List of Canadian federal parliaments
The Chamber of the House of Commons
Canadian Parliaments are the legislative bodies of the Government of Canada. They are composed of the Canadian House of Commons (lower house), the Canadian Senate (upper house), and the Sovereign, represented by the Governor General. Most major legislation originates from the House, as it is the only body that is directly elected. A new parliament begins after an election of the House of Commons and can sit for up to five years. The number of seats in parliament has varied as new provinces joined the country and as population distribution between the provinces changed; there are currently 308 MPs and 105 Senators (when there are no vacancies).
Canada uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister, even if he or she is not an elected member of parliament. The leader of the party with the second-most seats in the House becomes the Leader of the Opposition, and debate (formally called Oral Questions) between the parties is presided over by the Speaker of the House. When the party with the most seats has less than half of the total number of seats, it forms a minority government, which can be voted out of power by the other parties. The Canadian Parliament is located at Parliament Hill in the capital city, Ottawa.
The current assembly is the 40th Canadian Parliament since the confederation of Canada in 1867.
Parliaments
| Diagram[1] | Parliament —election —sessions |
From To |
Governing Party (Seat Count as of election) |
Prime Minister and Ministry | Official Opposition Party and Leader | Other Parties with Official status | Speaker of the House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1st Canadian Parliament —elected 1867 —(5 sessions) |
Nov. 6, 1867 Jul. 8, 1872 |
Conservative Party[2] (100 of 180 House seats) |
Sir John A. Macdonald 1st Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Edward Blake |
—Anti-Confederation Party | James Cockburn |
 |
2nd Canadian Parliament —elected 1872 —(2 sessions) |
Mar. 5, 1873 ... |
Conservative Party (99 of 200 House seats)[3] |
Sir John A. Macdonald 1st Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Alexander Mackenzie |
none | James Cockburn |
| Nov. 7, 1873 Jan. 2, 1874 |
Liberal Party minority[4] (95 of 200 House seats) |
Alexander Mackenzie 2nd Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Sir John A. Macdonald |
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 |
3rd Canadian Parliament —elected 1874 —(5 sessions) |
Mar. 26, 1874 Aug. 17, 1878 |
Liberal Party (129 of 206 House seats) |
Alexander Mackenzie 2nd Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Sir John A. Macdonald |
none | Timothy Warren Anglin |
 |
4th Canadian Parliament —elected 1878 —(4 sessions) |
Feb. 13, 1879 May 18, 1882 |
Conservative Party (134 of 206 House seats) |
Sir John A. Macdonald 3rd Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Alexander Mackenzie (1878-1880) Edward Blake (1880-1882) |
none | Joseph Godéric Blanchet |
 |
5th Canadian Parliament —elected 1882 —(4 sessions) |
Feb. 8, 1883 Jan. 15, 1887 |
Conservative Party (133 of 211 House seats) |
Sir John A. Macdonald 3rd Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Edward Blake |
none | George Airey Kirkpatrick |
 |
6th Canadian Parliament —elected 1887 —(4 sessions) |
Apr. 13, 1887 Feb. 3, 1891 |
Conservative Party (122 of 215 House seats) |
Sir John A. Macdonald 3rd Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Edward Blake (1887) Wilfrid Laurier (1887-1896) |
none | Joseph-Aldéric Ouimet |
 |
7th Canadian Parliament —elected 1891 —(6 sessions) |
Apr. 29, 1891 ... |
Conservative Party[5] (117 of 215 House seats) |
Sir John A. Macdonald 3rd Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Wilfrid Laurier |
none | Peter White |
| Jun. 16, 1891 ... |
Sir John Abbott 4th Canadian Ministry |
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| Dec 5, 1892 ... |
Sir John Thompson 5th Canadian Ministry |
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| Dec 21, 1894 Apr. 24, 1896 |
