All laws are intended to be a reflection of what the majority of Canadian society wants. These societal ideals start out as an idea. These ideas are called “Bills” in the process of creating a law. It is our Parliament in Ottawa that makes federal laws. Parliament is made up of three parts: The House of Commons The Senate The Governor General

Is made up of Canadian citizens who have been elected to represent their community – riding – in Parliament. This body has the most important role in making laws. They must ensure that the laws are in the best interest of society, and are what the people want. The MPs are elected, and can be replaced at the next election. Therefore, if they want to keep their jobs they must reflect the wishes of the people they represent.

They are appointed by the Prime Minister – usually as a reward for long service to that political party. Senators are appointed to their positions for life. Their job is to offer a “sober second thought” to the ideas put forth by the House of Commons. The Senate must approve of all Bills from the Commons.

The Governor General is the representative of our Monarch. The G-G has the Queen’s permission to act on her behalf in Canada. The G-G has to approve of all Bills passed by the Commons and the Senate before they can become Law. The signature of the G-G represents Royal Assent, and transfers a Bill into an Act; thereby making it a law.

The Idea Stage MPs have an idea for a law, and this idea is drafted into a Bill to be presented in Parliament. Most Bills come from the PM’s Cabinet; but, any MP can propose a Bill.

The Bill is introduced to the House of Commons and the draft is read in its entirety by either a Cabinet Minister or a private member. A vote is taken If the Bill passes (50% + 1 vote), then it moves to the next step.

The Bill is read again in the House of Commons Parliament debates on the merits of the Bill and examine it line by line. A Second vote is taken

A Committee of MPs is formed. The Bill is reviewed in detail and any changes or amendments are made. Each section of the Bill may be voted on separately and approved by the committee.

The Bill is read in Parliament to ensure that the changes discussed at the Second Reading have been made. The Bill is briefly debated. A third vote is taken. If the Bill was put forward by a member of the governing party and is defeated at any of the readings, this is called a vote of non-confidence and an election must be called to form a new Parliament.

The Bill goes through a similar process here as it did in the House of Commons. There are three readings, a committee stage, and three votes. If the Bill does not pass a vote, it will be returned to the House of Commons to start the process over. At the provincial level there is no Senate, so this stage is eliminated.

The Governor General signs the Bill to make it a law – Royal Assent. This law is now referred to as an Act of Parliament. At the provincial level, the representative of the Monarch is the Lieutenant-Governor. The Lieutenant-Governor signs the Bill to give Royal Assent, and the provincial law is now an Act of Provincial Parliament (or Legislature).

Read pages 22 – 31 (Section 1.8 Canada and International Law) Answer questions 1-7 on page 29. Answer questions 1-3 on page 31.