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Decentralized Democracy

House Bill

Bill C-14

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 23, 2022
Preserving Provincial Representation in the House of Commons Act
  • This bill is called the Preserving Provincial Representation in the House of Commons Act. It amends the Constitution Act, 1867 to ensure that each province has at least the same number of members of the House of Commons as they did during the 43rd Parliament. This amendment will be applied during the readjustment of electoral boundaries after the 2021 decennial census. Essentially, it aims to maintain proportional representation in the House of Commons for each province.
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  • RA
  • Yea (178)
  • Nay (143)
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SteelmanSpren in Favour

  • A steelman argument in favor of this Act is that it ensures that provinces maintain their current levels of representation in the House of Commons. By preventing any province from having fewer members assigned to it than during the 43rd Parliament, it maintains a sense of fairness and equity in the electoral system. This helps to preserve the voice and influence of each province in the federal legislature and ensures that their interests are adequately represented. Additionally, by including transitional measures for the readjustment of electoral boundaries following the 2021 census, it ensures a smooth implementation of the new rules without causing disruption or confusion. This Act promotes stability, consistency, and equal representation, which are all fundamental principles of a healthy and functioning democracy.

SteelmanSpren Against

  • A possible steelman argument opposing this Act could be as follows: The proposed amendment to the Constitution Act, 1867, which aims to preserve provincial representation in the House of Commons, may have unintended consequences and undermine the principles of representative democracy. Firstly, this amendment would maintain the number of members assigned to each province at the level of the 43rd Parliament, regardless of changes in population distribution over time. This approach fails to account for population growth or decline in different regions, which is a fundamental factor in determining representation. By freezing the allocation of seats, the amendment could result in disproportionate representation, with some provinces having more seats than they should based on their population, while others remain underrepresented. Secondly, this amendment also includes transitional provisions that invalidate any previous reports and actio
Senate Third Reading
  • June 23, 2022, 2 p.m.
  • Passed
Royal Assent
  • June 23, 2022, 2 p.m.
  • Read
Senate Second Reading
  • June 20, 2022, 8:05 p.m.
  • Passed
Senate First Reading
  • June 16, 2022, 2:36 p.m.
  • Passed
House Third Reading
  • June 15, 2022, 8:17 p.m.
  • Passed

House Committee

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 10, 2022
Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC)
Re. Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (electoral representation)
  • Report 10 presented to the House
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
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House Second Reading
  • May 18, 2022, 6:17 p.m.
  • Passed