Last week I did a quick primer on the American political system as a way to give some background to the current crisis going on in the U.S. This week I thought I would follow up with a primer on Canadian politics as next week represents the new opening of Parliament in Ottawa and the return of Parliamentarians to the House of Commons.
On October 16th, the Speech from the Throne will open the Second Session of the 41st Parliament. A session lasts from the time that Parliamentarians are called to sit in the House to the prorogation. We have heard "prorogation" recently to refer to the times that Stephen Harper has closed a session of parliament to avoid some controversial vote or debate, but prorogation is actually a regular part of the parliamentary calendar.
The Speech from the Throne will take place in the Senate Chamber and this is a throwback to Britain and the model of government that separates the elected body from the unelected body. The federal government's website says, "The Canadian Parliament was modeled on that of the United Kingdom, where neither the Sovereign nor the members of the unelected upper chamber may enter the House of Commons. The Speech is therefore given in the Senate Chamber" (see http://www.speech.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=139) So, on Tuesday you will see a great deal of pomp and circumstance when the new session opens especially since everyone has to cram into the Senate Chamber and / or stand in the hallway in order to hear the speech.
The Speech from the Throne, which is like Canada's State of the Union (a term with which you will be familiar in American politics), will be delivered by the Governor General with the Prime Minister sitting next to him. The speech is crafted by the Prime Minister and cabinet but it is delivered by Canada's Head of State because the government is actually chosen by the Crown and, as the government website tells us, "Parliament meets only at the 'Royal summons' of the Queen, represented by the Governor General. The Senate and House of Commons cannot open a session by their own authority." Of course, the "choice" of government and the opening of Parliament are mostly ceremonial as the Governor General selects the government from the party that received the most seats in the House of Commons during a general election. It is critical to note, however, that the GG can choose to appoint a Prime Minister from a party with a minority of seats or even a coalition of parties, if he/she believes that they will be able to maintain confidence in the House of Commons.
The Throne Speech will give citizens a good sense of the areas of legislation that the government will pursue during this session. Stephen Harper has already said that he will focus on the economy and jobs in this new session but this claim, of focusing on the economy and jobs, is a claim made by almost every Prime Minister: the truth is, the devil is in the details and the Throne Speech is not the place for the details. One is more likely to predict what types of policies / legislation that a government will pursue in the area of the economy by looking at their ideology and the party platform.
In terms of next week's Throne Speech, it is also predicted that the Conservative government will focus on Aboriginal policy, particularly education. This legislative agenda is already raising concerns among Aboriginal leaders because the government published its "Blueprint for aboriginal reform" back in July and the document has met with considerable concern.
It is also expected that the speech will highlight a number of important historic events that have shaped Canada as our country moves toward its 150th anniversary.
So, what we are not likely to see in the Throne Speech? I am fairly certain there will be nothing on the Senate scandal. The break in Parliament did not bring an end to the Opposition's questions and when the group moves from the cramped quarters of the Senate Chamber back to the House, the pomp and circumstance will be replaced by the rather unceremonious conduct that is part of the routine of the House.