Sir Mackenzie Bowell[6] 6th Canadian Ministry |
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 |
8th Canadian Parliament —elected 1896 —(5 sessions) |
Aug. 19, 1896 Oct. 9, 1900 |
Liberal Party (117 of 213 House seats) |
Sir Wilfrid Laurier 8th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Sir Charles Tupper |
none | James David Edgar (1896-1899) Thomas Bain (1899-1900) |
 |
9th Canadian Parliament —elected 1900 —(4 sessions) |
Feb. 6, 1901 Sep. 29, 1904 |
Liberal Party (128 of 213 House seats) |
Sir Wilfrid Laurier 8th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Robert Borden |
none | Louis Philippe Brodeur (1901-1904) Napoléon Antoine Belcourt (1904) |
 |
10th Canadian Parliament —elected 1904 —(4 sessions) |
Jan. 11, 1905 Sep. 17, 1908 |
Liberal Party (137 of 214 House seats) |
Sir Wilfrid Laurier 8th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Robert Borden |
none | Robert Franklin Sutherland |
 |
11th Canadian Parliament —elected 1908 —(3 sessions) |
Jan. 20, 1909 Jul. 29, 1911 |
Liberal Party (133 of 221 House seats) |
Sir Wilfrid Laurier 8th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Robert Borden |
none | Charles Marcil |
 |
12th Canadian Parliament —elected 1911 —(7 sessions) |
Nov. 15, 1911 ... |
Conservative Party (132 of 221 House seats) |
Sir Robert Borden 9th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Sir Wilfrid Laurier |
none | Thomas Simpson Sproule (1911-1915) Albert Sévigny (1916-1917) |
 |
13th Canadian Parliament —elected 1917 —(5 sessions) |
Mar. 18, 1918 ... |
Unionist coalition[7] (153 of 235 House seats) |
Sir Robert Borden 10th Canadian Ministry |
Laurier Liberals: Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1918-1919) Daniel Duncan McKenzie (1919) William Lyon Mackenzie King (1919-1921) |
none | Edgar Nelson Rhodes |
| Jul. 7, 1920 Oct. 4, 1921 |
National Liberal and Conservative Party (153 of 235 House seats) |
Arthur Meighen 11th Canadian Ministry |
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 |
14th Canadian Parliament —elected 1921 —(4 sessions) |
Mar. 8, 1922 Sep. 5, 1925 |
Liberal Party[8] (118 of 235 House seats) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King 12th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party[9]: Arthur Meighen |
—Progressive Party | Rodolphe Lemieux |
 |
15th Canadian Parliament —elected 1925 —(1 session) |
Jan. 7, 1925 ... |
Liberal Party minority[10] (100 of 245 House seats) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King 12th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Arthur Meighen |
—Progressive Party | Rodolphe Lemieux |
| Jun. 29, 1926 Jul. 2, 1926 |
Conservative Party minority[11] (115 of 245 House seats) |
Arthur Meighen 13th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: William Lyon Mackenzie King |
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 |
16th Canadian Parliament —elected 1926 —(4 sessions) |
Dec. 9, 1926 May 30, 1930 |
Liberal Party minority[12] (116 of 245 House seats) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King 14th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Hugh Guthrie (1926-1927) Richard Bennett (1927-1930) |
none | Rodolphe Lemieux |
 |
17th Canadian Parliament —elected 1930 —(6 sessions) |
Sep. 8, 1930 Aug. 14, 1935 |
Conservative Party (134 of 245 House seats) |
Richard Bennett 15th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: William Lyon Mackenzie King |
none | George Black (1930-1935) James Langstaff Bowman (1935) |
 |
18th Canadian Parliament —elected 1935 —(6 sessions) |
Feb. 6, 1936 Jan. 25, 1940 |
Liberal Party (173 of 245 House seats) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King 16th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party: Richard Bennett (1936-1938) Robert Manion (1938-1940) |
—Social Credit Party | Pierre-François Casgrain |
 |
19th Canadian Parliament —elected 1940 —(6 sessions) |
May 16, 1940 Apr. 16, 1945 |
Liberal Party (179 of 245 House seats) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King 16th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party[13]: Richard Hanson (1940-1942) Gordon Graydon (1943-1945) |
