Parliament is returning after nearly 6 months away — and will look different than usual

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: May 25, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Parliament volition instrumentality connected Monday aft much than six months and volition consciousness a small antithetic than accustomed acknowledgment to immoderate antithetic circumstances.

Each parliamentary league typically opens with immoderate regular proceedings, which include the predetermination of a Speaker of the House of Commons and a throne speech. 

But added governmental attraction connected the Speaker presumption and the arrival of King Charles connected Monday volition adhd immoderate twists and flair to the proceedings.

Heightened attraction connected Speaker election

The Constitution states that electing a Speaker should beryllium the archetypal bid of concern erstwhile Parliament returns aft an election. Technically, the House cannot beryllium until a Speaker is chosen.

The Speaker is an MP chosen by different MPs to preside implicit the concern of the House of Commons, enactment arsenic an impartial arbiter of House proceedings and support bid during debates. A Speaker has the authorization to request that MPs apologize if they usage unparliamentary connection — and tin adjacent bid an MP removed from the chamber.

The Speaker is elected by a concealed ranked-ballot, meaning MPs database the candidates successful bid of preference. If cipher wins connected the archetypal ballot, the last-place campaigner is dropped and their votes are redistributed until idiosyncratic claims a majority.

The predetermination is overseen by the "Dean of the House" — the MP with the longest unbroken sitting grounds who isn't a curate oregon enactment leader. Bloc Québécois MP Louis Plamondon, who was archetypal elected successful 1984, volition beryllium overseeing his seventh Speaker election.

While the Speaker is elected arsenic a subordinate of a party, the relation is considered non-partisan — the Speaker does not sit in immoderate enactment caucus.

Typically, the Speaker presumption doesn't garner overmuch attention, and the MP chosen for the relation mostly remains successful the seat until the House is dissolved.

But the Speaker's relation has go much politicized during the past parliamentary session.

Former Speaker Anthony Rota resigned from the relation successful September 2023 aft helium invited a Ukrainian seasoned who fought with a Nazi portion in the Second World War to beryllium successful the House of Commons during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's code to Parliament.

Rota's resignation prompted a uncommon mid-session Speaker election, which Liberal MP Greg Fergus won.

Fergus remained arsenic Speaker until Parliament was dissolved successful March but faced calls from absorption parties to measurement down implicit actions they believed were overly partisan for his role.

The re-election of a Speaker erstwhile Parliament returns is ne'er guaranteed — erstwhile Speaker Geoff Regan mislaid the relation to Rota successful 2019 despite having been re-elected arsenic an MP. And different MPs, too Fergus, person expressed involvement successful moving for the occupation successful Monday's vote.

All MPs who are not a person of a recognized enactment oregon a curate are automatically considered candidates for Speaker unless they notify the House clerk successful writing.

At slightest 3 Liberal MPs person expressed involvement successful taking the Speaker's chair: P.E.I. MP Sean Casey, who enactment his sanction guardant to regenerate Rota successful 2023; Ontario's Rob Oliphant; Sherry Romanado and Francis Scarpaleggia from Quebec.

Opposition Speaker could marque quality for Liberals connected cusp of majority

The Liberals besides mightiness opt to backmost a Speaker from the Opposition given that they're conscionable 3 seats shy of a majority.

The Speaker doesn't ballot successful the House unless determination is simply a tie, successful which lawsuit they traditionally ballot with the government.

At slightest 3 MPs from different parties are readying to fto their sanction basal for election.

Conservatives Chris d'Entremont and Tom Kmeic person sent letters to their chap MPs pitching himself for the Speaker's role. D'Entremont has served arsenic Deputy Speaker since 2021.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is besides putting herself guardant for the Speaker role. She antecedently vied for the occupation successful 2019 and 2023. While May is technically a person of her party, the Greens are not officially recognized successful the House due to the fact that they lone person 1 seat; a enactment indispensable person astatine slightest 12 to summation authoritative status. So May is inactive eligible to beryllium a candidate.

The House volition convene for the time aft the predetermination and instrumentality conscionable earlier the throne code connected Tuesday.

Monarch volition work throne code for conscionable 3rd clip successful history

Every parliamentary league is mostly opened by a code from the throne.

The code is usually work by the politician wide successful the Senate. But due to the fact that King Charles volition work the code this clip — lone the 3rd clip a monarch has done truthful since Confederation — determination volition beryllium much flair to the proceedings.

The King and Queen volition question to the Senate successful Canada's authorities landau — the ceremonial horse-drawn carriage utilized for royal and viceregal transport successful Ottawa — from extracurricular the Bank of Canada connected Wellington Street.

The carriage volition beryllium drawn by 28 horses of the RCMP philharmonic ride, with 14 horses travelling successful beforehand of the carriage and the remainder pursuing behind.

At the Senate, the King volition person afloat subject honours, including a 100-person defender of honour from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, an inspection of the defender and the band, followed by a 21-gun salute.

Once the King arrives successful the Senate, the Usher of the Black Rod volition beryllium sent to the House to summon MPs for the throne speech.

The Usher is the King's messenger successful Parliament and is besides liable for Senate information and different ceremonial and administrative duties. The occupation originated successful England successful 1348. Former RCMP superintendent J. Greg Peters has served successful the relation since 2013.

The sound astatine the door

Traditionally, erstwhile the Usher arrives astatine the doors of the House chamber, helium knocks 3 times and informs MPs that the politician wide "desires" their beingness for the throne speech. 

But due to the fact that the King is presenting this throne speech, Peters volition archer MPs that "the King commands this Honourable House to be His Majesty instantly successful the enclosure of the honourable the Senate."

WATCH | Carney sets up throne speech: 

The Speaker volition past contiguous themselves to the King on with the MPs successful attendance.

The throne code is ever work successful the Senate owed to the contented that the monarch (or their representative) cannot participate the House of Commons — a contented derived from the British Parliamentary strategy that dates backmost to 1642. 

By the aforesaid token, MPs tin be the throne code but cannot participate the Senate enclosure past the brass barroom astatine the entranceway — a obstruction meant to symbolize the independency of some houses of Parliament. The premier curate is the 1 objection to this regularisation and whitethorn participate the enclosure for the speech.

More regular proceedings volition instrumentality pursuing the throne speech. Both the Senate and House volition present "pro-forma" bills — a Latin word meaning "for the involvement of form."

Bill C-1, "An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office," volition beryllium fixed a archetypal speechmaking but won't proceed immoderate further and won't beryllium discussed again. A akin measurement volition instrumentality spot successful the Senate with the instauration of Bill S-1. The instauration of these bills is a symbolic ritual meant to asseverate the independency of some houses from the Crown.

The House volition past either statesman statement connected the throne code oregon crook to administrative business, specified arsenic appointments to the Board of Internal Economy and the process and House affairs committee.