Members’ Activities
Members of the House of Commons have a wide variety of responsibilities. Here are some specifics to help you better understand the work they do.
In the Chamber
The Chamber of the House of Commons is where Members meet to debate issues of importance to Canadians. The Speaker of the House and other Presiding Officers oversee these activities.
Members’ work in the Chamber normally includes:
Reviewing, debating, and voting on bills and motions.
Examining public expenditures.
Holding the government to account through oral and written questions.
Considering resolutions on issues of public interest.
Presenting petitions (paper or electronic) on behalf of the public.
Receiving documents prepared by government departments, agencies, committees and officers of Parliament.
- Learn more about a typical week in the Chamber.
- Watch Chamber proceedings on ParlVU.
- Take a virtual tour of the interim Chamber.
Statistics about the Chamber (from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024)
-
Sitting days
117
-
Written questions submitted
1,101
-
Statements and rulings by the Speaker in response to points of order or questions of privilege
45
-
Sessional papers tabled
3,101
Between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, the House had 1,023 sitting hours. The topics most discussed in the House included the carbon tax, cost of living, housing, foreign‑influenced activities, and Ukraine.
Electing a new Speaker of the House of Commons
On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, Members of Parliament elected the Honourable Greg Fergus as the 39th Speaker of the House of Commons.
Speaker Fergus, who was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Hull—Aylmer in 2015, is the first Black Speaker of the House of Commons. He is very committed to the Black community. He founded the Parliamentary Black Caucus and served as its co-chair for six years.
On September 27, 2023, a few days before the Honourable Greg Fergus was elected Speaker of the House, Louis Plamondon (Member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel) was appointed Speaker on an interim basis. This was the first time in the history of the House of Commons that such an appointment had been made. Mr. Plamondon, Dean of the House, was given full authority to fulfill the role of Speaker, allowing the House to continue sitting while preparations for the election of a new Speaker were underway.
The main role of the Speaker is to maintain order during Chamber proceedings and to protect the rights and privileges of Members. Speakers of the House of Commons are elected by Members using a secret ballot system, where candidates are ranked in order of preference. With the House Administration’s different teams working together, the voting process took place quickly and without difficulty.
Putting technology to work during House proceedings
The House has continued to adopt new and enhanced technologies in response to changes to the House’s rules and Members’ professional realities to make it easier for them to participate in proceedings. This means that Members can still represent their constituents, take part in House and committee activities, and vote remotely, whether they are on the Hill or elsewhere in Canada.
New technology also helped make House of Commons sittings more accessible to its employees and the public. New features in the Chamber include a system in the galleries that gives visitors access to a live transcription of the proceedings in both official languages.
Changes are always carefully implemented to respect the traditional and symbolic appearance of the Chamber.
Always ready
During the summer of 2023, the House of Commons Chamber was closed for major technological upgrades. As a result, the House Administration set up an alternate Chamber in case the House of Commons was recalled.
This alternate Chamber was designed to serve as a duplicate of the Chamber in West Block and had all of the furniture and equipment needed to support the proceedings of the House. There were 338 seats for Members, a Speaker’s Chair and microphone, a Clerk’s Table with monitors, speaking podiums, a desk for the Sergeant-at-Arms, and more. A small gallery for observers and visitors was also included in the design.
The House Administration even conducted a full-scale simulation of a House session with its employees to make sure that parliamentary operations could continue if the Chamber in West Block became inaccessible. Different teams came together as “One House, One Team” to make this happen over a very short period.
In committees
In committees, Members study various issues related to their committees’ mandates, examine proposed legislation, and analyze government spending. Members often invite government officials, citizens, and experts to appear before committees to provide information. Committees then report back to the House with their conclusions and recommendations.
- Standing committees are established under the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. They are authorized to study various issues related to their mandate and the government departments assigned to them by the House.
- Standing joint committees are established under the Rules of the Senate and the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. They are composed of Members of the House of Commons and Senators.
- Special committees are appointed by the House of Commons to carry out specific inquiries, studies, or other tasks that the House deems important. They are dissolved when their final report has been presented to the House or when the House is no longer in session.
- Special joint committees are established by orders from the Senate and the House of Commons. They are composed of Members of the House of Commons and Senators. These committees are tasked with studying specific issues and are dissolved when their final report has been presented to both Houses of Parliament or when the House is no longer in session.
- See the list of committees of the House of Commons.
- Learn more about committees.
- Browse the committee meetings and watch or listen to public meetings.
Committee business by the numbers
A total of 1,206 committee meetings were held between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. This total includes meetings for standing and special committees, and their respective subcommittees. During that same period, 4,724 witnesses appeared before committees either in person or by videoconference, and committees presented 182 reports to the House of Commons.
