Series: Vol 48 No. 4 (Winter)
A Focus On Inclusive Parliaments
A Focus On Inclusive Parliaments
Parliamentarians represent people. But are parliaments reflective of the people they represent?
It’s impossible to look at the composition of people in photos from past parliaments without seeing noticeable changes in the parliamentarians depicted. But the growing diversity evident in recent decades is also a stark reminder of both explicit exclusionary practices, and implicit barriers to actively participating in parliamentary politics – some of which continue to exist.
CSPG Seminar: An Inclusive Parliament?
CSPG Seminar: An Inclusive Parliament?
Public and private institutions must grapple with questions of equity, diversity, inclusion and access, and Canadian legislatures are no exception. On April 25, 2025, the Canadian Study of Parliament Group held a seminar on inclusion within legislative spaces, from the experiences of legislators to public engagement and staff participation behind the scenes.
Alexie Labelle
“An Inclusive Parliament?”: A Few Thoughts
“An Inclusive Parliament?”: A Few Thoughts
Invited to offer opening remarks at the Canadian Study of Parliament Group’s 2025 conference on “Inclusive Parliaments,” in this article the author offers a revised version of her introductory remarks by reflecting on three other questions: What is meant by “inclusive”? Are parliaments, including the Parliament of Canada, inclusive? If not, how can we achieve more inclusive parliaments? She concludes by suggesting that in an age when illiberalism is growing globally, proposals designed to increase inclusivity of certain marginalized populations may face increasing headwinds both in Canada and abroad.
Manon Tremblay
Continue reading ““An Inclusive Parliament?”: A Few Thoughts”
Accessibility Measures at the Manitoba Legislature
Accessibility Measures at the Manitoba Legislature
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba has made several accessibility adaptations to its work environment to meet the needs of its Members. Significant infrastructure enhancements like wheelchair ramps, procedural and technical adaptations enabling virtual participation, and measures to overcome auditory challenges have all helped to accommodate the individual needs of Manitoba MLAs.
Continue reading “Accessibility Measures at the Manitoba Legislature”Confronting Violence and Harassment in Westminster Parliamentary Workplaces: Lessons for Canada
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.
Racial Diversity and the 2025 Federal Election: Visible Minority Candidates and MPs
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
The Canadian Scene
New and Notable Titles
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”