Canada's Parliament: A Primer

Parliament is at the centre of the Canadian system of democratic government and law-making. This primer traces the roots of Canada's Parliament in the United Kingdom and shows how it has developed a distinct Canadian personality since Confederation. Canada's Parliament: A Primer will provide students, citizens, and those in the process of becoming Canadians with a better understanding of how Parliament functions. Steven Chaplin approaches the topic with over fifteen years' experience as a lawyer to the House of Commons, both advising the House and representing it in the courts. He grounds his study in the historical origins of the Canadian Parliament, and he discusses each of its constitutional components -- the Commons, the Senate, and the monarch. The book reaches beyond mere description by showing how, armed with this knowledge, individuals, alone or through political parties, can engage in making Canada's democratic institutions work well for the people of Canada.