House of Commons.

• Author: Gerin-Lajoie, Catherine
• Position: Legislative Reports - Conference notes

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On August 14, 2007, mid-way through the summer adjournment and in anticipation of the Second Session of the 39th Parliament, Prime Minister Stephen Harper shuffled his Cabinet for the second time, reassigning a number of key portfolios. Peter MacKay replaced Gordon O'Connor as Minister of National Defence and Maxime Bernier replaced Mr. MacKay as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

At the beginning of September, the Prime Minister announced that he would recommend to the Governnor General that Parliament be prorogued. The official announcement, however, came only on September 14, 2007, when the Governor General prorogued the First Session and set the date for the opening of the Second Session as October 16, 2007. The time for the Throne Speech was set in the evening in a subsequent proclamation, issued on October 4, 2007.

In the September 17, 2007 by-elections, conducted in a climate of controversy regarding veiled voting, the Outremont seat left vacant by the departure of Liberal Jean Lapierre was won by New Democrat and former Quebec Liberal Minister Thomas Mulcair. St-Hyacinthe--Bagot elected Bloc Quebecois candidate Eve-Mary Thai Thi Lac, who replaces Yvan Loubier, also a member of the Bloc. In Roberval-Lac-St-Jean, Conservative Denis Lebel replaced Michel Gauthier, who had retired.

Parliament was convened for a new session on October 16, 2007. While awaiting the arrival of the Usher of the Black Rod to summon the members of the House to the Senate Chamber for the Speech from the Throne, a number of events occurred in the House of Commons: the Speaker announced vacancies in several ridings, two of the three newly-elected Members were introduced, a question of privilege was raised, and the Speaker made a statement regarding Private Members' Business.

As they had done in the previous Throne Speech, the Conservative government set out five new priorities: strengthening Canada's sovereignty, building a stronger federation, providing more effective economic leadership, improving the environment and continuing to tackle crime. The New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois announced that they would not support the Throne Speech, leaving the Liberals to decide the fate of the government. On October 24, 2007, the Liberals abstained from the final vote on the motion for an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, thus avoiding the defeat of the government.

On October 30, 2007, Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, tabled a...