Pair (parliamentary convention)

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Pairing is a system whereby two members of parliament from opposing political parties may agree to abstain where one member is unable to vote, due to other commitments, illness, travel problems, etc. A party whip will usually allow this only for non-critical votes, often referred to as two-line whips.

The 1926 Canadian Election was called when Arthur Meighen's three-day old Conservative government was defeated 96-95, when an opposition MP who was paired with an absent Tory voted against the government on a motion of confidence.

According to Professor Ned Franks, "Immediately after the vote, at the same sitting and while everyone was still reeling in shock, surprise, delight or whatever, depending on party, an opposition member asked if his vote could be withdrawn because he had forgotten that he was paired and he shouldn't have voted. The Speaker refused this request, saying that the vote had already been recorded and couldn't be changed. What was written was written."

Pairing in the British House of Commons was ended by a decision of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Chief Whips, Donald Dewar and Archy Kirkwood on 17 December 1996, following an incident when they claimed to find the Conservative government cheating in a vote by pairing the same three Conservative MPs with three absent Labour MPs as well as three absent Liberal Democrat MPs. The decision came into effect on 13 January 1997.^[1] It has not resumed since.