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Canada

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Last updated: 19 June 2009

Country information

Politics

Canada is divided into 308 electoral districts (or ridings). Voters in each district elect one member of parliament (MP) to send to the House of Commons. There are two chambers in the Canadian Parliament (Bicameral) which consists of the House of Commons (308 seats) and the Senate (normally limited to 105 senators). The House of Commons is elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms. The Senate members are appointed to serve until reaching 75 years of age by the governor general and selected on the advice of the Prime Minister.  

Recent political developments

The federal elections were held on 14 October 2008. Stephen Harper was re-elected Prime Minister. The previous election was held  on 23 January 2006. The Conservative party have again only won with sufficient votes to form a minority government and dependent on others' support in Parliament. The Conservatives now hold 143 (up from 124) seats in the House of Commons, the Liberals 76 (down from 103), the Bloc Quebecois (representing constituencies in Quebec Province only) 50, and the New Democratic Party (NDP) 37 with two independents seats. The Conservatives received 37 percent of the votes cast whilst the Liberals received 26 per cent.

The Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, officially opened Parliament on 19 November 2008. The Government of Canada will follow a five-pronged plan to protect Canadian economic security by: Reforming global finance; Ensure sound budgeting; Secure jobs for families and communities; Expand investment and trade; Make government more effective.

The Canadian Parliament re-opened on 26 January after a prorogation of more than seven weeks.

The decision was made to prorogue Parliament until January 26 after the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Québécois sent her petitions signed by 161 opposition MPs. The petitions informed the governor general that the MPs planned to vote in favour of a motion of nonconfidence in the Conservative government in December 2008.

The Conservative Government proposed a C$40 billion of stimulus spending over the next two years.The focus is on expenditure aimed at enouraging consumers and business to spend now. The largest amount of the budget will be for infrastructure spending. Funds for green recovery for property owners to receive a grant to make energy-efficiency improvements. Training will be given to the unemployed and tax cuts.

Human rights

Core Human Rights Treaties Canada is a signatory to:

  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • Optional Protocol (allowing individual complaints)
  • Second Optional Protocol (aiming at abolishing the death penalty)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
  • Optional Protocol (permitting individual complaints) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
  • Convention Against Torture
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Optional Protocol (Children in armed conflict)
  • Amendment to Article 43(2)
  • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

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