28th Canadian Parliament

The 28th Canadian Parliament was in session from September 12, 1968, until September 1, 1972. The membership was set by the 1968 federal election on June 25, 1968, and it changed only slightly due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1972 election.

There were four sessions of the 28th Parliament: SessionStartEnd 1st September 12, 1968 October 22, 1969 2nd October 23, 1969 October 7, 1970 3rd October 8, 1970 February 16, 1972 4th February 17, 1972 September 1, 1972

Overview It was controlled by a Liberal Party majority under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and the 20th Canadian Ministry. The Official Opposition was the Progressive Conservative Party led by Robert Stanfield. Party standings Number of members per partyParty leaderGeneral ElectionJun. 25, 1968LiberalPierre Trudeau154Progressive ConservativeRobert Stanfield72NDPTommy Douglas22Ralliement créditisteRéal Caouette14Liberal-LabourPierre Trudeau1Independent1Total Seats264

Major events

Criminal law reform

Bill C-150: Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69 The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-89 was an omnibus will that made changes to the Canadian Criminal Code, the Parole Act, the Penitentiary Act, the Prisons and Reformatories Act, the Combines Investigation Act, the Customs Tariff, and the National Defense Act. The act instituted new laws around contraceptives, homosexuality, abortion, gambling, firearms, harassments over the telephone, misleading advertisements, cruelty to animals, and drunk driving.Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968–69 (SC 1968–69, c 38.

Abortion and contraception The act decriminalized contraception and made abortion legal in situations where a pregnancy was considered a threat to a woman's life or health. The procedure for obtaining an abortion under the act was quite strict, requiring approval from a hospital's Therapeutic Abortion Committee and no less than three doctors.

Decriminalization of homosexuality In response to the conviction of Everett Klippert in 1967, the government began investigating changes that might be made to Canada's laws around sodomy and gross indecency which effectively criminalized homosexual acts. The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69 added an exemption to the Criminal Code that made these acts legal in circumstances where there were only two participants, both were at least 21 years old, and the actions were conducted in private.

In 1967, in his announcement of the first rendition of the bill, Trudeau, then justice minister, gave a televised interview where he uttered the now famous line "There's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation".

Gambling Changes made in Bill C-150 allowed the federal and provincial governments to run lotteries and allowed the provinces to permit licensees to run certain forms of lotteries. Previously the only forms of gambling that had been legal in Canada were pari-mutuel betting on horse races and low stakes, charitable lottery schemes. These changes were instituted partially to assist in the raising of funds for the Montreal Olympics.

Bill C-3: Hate Propaganda Recommendations from the Special Committee on Hate Propaganda in Canada, also called the Cohen Committee, resulted in the government adding provisions related to hate propaganda to the Criminal Code in 1970. These criminalized the advocation of genocide and inciting hatred in a public place against any identifiable group (here colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or mental or physical disability).

The Fuddle Duddle Incident

An incident wherein Prime Minister Trudeau was accused of mouthing “Fuck off” to a Conservative MP while in Parliament.

Ministry

The 20th Canadian Ministry began near the end of the 27th Canadian Parliament and lasted for all of the 28th, 29th, 30th parliaments.

Officeholders

Head of State OfficePhotoNameAssumed officeLeft officeSovereignElizabeth IIFebruary 6, 1952September 8, 2022Governor GeneralRoland MichenerApril 17, 1967January 14, 1974

Party leadership PartyPhotoNameAssumed officeLeft officeLiberalPierre TrudeauApril 6, 1968June 16, 1984Progressive ConservativeRobert StanfieldNovember 6, 1967February 21, 1976New DemocraticTommy DouglasAugust 3, 1961April 24, 1971David LewisApril 24, 1971July 7, 1975Ralliement créditisteRéal CaouetteSeptember 1, 1963October 9, 1971

House of Commons

Presiding officer OfficePhotoOfficerRidingAssumed officeLeft officePartySpeaker of the House of CommonsLucien LamoureuxStormont—DundasJanuary 18, 1966September 29, 1974Liberal

Government leadership (Liberal) OfficeOfficerRidingAssumed officeLeft officePrime MinisterPierre TrudeauMount RoyalApril 20, 1968June 4, 1979March 3, 1980June 30, 1984House LeaderAllan MacEachenCape Breton Highlands—CansoSeptember 24, 1970May 9, 1974Donald MacDonaldOttawa WestJuly 6, 1968September 23, 1970WhipBernard PilonChambly—Rouville1966November 17, 1970Lloyd FrancisOttawa WestDecember 17, 1970September 30, 1971Grant DeachmanVancouver QuadraOctober, 1971September 1972

Changes to party standings Number of members per partyGeneral ElectionB/EB/EF/CB/EF/CB/EF/CB/EF/CB/EF/CJun. 25, 1968Feb. 10, 1969Apr. 8, 1969Dec. 3, 1969Apr. 13, 1970Sep., 1970Nov. 6, 1970May. 21, 1971May. 31, 1971Jul. 25, 1971Nov. 8, 1971Mar. 13, 1972Liberal154 11 1 1111Progressive Conservative72111NDP22111Ralliement créditiste141Liberal-Labour1Independent11111Total Seats264

By-elections

Parliamentarians House of Commons Members of the House of Commons in the 28th parliament arranged by province.

