Library of Parliament Research Publication on Transition to Canada's 44th Parliament

With the Canadian elections behind us and a new federal cabinet sworn in earlier today, the country will soon see the opening of the 44th federal Parliament.

To explain what happens during the transition from one Parliament to another, the Library of Parliament recently prepared a new publication on the topic.

From the introduction:

"This document consists of a series of questions and answers about issues concerning the transition from one Parliament to the next and, in particular, the transition from the 43rd to the 44th Parliament. It explains how parliamentary and government activities are affected during an election period and describes the situation of various key political players – the Governor General, the prime minister, ministers and members of the House of Commons – between the dissolution of one Parliament and the beginning of the next."

"A general election determines the composition of the House of Commons and results in one of a number of possible government configurations – usually, a majority or a minority government. This document considers the constitutional, conventional, and practical implications of these possibilities."