The Parliament of Canada is the legislative body of the government of Canada. The Parliament is composed of the House of Commons (lower house), the Senate (upper house), and the sovereign, represented by the governor general. Most major legislation originates from the Commons, as it is the only body that is directly elected. A new parliament begins after an election of the House of Commons and can sit for up to five years. The number of seats in parliament has varied as new provinces joined the country and as population distribution between the provinces changed; there are currently 343 House MPs and 105 Senators (when there are no vacancies).
Canada uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister, even if the leader is not an elected member of parliament. The leader of the party with the second-most seats in the House becomes the leader of the Official Opposition, and debate (formally called Oral Questions) between the parties is presided over by the speaker of the House. When the party with the most seats has less than half of the total number of seats, it forms a minority government, which can be voted out of power by the other parties. The Canadian Parliament is located at Parliament Hill in the capital city, Ottawa, Ontario.
Parliaments
DiagramParliamentElectionSessionsDuration(from return of the writs to dissolution)GovernmentOppositionGoverning PartyPrime Minister—MinistrySeat counts as of electionOfficial Opposition PartyLeader of the OppositionThird Parties with official party status 1st Canadian ParliamentElected 18675 sessions Sep 24, 1867–Jul 8, 1872 Conservative Party 100 of 180 House seats noneLiberal Party Anti-Confederation Party 2nd Canadian ParliamentElected 18722 sessions Sep 3, 1872–Jan 2, 1874 Conservative Party (1872–1873) 99 of 200 House seats Liberal Party none Liberal Party (1873–1874) 95 of 200 House seats (minority) Conservative Party 3rd Canadian ParliamentElected 18745 sessions Feb 21, 1874–Aug 16, 1878 Liberal Party 129 of 206 House seats Conservative Party none 4th Canadian ParliamentElected 18784 sessions Nov 21, 1878–May 18, 1882 Conservative Party 134 of 206 House seats Liberal Party none 5th Canadian ParliamentElected 18824 sessions Aug 7, 1882–Jan 15, 1887 Conservative Party 133 of 211 House seats Liberal Party none 6th Canadian ParliamentElected 18874 sessions Apr 13, 1887–Feb 3, 1891 Conservative Party 122 of 215 House seats Liberal Party none 7th Canadian ParliamentElected 18916 sessions Apr 7, 1891–Apr 24, 1896 Conservative Party 117 of 215 House seats Liberal Party none 8th Canadian ParliamentElected 18965 sessions Jul 13, 1896–Oct 9, 1900 Liberal Party 117 of 213 House seats Conservative Party none 9th Canadian ParliamentElected 19004 sessions Dec 5, 1900–Sep 29, 1904 Liberal Party 128 of 213 House seats Conservative Party none 10th Canadian ParliamentElected 19044 sessions Dec 15, 1904–Sep 17, 1908 Liberal Party 137 of 214 House seats Conservative Party none 11th Canadian ParliamentElected 19083 sessions Dec 3, 1908–Jul 29, 1911 Liberal Party 133 of 221 House seats Conservative Party none 12th Canadian ParliamentElected 19117 sessions Oct 7, 1911–Oct 6, 1917 Conservative Party 132 of 221 House seats Liberal Party none 13th Canadian ParliamentElected 19175 sessions Mar 16, 1918–Oct 4, 1921 Unionist coalition (1918–1920) 153 of 235 House seats (coalition) Laurier Liberals none National Liberal and Conservative Party (1920–1921) 14th Canadian ParliamentElected 19214 sessions Jan 15, 1922–Sep 5, 1925 Liberal Party 118 of 235 House seats Conservative Party Progressive Party 15th Canadian ParliamentElected 19251 session Dec 7, 1925–Jul 2, 1926 Liberal Party (1925–1926) 100 of 245 House seats (minority) Conservative Party (1925–1926) Progressive Party Conservative Party (1926) 115 of 245 House seats (minority) Liberal Party (1926) 16th Canadian ParliamentElected 19264 sessions Nov 2, 1926–May 30, 1930 Liberal Party 116 of 245 House seats (minority) Conservative Party none 17th Canadian ParliamentElected 19306 sessions Aug 18, 1930–Aug 14, 1935 Conservative Party 134 of 245 House seats Liberal Party none 18th Canadian ParliamentElected 19356 sessions Nov 9, 1935–Jan 25, 1940 Liberal Party 173 of 245 House seats Conservative PartySocial Credit Party 19th Canadian ParliamentElected 19406 sessions Apr 17, 1940–Apr 16, 1945 Liberal Party 179 of 245 House seats Conservative Party none 20th Canadian ParliamentElected 19455 sessions Aug 9, 1945–Apr 30, 1949 Liberal Party 118 of 245 House seats (minority) Progressive Conservative Party Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Social Credit Party 21st Canadian ParliamentElected 19497 sessions Aug 29, 1949–Jun 13, 1953 Liberal Party 191 of 262 House seats Progressive Conservative Party Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 22nd Canadian ParliamentElected 19535 sessions Oct 8, 1953–Apr 12, 