The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011. It was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history up to that point, that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008 federal election held on October 14, 2008. It was dissolved prior to the 2011 federal election.
There were three sessions of the 40th Parliament: SessionStartEnd1stNovember 18, 2008December 4, 20082ndJanuary 26, 2009December 30, 20093rdMarch 3, 2010March 26, 2011
Overview Its first session was then prorogued by the Governor General on December 4, 2008, at the request of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was facing a likely no-confidence motion and a coalition agreement between the Liberal party and the New Democratic Party with the support of the Bloc Québécois (2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute). Of the 308 MPs elected at the October 14, 2008 general election, 64 were new to Parliament and three sat in Parliaments previous to the 39th: John Duncan, Jack Harris and Roger Pomerleau.
On March 25, 2011, the House of Commons passed a Liberal motion of non-confidence by a vote of 156 to 145, finding the Conservative Cabinet in contempt of parliament, an unprecedented finding in Canadian and Commonwealth parliamentary history. On March 26, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper subsequently asked Governor General David Johnston to dissolve parliament and issue a writ of election.
Party standings The party standings as of the election, and at dissolution, were as follows:
+ Standings in the 40th Canadian ParliamentAffiliationHouse membersSenate members2008 electionresultsAt dissolutionOn electionday 2008Members of the Canadian Senate are appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and remain as senators until the age of 75, even if the House of Commons has been dissolved or an election has been called.At dissolution1431432152777758464947003736002André Arthur and Bill Casey.1André Arthur5Anne Cools, Michael Pitfield, Marcel Prud'homme, Jean-Claude Rivest, Mira Spivak.2Anne Cools, Jean-Claude Rivest.003Elaine McCoy, Lowell Murray, Norman Atkins2Elaine McCoy, Lowell Murray01Helena Guergis— 00001Raymond Lavigne sat as a Liberal, but was not officially part of the Liberal caucus.0001Lillian Dyck.0Total members3083058910203163Total seats308105
Major events
1st session and prorogation
The first session of the 40th parliament opened on November 18, 2008, after Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives won a slightly stronger minority government in the 2008 election. With a new government in session, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled a fiscal update nine days later. Among other things, the update cut government spending, suspended the ability of civil servants to strike, sold off some Crown assets, and eliminated existing political party subsidies. This fiscal update was rejected by the opposition, and became a catalyst for talks of a coalition government. Stéphane Dion of the Liberal Party and Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party, signed an accord stating that in the event that the government lost the confidence of the house, they would form a coalition with the support of Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc Québécois, if asked to do so by the Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean. However, Stephen Harper delayed the vote of non-confidence scheduled for December 1, and the Governor General prorogued parliament on Harper's advice on December 4, 2008, until January 26, 2009.
After prorogation, calls came from within the Liberal Party for Dion to resign immediately. Dion initially scheduled his resignation for the party's leadership convention in May 2009, but on December 8, 2008, he announced that he would step down upon the selection of an interim leader. After the withdrawal of Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc from the 2009 leadership race, Michael Ignatieff became the only leadership candidate, and therefore was appointed interim leader of the Liberals and the opposition on December 10, 2008.
2nd session and prorogation The Governor-in-Council recalled parliament on January 26, 2009. Its first business (after the Throne Speech) was to present the federal budget, which included a large deficit. After negotiations with new opposition leader Michael Ignatieff, the government promised to present regular updates on the stimulus budget, and the Liberals and Conservatives joined to pass the budget and keep the Conservative government in power.
On December 30, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he would advise the Governor General to prorogue parliament during the 2010 Winter Olympics, until March 3, 2010. He telephoned Governor General Michaëlle Jean to ask her permission to end the parliamentary session and Jean signed the proclamation later that day. According to Harper's spokesman, he sought his second prorogation to consult with Canadians about the economy. In an interview with CBC News, Prince Edward Island Liberal member of parliament Wayne Easter accused the Prime Minister of "shutting democracy down". The second prorogation in a year also received some international criticism as being not very democratic.
In response to the prorogation, demonstrations took place on January 23, 2010, in over 60 Canadian cities, and at least four cities in other countries. The protests attracted thousands of participants, many who had joined a group on Facebook.
Legislation and motions The Conservative government made crime a major focus of the 2nd session. The Conservatives reintroduced their former mandatory minimums bill, known as Bill C-15.
