Backbencher: A Member of
Parliament who is not a minister and does not sit on the front benches reserved
for Cabinet ministers or for opposition party officials.
Budget: The plan of
where the Government is going to get money this year and how it will spend its
money.
Cabinet Minister: A Member of Parliament who is usually
head of a government department. The Leader of the Government in the Senate is
also a member of Cabinet.
Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms: A section of the Canadian
constitution that ensures that all people in Canada are guaranteed certain basic
rights and freedoms.
Capital: The city where Parliament is
located and the government carries out its business. The capital city of Canada
is Ottawa. Each province and territory also has a capital city.
Ceremony: A formal act
that follows special rules or traditions
Chamber: The meeting
room in which all Senators or Members of Parliament meet to discuss and to
vote. The Senators and Members of Parliament each have their own meeting room.
Citizen: A Canadian citizen is a person who was born in Canada or who moved
here and met the rules to become a Canadian
Clerk of the House
of Commons: The principal person in the
Chamber who advises the Speaker, Members of Parliament and the other clerks
about rules in the House of Commons.
Clerk of the
Senate: The principal person in the
Chamber who advises the Speaker, the Senators and the other clerks about rules
in the Senate.
Coalition: The joining
together of two or more political parties to form a Government or an
opposition.
Committee: A group of
Senators, Members of Parliament or both selected to study a specific subject or
bill and write a report about it.
Confederation: The agreement by the provinces to
join in order to form the nation of Canada and create a federal Parliament.
This happened in 1867 with four provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia). Other provinces and territories joined at later dates.
Constituency: The area in
Canada that a Member of Parliament represents in the House of Commons (also
known as a riding or electoral district).
Constituent: A person
living in an area represented by a Member of Parliament in the House of
Commons.
Constitution: The set of
rules which a country like Canada follows to work well as a nation.
Debate: A discussion
of any subject by Senators or Members of Parliament.
Democracy: A country that is governed by
people who are elected by its citizens to make decisions on their behalf.
Elect: To pick one
person from a group of several people by voting. The person with the most votes
is elected.
Election: The
selection of a person or government by voting. In Canada, elections for Members
of Parliament must be held at least every five years.
Electoral district:
Another word used for constituency or riding.
Governing party: The
political party that forms the government because it had more of its members
elected to the Chamber by the people than any other political party.
Government House
Leader: The Senator or MP responsible for
managing the Government's business in the Senate or the House of Commons. This
person is also a member of the Cabinet.
Governor General: The
representative of the monarch (Queen or King) in Canada who acts on the
monarch's behalf with the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Head of Government:
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government
and looks after the business of the country.
Head of State: The monarch
(Queen or King) is the Head of State of Canada. The Governor General represents
the monarch in Canada.
House of Commons: The elected
Members of Parliament together form the House of Commons. This term also refers
to the Chamber where they meet regularly.
Independent
(Senator or Member of Parliament): A member of the Senate or House
of Commons who does not belong to a political party.
Issue: A subject
for debate or discussion.
Law: A rule for
all Canadians made by the Senators and Members of Parliament through discussion
and voting.
Leader of the
Official Opposition - House of Commons : The leader of the political party
that elected the second most MPs in the election. The members of this party do
not always agree with the ideas of the governing party and often question them
about their decisions.
Leader of the
Opposition - Senate: The Leader of the party which
holds the largest number of seats in the opposition.
Local government: The council
that manages the business of a municipality (village, town or city). The
council members are elected by the people living in that area.
Lower House: Another name
for the House of Commons.
Mace: A large,
heavy and richly ornamented staff which represents the power and authority of
Parliament.
Senate: When the Speaker takes the Chair,
the Mace Bearer places the Mace on the Table to signify that the Senate is in
session.
House of Commons: When the Speaker enters the
Chamber on a working day, the Sergeant-at-Arms places the mace on the Table in
front of the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons.
Majority
government: The governing party has more than
half of the total number of MPs elected to the House of Commons.
Media: The radio,
television, Internet, magazines and newspapers and the journalists who work for
them.
Member of
Parliament (MP): A person elected to the House of
Commons. There are 308 Members of Parliament representing all of the areas of
Canada in the House of Commons.
