Parliament (Un)plugged: Virtual Practices and Procedures Across Canadian Jurisdictions
Beyond the immediate public health impacts, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged parliaments and parliamentarians to consider new measures to fulfil their parliamentary responsibilities. Introducing virtual practices in chambers across Canada provided opportunities to consider how these technologies could sustain, but also adapt, the functions of legislative bodies: to legislate, debate, scrutinize, and represent. In light of these changes to procedures across Canada, it is important to document how different jurisdictions have modified their practices to utilize virtual communication technologies. This article outlines what virtual practices were implemented during and following the pandemic across Canada in many provincial and territorial legislatures, as well as the House of Commons and Senate of Canada.