A new session of Parliament will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 16 with a Speech from the Throne. The House of Commons and Senate will be prorogued this Friday by Governor General David Johnston.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the planned prorogation earlier this summer.
►About the speech
Parliament begins each session with a day of stately pageantry that includes a speech by the Governor General (or the monarch if they are in Canada) setting out the government’s agenda and priorities – and summoning parliamentarians back to work.
In 1984 the Montreal Gazette said the event might have “mystified Canadians watching the event on television." In fact, these traditions trace their lineage back to 16th-century England. The Usher of the Black Rod and Speaker of the House lead MPs to the Senate chamber for the speech, since senators and the Governor General are not allowed inside the House of Commons. The Governor General, meanwhile, leads a ceremonial procession from Rideau Hall to Parliament Hill.
The government writes the speech, which MPs debate for up to six days after returning to the Commons. The process begins with a motion by two government backbenchers to consider an Address in Reply: a short statement of thanks to the Governor General for providing the speech. Debate begins with “Leaders’ Day” and a speech by the leader of the opposition. By tradition the prime minister speaks next, followed by the other party leaders.
The royal representative almost always reads the Speech from the Throne. Sometimes the monarch performs the duty themselves. King George VI read the 1939 speech during a pre-war royal visit to Canada. Queen Elizabeth II did the same in 1957 and 1977. Whether a king, queen, or governor general delivers the speech, its text is entered onto parchment and presented to the Crown by the Speaker of the House.
-Andrew Thomson
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