Key: Party leaders are italicized. Parliamentary secretaries is indicated by "". Cabinet ministers are in boldface. The Prime Minister is both. The Speaker is indicated by "()".

Newfoundland RidingMemberPolitical partyFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsBonavista—Trinity—ConceptionFrank Moores*Progressive Conservative19681st termBurin—BurgeoDonald JamiesonLiberal19662nd termGander—TwillingateJohn LundriganProgressive Conservative19681st termGrand Falls—White Bay—LabradorAmbrose PeddleProgressive Conservative19681st termHumber—St. George's—St. BarbeJack MarshallProgressive Conservative19681st termSt. John's EastJames McGrathProgressive Conservative1957, 19684th term*St. John's WestWalter CarterProgressive Conservative19681st term * Frank Moores resigned to enter provincial politics in 1971 and the seat remains vacant

Prince Edward Island RidingMemberPolitical partyFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsCardiganMelvin McQuaidProgressive Conservative19652nd termEgmontDavid MacDonaldProgressive Conservative19652nd termHillsboroughHeath MacQuarrieProgressive Conservative19576th termMalpequeAngus MacLeanProgressive Conservative19518th term

Nova Scotia RidingMemberPolitical partyFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsAnnapolis ValleyPat NowlanProgressive Conservative19652nd termCape Breton Highlands—CansoAllan MacEachenLiberal1953, 19626th term*Cape Breton—East RichmondDonald MacInnisProgressive Conservative1957, 19635th term*Cape Breton—The SydneysRobert MuirProgressive Conservative19576th termCentral NovaRussell MacEwan Progressive Conservative19576th termElmer MacKay (1971)*Progressive Conservative19711st termCumberland—Colchester NorthRobert CoatesProgressive Conservative19576th termDartmouth—Halifax EastMichael ForrestallProgressive Conservative19652nd termHalifaxRobert StanfieldProgressive Conservative19672nd termHalifax—East HantsRobert McCleaveProgressive Conservative1957, 19655th term*South Shore Lloyd CrouseProgressive Conservative19576th termSouth Western Nova Louis-Roland ComeauProgressive Conservative19681st term * Russell MacEwan resigned and was replaced by Elmer MacKay in a May 31, 1971 by-election.

New Brunswick RidingMemberPolitical partyFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsCarleton—CharlotteHugh FlemmingProgressive Conservative19605th termFundy—RoyalRobert FairweatherProgressive Conservative19624th termGloucesterHerb BreauLiberal19681st termMadawaska—VictoriaEymard Corbin Liberal19681st termMonctonCharlie ThomasProgressive Conservative19681st termNorthumberland—MiramichiPercy SmithLiberal19681st termRestigoucheJean-Eudes DubéLiberal19624th termSaint John—LancasterThomas Miller BellProgressive Conservative19537th termWestmorland—KentGuy CrossmanLiberal19624th termYork—SunburyJohn Chester MacRaeProgressive Conservative19576th term

Quebec RidingMemberPolitical partyFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsAbitibiGérard LapriseRalliement Créditiste 19624th termSocial Credit*AhuntsicJean-Léo RochonLiberal19624th termArgenteuilRobert MajorLiberal19681st termBeauceRomuald RodrigueRalliement Créditiste19681st termSocial Credit*BeauharnoisGérald LanielLiberal19624th termBellechasseJoseph LambertRalliement Créditiste19681st termSocial Credit*BerthierAntonio YanakisLiberal19652nd termBonaventureAlbert Béchard Liberal19624th termBourassaJacques TrudelLiberal19681st termChamblyBernard PilonLiberal19624th termYvon L'Heureux (1971)**Liberal1957, 19712nd term*ChamplainRené MatteRalliement Créditiste19681st termSocial Credit*CharlevoixMartial AsselinProgressive Conservative1958, 19653rd term*ChicoutimiPaul Langlois Liberal19652nd termComptonHenry LatulippeRalliement Créditiste19624th termSocial Credit*DollardJean-Pierre Goyer Liberal19652nd termDrummondJean-Luc PépinLiberal19633rd termDuvernayEric KieransLiberal19681st termFrontenacBernard Dumont Ralliement Créditiste 1962, 19682nd term*Léopold Corriveau (1970)***Liberal19701st termGamelinArthur PortelanceLiberal19681st termGaspéAlexandre CyrLiberal1963, 19682nd term*GatineauGaston Clermont Liberal1960, 19654th term*HochelagaGérard PelletierLiberal19652nd termHullGaston Isabelle Liberal19652nd termJolietteRoch La Salle****Progressive Conservative 19681st termIndependentKamouraskaCharles-Eugène DionneRalliement Créditiste19624th termSocial Credit*LabelleLéo Cadieux Liberal19624th termMaurice Dupras (1970)†Liberal19701st termLapointeGilles MarceauLiberal19681st termLa PrairieIan Watson Liberal19633rd termLac-Saint-JeanMarcel Lessard Liberal1962, 19683rd term*LachineRaymond Rock††Liberal 19624th term