Confronting Violence and Harassment in Westminster Parliamentary Workplaces: Lessons for Canada

This entry is part 6 of 10 in the series Vol 48 No. 4 (Winter)

Confronting Violence and Harassment in Westminster Parliamentary Workplaces: Lessons for Canada

Once heralded as a leader in tackling gender-based violence and harassment in a parliamentary workplace, Canada’s House of Commons (and, to a lesser degree, its Senate) have fallen behind other large Westminster parliaments when it comes to implementing strong guidelines, reporting mechanisms, and penalties for misconduct. Parliaments in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand have all taken steps to establish public-facing independent workplace reviews and to employ a broader recognition that institutional cultural change is required throughout parliament to address gender-based violence and harassment. In this article, the author traces Canada’s internationally lauded pathbreaking initiatives to target harassment within parliamentary workspaces, explains why other Westminster parliaments have surpassed our federal parliament’s current practices and offers suggestions for how Canada can learn from the experience of others in order to strengthen the systems in place on Parliament Hill and in parliamentary spaces beyond.

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Racial Diversity and the 2025 Federal Election: Visible Minority Candidates and MPs

The April 28, 2025, federal general election marked the fifth consecutive election to set a record for visible minority representation in Parliament. Sixty-two visible minority MPs were elected, a notable increase from the 53 elected in 2021. As a proportion of the House of Commons, their share rose from 15.7 to 18.1 per cent. However, there was a shift in candidate patterns: while the three largest national parties consistently nominated more visible minority candidates in each election from 2011 to 2021, in 2025 only the Conservatives continued this trend. This article also considers comparisons with the broader visible minority population, highlights first-time candidates, explores the competitiveness of the ridings where visible minority candidates ran, and considers the overall diversity of those constituencies.

Jerome H. Black and Andrew Griffith

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New and Notable Titles

This entry is part 8 of 10 in the series Vol 48 No. 4 (Winter)

New and Notable Titles

A selection of recent publications relating to parliamentary studies prepared with the assistance of the Library of Parliament (October 2025 – December 2025).

“Maturity Framework for AI in Parliaments.” Inter-Parliamentary Union – Geneva. A toolkit for parliamentarians: 38p, 2025. Continue reading “New and Notable Titles”

Representation and Collective Action: An Interview With The Founder of Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities

This entry is part 10 of 10 in the series Vol 48 No. 4 (Winter)

Representation and Collective Action: An Interview With The Founder of Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities

Dear Diary: Rookie MPPs Share Thoughts on Their First Month(s) in Office As It Happened

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series Vol. 48 No. 3 (Autumn)

Dear Diary: Rookie MPPs Share Thoughts on Their First Month(s) in Office As It Happened

When parliamentarians are asked to think back about their first few days or weeks on the job, frequently they’ll describe it as being mostly a blur. There is so much to learn, so many people to meet, so much information to absorb, and so much to do; often, only a few special moments stand out. But getting a sense of what these early days are like would undoubtedly be helpful for politicians who hope to follow in their footsteps and want to know what to expect. The Canadian Parliamentary Review asked two newly elected Members of Provincial Parliament in Ontario to keep a record of their first 30 days after election night on February 27, 2025, in which they would briefly note what was happening and how they were feeling. Prior to publishing these notes, the MPPs were also asked if they wanted to add information on other notable days that occurred in the interim, and to offer any thoughts about what they’ve learned as they found their footing in the Assembly.

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