Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario Assemblée législative de l'Ontario | |
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42nd Parliament of Ontario | |
Type | |
Type | |
History | |
Founded | July 1, 1867 |
Preceded by | Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada |
Leadership | |
Elizabeth Dowdeswell Since September 23, 2014 | |
Structure | |
Seats | 124 |
| |
Political groups |
Government (76) Official Opposition (40)
Other Parties (8) |
Elections | |
Last election | June 7, 2018 |
Next election | On or before June 2, 2022 |
Meeting place | |
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Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
Website | |
www.ola.org |
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (French: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is one of two components of the Legislature of Ontario (also known as the Parliament of Ontario[1]), the other being the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.[2] The Legislative Assembly is the second largest Canadian provincial deliberative assembly by number of members after the National Assembly of Quebec. The Assembly meets at the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in the provincial capital of Toronto.
The Legislative Assembly was established by the British North America Act, 1867 (later re-titled Constitution Act, 1867), which dissolved the Province of Canada into two new provinces, with the portion then called Canada West becoming Ontario. The Legislature has been unicameral since its inception, with the Assembly currently having 124 seats (increased from 107 as of the 42nd Ontario general election) representing electoral districts ("ridings") elected through a first-past-the-post electoral system across the province.
As at the federal level in Canada, Ontario uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which members are elected to the Legislative Assembly through general elections, from which the Premier of Ontario and Executive Council of Ontario are appointed based on majority support. The premier is Ontario's head of government, while the Lieutenant Governor, as representative of the Queen, acts as head of state. The largest party not forming the government is known as the Official Opposition, its leader being recognized as Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker.
The Ontario Legislature is sometimes referred to as the "Ontario Provincial Parliament". Members of the assembly refer to themselves as "Members of the Provincial Parliament" (MPPs) as opposed to "Members of the Legislative Assembly" (MLAs) as in many other provinces. Ontario is the only province to do so, in accordance with a resolution passed in the Assembly on April 7, 1938. However, the Legislative Assembly Act refers only to "members of the Assembly".
The current assembly was elected on June 7, 2018, as part of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario.
Owing to the location of the Legislative Building on the grounds of Queen's Park, the metonym "Queen's Park" is often used to refer to both the Government of Ontario and the Legislative Assembly.[3]
Lawmaking
In accordance with the traditions of the Westminster system, most laws originate with the cabinet (Government bills), and are passed by the legislature after stages of debate and decision-making. Ordinary Members of the Legislature may introduce privately (Private Members' Bills), play an integral role in scrutinizing bills in debate and committee and amending bills presented to the legislature by cabinet.
Members are expected to be loyal to both their parliamentary party and to the interests of their constituents. In the event of conflict, however, duty to the parliamentary party takes precedence. Party loyalty is enforced by the chief government whip.
In the Ontario legislature this confrontation provides much of the material for Oral Questions and Members' Statements. Legislative scrutiny of the executive is also at the heart of much of the work carried out by the Legislature's Standing Committees, which are made up of ordinary backbenchers.
A Member's day will typically be divided among participating in the business of the House, attending caucus and committee meetings, speaking in various debates, or returning to his or her constituency to address the concerns, problems and grievances of constituents. Depending on personal inclination and political circumstances, some Members concentrate most of their attention on House matters while others focus on constituency problems, taking on something of an ombudsman's role in the process.
Finally, it is the task of the legislature to provide the personnel of the executive. As already noted, under responsible government, ministers of the Crown are expected to be Members of the Assembly. When a political party comes to power it will usually place its more experienced parliamentarians into the key cabinet positions, where their parliamentary experience may be the best preparation for the rough and tumble of political life in government.
Coat of arms
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the first and the only legislature in Canada to have a Coat of Arms separate from the provincial coat of arms.
Green and gold are the principal colours in the shield of arms of the province. The Mace is the traditional symbol of the authority of the Speaker. Shown on the left is the current Mace. On the right is the original Mace from the time of the first parliament in 1792. The crossed Maces are joined by the shield of arms of Ontario.