none | James Allison Glen |
 |
20th Canadian Parliament —elected 1945 —(5 sessions) |
Sep. 6, 1945 ... |
Liberal Party (118 of 245 House seats) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King 16th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: John Bracken (1945-1948) George Drew (1948-1949) |
—Co-operative Commonwealth Federation —Social Credit Party |
Gaspard Fauteux |
| Aug. 7, 1948 Apr. 30, 1949 |
Louis St. Laurent 17th Canadian Ministry |
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 |
21st Canadian Parliament —elected 1949 —(7 sessions) |
Sep. 15, 1949 Jun. 13, 1953 |
Liberal Party (191 of 262 House seats) |
Louis St. Laurent 17th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: George Drew |
—Co-operative Commonwealth Federation | William Ross Macdonald |
 |
22nd Canadian Parliament —elected 1953 —(5 sessions) |
Nov. 12, 1953 Apr. 12, 1957 |
Liberal Party (169 of 265 House seats) |
Louis St. Laurent 17th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: George Drew (1953-1954) William Earl Rowe (1954-1955) George Drew (1955-1956) John Diefenbaker (1956-1957) |
—Co-operative Commonwealth Federation —Social Credit Party |
Louis-René Beaudoin |
 |
23rd Canadian Parliament —elected 1957 —(1 session) |
Oct. 14, 1957 Feb. 1, 1958 |
Progressive Conservative Party minority (111 of 265 House seats) |
John Diefenbaker 18th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Louis St. Laurent (1957-1958) Lester B. Pearson (1958) |
—Co-operative Commonwealth Federation —Social Credit Party |
Roland Michener |
 |
24th Canadian Parliament —elected 1958 —(5 sessions) |
May 12, 1958 Apr. 19, 1962 |
Progressive Conservative Party (208 of 265 House seats) |
John Diefenbaker 18th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Lester B. Pearson |
none | Roland Michener |
 |
25th Canadian Parliament —elected 1962 —(1 session) |
Sep. 27, 1962 Feb. 6, 1963 |
Progressive Conservative Party minority (116 of 265 House seats) |
John Diefenbaker 18th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Lester B. Pearson |
—Social Credit Party —New Democratic Party |
Marcel Lambert |
 |
26th Canadian Parliament —elected 1963 —(3 sessions) |
May 16, 1963 Sep. 8, 1965 |
Liberal Party minority[14] (128 of 265 House seats) |
Lester B. Pearson 19th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: John Diefenbaker |
—Social Credit Party —New Democratic Party |
Alan Macnaughton |
 |
27th Canadian Parliament —elected 1965 —(2 sessions) |
Jan. 18, 1966 Apr. 23, 1968 |
Liberal Party minority[15] (131 of 265 House seats) |
Lester B. Pearson 19th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: John Diefenbaker (1966-1967) Michael Starr (1967) Robert Stanfield (1967-1968 in the House) |
—New Democratic Party | Lucien Lamoureux |
| 28th Canadian Parliament —elected 1968 —(4 sessions) |
Sep. 12, 1968 Sep. 1, 1972 |
Liberal Party (154 of 264 House seats) |
Pierre Trudeau 20th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: Robert Stanfield |
—New Democratic Party —Ralliement créditiste |
Lucien Lamoureux | |
| 29th Canadian Parliament —elected 1972 —(2 sessions) |
Jan. 4, 1973 May 9, 1974 |
Liberal Party minority[16] (109 of 264 House seats) |
Pierre Trudeau 20th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: Robert Stanfield |
—New Democratic Party —Social Credit Party |
Lucien Lamoureux | |
| 30th Canadian Parliament —elected 1974 —(4 sessions) |
Sep. 30, 1974 Mar. 26, 1979 |
Liberal Party (141 of 264 House seats) (76 of 98 Senate seats) |
Pierre Trudeau 20th Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: Robert Stanfield (1974-1976) Joe Clark (1976-1979) |
—New Democratic Party | James Alexander Jerome | |
| 31st Canadian Parliament —elected 1979 —(1 session) |
Oct. 9, 1979 Dec. 14, 1979 |
Progressive Conservative Party minority (136 of 282 House seats) (18 of 95 Senate seats) |
Joe Clark 21st Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Pierre Trudeau |