Minister: A Member of
Parliament who is usually head of a government department. The Leader of the
Government in the Senate is also a member of Cabinet.
Minority
government: The governing party has less than
half of the total number of MPs elected to the House of Commons. In order to
remain the government, it has to cooperate with the opposition Members.
Municipal
government: The council that manages the business
of a municipality (village, town or city). The council members are elected by
the people living in that area.
Official languages:
By law, English and French are the official
languages of Canada. Parliament does all its work in both English and French.
Official
Opposition: The political party that elected
the second most MPs in the election.
Page : University students work
part-time in either the Senate or House of Commons to assist parliamentarians
during sittings by distributing documents and relaying messages.
Parliament: Makes the
laws that apply across Canada. It is made up of the Governor General as the
Queen's representative, the Senate and the House of Commons.
Parliament Hill: The site of
the Parliament Buildings (Senate and House of Commons) in Ottawa.
Parliamentarian: A Senator or
a Member of Parliament (MP).
Peace Tower: A tall bell
tower located in the centre of the Parliament Buildings, named to honour the
service and sacrifice of Canadians in World War I. The tower is 92 meters high.
Political party: A group of
people who have the same beliefs about how the country should be run.
Poll: A survey
that asks questions to find out what people think on a certain topic.
Prime Minister: The Head of
Government and leader of the governing party. The Prime Minister is also a
Member of Parliament and represents a constituency.
Provincial or
territorial government: Every province and territory in
Canada has a legislature which makes laws for the people living in that
province or territory. This legislature is located in the capital city of the
province or territory.
Question Period Senate: A daily 30 minute period during
which oral questions may be addressed to the Leader of the
Government, or other ministers, and committee chairs.
Question Period House of Commons: A time set aside every day in the House of Commons when Members of Parliament can ask Cabinet Ministers questions about their projects.
Question Period House of Commons: A time set aside every day in the House of Commons when Members of Parliament can ask Cabinet Ministers questions about their projects.
Reading (of a
bill): A word used for the stages where
a bill is debated in Parliament before it is passed to become law.
Red Chamber: Another name
for the Senate.
Representative: A Senator or
Member of Parliament who makes decisions on behalf of Canadians.
Riding: Another word
for constituency or electoral district.
Royal Assent: The Governor
General approves a bill passed by Parliament to make it law. Sometimes a Royal
Assent ceremony takes place in the Senate Chamber. Other times, the bill is
signed at Rideau Hall, where the Governor General lives.
Senate: Also known
as the Upper House of Parliament. This term also refers to the room where
Senators meet regularly.
Senator: A member of the Senate in Canada.
The Senate has 105 Senators to represent regions of Canada. Senators are
appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Sergeant-at-Arms: The person who carries the mace
during the Speaker's Parade into the House of Commons Chamber and also ensures
that the MPs are safe.
Speaker of the
House of Commons: The Member of Parliament who is elected by the other Members of
Parliament to run their meetings and to keep order in the House of Commons.
Speaker of the
Senate: The Senator
who is appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister to
run their meetings and to keep order in the Senate.
Speaker's Parade
(Senate): The Speaker of the Senate, the
Clerk of the Senate, the Usher of the Black Rod, the Mace Bearer and other
officials walk formally from the Speaker's Chambers to the Senate before the
opening of a sitting.
Speaker's Parade
(House of Commons): The Speaker of the House of Commons,
the Sergeant-at-Arms with the Mace, the Clerk of the House and other officials
walk formally from the Speaker's Office to the House of Commons before the
opening of a sitting.
Speech from the
Throne: The speech given by the Governor
General at the start of a new session of Parliament, describing what the
government plans to do.
Throne: A special chair in the Senate
Chamber reserved for the use of the monarch or the Governor General.
Tradition: Something
that is done a certain way because it is the way it has been done for many
years
Upper House: Another name
for the Senate.
Usher of the Black
Rod: An officer of the Senate who is
sent to summon members of the House of Commons to the Senate Chamber for
ceremonies such as the Throne Speech and Royal Assent. The Usher uses the black
rod to knock on the door of the House of Commons Chamber.
Vote: (1) The way
citizens choose a representative in an election.
(2) The process Senators and MPs use to make a decision.
(2) The process Senators and MPs use to make a decision.