Parliament
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Unconstitutional and Unconstitutional
Why delegating plenary taxing powers to the executive is wrong as a matter of constitutional principle and constitutional law Continue reading
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Why Governments Are Not Angels
The SNC-Lavalin affair reveals serious challenges to the functioning of all three branches of the Canadian government Continue reading
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Such a Person
A recent biography highlights (some of) Thomas Cromwell’s influence on the constitution Continue reading
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Dealing with Delegation
Thoughts on a proposal for a judicial crackdown on the delegation of law-making powers to the executive Continue reading
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A bill to improve Parliament’s constitutional scrutiny of legislation is a step forward ― but not good enough Continue reading
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A Bad Fit
I blogged about Michael Chong’s proposed “Reform Act” back when it was first tabled as Bill C-559, criticizing both the substance of the changes it sought to introduce into the Canadian democracy, and the choice of legislation as the vehicle for effecting these changes. The bill (now C-586) has been much amended, and passed by Continue reading
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Intelligent Life on Parliament Hill
In an interesting recent blog post, Brent Rathgeber, an independent MP, discusses the Supreme Court’s decision in Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford, 2013 SCC 72, and Parliament’s eventual response to it. Mr. Rathgeber’s post deserves attention for a number of reasons. Beyond its immediate subject, which is of course interesting in itself, it is relevant to the debate about Continue reading
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Where to Stand
I wrote last week about Bill C-559, the proposed “Reform Act” that would, if enacted by Parliament, shift some power from party leaders to parliamentary caucuses and maybe individual MPs. It would do so by making it impossible for a leader to deny a candidate chosen by a local party association the ability to run Continue reading
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To Be Something
Speaking of our lawmakers, Pierre Trudeau (in)famously remarked that “when they are 50 yards from Parliament Hill, they are no longer honourable members, they are just nobodies.” Not that the honourable members fared any better on Parliament Hill ― over there they were, as he apparently also said, just “trained seals,” performing whatever tricks their party Continue reading
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An Ancient Parliamentary Right
I learned something about constitutional and Parliamentary tradition yesterday, and decided I’d post about because I was probably not alone in my ignorance of this quirk. Apologies to those in the know already! *** Each session of the mother of parliaments, at Westminster, and her daughters throughout the Commonwealth, starts with a Speech from the Continue reading
Double Aspect 