Consiglio Di Nino Consiglio Di Nino (born January 24, 1938) is a Canadian businessman and former Senate of Canada senator from 1990 to 2012. Early life and career Born in Italy, Di Nino immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 13. He attended St Michae ...
(from Jan 1, 2010) * Deputy Government Whip in the Senate: Stephen Greene * Opposition Whip in the Senate:
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 ...
* Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate:
Elizabeth Hubley Elizabeth M. "Libbe" Hubley (born September 8, 1942) is a Canadian politician who sat in the Senate of Canada representing Prince Edward Island from 2001 until her retirement in 2017. In 1989 she was elected to Prince Edward Island's legislativ ...
House of Commons *
Chief Government Whip The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes. United Kingdom ...
: Hon.
Gordon O'Connor Gordon James O'Connor, (born May 18, 1939) is a retired Brigadier-General, businessman, lobbyist, and was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2015. He served as Minister of National Defence (2006-2007) and then Minister of Nat ...
* Deputy Government Whip: Harold Albrecht * Official Opposition Whip: *#
Rodger Cuzner Rodger Trueman Cuzner (born November 4, 1955) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Cape Breton—Canso and its predecessor, Bras d'Or—Cape Breton, from 2000 to 201 ...
(until Sept 10, 2010) *# Marcel Proulx (from Sept 10, 2010) * Bloc Québécois Whip: *#
Michel Guimond Michel Guimond (December 26, 1953 – January 19, 2015) was a Canadian politician. From 1987 to 1993 he served as a city councillor in Boischatel, Quebec. After this, he ran in the 1993 federal election for the Bloc Québécois. He was elected ...
(until June 22, 2010) *# Claude DeBellefeuille (from June 23, 2010) * New Democratic Party Whip: Yvon Godin


Shadow cabinets

* Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Parliament of Canada * Bloc Québécois Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Parliament of Canada * New Democratic Party Shadow Cabinet of the 40th Parliament of Canada


By-elections


References


External links

{{Canadian federal election, 2011A 2008 establishments in Canada 2011 disestablishments in Canada Stephen Harper Minority governments