Parliament Flashcards
How is the legislature comprised
the house of commons- 343 seats and the senate- 105 members
What is a minority parliament
no party has more than half the seats in the house of commons
What is the speech from the throne (SFT)
governor general reads a statement explaining the government’s legislative priorities; it’s required by the constitution
packed with generalities and platitudes; possibly some specifics/agenda items of what the government intends to do in the forthcoming session
debated and voted on
What is a confidence vote
the government must win in order to maintain the confidence of the House of Commons and to stay in office/power
What is representation by population
percentage of seats each province has in the House will be roughly equivalent to the percentage of the national population
What are government members
those who serve in cabinet
What are private members
those who do not serve in cabinet
What is the Leader of the Official Opposition
leader of the official opposition (party with second most votes) and is granted speaking privileges, must be consulted by PM on key appointments and critical issues
What is a shadow cabinet
a team of opposition critics for each of the government’s ministries; it is not part of the political executive and thus has no authority over the public service
What is the speaker
the member of the legislature responsible for presiding over its rules and general decorum
What is the clerk of the house
does the official paperwork of the House of Commons and provides procedural advice to the speaker when necessary
What is the Sergeant-at-arms
responsible for the security of the House
What is a Hansard
they transcribe the debate into the official record of proceedings
What is the Auditor general
an independent officer responsible for auditing and reporting to the legislature regarding a government’s spending and operations
What is the Parliamentary Budget Officer
created to provide independent and objective analysis to Parliament on the state of the nation’s finances, the government’s estimates and trends in the Canadian economy; and upon request from a committee or parliamentarian, to estimate the financial cost of any proposal for matters over which parliament has jurisdiction
What is a private members bill
introduced by backbenchers of any party and are rarely passed
What are government bills
introduced by cabinet
What are the seven stages of a bill
first readings, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, consideration by the other House, royal assent,
What are standing orders
the body of rules governing the conduct of the legislature—favour the government and administrated by the government House Leader
What are Back Benchers
they are a rank-and-file member of the House of Commons/legislative assembly without cabinet responsibilities or other special legislative titles
What is the senate
the upper house of the canadian parliament, consisting of members chosen by the executive (sober second thought)
