Introduction
Considering the importance of law in ensuring the freedom of citizens, it is imperative to make the process of legislation very seriously. In general, a legislature is regarded as a place where laws are made and passed. To ensure effectiveness, it is alleged that legislation must be handled carefully (Bauman and Kahana 15). Bearing in mind that laws that are not properly made can have a negative effect on innocent people, it is imperative to ensure that the legislative process is carried out soberly. Politically, the legislature is considered to be the highest institution in Canada’s political system.
Apparently, Canada is preferred by many people in the world because of its strict system of government (Parliament of Canada 2). The country has an open parliamentary system designed to ensure that ordinary citizens are involved in the legislation process. Arguably, the democratic nature of Canada’s parliamentary system permits citizens to contribute to important nationals matters.
This paper is written in the context of Canadian politics and examines the functions of the legislature in Canada. In addition, it looks at how members of parliament in Canada spend their time.
Functions of the Legislature in Canada
The legislature holds a very important place in the Canadian political system. It is composed of men and women elected to represent the people of Canada located in different geographical locations. The legislature provides a forum for representatives of the people to discuss important political issues. In addition, it is charged with the responsibility of creating and enacting laws. Typically, most laws in Canada are initiated as bills in the legislature or House of Commons (Parliament of Canada 4). The legislature also gives members of parliament an opportunity to ensure that the views and concerns of their constituents are heard and dealt with accordingly.
Canada’s legislative branch is made up of two main bodies (Makarenko 1). The Canadian legislative system, commonly known as bicameralism, is also found in many other countries around the world. In the United States, the legislature consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate while the United Kingdom has the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The legislative body in Canada is made up of the House of Commons and the Senate. As a result, the passing of every law in Canada must receive the approval of both arms of the legislature. This notwithstanding, the two arms of the legislature are not in any way similar (Makarenko 1). While members of the House of Commons are elected by the people of Canada through a democratic election process, Senators are simply appointed. The elected members of the House of Commons are usually referred to as members of parliament, and their key responsibility is to represent the people. Compared to Senators, Canadian members of parliament have a more elaborate role.
Drawing from the study by Makarenko (1), the legislative body in Canada has three important functions. The three functions can be identified as a responsible government, representation, and legislation. The House of Commons in Canada is expected to exercise responsible government. Apparently, this does mean that the government has to be accountable to the people of Canada. Rather, it implies that the government is generally accountable to the representatives of the people of Canada. In order to remain in power; therefore, it is imperative for the government of Canada to win the confidence of the members of the House of Commons. Unless the government enjoys support from a majority of the members of parliament, the responsibility of governing is made very difficult.
In the absence of support from the majority of the members of parliament, the Prime Minister of Canada is expected to resign and pave the way for a new government to be formed. To a large extent, however, the function of the House of Commons has been affected by the new approach to politics in Canada. Ostensibly, most members of parliament tend to belong to a particular political party that ends up influencing the behavior of the legislature. As a consequence, both the Prime Minister and the Cabinet are picked from the party that has the highest number of elected members in the House of Commons. To some extent, this interferes with the running of the government. Unlike members of parliament, Senators can easily be controlled by any party regardless of whether or not it is in power. Although it is common for members of the Senate to disagree with the government, their actions are inconsequential and can not lead to the formation of a new government.
The other function of the legislature is a representation. As earlier stated, the legislature is made up of democratically elected individuals who represent the interests of their constituents (Makarenko 1). Ordinarily, members of the legislature are elected based on geographical representations also known as electoral districts. In general, each geographical region is represented by a single member in the House of Commons. The main responsibility of the members of the House of Commons is to ensure that citizens are well represented. Their views must be taken into account, and their concerns must be dealt with appropriately. Ostensibly, the representation function of the members of parliament can be accomplished in a number of ways. An elected member of parliament can represent his or her constituents by voting on given legislation. A member of parliament can also advocate for his or her constituents through debates or by introducing what is commonly referred to as Private Member Bills. Members of parliament can also take part in reviewing legislations.
Other than keeping the government in check and representing the people, the other function of the legislature is legislation. As mentioned earlier, all legislations must receive the approval of the majority of the members of parliament in order for it to be passed into law. With support from the public service, the government is responsible for the formulation of all legislations. However, once formulated, the said legislation must be presented to the House of Commons for approval. The most critical role of the legislature is thus to refine government legislations and to pass them into law if they are found to be suitable. In some instances, the legislation may be rejected for failing to meet the required standard.
How Canadian Members of Parliament Spend their Time
Most of the time, Canadian members of parliament are involved in deliberating on important national issues and enacting legislations. For close to 135 days in a year, members of parliament meet to deliberate on national matters which include the receiving legislations from government, refining them and passing them into law (Parliament of Canada 8). Generally, a day in the House of Commons is split into different sections in order to make it possible for members of parliament to discuss and decide on issues brought before them. On each day that members of parliament meet, time is set aside for every member who is not a cabinet member to make his or her contribution on an important national matter. Members of parliament also get a chance to question the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on matters of national concern. In addition, Canadian members of parliament get an opportunity to have their bills debated under a section commonly known as the private members business.
Conclusion
This discussion clearly indicates that as a nation, Canada has a very elaborate and firm system of government. Apparently, the strict nature of governing in Canada is the envy of many who are convinced that Canada is a good country to live and work in. Unlike many other governments where the views of citizens are not taken seriously, the governing system in Canada presents an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions and have their concerns addressed. Every geographical region in Canada is represented by a member of parliament in the House of Commons whose major responsibility is to represent his or her constituents.
Unlike members of the Senate who also form part of the legislature, members of parliament bear the greatest responsibility for the citizens of Canada. As explained in this paper, members of parliament hold the government of Canada responsible, represent the people, and are heavily involved in the legislation process. All legislations that are passed must receive the approval of the majority of the members of parliament before they can be passed into law.
Works Cited
Bauman, Richard and Tsvi Kahana. The Least Examined Branch: The Role of Legislatures in the Constitutional State. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print.
Makarenko, Jay. 2010. The House of Commons: Introduction to Canada’s Premier Legislative Body. 2010. Web.
Parliament of Canada. 2011. Guide to the Canadian House of Commons. 2011. Web.