With the resources available online anyone, anywhere can find out almost everything about a particular piece of legislation. The problem is knowing where to look, and even when you get there, knowing what it is you are looking at. Parliament’s website www.parl.gc.ca is a one-stop shop available to the public and used by my staff every single day. I have posted pictures along with some brief descriptions of the pages you will visit on your exploration of legislation.
Bills
To find the page for legislation click on the picture below and it will take you to LegisInfo.
In the picture you can see LegisInfo lists all the bills in order of the number of the Bill. If a Bill is first presented in the House of Commons it gets a “C” at the beginning, and a “S” if it is introduced first in the Senate. The numbers have meanings as well. If is between 1 and 199 it must have been introduced by a member of the Cabinet, which means it is a government bill. Bills between 200 and 600 are all Private Members Bills. On the right hand side of the picture of LegisInfo you can see the filters which will help you narrow your search. If you know the number of the Bill or part of its name you can use the search on the left.
Once you have found the Bill you are looking for you can go the Bill’s home page like the example below.
From this page you can see the stage the Bill is at, all the speeches given on the Bill and any recorded votes. It will also take you to the respective committee meetings where you can read any transcripts concerning the bill at committee. The example above of C-16 actually came to one of the committees I sit on, the Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN). If you would like to learn about my work on NDDN or the Standing Committee on Industry and Science (INDU) just click on the links below and the will take you to my special committee pages.
If you were not able to find the Bill you were looking for, or have any questions about what you have found, please, contact me.
Order Paper
The Order Paper. Coming Soon.
CG/SF
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the record of all debates in the House of Commons.
If you would like to find any particular topic you can use the search or browse the index.
Once you have found what you are searching for, it will provide you with passages from every MP who has spoken on the topic.
Enjoy exploring and remember, if you have any questions or even need just a little help, please, contact my Ottawa Office.
Laws
Once a Bill is signed by the Governor General it has received Royal Assent and is now a law. To find all Acts of Law visit www.justice.gc.ca
An important feature of our Constitution is the separation of powers. The administration of the most laws falls under the powers of the Provinces. Our constitutional conventions also provide for the independence of our Courts. Members of Parliament are forbidden from intervening in any legal matter. If you need assistance please consult an attorney. If you need assistance finding legal aid, please, contact our Member of Provincial Parliament, John Yakabuski.
John Yakabuski, M.P.P.
84 Isabella St.
Pembroke, ON, K8A 5S5
Toll Free: 1-800-267-2515
Tel: 613-735-6627
Fax: 613-735-6692
Hours: Monday to Friday
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Email: john.yakabuskico@pc.ola.org
www.johnyakabuski.com