Prorogation:
Defining the Unusual Term:
The term “prorogation” refers to the ending of a session of Parliament. This
is done by the Governor General (the unelected Head of State in Canada) who
receives the advice to prorogue Parliament from the Prime Minister (the elected
Head of the Government).
Parliament (both the House of Commons and the Senate) remains prorogued (in
simpler terms, it means Parliament is in “recess”) until a new session of Parliament
is opened. It’s important to note that prorogation does not result in an election.
The Prime Minister and the government ministers remain in power, as do all
elected members of the House of Commons. The new session will be opened by
the Governor General when she reads the new Speech from The Throne (an outline
of the government’s new legislative action plan).
The Effects of Prorogation:
The main effect of prorogation is to end the business of that Parliamentary
session. All bills (proposed legislation) that have not received Royal Assent
“die” (that is, they no longer exist) and, if the government wants them passed,
they must be re-introduced in the next session. Private member bills are
automatically reinstated in the new session. Additionally, all Committees
cease to exist, and so no Committees can “sit” (hold hearings, interview
witnesses) after prorogation. The business of the Committees can be reinstated
in the new session by the passing of a motion in the House of Commons.
Compare to Dissolution:
The dissolution of Parliament means that an election must be held, and all
seats in the House of Commons are up for election. All legislation that has
not received Royal Assent dies, all Committee work ceases, and the government
is no longer required to answer written questions, respond to petitions or
requests for papers by the House of Commons. The duties of the House of
Commons only resume after the general election and the forming of the next
government.
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Cartoon Analysis: |
Select a cartoon dealing with prorogation for students to analyze. There are a number of cartoons available on the Web related to this topic: (1) (2)
Cartoon Analysis Questions:
- What issue is the cartoon dealing with?
- Who/what are the characters in the cartoon representing?
- What symbols are used in the cartoon? What is the purpose for using these symbols?
- Does the cartoon represent a positive or negative view of the issue?
Suggested Activities:
- Have students write a letter to the editor either supporting the Prime Minister’s ability to prorogue Parliament or calling for changes in this power. See the Pearson e-Guide Interactive Teacher Resource BLM for instructions on writing a letter to the editor. The list of additional resources given below can be used as background information for students to form an opinion on the issue.
- Have students create an editorial cartoon on prorogation. Refer to the Pearson e-Guide Interactive Teacher Resource GAM-13 for instructions on creating cartoons.
- News Review Presentation. Have students work in groups of three. Each group is to find at least four news articles dealing with the issue of prorogation. The group is to summarize the main points of each article using a “PMI” (plus, minus, interesting) chart. As a class, complete a group sharing of the PMI charts (have each group present one idea, and then move to the next group). At the completion of the exercise, have students post the PMI charts on the bulletin boards in the classroom.
- Comparing Issues: Have students examine the prorogation issue and see how it is similar to and different from the constitutional issue involved in the King-Byng Affair (see Law in Action blog “Certainty in Law: Not in the Constitution”).
Text References:
Law in Action, 2nd Edition, chapter 3, “Government and Statute Law,”
pages 75–89.
Additional Resources:
- Information on Prorogation:
“Prorogation of Parliament” (Government of Canada website) (link)
- “Dissolution of Parliament” (Government of Canada website) (link)
- News Articles on 2010 Prorogation:
“Faced with criticism over prorogation of Parl., Tories cancel March, April break,” The Canadian Press, from Yahoo News, February 3, 2010 (link)
- Jim Travers, “PM wakes a slumbering electorate,” Toronto Star, January 28, 2010 (link)
- Lee Whittington, “Liberals join push to rein in PM’s power to prorogue,” Toronto Star, January 26, 2010 (link)
- “Canadians see prorogation as extended vacation: Poll,” CTV.ca on-line
(link)
- Brian McInnis, “Islanders rally to protest prorogation of Parliament,” The Guardian (Charlottetown), January 25, 2010 (link)
- Robert Silver, “Harper says it best when he says nothing at all,” Globe and Mail, February 4, 2010 (link)
- Norman Spector, “An expert, ex-Liberal MP speaks out on prorogation,” Globe and Mail, February 3, 2010 (link)