1957 Liberal Party 169 of 265 House seats Progressive Conservative Party Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Social Credit Party 23rd Canadian ParliamentElected 19571 session Aug 8, 1957–Feb 1, 1958 Progressive Conservative Party 111 of 265 House seats (minority) Liberal Party Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Social Credit Party 24th Canadian ParliamentElected 19585 sessions Apr 30, 1958–Apr 19, 1962 Progressive Conservative Party 208 of 265 House seats Liberal Party none 25th Canadian ParliamentElected 19621 session Jul 18, 1962–Feb 6, 1963 Progressive Conservative Party 116 of 265 House seats (minority) Liberal Party Social Credit Party New Democratic Party 26th Canadian ParliamentElected 19633 sessions May 8, 1963–Sep 8, 1965 Liberal Party 128 of 265 House seats (minority) Progressive Conservative Party Social Credit Party New Democratic Party 27th Canadian ParliamentElected 19652 sessions Dec 9, 1965–Apr 23, 1968 Liberal Party 131 of 265 House seats (minority) Progressive Conservative Party New Democratic Party 28th Canadian ParliamentElected 19684 sessions Jul 25, 1968–Sep 1, 1972 Liberal Party 154 of 264 House seats Progressive Conservative Party New Democratic Party Ralliement créditiste 29th Canadian ParliamentElected 19722 sessions Nov 20, 1972–May 9, 1974 Liberal Party 109 of 264 House seats (minority) Progressive Conservative Party New Democratic Party Social Credit Party 30th Canadian ParliamentElected 19744 sessions Jul 31, 1974–Mar 26, 1979 Liberal Party 141 of 264 House seats
76 of 102 Senate seats Progressive Conservative Party New Democratic Party 31st Canadian ParliamentElected 19791 session Jun 11, 1979–Dec 14, 1979 Progressive Conservative Party 136 of 282 House seats (minority)
18 of 104 Senate seats Liberal Party New Democratic Party 32nd Canadian ParliamentElected 19802 sessions Mar 10, 1980–Jul 9, 1984 Liberal Party 147 of 282 House seats
71 of 104 Senate seats Progressive Conservative PartyNew Democratic Party 33rd Canadian ParliamentElected 19842 sessions Sep 24, 1984–Oct 1, 1988 Progressive Conservative Party 211 of 282 House seats
23 of 104 Senate seats Liberal PartyNew Democratic Party 34th Canadian ParliamentElected 19883 sessions Dec 12, 1988–Sep 8, 1993 Progressive Conservative Party 169 of 295 House seats
36 of 104 Senate seats Liberal PartyNew Democratic Party 35th Canadian ParliamentElected 19932 sessions Nov 15, 1993–Apr 27, 1997 Liberal Party 177 of 295 House seats
41 of 104 Senate seats Bloc Québécois Reform Party 36th Canadian ParliamentElected 19972 sessions Jun 23, 1997–Oct 22, 2000 Liberal Party 155 of 301 House seats
51 of 104 Senate seats Reform Party (1997–2000)Bloc Québécois New Democratic Party Progressive Conservative Party Canadian Alliance (2000) 37th Canadian ParliamentElected 20003 sessions Dec 18, 2000–May 23, 2004 Liberal Party 172 of 301 House seats
55 of 105 Senate seats Canadian Alliance (2000–2004)Bloc Québécois New Democratic Party Progressive Conservative Party Conservative Party (2004)Bloc Québécois New Democratic Party 38th Canadian ParliamentElected 20041 session Aug 23, 2004–Nov 29, 2005 Liberal Party 135 of 308 House seats (minority)
64 of 105 Senate seats Conservative PartyBloc Québécois New Democratic Party 39th Canadian ParliamentElected 20062 sessions Feb 13, 2006–Sep 7, 2008 Conservative Party 124 of 308 House seats (minority)
23 of 105 Senate seats Liberal PartyBloc Québécois New Democratic Party 40th Canadian ParliamentElected 20083 sessions Nov 4, 2008–Mar 26, 2011 Conservative Party 143 of 308 House seats (minority)
21 of 105 Senate seats Liberal PartyBloc Québécois New Democratic Party 41st Canadian ParliamentElected 20112 sessions May 23, 2011–Aug 2, 2015 Conservative Party 166 of 308 House seats
52 of 105 Senate seats New Democratic PartyLiberal Party Senate Liberal Caucus 42nd Canadian ParliamentElected 20151 session Dec 3, 2015–Sep 11, 2019 Liberal Party 184 of 338 House seats
0 of 105 Senate seats Conservative PartyNew Democratic Party Independent Senators Group Senate Liberal Caucus 43rd Canadian ParliamentElected 20192 sessions Dec 5, 2019–Aug 15, 2021 Liberal Party 157 of 338 House seats (minority)
0 of 105 Senate seats Conservative PartyBloc Québécois New Democratic Party Independent Senators Group Canadian Senators Group Progressive Senate Group 44th Canadian Parliament Elected 20211 session Nov 22, 2021–Mar 23, 2025 Liberal Party 160 of 338 House seats (minority)
0 of 105 Senate seats Conservative PartyBloc Québécois New Democratic Party Independent Senators Group Canadian Senators Group Progressive Senate Group 45th Canadian Parliament Elected 20251 session May 26, 2025–present Liberal Party 169 of 343 House seats (minority)
0 of 105 Senate seats Conservative PartyBloc Québécois Independent Senators Group Progressive Senate Group
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