—New Democratic Party | James Alexander Jerome | |
 |
32nd Canadian Parliament —elected 1980 —(2 sessions) |
Apr. 14, 1980 ... |
Liberal Party (147 of 282 House seats) (71 of 102 Senate seats) |
Pierre Trudeau 22nd Canadian Ministry |
Progressive Conservative Party: Joe Clark (1980-1983) Brian Mulroney (1983-1984) |
—New Democratic Party | Jeanne Sauvé (1980-1984) Cyril Lloyd Francis (1984) |
| Jun. 30, 1984 Jul. 9, 1984 |
John Turner 23rd Canadian Ministry |
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 |
33rd Canadian Parliament —elected 1984 —(2 sessions) |
Nov. 5, 1984 Oct. 1, 1988 |
Progressive Conservative Party (211 of 282 House seats) (23 of 101 Senate seats) |
Brian Mulroney 24th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: John Turner |
—New Democratic Party | John William Bosley (1984-1986) John Allen Fraser (1986-1988) |
 |
34th Canadian Parliament —elected 1988 —(3 sessions) |
Dec. 12, 1988 ... |
Progressive Conservative Party (169 of 295 House seats) (36 of 98 Senate seats)[17] |
Brian Mulroney 24th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: John Turner (1988-1990) Herb Gray (1990) Jean Chrétien (1990-1993) |
—New Democratic Party | John Allen Fraser |
| Jun. 26, 1993 Sep. 8, 1993 |
Kim Campbell 25th Canadian Ministry |
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 |
35th Canadian Parliament —elected 1993 —(2 sessions) |
Jan. 17, 1994 Apr. 27, 1997 |
Liberal Party (177 of 295 House seats) (58 of 104 Senate seats) |
Jean Chrétien 26th Canadian Ministry |
Bloc Québécois: Lucien Bouchard (1994-1996) Gilles Duceppe (1996) Michel Gauthier (1996) Gilles Duceppe (1996-1997) |
—Reform Party | Gilbert Parent |
 |
36th Canadian Parliament —elected 1997 —(2 sessions) |
Sep. 22, 1997 ... |
Liberal Party (155 of 301 House seats) (51 of 104 Senate seats) |
Jean Chrétien 26th Canadian Ministry |
Reform Party: Preston Manning |
—Bloc Québécois —New Democratic Party —Progressive Conservative Party |
Gilbert Parent |
| Mar. 27, 2000 Oct. 22, 2000 |
Canadian Alliance: Deborah Grey (2000) Stockwell Day (2000) |
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 |
37th Canadian Parliament —elected 2000 —(3 sessions) |
Jan. 29, 2001 ... |
Liberal Party (172 of 301 House seats) (55 of 96 Senate seats) |
Jean Chrétien 26th Canadian Ministry |
Canadian Alliance: Stockwell Day (2001) John Reynolds (2001-2002) Stephen Harper (2002-2004) Grant Hill (2004) |
—Bloc Québécois —New Democratic Party —Progressive Conservative Party |
Peter Milliken |
| Dec. 12, 2003 ... |
Paul Martin 27th Canadian Ministry |
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| Feb. 2, 2004 May 23, 2004 |
Conservative Party (new): Grant Hill (2004) Stephen Harper (2004) |
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 |
38th Canadian Parliament —elected 2004 —(1 session) |
Oct. 4, 2004 Nov. 29, 2005 |
Liberal Party minority[18] (135 of 308 House seats) (64 of 96 Senate seats) |
Paul Martin 27th Canadian Ministry |
Conservative Party (new): Stephen Harper |
—Bloc Québécois —New Democratic Party |
Peter Milliken |
 |
39th Canadian Parliament —elected 2006 —(2 sessions) |
Apr. 3, 2006 Sep. 7, 2008 |
Conservative Party minority (124 of 308 House seats) (23 of 100 Senate seats) |
Stephen Harper 28th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Bill Graham (2006) Stéphane Dion (2006-2008) |
—Bloc Québécois —New Democratic Party |
Peter Milliken |
 |
40th Canadian Parliament —elected 2008 —(2 sessions) |
Nov. 18, 2008 present |
Conservative Party minority (143 of 308 House seats) (22 of 90 Senate seats) |
Stephen Harper 28th Canadian Ministry |
Liberal Party: Stéphane Dion (2008) Michael Ignatieff (2008-) |
—Bloc Québécois —New Democratic Party |
Peter Milliken |
Notes
- ↑ The diagrams show the composition of each parliament, colour-coded by party (click on an image to see its key) and arranged as the MPs might sit. The speaker of the house is shown on the left hand side, with the governing party on the speaker's right (the bottom of the diagram) and the opposition on the speaker's left (the top).
