Bills C-1 and S-1
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Bills C-1 and S-1, are pro forma bills introduced in the House of Commons and Senate at the opening of each session of the Parliament of Canada. The bills are given a first reading and are then never proceeded with further. Being pro forma pieces of legislation, introducing them is mostly a formal tradition. They are introduced each session in the Commons and Senate for the purpose of reassuring the right of Members to depart from the reasons for summoning Parliament contained in the speech from the Throne, therefore signifying Parliament's freedom from the direction of the Crown of Canada.
The introduction of a pro forma bill is a practice that has existed since before Confederation. It originated in the British House of Commons in 1571.
In the house, Bill C-1 is normally introduced by the prime minister and is titled An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office (French: Projet de loi C-1, Loi concernant la prestation de serments d'office). In the Senate, Bill S-1 is titled An Act relating to Railways.
[edit] Status of the bill in the 39th Parliament
Bill C-1 was introduced on 4 April 2006, by The Right Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., seconded by The Hon. Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P., and accordingly, was read a first time. Bill C-1 is a largely incomplete piece of legislation, and Canadian convention dictates that, as a pro forma piece of legislation, it will not be proceeded with further.