The crown on the wreath represents national and provincial loyalties; its rim is studded with the provincial gemstone, the amethyst. The griffin, an ancient symbol of justice and equity, holds a calumet, which symbolizes the meeting of spirit and discussion that Ontario's First Nations believe accompanies the use of the pipe.
The deer represent the natural riches of the province. The Loyalist coronets at their necks honour the original British settlers in Ontario who brought with them the British parliamentary form of government. The Royal Crowns, left 1992, right 1792, recognize the parliamentary bicentennial and represent Ontario's heritage as a constitutional monarchy. They were granted as a special honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of the Governor General.
In the base, the maple leaves are for Canada, the trilliums for Ontario and the roses for York (now Toronto), the provincial capital.
Media
Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly are broadcast to Ontario cable television subscribers by the Ontario Parliament Network. A late-night rebroadcast of Question Period is also aired on the provincial public broadcaster TVOntario.
Party standings
Election of the Legislative Assembly of the 42nd Ontario Parliament occurred June 7, 2018, as a result of which Doug Ford's Progresive Conservatives will form a majority government.
Affiliation | Party Leader |
Status | Seats | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 election | Current | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Doug Ford | Government | 76 | 76 | |
New Democratic | Andrea Horwath | Official Opposition | 40 | 40 | |
Liberal | John Fraser (Interim) |
No party status | 7 | 7 | |
Green | Mike Schreiner | No party status | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 124 | ||||
Government Majority | 28 | 28 |
Seating plan
The seating chamber was influenced by the British House of Commons layout and that of the original St. Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster.[4] The difference with the British layout is with the use of individual chairs and tables for members, absent in the British Commons' design.
Previous location of the legislature, once home of the legislature of Upper Canada and the United Provinces of Canada, had similar layout.
Membership changes
Number of members per party by date |
2018 | |
---|---|---|
Jun 7 | ||
Progressive Conservative | 76 | |
New Democratic | 40 | |
Liberal | 7 | |
Green | 1 | |
Total members | 124 | |
Vacant | 0 |
List of members
Officeholders
Speaker
- Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Ted Arnott (Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario)
- Deputy Speaker (Government): Rick Nicholls
- Deputy Speakers (Official Opposition): Lisa Gretzky, Percy Hatfield, Jennifer French
Leaders
- Premier of Ontario: Doug Ford (Progressive Conservative)
- Leader of the Opposition: Andrea Horwath (New Democratic)
- Leader of the Liberal Party: John Fraser (Interim)
- Leader of the Green Party: Mike Schreiner
Floor leaders
- Government House Leader: Todd Smith (Progressive Conservative)
- Opposition House Leader: Gilles Bisson (NDP)
Whips
- Chief Government Whip: Bill Walker
- Official Opposition Whip: John Vanthof
Front benches
- Executive Council of Ontario
- Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 42nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Committees
There are two forms which Committees can take. The first, standing committees, are struck for the duration of the Parliament pursuant to Standing Orders. The second, select committees, are struck usually by a Motion or an Order of the House to consider a specific bill or issue which would otherwise monopolize the time of the standing committees.
Standing committees
A committee which exists for the duration of a parliamentary session. This committee examines and reports on the general conduct of activities by government departments and agencies and reports on matters referred to it by the house, including proposed legislation.[5]
Standing Committees in the current Parliament:
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Select committees
Select committees are set up specifically to study certain bills or issues and according to the Standing Orders, consists of not more than 11 members from all parties with representation reflecting the current standing in the house. In some cases, the committee must examine material by a specific date and then report its conclusion to the legislature. After its final report, the committee is dissolved.[5]
Select Committees in the 39th Parliament:
- The Select Committee on Elections completed its work on June 30, 2009.
- The Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions completed its work on August 26, 2010.
- The Select Committee on the proposed transaction of the TMX Group and the London Stock Exchange Group completed its work on April 19, 2011.
Mace
The ceremonial mace of the Legislature is the fourth mace to be used in Upper Canada or Ontario.
