Parliament is Prorogued. Now What?
On Monday, January 6, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he will resign as leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister as soon as a new leader is chosen. At the same time, the Governor General has granted the Prime Minister’s request to prorogue Parliament until March 24.
What Does Prorogation Do?
The main effect of prorogation is to end the current session of Parliament. Multiple bills are terminated, committees cannot proceed, and Members of Parliament are released from their parliamentary duties until the new session. Instead of reconvening on January 27 as planned (and likely facing a non-confidence vote that could force an election), Parliament won’t reconvene until March 24. The next session of Parliament, in late March, will then begin with the government outlining new priorities for that session.
Government Bills
All government bills that have not received Royal Assent are terminated by prorogation. For example, ARPA Canada has been closely following Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act. If the government, in a new session, wishes to move forward with this legislation, they would need to start the law-making process all over again and re-introduce it for another 1st reading.
Late in 2024, the government said it would introduce legislation to require pregnancy care centres to publicly disclose that they do not provide or assist with abortions. These organizations could also risk losing charitable status. The government has not yet introduced any such bill, and prorogation means it will be delayed in doing so.
It seems unlikely that the government will be able to pass any bills once Parliament resumes in March, given the stated intentions of other parties to defeat the government in a non-confidence vote. However, a new Liberal Prime Minister could hypothetically secure the support of one of the other parties and start introducing bills once again.
Private Members’ Bills
Private members’ bills introduced in the House of Commons are not automatically terminated by prorogation. Instead, when Parliament resumes, they are automatically deemed to have passed all stages previously completed.
ARPA has been following private members’ bills related to pornography, human trafficking, human rights, euthanasia, and corporal discipline. Each of these bills introduced by Members of Parliament will be reinstated in the new session of Parliament at the end of March. For example, Bill C-270, which is focused on combatting illegal pornography, has already completed consideration in committee and will likely be reinstated past that stage.
Private members’ bills introduced by Senators, however, cannot be automatically carried over into the new session. Only through a special process can these bills be reinstated at their previous stage. Bill S-210, introduced by Senator Miville-Dechene, would have required pornography companies to verify the age of potential viewers on their sites. However, the bill had one stage left before receiving Royal Assent and will likely be terminated in a new session.
Political Uncertainty
Of course, once the government returns from prorogation, they will still need the support of at least one other party to continue with their minority government. The Liberal party’s selection of a new leader, and how they outline new and revised priorities, may be a factor in whether they gain the support of another party to continue to govern until the regularly scheduled election in October.
The Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois, and NDP have all said they will vote non-confidence against the government at the next possible opportunity and force an election. So, unless the new Prime Minister (the new leader of the Liberal party will automatically become Prime Minister due to Trudeau’s resignation) is able to convince another political party to prop up their minority government, we will likely have a federal election sometime this Spring.
In the meantime, your own Member of Parliament will likely be in your community more until the end of March since he or she will have no Parliamentary duties. Consider using this opportunity to connect with them, build a relationship, and discuss priorities.
During this time of political uncertainty, pray for the Prime Minister, those considering replacing the Prime Minister, the government, and for your Member of Parliament. Pray for wisdom as they navigate a precarious political situation and yet still seek to govern our country. And pray that ultimately each one may bend the knee to Christ, the King of kings, and find their hope and salvation in Him alone.
