The First Session of the 39th Parliament came to an end last week when the government asked the Governor General to prorogue.

Parliament will be recalled on October 16 to begin the Second Session with a Speech from the Throne. This government delivered on all its major commitments during the 17 months since the last session began, which is no mean feat given its minority status. A new Speech from the Throne will give us an opportunity to launch the next phase of our mandate. Virtually every government prorogues at some time during its tenure.

While Parliament is prorogued, everyone in government works on plans for the next session. We will continue to serve our constituents’ needs and our offices will function normally. Proroguing is different from dissolving Parliament, which shuts down business completely prior to a general election. During prorogation, the speaker, prime minister, ministers and parliamentary secretaries remain in office and all members of the House of Commons continue to perform their various roles.

When Parliament prorogues to end a session, government bills that have not yet been passed into law die on the Order Paper and committee activities are discontinued. Government bills that were “in the works” during the previous session may be reintroduced as new bills or they can be reinstated if the House agrees. Private Members’ Bills can be reinstated and committee work can be revived either by a motion in the House or in committee, depending upon the nature of the work in progress.

Government reports that were required by statute are not affected by prorogation. Requests for responses to committee reports or petitions continue to be valid and carry over from one session to another – only dissolution of Parliament would cause these reports and requests to lapse.

Prorogation is a useful tool for a government that wants to review legislation and establish a new direction. The former government prorogued four times and called four elections during its 13 years in power.
The current government is looking forward to sharing its plans in the Speech from the Throne when Parliament reconvenes on October 16. The speech will clearly map out our strategy for the coming session and invite input from Canadians across the country. We believe the future is exciting and filled with promise for all who reside here, and we are eager to share our thoughts.

In the meantime, I hope that any constituents who wish to make suggestions on Canada’s future will notify me in writing. I anticipate an exhilarating and productive new session just around the corner.

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