The first mace was used by the Chamber of Upper Canada's first Parliament in 1792 at Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) and then moved to York (now Toronto).[6] The primitive wooden mace, painted red and gilt and surmounted by a crown of thin brass strips. It was stolen by American troops as a Prize of War during the Battle of York of the War of 1812 in 1813. The mace was stored at United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and remained in the United States until 1934 when it was returned to Ontario when President Franklin Roosevelt sent an order to Congress to return the mace.[7] It was stored at the Royal Ontario Museum for a time, and is now located in the Main Lobby of the Ontario Legislative Building.[6]
A second mace was introduced in 1813 and used until 1841.
The third mace was not purchased until 1845. In 1849, it was stolen by a riotous mob in Montreal, apparently intent upon destroying it in a public demonstration. However, it was rescued and returned to the Speaker, Sir Allan Macnab, the next day. Later, in 1854, the Mace was twice rescued when the Parliament Buildings in Quebec were ravaged by fire. The Mace continued to be used by the Union Parliament in Toronto and Quebec until Confederation in 1867, when it was taken to the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, where it remained in the House of Commons until 1916. When the Parliament Buildings were gutted by fire during that year, the Mace could not be saved from Centre Block. All that remained was a tiny ball of silver and gold conglomerate.[6]
After Confederation, the current mace used in Legislative Assembly of Ontario was acquired in 1867. It was provided by Charles E. Zollikofer of Ottawa for $200. The Four-foot mace is made of copper and richly gilded, a flattened ball at the butt end. Initially the head of the mace bore the crown of Queen Victoria and in a cup with her monogram, V.R. When she was succeeded by Edward VII in 1901, her crown and cup were removed and a new one bearing Edward's initials on the cup was installed. Eventually it was replaced with the current cup which is adorned in gleaming brass leaves.[6]
Through some careful detective work on the part of Legislative Assembly staff, the original cup with Queen Victoria's monogram was recently found in the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection and returned to the Legislature. It is now on display in the Ontario Legislative Building.[6]
In 2009, two diamonds were installed in the Mace. The diamonds were a gift to the people of Ontario from De Beers Canada to mark the opening of the Victor Mine near Attawapiskat in northern Ontario. Three diamonds were selected from the first run of the mine. Two stones, one rough and one polished, were set in platinum in the crown of the Mace while the third stone, also polished, was put on exhibit in the lobby of the Legislative Building as part of a display about the history of the Mace.[6]
Officers
Like the Parliament of Canada, the Legislature has procedural officers:
The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the chief permanent officer of the Legislative Assembly, with the rank and status of a Deputy Minister. He or she is the principal procedural adviser and senior officer of the House. The Clerk's responsibilities include advising the Speaker and Members of the Legislature on questions of procedure and interpretation of the rules and practices of the House. The Clerk is also responsible for the overall direction and administration of the Legislative Assembly and is Secretary of the Board of Internal Economy. As Chief Executive Officer, the Clerk is accountable to the Speaker for the administrative and operational functions of the Office of the Assembly.
The other key officer is the Sergeant-at-Arms, whose role is to keep order during meetings in the Legislature. The Sergeant-at-Arms is also charged with control of the Ceremonial mace in the Legislature in session.
Other officers of the legislature include the Ontario Ombudsman, the Environmental Commissioner, the Integrity Commissioner, the Auditor General, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Financial Accountability Officer,[8] the French Language Services Commissioner[9] and the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.[10]
See also
- Office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- List of Ontario political parties
- Cabinet of Ontario
- List of Ontario general elections
- List of Ontario Legislative Assemblies
- Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- Ontario Parliament Network
Notes
References
- ↑ "Origins of "MPP"". The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ↑ Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria 1867, c. 3 (U.K.), s. 69 (Constitution Act, 1867 at Department of Justice Canada) .
- ↑ "Legacy of a People's Park". Education Portal. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ↑ "The Commons Chamber in the 16th Century". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
- 1 2 Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Glossary retrieved 10 February 2010
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Mace". speaker.ontla.on.ca. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ "Franklin D. Roosevelt: Message to Congress Requesting Authority to Return a Mace to Canada". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
- ↑ http://www.fao-on.org/en/
- ↑ http://csfontario.ca/en/
- ↑ http://www.provincialadvocate.on.ca/