House of Commons.

• Author: Sokolyk, Gary
• Position: Legislative reports

Like its predecessor, the 39th Parliament is a minority Parliament. The new Conservative Government appears confident of its ability, despite its slim plurality of 125 of the 308 seats in the House of Commons, to form alliances with opposition parties on an issue-by-issue basis in order to facilitate the passage of key legislation. In this, it is strengthened by widespread public antipathy to a premature end to this Parliament.

Opening of Parliament

On April 3rd, Members of Parliament gathered in the Chamber to elect their Speaker. Presiding for the second time over such an election was the Dean of the House, Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP). Following a single ballot, the Presiding Member declared Peter Milliken elected as Speaker of the House, a clear indication of the confidence Mr. Milliken enjoys from all parties in his exercise of this office.

It is worthy of note that no Conservative Member stood for election, the number of government MPs currently being barely sufficient to ensure passage of any motion with the support of any one of the opposition parties.

The Speech from the Throne, delivered on April 4th, was of exceptional brevity, omitting much of the usual rhetoric, and focusing on the fulfillment of the new Government's five main election promises.

On April 24th, following the prescribed days of debate, the motion in respect of the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne was adopted by the House without a recorded division.

On April 4, 2006, Standing Order 81 was amended (for 2006 only) to facilitate the Business of Supply via changes in tabling dates, etc.; it was determined that 15 allotted days were to be designated for the period ending Dec. 8, 2006.

The following day, Standing Orders 104(2), 106(2), 108(3)(d), and 108(3)(e) were amended, increasing the number of Standing Committees by four, requiring that the Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women be a Member of the Official Opposition, and modifying the mandates of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, and the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

On April 28th, pursuant to Standing Order 112, the Speaker appointed a panel of Chairs of Legislative Committees.

Legislation

On April 11th, the Government introduced Bill C-2, An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight...