Canada
House of Commons
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Bicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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Yes
Openness and transparency
Information about access to parliamentary documents, parliament’s reporting to the public, parliament’s relation to Freedom of Information laws, and lobbying.
Parliamentary documents
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The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance
The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance.
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All
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The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance
The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance.
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All
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Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site
Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site.
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All
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Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website
Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website.
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All
- Citizens can submit comments on draft legislation on the parliamentary web site
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No
Annual reporting by parliament
- Parliament publishes an annual report on its activities
- The annual report is available on the parliamentary web site
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Yes
- Parliament publishes the parliamentary budget
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Yes
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Level of detail of the parliamentary budget made available to the public
Only the total amount; A summary of the main elements; The complete budget
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A summary of the main elements
- The parliamentary budget is available on the parliamentary web site
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Yes
- Link to the parliamentary budget
Access to parliament
- Plenary meetings are open to the public
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Yes
Notes: Seating in the galleries is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors are required to go through security scanning stations before entering the galleries. They must conduct themselves with appropriate decorum.
- Committee meetings are open to the public
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Yes
Notes: Meetings may take place in camera to discuss committee business, for matters of national security, and to respect the vulnerability of testimony from witnesses
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There is a dedicated channel for broadcasting parliamentary meetings
A dedicated channel is one that is mainly about parliament, and is accessible free of charge to the general public. The channel might be owned by Parliament or a public or private company. Dedicated channels may be broadcast by parliament, government, or another broadcaster. They may be carried on television, radio or the Internet (webcasting).
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Yes
- Media used for the dedicated channel
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TVWebcast
- Meetings broadcast on the dedicated channel
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Plenary sittingsCommittee meetings
Freedom of information
- There is a freedom of information law in the country
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Yes
- Parliament is subject to the freedom of information law
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No
- Parliament has an office/division dedicated to FOI requests
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No information available
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Categories of Information that are exempt from disclosure
Certain categories of information may be exempt from disclosure
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The Federal Access to Information Act (ATIA) gives Canadians a legal right to request information that is recorded in any form and controlled by federal government institutions.
The Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament do not fall within the definition of “public institution” in the Act (Section 3) and are therefore exempt. The ATIA also exempts cabinet confidences (i.e. memoranda to cabinet, discussion papers, agenda and records of Cabinet deliberations, records of communication between ministers, records to brief ministers, draft legislation) from access to information requests.
Lobbying
- There are rules about the activities of lobbyists in parliament
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Yes
Notes:
- The Lobbying Act imposes obligations on lobbyists and informs the public about federal lobbying activities. The Act also sets out a list of public office holders to whom its provisions apply—which includes Senators and members of the House of Commons.
- The Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct establishes ethical standards for lobbying.
- The Commissioner of Lobbying is the independent officer of Parliament who is responsible for promoting an understanding of and compliance with both the federal Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct.
- The Registry of Lobbyists appears on the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada’s website.
Sources:
The Lobbying Act: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/L-12.4/FullText.html
The Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct: https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/en/rules/the-lobbyists-code-of-conduct/lobbyists-code-of-conduct
Registry of Lobbyists: https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/guest?lang=eng
- There is a register of accredited lobbyists
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Yes
- The register of accredited lobbyists is available on the parliamentary web site
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No