Canadian Commonwealth Association – L’ Association parlementaire du Commonwealth
A selection of recent publications relating to parliamentary studies prepared with the assistance of the Library of Parliament (September 2023 – November 2023).
“Guide to digital transformation in parliaments.” Inter-Parliamentary Union, 48p., 2023. Continue reading “New and Notable Titles”
In January 1831, Tekarihogen John Brant became the first Indigenous parliamentarian elected in Canada. Twenty- five days later he was out of office. A year later he was dead. It would be more than a century before a second First Nations Member would be elected to another Canadian legislature, and almost two centuries before Ontario would see another provincial parliamentarian of First Nations ancestry and community citizenship. In this article, the author recounts the short life and political career of a member of a famed Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) dynasty.
If you ask a member of the public to picture a federal parliament or a provincial or territorial assembly, the two images that spring to mind most often would be the buildings themselves, and the various MPs, senators, MHAs, MLAs, MNAs, and MPPs who sit in the chambers within them.
But spare a moment to think about the people who maintain these buildings, who work to support parliamentarians as they fulfill their constitutional roles, and who enable these democratic institutions to welcome tens of thousands of visitors each year in person and speak to countless others through an online presence.
Continue reading “A Focus on Parliamentary Support Services”
Members of Parliament (MPs) are the institution’s most public face. Supporting them are the skilled and dedicated employees of the House of Commons Administration (House Administration), who anticipate MPs’ needs and deliver personalized, streamlined, quality services.
As one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, the House Administration is committed to helping its employees realize their full potential. It offers them many opportunities for career development and advancement, and even opportunities for a career change if they would like to try something new in a different field. As the House of Commons supports a hybrid and flexible workforce, its employees have been able to work in a hybrid format since 2020. The hybrid work environment is a combination of remote and on-site work, meaning that some employees may work on-site on a full-time basis, while others may alternate between working on-site and from home.
Parliaments do not operate as silos. Parliamentarians are keenly aware of debates occurring among their colleagues across the country and internationally. Legislation adopted in one jurisdiction is often studied and consulted when another parliament is considering a similar issue. And, every year, parliamentarians attend meetings and conferences, such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s gatherings, to meet their counterparts, discuss their roles and systems of governance, and forge important networks to exchange information. Many parliamentary service staff have developed their own organizations for similar reasons. In this roundtable, the Canadian Parliamentary Review invited representatives of some of these groups to discuss the work their membership does and how their membership benefits from participating in groups that facilitate networking and information sharing.
Participants: Gerry Burla, Andrew Henry, Deanna Wilson, and Bruce C. Young
With a career spanning 46 years as an employee of the Government of Yukon, including the past 21 years serving the Yukon Legislative Assembly, Helen Fitzsimmons was feted by MLAs, colleagues and peers on April 27, the last sitting day of the 2023 Spring Sitting. With unanimous consent, the Assembly delivered tributes to Helen at the end of the sitting day. Extraordinarily, also with unanimous consent, Helen then addressed the Assembly. (The last time that the rare honour of addressing the Assembly had been conferred by the Yukon Legislative Assembly upon someone had been in 2011 when the House recessed to receive an address by Governor General David Johnston). Although normally only the first hour of the sitting day is videotaped, the tributes and address were recorded and posted on the Assembly’s Facebook page. The gallery, which had been empty minutes earlier, filled to capacity for this tribute. Visitors present included Yukon’s current senator, Yukon’s former senator, a former Yukon Premier, a former Commissioner, a former Speaker, former Ministers and MLAs, former party leaders, former Chiefs of Staff and Principal Secretaries, former Clerks, current and past Legislative Assembly Office staff and caucus staff, as well as some of Helen’s friends and family. Everyone present showed great admiration and love for Helen and was eager to hear her say a few words about what her career and time at the Assembly meant to her. In this interview conducted before her summer retirement, Helen shares more insight into her life as a long-serving parliamentary support staff employee in a smaller jurisdiction.
First elected in 2006, Ontario MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth) knows his way around Queen’s Park and has become well acquainted with the staff who keep it running. In this interview, he explains how he relies on Assembly employees as he fulfills his duties as a representative and why he admires their professionalism.
Quebec’s history of legislative translation dates back to the beginning of the British regime. In this article, the author examines how this service has evolved and explains the process for ensuring legislative texts are translated, revised and proofed to a standard that befits a province whose language and unique Civil Code are fundamental components of its identity.
Elizabeth Reeve
Continue reading “Behind the Scenes: The Assemblée nationale’s Team of Translation Professionals”