Canada's Parliament is a bicameral legislature with two chambers: the elected House of Commons and the appointed Senate. The House of Commons is the lower chamber, where Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to represent constituents and debate bills, while the Senate is the upper chamber, with senators appointed to provide "sober second thought" and review legislation, represent regional interests, and investigate issues. Both chambers must pass a bill for it to receive Royal Assent and become law.
House of Commons
Structure: The lower chamber of Parliament, with 343 elected Members of Parliament (MPs).
Role: Most bills originate here; MPs debate, vote on, and study bills. It is also where the government must maintain the confidence of the majority to stay in power.
Representation: Based on population, with MPs representing different electoral districts across the country.
Key feature: Contains "Question Period," where the opposition can challenge the government.
Senate
Structure: The upper chamber, with 105 appointed senators.
Role: Reviews legislation passed by the House of Commons, proposing amendments or rejecting bills as a check on the government. Senators also introduce their own bills (except those involving taxes or spending) and conduct committee studies on important national issues.
Representation: Based on regional representation, with a distribution designed to give each region equal representation.
Appointment: Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. They hold their position until age 75.
How they work together
Both chambers must pass identical versions of a bill for it to proceed to the next stage.
A bill passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate becomes law after receiving Royal Assent from the Governor General or a representative of the Crown.
The Senate is an important part of the legislative (law-making) branch of Canada’s government. Senators are appointed from each province and territory to represent Canada’s diverse regions.