Parliamentarians
House of Commons
Senate
Senate appointments The Senate of Canada has seen new members appointed in blocs of 18, 9, and 5; all were appointed to the Conservative caucus. The balance of power shifted for the first time on August 27, 2009, when the Liberal caucus was reduced to holding a plurality of 52 seats. On January 29, 2010, the balance shifted again as five vacancies were filled by appointed Conservatives, giving them a plurality of 51, with the Liberals holding the next-highest number of seats at 49. The Conservatives achieved an absolute majority when Don Meredith and Larry Smith were appointed on December 20, 2010. After dissolution, Smith and Fabian Manning resigned to run in the 2011 election. That reduced the Conservative caucus to 52, but they retained a majority of sitting senators as there were 50 senators of other parties and 3 vacancies.
Honorary senators The Senate of Canada posthumously awarded the title of Honorary Senator during the 40th Parliament to five pioneering women known as The Famous Five.
Emily MurphyHenrietta Muir EdwardsNellie McClungIrene ParlbyLouise McKinney
Committees
House
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Standing Committee on Finance Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates Standing Committee on Health Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology Standing Committee on International Trade Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights Standing Committee on National Defence Standing Committee on Natural Resources Standing Committee on Official Languages Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs Standing Committee on Public Accounts Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security Standing Committee on the Status of Women Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs
Senate
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples Special Committee on Aging Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry Special Committee on Anti-terrorism Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest for Seniors Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade Standing Committee on Human Rights Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Standing Committee on National Finance Standing Committee on National Security and Defence Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs Standing Committee on Official Languages Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament Selection Committee Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology Subcommittee on Cities Subcommittee on Population Health Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
Joint committees
Standing Joint Committee on Library of Parliament Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations
Ministry Main article: 28th Canadian Ministry
The 28th Canadian Ministry was formed during the 39th Canadian Parliament and lasted until the end of the 41st Canadian Parliament.
Officeholders
Head of State OfficePhotoNameAssumed officeLeft officeSovereignElizabeth IIFebruary 6, 1952September 8, 2022Governor GeneralMichaëlle JeanSeptember 27, 2005October 1, 2010David JohnstonOctober 1, 2010October 2, 2017
Party leadership PartyPhotoNameAssumed OfficeLeft OfficeConservativeStephen HarperMarch 20, 2004LiberalStéphane DionDecember 2, 2006December 10, 2008Michael IgnatieffDecember 10, 2008May 25, 2011Bloc QuébécoisGilles DuceppeMarch 15, 1997May 2, 2011New DemocraticJack LaytonJanuary 25, 2003August 22, 2011
House of Commons
Presiding officer OfficePhotoPartyOfficerRidingAssumed officeLeft officeSpeaker of the House of CommonsLiberalHon. Peter MillikenKingston and the IslandsJanuary 29, 2001June 2, 2011
Government leadership (Conservative) OfficePhotoOfficerRidingAssumed OfficeLeft OfficePrime MinisterStephen HarperCalgary SouthwestMarch 20, 2004House LeaderJay HillPrince George—Peace RiverOctober 30, 2008August 6, 2010John BairdOttawa West—NepeanAugust 6, 2010May 18, 2011WhipGordon O'ConnorPrince George—Peace RiverOctober 30, 2008 July 15, 2013
Other officeholders
House of Commons Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole: Andrew Scheer, Conservative member for Regina—Qu'Appelle Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole: Denise Savoie, NDP member for Victoria Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole: Barry Devolin, Conservative member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
Other Floor leaders Opposition House Leader: Hon. Ralph Goodale (until Sept 9, 2010) David McGuinty (from Sept 8, 2010) Bloc Québécois House Leader: Pierre Paquette New Democratic Party House Leader: Libby Davies
Other Whips Deputy Government Whip: Harold Albrecht Official Opposition Whip: Rodger Cuzner (until Sept 10, 2010) Marcel Proulx (from Sept 10, 2010) Bloc Québécois Whip: Michel Guimond (until June 22, 2010) Claude DeBellefeuille (from June 23, 2010) New Democratic Party Whip: Yvon Godin
Senate
Speakers Senate: Noël Kinsella, Conservative Senator for New Brunswick.
Speaker pro tempore of the Canadian Senate: Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Liberal Senator from New Brunswick (until March 2, 2010) Donald H. Oliver, Conservative Senator for Nova Scotia (from March 4, 2010)
Floor leaders Leader of the Government in the Senate: Hon. Marjory LeBreton Leader of the Opposition in the Senate: Jim Cowan
Whips Government Whip in the Senate: Terry Stratton (until Dec 31, 2009) Consiglio Di Nino (from Jan 1, 2010) Deputy Government Whip in the Senate: Stephen Greene