- ↑ In Canada's early parliaments, many members of the Conservative Party, including the Prime Minister, used other labels for themselves, the most common being "Liberal-Conservative".
- ↑ There were two Independent Conservatives in the 2nd Parliament, giving the government an effective majority.
- ↑ After the 2nd parliament's Pacific Scandal, the Liberals took power between elections.
- ↑ Although the Liberal-Conservatives and the Conservatives had always been running as one party, in 1892 the party membership of the Prime Minister changed.
- ↑ After the dissolution of the 7th Canadian Parliament, Mackenzie Bowell stepped down and Sir Charles Tupper became Prime Minister on May 1, 1896. Tupper was only Prime Minister during the 1896 election campaign, which he lost, so he was never Prime Minister of a sitting parliament and is therefore not included in this list.
- ↑ During the First World War, Borden governed from a united party with a Cabinet of 12 Conservatives, 9 Liberals and Independents, and 1 "Labour" MP. There were, however still a number of MPs in opposition to him.
- ↑ In the 14th Parliament, King’s Liberals won exactly enough seats to form a slim majority government, and due to resignations and floor crossing, they shifted back and forth between majority and minority status. However, the government was in little danger of losing a confidence vote because the Progressive party usually allowed free votes among its members, some of whom would always vote with the government.
- ↑ In the 14th parliament, the new Progressive Party led by Thomas Crerar had the second-most seats, yet Arthur Meighen's Conservatives formed official opposition.
- ↑ In the 15th parliament, Mackenzie King's Liberals were initially supported by some members of the Progressive Party of Canada until one of King's appointees in the Department of Customs and Excise was revealed to have taken bribes.
- ↑ In the 15th parliament, Arthur Meighen's Conservatives had the most seats, but Mackenzie King formed government with the support of the Progressive Party. After the King-Byng Affair, Arthur Meighen's Conservatives took power between elections.
- ↑ In the 16th parliament, Mackenzie King's Liberals were supported by some members of the Progressive Party of Canada, which did not enforce strict party discipline.
- ↑ In the 1940 election, Hanson's Conservative's ran under the name "National Government".
- ↑ In the 26th parliament, Pearson's Liberals were initially supported by Tommy Douglas's New Democratic Party without forming an official coalition.
- ↑ In the 27th parliament, Pearson's Liberals relied on the small opposition parties in order to remain in power without forming an official coalition.
- ↑ In the 29th parliament, Trudeau's Liberals were initially supported by David Lewis's New Democratic Party without forming an official coalition.
- ↑ In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney used Section 26 of the Constitution, a never-before used clause, to fill the Senate above its regular limit, giving his party 54 of 112 seats.
- ↑ In the 38th parliament, Martin's Liberals were initially supported by Jack Layton's New Democratic Party without forming an official coalition.
Sources
- Canada. "27th Ministry". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/related/federal/27min-e.asp. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
- Canada. "Duration of Sessions". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/info/Parliament.asp?lang=E¶m=D&Hist=Y. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
- Canada. "General Elections". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/House/asp/Elections.asp?Language=E&gen=Y&Hist=Y. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
- Canada. "Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation". Privy Council Office. http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/default.asp?Language=E&Page=Publications&doc=min/min_e.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-09.
- Canada. "Key Dates for each Parliament". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/info/parl-dates.asp?lang=E&Hist=Y. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
- Canada. "Leaders of the Opposition in the House of Commons". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/OppLeader.asp?lang=E&Hist=Y. Retrieved 2006-05-14.
- Canada (November 27, 2006). "Order of Precedence: Current List". The Ministry. Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/curmin.asp?lang=E¶m=P. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
- Canada. "Prime Ministers of Canada". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/pm/index.asp?Language=E¶m=pi¶m2=gen. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
- Government of Canada. "Party Standings (1974 to date): At the Senate". Library of Parliament. http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/lists/PartyStandingsHistoric.aspx?Menu=SEN-Politic&Section=b571082f-7b2d-4d6a-b30a-b6025a9cbb98. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
- Canada. "Speakers". Library of Parliament. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/hf-parl-off/index.asp?Language=E¶m=24&id=13&id2=29. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
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