Committees reported on improving the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada, managing radioactive waste, and reducing gas emissions. Other subjects included increasing mental health support for girls, young women and crime victims. The situation at the Ukraine-Russia border was also the subject of a report, as well as the promotion of fairness in Canadian immigration decisions.
Employees of the House Administration support committees. They arrange for meetings to take place, prepare related documents, and coordinate the participation of witnesses. They also give advice on committee rules and practices, including legal advice and information on the legislative process, and draft amendments for studies of bills in committees on behalf of Members.
Outside the parliamentary precinct
Committees travel within Canada and abroad to study issues related to their mandate. In 2023, the following took place:
- The Standing Committee on Status of Women held meetings and visited sites across Canada in April. This was part of its study of the trafficking of girls, women, and gender‑diverse people.
- The Standing Committee on National Defence travelled to Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and the United Kingdom in August. This was part of its study of the threats affecting Canada and how ready the Canadian Armed Forces are to manage those threats.
- The Standing Committee on Finance travelled across the country as part of its pre-budget consultations during the fall.
Hybrid committee meetings
Committees started meeting in a hybrid format in March 2020, as a temporary measure. On June 15, 2023, the House of Commons decided to make the hybrid format permanent. This means that committee members and witnesses can continue to participate virtually in committee meetings and that only the committee chair needs to attend in person.
Did you know that committees regularly invite the public to contribute to their studies?
Invitations are announced on their websites and through their social media. For example, the Standing Committee on Health received 42 briefs from concerned citizens about its study of breast implant devices. A brief is a written document submitted to a committee. It presents an opinion, observations or recommendations. A brief is one of several ways committees receive information on the topics they study. Anyone or any organization can submit a brief, even if they don’t appear before a committee. In 2023–2024, committees received over 3,961 briefs.
In international and interparliamentary forums
Parliamentary diplomacy refers to the discussions and collaboration among legislators from around the world. The Speaker and Members of the House of Commons represent the Parliament of Canada internationally in many ways. Over the past year, they have met with counterparts and participated in talks on a wide range of national and international topics. They also defended Canada’s interests at conferences and meetings, promoted democracy, and strengthened social and economic ties with other nations.
Speaker’s diplomatic duties
In addition to his role in the House of Commons, Speaker Fergus has ceremonial and diplomatic duties. He meets with diplomats and welcomes visiting heads of government and speakers. He also leads parliamentary missions abroad to support positive relations around the world.
In 2023-2024, Speaker Fergus participated in activities with parliamentarians from South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Algeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and Finland to name a few. Events such as these strengthen the ties between our parliaments and countries.
Statistics about the Speaker’s parliamentary diplomacy activities (from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024)
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In-person incoming activities
63
-
In-person outgoing activities
8
-
Virtual activities
3
The Vancouver Declaration
From June 30 to July 4, Canada hosted the 30th Annual Session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
More than 365 delegates, including 225 members of 50 different parliaments, met in Vancouver, British Columbia. Topics of discussion included Russia’s war against Ukraine, environmental threats to security, and arms control. They also discussed women’s economic empowerment, energy security, human rights, and freedom of the press.
At the end of the session, the Vancouver Declaration was adopted. This declaration includes resolutions for member states on a range of security and governance issues. It highlights their support for Ukraine’s independence, freedom, and territorial integrity.
Parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups
Parliamentarians take part in diplomatic activities by joining parliamentary associations. Associations give Senators and Members a forum to have structured discussions with their foreign counterparts. The House of Commons and the Senate jointly manage a total of 13 associations and report on their activities to both chambers.
In 2023-2024, Canadian parliamentarians participated in more than 227 events hosted by parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups, including:
Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group
On May 15 and 16, 2023, the Canadian section of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group sent delegates to Washington, D.C. The delegates met with counterparts in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The mission focused on security and defence, energy, and the economy. They also discussed topics like the environment, trade and agriculture, and the border.
Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association
The Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Canada held their 42nd interparliamentary meeting from June 5 to 9, 2023, in Belgium. Parties discussed topics on trade, security, foreign interference, security, and defence cooperation. After the meeting, they issued a joint declaration outlining priority areas in Canada-EU relations.
ParlAmericas parliamentary networks
On September 28 and 29, 2023, the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM) travelled to Mexico to attend the 7th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and the 15th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality. During these gatherings, the CPAM met with delegations from 18 American and Caribbean nations. They talked about food security in the region, taking into account climate change. They also compared national approaches to addressing poverty and hunger with the help of women’s leadership.