of the Senate, come to that chamber and
has been refl ected in cabinet representation
speak. The same opportunities are available to
from Jewish and non-English, non-French,
a senator.
ethnocultural minorities.
By custom, every province must, if possible,
The Speakers
have at least one cabinet minister. Of course,
if a province does not elect any government
The Speaker of the Senate is appointed by the
supporters, this becomes diffi
cult. In that case,
Governor General on the recommendation of
the prime minister may put a senator from that
the prime minister.
province into the cabinet, or get some member
from another province to resign his or her seat
The Speaker of the House of Commons is elected
and then try to get a person from the ?missing?
by secret ballot by the House itself after each
province elected there. In 1921, the Liberals did
general election. He or she must be a member of
not elect a single member from Alberta. The
the House. The Speaker is its presiding offi
cer,
Prime Minister, Mr. King, solved the problem of
decides all questions of procedure and order,
Alberta representation in the cabinet by getting
controls the House of Commons staff , and is
the Hon. Charles Stewart, Liberal ex-premier of
expected to be impartial, non-partisan and as
Alberta, nominated in the Quebec constituency
fi rm in enforcing the rules against the prime
of Argenteuil and then elected. Whether
minister as against the humblest opposition
Mr. King?s ploy would work now is quite another
backbencher.
question. The voters of today do not always
look with favour upon outside candidates
Until recently the Commons? Speaker was, by
being ?parachuted? into their ridings. The
custom, chosen from among the members of
smallest province, Prince Edward Island, has
the party in power, though there were cases (the
often gone unrepresented in the cabinet for
most recent in 1979) where a Speaker of one
years at a stretch.
party carried on after a change of government,
and one (1957) where the government was ready
By custom also, Ontario and Quebec have 10
to support a member from one of the minor
or 12 ministers each, provided each province
parties. A Speaker sometimes drops his or her
has elected enough government supporters to
membership in a party, and runs in the next
warrant such a number. Historically, at least
general election as an independent, although
one minister from Quebec was an English-
this has not recently been the case.
speaking Protestant, and there was at least one
minister from the French-speaking minorities
In 1985, the Commons adopted a new system
outside Quebec, normally from New Brunswick
whereby any member, except ministers of the
or Ontario, or both. It also used to be necessary
Crown, party leaders and anyone holding an
to have at least one English-speaking (usually
offi
ce within the House, may stand for election
Irish) Roman Catholic minister. Since the
as Speaker, and the election itself is conducted
appointment of the Hon. Ellen Fairclough to
by secret ballot in the Commons Chamber. The
The Institutions of Our Federal Government
