canadian & world politics model parliament the simulation

Canadian & World Politicswww.CraigMarlatt.com/school

Model ParliamentTHE SIMULATION

Model Parliament

1. Groups Involved

2. Roles During Different Parts of the Day

3. Setting up the Classroom

4. Parliamentary Procedures

5. Debriefing

Parliamentary Groups of People

• You will receive a slip of paper telling you which group (political party) you represent:

1. Cabinet

2. Government Backbench

3. Official Opposition

4. Third Party

5. Parliamentary Officials


• You will receive a second piece of paper telling you which province your riding is in (the distribution of MPs is proportional to reality)

• AB 2• BC 3• MB 1• NB 1• NL 1• NS 1• NU 1

• NT 1• ON 7• PE 1• QC 5• SK 1• YT 1


• Within your assigned groups, you must decide who is going to play which role

• Cabinet– Prime Minister– Appropriate Ministers (given the bill to be discussed)

• Government Backbench– Government House Leader– Government Whip– Committee Chair– Committee Member/MP


• Official Opposition– Leader of the Official Opposition– Opposition House Leader– Opposition Whip– Opposition Critic– Opposition Committee Member/MP


• Third Party– Leader of the Third Party– Third Party House Leader– Third Party Whip– Third Party Critic– Third Party Committee Member/MP


• Speaker of the House of Commons– Once each party has determined the roles each

person is going to play, the House must elect itself a Speaker.

– All Cabinet Members and Party Leaders are ineligible to become Speaker. All other Members are candidates unless they notify the Clerk of the House in advance of the vote.

– Candidates make brief speeches.– Voting occurs by secret ballot. To become Speaker, a

Member needs to receive 50% + 1 of the votes.


• Parliamentary Officials (optional, depending on class size)– Clerk of the House – Sergeant-at-Arms– Page– Governor General

Roles to be Played

• Caucus Meeting– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Opening of Sitting– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Tabling of Documents– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Introduction of Government Bills– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Second Reading of a Government Bill– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Presentation of Petitions– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Member Statements– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Question Period– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Committee Hearing– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Report Stage– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Adjournment Proceedings– Who’s Involved– What It Is– The Procedure– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Roles to be Played

• Royal Assent– Who’s Involved– What It Is– Why It’s Important– Your task to Prepare for the Simulation

Setting up the Classroom

Assign GroupsPrepare the MaceReview the Rules and DecorumPrepare the ScriptsPrepare Name CardsPhysical Layout of the Room…

GovernmentBackbench

Cabinet Official Opposition

Third Party

PARLIAMENTARY

OFFICIALS

Parliamentary Procedures

• Opening of Sitting– Parade– Prayer– “Opening of the Doors”

• Tabling of Documents– Speaker in Charge! (wait to be called upon)– Explain what is being tabled– Place it on the Clerk’s Table in front of the Speaker


• Introduction of a Government Bill– Speaker checks with the Minister responsible for issue

for assent to begin the introduction process– Speaker announces Minister, seconder, and asks for

“leave” to introduce the bill– All MPs agree to adopt the motion to introduce the bill– Speaker then moves that the bill be read for the first

time and printed for all to see– All MPs agree to adopt the motion to read the bill for

the first time


• Member’s Statements– Speaker calls upon MPs who stand to be recognized– Member reads his or her statement and other MPs

retake their seats until the statement is complete– Continues until all statements are read or the allotted

time has expired


• Presentation of Committee Reports– Speaker calls upon Committee Chair to present

reports– Committee Chair briefly explains report and places it

on the Clerk’s table– Dissenting Committee Members have an opportunity

to explain their opinion of the report


• Presentation of Petitions– Speaker calls upon MPs who stand to be recognized– Member reads his or her petition and other MPs

retake their seats until the petition is complete– Continues until all petitions are read or the allotted

time has expired


• Second Reading of a Government Bill– Clerk informs the Speaker of the next bill to be

considered– Speaker moves that the bill be read for the second

time and referred to the appropriate committee– The Minister responsible explains the purpose of the

bill and why it should be read a second time– The Leader of the Official Opposition explains how the

bill is flawed and why it should not be read a second time

– MPs can then make brief statements in favour or opposition of the bill and explain why


• Second Reading of a Government Bill (con’d)– Opposition MPs can propose amendments to the bill– Speaker asks the House of they wish to adopt the

motion, and asks if there is any debate on the matter– MPs can debate the amendments as proposed– Speaker then puts the question to the House

• “Agreed” or “No”

– Speaker then asks for a verbal vote• All those in favour? Opposed?

– Speaker declares who had the most votes – Debate continues with other amendments proposed,

and voted on, in the same fashion


• Second Reading of a Government Bill (con’d)– Speaker moves that the bill be read for the second

time and referred to the appropriate committee• “Agreed” or “No”

– Speaker then asks for a verbal vote• All those in favour? Opposed?

– Speaker declares who had the most votes– If more than five MPs stand at this point to signify that

they want a recorded vote, the Speaker will “call in the members” for a person by person vote to ensure that the vote is carried or defeated


• Question Period– Speaker calls on the Leader of the Official Opposition,

who asks a question of the Prime Minister through the Speaker

– Prime Minister responds to the question through the Speaker

– Follow-up and response is often permitted– Other MPs can then ask questions of the Cabinet– Questions and responses continue through the

Speaker at all times


• Consideration of a Bill in Committee– Chair calls upon the Minister responsible (who

appears before the Committee as a “witness”) to make an opening statement

– Chair calls for questions from Committee Members to ask of the Minister responsible

– Other witnesses may be called– Each clause of the bill is then debated one at a time

(beginning with the second clause), but amendments can be proposed at this time as well


• Consideration of a Bill in Committee (con’d)– Each clause is voted on after debate has concluded

• “Agreed”• “No”• “On division” if an MP opposes it, but not strongly enough to

require a recorded vote

– Chair then announces if the amendment “carried”, “negatived”, or “carried on division”

– The next clause is then debated, amended (if necessary), and voted upon

– Finally, clause 1 (the principle of the bill), the preamble, the title are voted upon


• Adjournment Proceedings– Speaker announces a motion to adjourn– MPs who were not satisfied with the response(s)

given during question period, can bring the issue up again during the adjournment proceedings, so long as written notice was given in advance

– MP asks a question, Minister responds, follow-up permitted

– This continues until a maximum of three questioners have re-stated their questions, or until the time expires

– Speaker then declares that the motion to adjourn has deemed to be adopted, and parade exits the Chamber


• Royal Assent– Occurs in the Senate… – Can be by written notification from Rideau Hall or the

Supreme Court, in which case, a message from the Senate would be sent to the House of Commons to inform them that Royal Assent had been given, OR

– Can be by official ceremony, where the Governor General (or his or her Deputy) enters the Senate, the MPs are summoned to the Bar, the Deputy Clerk requests assent, assent is given, the Clerk announces the assent, and the MPs return to the House

Debriefing

• Evaluation of Notes and Participation

• Quiz on Content

• Reflection

• Essay and/or Presentation

• Course Feedback

• Preparation for the Final Exam