Parliament of Canada

The Parliament of Canada (French: Parlement du Canada) is Canada's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. According to Section 17 of the Constitution Act, 1867, Parliament consists of three components: the Sovereign (la Couronne), the Senate (le Sénat), and the House of Commons (la Chambre des communes). The Sovereign is normally represented by the Governor General, who appoints the 105 members of the Senate on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The 308 members of the House of Commons are directly elected by the people, with each member representing a single electoral district, frequently called a constituency or a "riding" in Canadian English.

Related Topics:
French - Canada - Legislative branch - Parliament Hill - Ottawa - Ontario - Constitution Act, 1867 - Sovereign - Senate - House of Commons - Governor General - Electoral district - Riding

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The lower house, the House of Commons, is the dominant branch of the Canadian Parliament. The upper house, the Senate, rarely opposes the will of the other Chamber, and the duties of the Sovereign and Governor General are purely ceremonial. The Prime Minister and Cabinet must retain the support of a majority of members of the Lower House in order to remain in office; they need not have the confidence of the Upper House.

Related Topics:
Lower house - Upper house

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